A couple nights ago, as I was reading Desiring God by John Piper, God
gave me what I call an "obvious" revelation -- something that's so
plain as day, but we don't see it most of the time. It's impossible to
miss, but it's possible to not comprehend it. The revelation came when
Piper quoted the famous warfare passage of Ephesians 6:10-18: "Take ...
the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." (v. 17)
When I read that, I finally understood. Finally,
after years of knowing that passage - and even having it on a special
coin by my bed - I comprehended what was really being said. If you go
back to the first few verses of John 1, you'll see that "the Word was God"
(emphasis added; v.1). In verse 2, John personifies "the Word" as a
"He". God finally gave me the connection between these two passages.
John 1:1-5 talks about Jesus, calling Him "the Word". Ephesians 6:10-18
talks about the spiritual armor and weaponry given to Christians by the
Father. One of the mentioned weapons is the sword of the Spirit. We all
know what swords are: extremely sharp weapons made to utterly destroy
the holder's enemy.
As Christians, Satan is quite
obviously our 'ultimate' enemy, and in order to defeat him and his
works, we are given a sword. And it may seem like I'm saying these
phrases repeatedly (which I kind of am), but it's because they're
important. Vital. The sword isn't just some cool toy that we have. The
sword is the Word of God. And Who is the Word? Jesus!
Christians
are given the name of Jesus (and the Bible, too; I'm not trying to
dismiss that as part of our sword) to fight. When we "heal the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, [and] cast out demons" (Matthew
10:8), we obviously will do so in Jesus' name. Sickness, death, leprosy,
and demons are all devices of Satan. They're all his works. But Satan's
biggest works of evil are nothing in comparison to even one facet of
God. Satan and God aren't even opposites! God is the Lord of the
Universe, and what is Satan? A jilted, selfish ex-servant of the Most
High God. There is infinite power to do good in the world and to destroy
evil in the name of Jesus. His name is our sword, and we need not be afraid of the devices of the enemy.
So
let us unsheathe our sword! Let us fight for beauty and truth and joy
and glory and goodness. Satan is nothing in comparison to even the name
by which our Savior is called. Remember that.
"There is
power in the name of Jesus to break every chain. ... There's an army
rising up to break every chain." - Jesus Culture, "Break Every Chain"
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Hymns
I never did like hymns. I don't know why. Growing up in Baptist churches with fairly small congregations, hymns were oftentimes sung and were revered by many of the parishioners -- but not me.
It's possible that it was just part of my childhood rebellion. There were periods of time where I would literally refuse to stand up during worship, let alone sing; and much less, sing a hymn! "Hymns are for old people," I'm sure I remarked. "They're boring and stupid," I must have said at least once. And all these years later, I finally get it. I finally understand why so many people loved - and still love - hymns.
Perhaps this isn't some scientific fact, but in my personal observations I've noticed that those who truly love hymns are typically those who have a steady walk with God and spend a lot of time reading the Bible, praying, worshiping, serving in the community, and using their gifts. You'll probably also notice that hymn-lovers are close to Jesus, and their Christianity is not abstract.
The hymn that started it all for me was "Nearer, My God, to Thee" -- and yes, I fell in love with it because of a little film called Titanic. (Here's a link to the film version.) Having cognitively heard it for the first time as an instrumental, I was completely unaware of the lyrics and knew only the beautiful strings rendition by I Salonisti. The first time I watched Titanic was winter break 2009, believe it or not. By that time I had already gotten to know God a little bit, but I was still so far away from where I now stand. But that movie was an open door.
Two years later (last autumn) I began violin lessons. God blessed me and allowed me to progress quickly. One day I had an idea -- I remembered that my dad had an old Baptist Hymnal around somewhere. And maybe, just maybe, the first hymn that I ever loved, "Nearer, My God, To Thee", would be in there! So I finally found the hymnal and sure enough, hymn 333 was it.
Every time I played it, I fell in love just a little bit more. Finally, without even trying, I had the whole thing memorized (not that it's super long, though) and I now use it as the opener for most every time that I practice. It brings glory to God and thus joy to me. One day I finally decided to read the lyrics. They're simple, but powerful. One thing led to another and soon I was playing "Nothing But the Blood", "Jesus Paid It All" (which many of us know thanks to modern renditions), "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", "Sweet Hour of Prayer", "Sweet Sweet Spirit" .... and the list goes on.
There is something so holy and majestic about hymns. Hymns seem to have something that many contemporary worship songs simply miss. They seem to possess the forgotten virtue of honesty. In a "big" church's Sunday morning worship, we may sing lyrics such as "I believe You're my healer"* but yet not believe that God actually heals. We may sing "I'm running to Your arms" but yet never go to God with anything. It is my personal belief that the hymn invites its singers to examine their hearts and actually earnestly mean what they're singing.
I've recently been blessed so greatly by hymns. I would most definitely recommend you pick up a hymnal (with sheet music, so you can sing along!) and start inviting the Holy Spirit into your hymn time. You won't regret it.
*There is quite a bit of controversy surrounding Hillsong's "Healer": the man who wrote the song claimed to be dying of cancer when in fact he was not; see this article for more info. (Yes, I know it's Wikipedia, but the information presented in this specific article is accurate.) Although the song was written based upon a horrid lie, it is a good worship song nonetheless.
It's possible that it was just part of my childhood rebellion. There were periods of time where I would literally refuse to stand up during worship, let alone sing; and much less, sing a hymn! "Hymns are for old people," I'm sure I remarked. "They're boring and stupid," I must have said at least once. And all these years later, I finally get it. I finally understand why so many people loved - and still love - hymns.
Perhaps this isn't some scientific fact, but in my personal observations I've noticed that those who truly love hymns are typically those who have a steady walk with God and spend a lot of time reading the Bible, praying, worshiping, serving in the community, and using their gifts. You'll probably also notice that hymn-lovers are close to Jesus, and their Christianity is not abstract.
The hymn that started it all for me was "Nearer, My God, to Thee" -- and yes, I fell in love with it because of a little film called Titanic. (Here's a link to the film version.) Having cognitively heard it for the first time as an instrumental, I was completely unaware of the lyrics and knew only the beautiful strings rendition by I Salonisti. The first time I watched Titanic was winter break 2009, believe it or not. By that time I had already gotten to know God a little bit, but I was still so far away from where I now stand. But that movie was an open door.
Two years later (last autumn) I began violin lessons. God blessed me and allowed me to progress quickly. One day I had an idea -- I remembered that my dad had an old Baptist Hymnal around somewhere. And maybe, just maybe, the first hymn that I ever loved, "Nearer, My God, To Thee", would be in there! So I finally found the hymnal and sure enough, hymn 333 was it.
Every time I played it, I fell in love just a little bit more. Finally, without even trying, I had the whole thing memorized (not that it's super long, though) and I now use it as the opener for most every time that I practice. It brings glory to God and thus joy to me. One day I finally decided to read the lyrics. They're simple, but powerful. One thing led to another and soon I was playing "Nothing But the Blood", "Jesus Paid It All" (which many of us know thanks to modern renditions), "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", "Sweet Hour of Prayer", "Sweet Sweet Spirit" .... and the list goes on.
There is something so holy and majestic about hymns. Hymns seem to have something that many contemporary worship songs simply miss. They seem to possess the forgotten virtue of honesty. In a "big" church's Sunday morning worship, we may sing lyrics such as "I believe You're my healer"* but yet not believe that God actually heals. We may sing "I'm running to Your arms" but yet never go to God with anything. It is my personal belief that the hymn invites its singers to examine their hearts and actually earnestly mean what they're singing.
I've recently been blessed so greatly by hymns. I would most definitely recommend you pick up a hymnal (with sheet music, so you can sing along!) and start inviting the Holy Spirit into your hymn time. You won't regret it.
*There is quite a bit of controversy surrounding Hillsong's "Healer": the man who wrote the song claimed to be dying of cancer when in fact he was not; see this article for more info. (Yes, I know it's Wikipedia, but the information presented in this specific article is accurate.) Although the song was written based upon a horrid lie, it is a good worship song nonetheless.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
He Lives In You
If you don't absolutely love The Lion King, there's probably something wrong with you. (Fact of life, more or less.) While I've never had the opportunity to see the live show (yet; I hope to do so someday), only God knows how many times I've watched the famous Disney movie. I. Love. The. Lion. King.
Though I cherished the movie my whole life, it wasn't until very recently that I realized it's more than just a "children's movie". There are a lot of profound spiritual elements in the story!
If you do even just a little bit of research, you'll find that The Lion King was most definitely not based off of Christianity or any Christian beliefs; however, God has His ways of sneaking into our creative endeavors, whether we know (or like!) it or not. Just take a look at this classic film masterpiece in greater detail, and you'll see.
I could write several hundred pages on the spiritual significance of The Lion King, and easily so. It's filled with rich spiritual imagery, regardless of your "religion". So instead of boring you with that, I'll just go to one particular facet: the song "He Lives in You". (Yeah, I know it wasn't in the original movie, but bear with me, it's still part of the story and the Broadway musical.)
Take a listen:
The song basically explains itself! Take a look at the lyrics from a Christian's viewpoint.
I mean, really. Come the freak on! With its references to "the Spirit of Life", "There's no mountain too great ... have faith", "He lives in you, He lives in me", "He watches over everything we see", "Into the Water, into the Truth", "In your reflection, He lives in you" ... It's hard to overlook those, isn't it? This stunning Broadway song could easily be used as some form of God glorification. (I say this because it's not quite worship.)
So instead of giving you some overly detailed analysis... I would encourage you to study this song on your own, and use the Bible as a guide to decoding the song. Try finding some Scriptures on the Holy Spirit, particularly where His attributes are shown as light, life, water, and truth. Look for some verses on our bodies being His temple, and on how He lives inside of us. Search for some verses on the omniscience of God (the Psalms might be a good starting place for that). And finally, I would suggest trying to find some Scriptures on being an ambassador, representing God in our lives, etc. Enjoy!
Though I cherished the movie my whole life, it wasn't until very recently that I realized it's more than just a "children's movie". There are a lot of profound spiritual elements in the story!
If you do even just a little bit of research, you'll find that The Lion King was most definitely not based off of Christianity or any Christian beliefs; however, God has His ways of sneaking into our creative endeavors, whether we know (or like!) it or not. Just take a look at this classic film masterpiece in greater detail, and you'll see.
I could write several hundred pages on the spiritual significance of The Lion King, and easily so. It's filled with rich spiritual imagery, regardless of your "religion". So instead of boring you with that, I'll just go to one particular facet: the song "He Lives in You". (Yeah, I know it wasn't in the original movie, but bear with me, it's still part of the story and the Broadway musical.)
Take a listen:
The song basically explains itself! Take a look at the lyrics from a Christian's viewpoint.
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala [A lion and a leopard come to this open place]
Night and the spirit of life calling mamela [listen]
And a voice, just the fear of a child, answers mamela [listen]
Ubu khosi o khokho [This is the throne of our ancestors]
We ndodana ye sizwe sonke [Oh, son of the nation]
Wait, there's no mountain too great
Hear these words and have faith (have faith)
He lives in you, He lives in me
He watches over everything we see
Into the water, into the truth
In your reflection, he lives in you
He lives in you, he lives in me
He watches over everything we see
Into the the water, into the truth
In your reflection, He lives in you
He lives in you (x5)
He lives in you! He lives in me!
He watches over everything we see
Into the water, into the truth
In your reflection, he lives in you
He lives in you, he lives in me
He watches over everything we see
Into the water, into the truth
In your reflection, (in my reflection) he lives in you
I mean, really. Come the freak on! With its references to "the Spirit of Life", "There's no mountain too great ... have faith", "He lives in you, He lives in me", "He watches over everything we see", "Into the Water, into the Truth", "In your reflection, He lives in you" ... It's hard to overlook those, isn't it? This stunning Broadway song could easily be used as some form of God glorification. (I say this because it's not quite worship.)
So instead of giving you some overly detailed analysis... I would encourage you to study this song on your own, and use the Bible as a guide to decoding the song. Try finding some Scriptures on the Holy Spirit, particularly where His attributes are shown as light, life, water, and truth. Look for some verses on our bodies being His temple, and on how He lives inside of us. Search for some verses on the omniscience of God (the Psalms might be a good starting place for that). And finally, I would suggest trying to find some Scriptures on being an ambassador, representing God in our lives, etc. Enjoy!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Fight the good fight
Life just gets in the way of everything else sometimes.
Such as, keeping my room clean. Or blogging. Or, even writing anything at all. I barely see any of my friends anymore. School has taken over, and so has God.
If I thought that God had wrecked me before... well. That was just the beginning. These past few weeks alone have been ridiculous. Although Wicked really has nothing to do with my life right now, "Something has changed within me; something is not the same." But it's true. I went from listening to my some 4,000 secular songs to listening almost exclusively to worship music. (With a side of Mumford & Sons... ) Instead of reading buckets of fiction I've picked up Desiring God and Eternity in their Hearts - but most importantly, the Bible. This one, to be exact.
My brother gave it to me for Christmas, and I absolutely love it. Although NKJV is my favorite translation, NASB is a very close second. I find that the NASB maintains the regality of the original text while putting it in language that is understandable for the modern person. And the Life Application Study Bible especially begs for one to dive into it, and highlight and underline and scribble notes inside of it. It begs to be cherished in that way.
I've found that reading the Bible consistently changes one's perspective. Although I've dramatically changed within the past year, just these past few weeks have brought forth even more change and transformation of heart. Of course, I'm nowhere near where I want to be. I am still too far from Jesus.
I've also found that when you and your perspective change in a godly way, Satan doesn't like it. (Who would have thought, right?) And what does the Destroyer do to things he doesn't like? Well, ...he tries to destroy them. He tries to steal our hope, kill our vision, and destroy our faith. In my life, when he's tried to do this, it's usually come through the discouragement of people.
Just the other day at church, I had several people chastise me. When I voiced my desire for deeper Bible study at my church's youth group, one person told me that I was immature for not getting enough out of the messages as they are. (Um, doesn't the fact that I want to go deeper into God denote maturity instead of immaturity?) When I gave my prayer request for an upcoming mission trip I want to go on, another adult literally tried to talk me out of wanting to do any foreign missions!
But then, instead of getting angry... I realized something crucial. It comes out of James chapter 1 verse 2:
James 1:2 is one of those staple verses that people tell us whenever we're going through something rough, and they tend to say it in this "holier-than-thou" tone (though not always). I don't know how many times I've simply passed over this verse because I was tired of people telling it to me. (Like Jeremiah 29:11. A great verse, but I would appreciate not hearing it 10,000 times a day.) I've come to the conclusion that James 1:2 is a verse that you have to read to yourself. And when you do, then it's priceless.
I realized that the fact that I was enduring these numerous trials at church was because I was doing something right. If you look at the New Testament, the authors talk multiple times about enduring trials. And every time it is implied that these trials spring from us as Christians doing God's will, and Satan doesn't like it. So he tries to make our lives miserable. Well ha-ha, Satan, nice try. I'm going to consider it all joy.
And one other thought to keep you encouraged (to be read in the context of, you're seeking God and doing His will):
When the world tells you that you are doing something wrong, it means you're doing everything right.
Such as, keeping my room clean. Or blogging. Or, even writing anything at all. I barely see any of my friends anymore. School has taken over, and so has God.
If I thought that God had wrecked me before... well. That was just the beginning. These past few weeks alone have been ridiculous. Although Wicked really has nothing to do with my life right now, "Something has changed within me; something is not the same." But it's true. I went from listening to my some 4,000 secular songs to listening almost exclusively to worship music. (With a side of Mumford & Sons... ) Instead of reading buckets of fiction I've picked up Desiring God and Eternity in their Hearts - but most importantly, the Bible. This one, to be exact.
My brother gave it to me for Christmas, and I absolutely love it. Although NKJV is my favorite translation, NASB is a very close second. I find that the NASB maintains the regality of the original text while putting it in language that is understandable for the modern person. And the Life Application Study Bible especially begs for one to dive into it, and highlight and underline and scribble notes inside of it. It begs to be cherished in that way.
I've found that reading the Bible consistently changes one's perspective. Although I've dramatically changed within the past year, just these past few weeks have brought forth even more change and transformation of heart. Of course, I'm nowhere near where I want to be. I am still too far from Jesus.
I've also found that when you and your perspective change in a godly way, Satan doesn't like it. (Who would have thought, right?) And what does the Destroyer do to things he doesn't like? Well, ...he tries to destroy them. He tries to steal our hope, kill our vision, and destroy our faith. In my life, when he's tried to do this, it's usually come through the discouragement of people.
Just the other day at church, I had several people chastise me. When I voiced my desire for deeper Bible study at my church's youth group, one person told me that I was immature for not getting enough out of the messages as they are. (Um, doesn't the fact that I want to go deeper into God denote maturity instead of immaturity?) When I gave my prayer request for an upcoming mission trip I want to go on, another adult literally tried to talk me out of wanting to do any foreign missions!
But then, instead of getting angry... I realized something crucial. It comes out of James chapter 1 verse 2:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.
James 1:2 is one of those staple verses that people tell us whenever we're going through something rough, and they tend to say it in this "holier-than-thou" tone (though not always). I don't know how many times I've simply passed over this verse because I was tired of people telling it to me. (Like Jeremiah 29:11. A great verse, but I would appreciate not hearing it 10,000 times a day.) I've come to the conclusion that James 1:2 is a verse that you have to read to yourself. And when you do, then it's priceless.
I realized that the fact that I was enduring these numerous trials at church was because I was doing something right. If you look at the New Testament, the authors talk multiple times about enduring trials. And every time it is implied that these trials spring from us as Christians doing God's will, and Satan doesn't like it. So he tries to make our lives miserable. Well ha-ha, Satan, nice try. I'm going to consider it all joy.
And one other thought to keep you encouraged (to be read in the context of, you're seeking God and doing His will):
When the world tells you that you are doing something wrong, it means you're doing everything right.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Thought of the day
What's the point in calling yourself a Christian if you don't even believe in the God you worship?
So there you have it. Today I'm not going to bore you with an excessively long post. Instead, I'm giving you this "thought of the day" with a little bit of explanation, and then leaving you to meditate on it and pray about it.
So what do I mean by it exactly? I don't mean that it's pointless to claim to be a Christian if you don't even believe in God. (Although it is.) What I mean in particular by my question - the thought - is that it's moot to be a Christian if you don't believe in the power of God. If you read the Bible yet pass over the parts about moving mountains and healing diseases and parting seas and read them as abstract fiction, why bother? Your being a Christian is no different from someone being an atheist.
Christians who don't believe in the power of their own God are no different from people who don't even believe that God exists. This is one of the gravest hypocrisies in the church. I urge you to examine your heart, your beliefs, and then go examine the Bible. Look at it plain and simple. It never says that God's power stops.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
A song to power up to...
This song, "Break Every Chain" by the fantastic Jesus Culture has been running through my head ever since I heard it last weekend. It's from the group's most recent album, found here. (I give an iTunes link because, well, Amazon mp3 fell off the train of awesomeness on this one and doesn't sell it.)
It's such a simple song, and super easy to catch on to. At 8 minutes, it's one of the typical hardcore Jesus Culture songs. Seriously, check Jesus Culture out. My family just recently invested in buying some of their CD/DVD combo packs, which I highly recommend. It's impossible to love on Jesus Culture too much! Especially when their music not only glorifies God, but empowers you and welcomes the Holy Spirit and proclaims solid theology:
There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain
Bask in it.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Fall
I recently got A Fiddling Christmas, a fairly easy book of Christmas tunes for violin/fiddle. (I do both styles of playing.) And, by recently, I mean sometime in October. Anyways, I've been playing from the book fairly steadily ever since then, and it's really been getting me in the mood for Christmas. Today my family finally put up our tree and began taking down the autumn decorations and replacing them with festive wintry ones! As a lover of Christmas... I am thoroughly pleased.
So here I've been, playing anything from "I Saw Three Ships" to "Away in a Manger"... over, and over, and over, and over again! I've been ready for Christmas for a couple of months now. And finally, it's actually appropriate to be singing Christmas carols! Yay! Anyways. I'm getting off track. Today has been extremely tired/unbelievably hyper, so my writing is a bit off. Sorry.
So one of the songs in the book is an old classic - "O Holy Night". I'd always liked the song, but it wasn't until sometime in early November when I really fell in love with its worshipful attitude. The lyrics are absolutely beautiful, and I really like the music. When my bow hit the A-string in the 15th measure, I finally understood.
Worship is something that is really close to my heart. To get lost in it and to be found at the same time is the greatest of glories. To forsake yourself is to discover your identity. The true worshiper praises not only to give, but to receive. Worship is not a one-way street; God operates in it just as much if not more than we do. He gives His all in worship, too. I long to see Christians in every church worshiping in their various ways: some people sitting down in chairs meditatively, others up and around the room dancing and jumping joyously, some people standing and swaying... I long to see every heart display its worship shamelessly. That is something that is so direly needed in the church today. But that's another topic entirely.
Anyways. 15th measure. This is the part of the song where the lyrics change to a more humble form. It's only four little words that made this song for me:
And there you have it. Fall on your knees. Fall on your knees. What I love about this part is that it doesn't say "Calmly kneel down." It says "Fall on your knees." Let the worship overtake you. Let the Holy Spirit fill you. Fall on your knees. Leave your dignity at the door.
As Christmas, the celebration of the birth of our Savior (and let that sink in for once), approaches I would encourage you to make it one of your spiritual goals to learn how to truly worship. Worship in its purest form does not have room for religion. (You might want to re-read that sentence.) Pure worship is the abandonment of self. It is the praise, no matter what the circumstances, of our Lord. Whoever you are, I appoint you this task: learn what worship is. Then go do it.
Fall on your knees...
Links:
1. My all-time favorite rendition of "I Saw Three Ships", by Manor House String Quartet.
2. A current violin favorite, Dvorak's "Humoresque" as performed by the wonderful David Garrett. I felt like including this because, well, quite frankly, I'm in love with it.
So here I've been, playing anything from "I Saw Three Ships" to "Away in a Manger"... over, and over, and over, and over again! I've been ready for Christmas for a couple of months now. And finally, it's actually appropriate to be singing Christmas carols! Yay! Anyways. I'm getting off track. Today has been extremely tired/unbelievably hyper, so my writing is a bit off. Sorry.
So one of the songs in the book is an old classic - "O Holy Night". I'd always liked the song, but it wasn't until sometime in early November when I really fell in love with its worshipful attitude. The lyrics are absolutely beautiful, and I really like the music. When my bow hit the A-string in the 15th measure, I finally understood.
Worship is something that is really close to my heart. To get lost in it and to be found at the same time is the greatest of glories. To forsake yourself is to discover your identity. The true worshiper praises not only to give, but to receive. Worship is not a one-way street; God operates in it just as much if not more than we do. He gives His all in worship, too. I long to see Christians in every church worshiping in their various ways: some people sitting down in chairs meditatively, others up and around the room dancing and jumping joyously, some people standing and swaying... I long to see every heart display its worship shamelessly. That is something that is so direly needed in the church today. But that's another topic entirely.
Anyways. 15th measure. This is the part of the song where the lyrics change to a more humble form. It's only four little words that made this song for me:
Fall on your knees...
And there you have it. Fall on your knees. Fall on your knees. What I love about this part is that it doesn't say "Calmly kneel down." It says "Fall on your knees." Let the worship overtake you. Let the Holy Spirit fill you. Fall on your knees. Leave your dignity at the door.
As Christmas, the celebration of the birth of our Savior (and let that sink in for once), approaches I would encourage you to make it one of your spiritual goals to learn how to truly worship. Worship in its purest form does not have room for religion. (You might want to re-read that sentence.) Pure worship is the abandonment of self. It is the praise, no matter what the circumstances, of our Lord. Whoever you are, I appoint you this task: learn what worship is. Then go do it.
Fall on your knees...
Links:
1. My all-time favorite rendition of "I Saw Three Ships", by Manor House String Quartet.
2. A current violin favorite, Dvorak's "Humoresque" as performed by the wonderful David Garrett. I felt like including this because, well, quite frankly, I'm in love with it.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thanksgiving vs. Black Friday
With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, smells of cinnamon and pumpkin seem to filter through the air. Grocery shopping is being finished and recipes are being resurrected from last year's arsenal. As I type this my stomach is already growling in preparation for Thursday's feast. (Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I haven't yet eaten today...)
But then there's a cloud hanging above our heads. And probably over yours too, if you live in America. One of the calmest, family-oriented holidays morphs into a brutal, sometimes even deadly quest for inexpensive merchandise called Black Friday. Stores are opening in the wee hours of Friday morning (and some even the latter hours of Thursday night) to make way for the thousands of sleep-deprived frugal monsters that will be mobbing their way in. Is that really what we've come to? Has a pure holiday been cast out by a vicious shopping day?
Unfortunately, I think that's what's happened. While everybody loves a good hearty Thanksgiving meal, nobody gets anywhere near as excited for Thanksgiving as they do for Black Friday. While this isn't the most perfect metaphor that I'm trying to make... it seems like this is what's happening to all good and pure things.
You've got something - Thanksgiving - that's been going on for ages. It's a good holiday, born from good intentions. If you do any amount of earnest research on November's holiday, you'll find that the "First Thanksgiving" was a celebration of pilgrims who fled England due to controlling church authorities. The pilgrims were refugees of a sort - they came to America, my home country, for God. They ached to worship God freely. They had been injured by religion over and over again, and so they left England not for the sake of "freedom of religion" as so many will argue; instead, they left to find freedom from religion.
Religion, my friends, has been killing souls for a long, long time. Jesus didn't come to this Earth and die so that we could live under a "righteous" dogma or breathe the polluted air of a doctrine. He came that the gap that sin built might be bridged to form a perfect relationship with God. You can lift your hands in worship and memorize Scripture all the days of your life and still not have a relationship with Christ.
As I look inside my very own church, I see so few Christians; they are eclipsed by Churchgoers. If your Sunday morning service is Thanksgiving, then the football game that afternoon is Black Friday. You scarf down your meal - the filling of your spirit - in angst, longing for the good deal the next day. But what happens after Black Friday? Are you even thankful for the bargains you found? You may have a mountain of shopping bags surrounding you but you can't eat them. Toys and clothes and electronics can't fill you or eliminate your hunger.
And that's how we've gone on to live our lives - we want the cheap thrill of Black Friday. How much can we get for $20? What's the least amount of money, of effort, that we can put into something and still get a good reward? This life that we live is nothing more than emptiness. Tell me, does a movie satisfy the stomach? Does a stuffed animal quench your thirst? No, only the Bread of Life satisfies the stomach. Only the Water of Life quenches thirst.
Over the past few years especially, I have seen Thanksgiving turn into a preamble for Black Friday. "What are you thankful for?" someone at your table may ask. I hope with all my heart that you say "The freedom and love of Christ; the freedom to choose who I worship and how I do so" instead of "Good deals on Black Friday".
But then there's a cloud hanging above our heads. And probably over yours too, if you live in America. One of the calmest, family-oriented holidays morphs into a brutal, sometimes even deadly quest for inexpensive merchandise called Black Friday. Stores are opening in the wee hours of Friday morning (and some even the latter hours of Thursday night) to make way for the thousands of sleep-deprived frugal monsters that will be mobbing their way in. Is that really what we've come to? Has a pure holiday been cast out by a vicious shopping day?
Unfortunately, I think that's what's happened. While everybody loves a good hearty Thanksgiving meal, nobody gets anywhere near as excited for Thanksgiving as they do for Black Friday. While this isn't the most perfect metaphor that I'm trying to make... it seems like this is what's happening to all good and pure things.
You've got something - Thanksgiving - that's been going on for ages. It's a good holiday, born from good intentions. If you do any amount of earnest research on November's holiday, you'll find that the "First Thanksgiving" was a celebration of pilgrims who fled England due to controlling church authorities. The pilgrims were refugees of a sort - they came to America, my home country, for God. They ached to worship God freely. They had been injured by religion over and over again, and so they left England not for the sake of "freedom of religion" as so many will argue; instead, they left to find freedom from religion.
Religion, my friends, has been killing souls for a long, long time. Jesus didn't come to this Earth and die so that we could live under a "righteous" dogma or breathe the polluted air of a doctrine. He came that the gap that sin built might be bridged to form a perfect relationship with God. You can lift your hands in worship and memorize Scripture all the days of your life and still not have a relationship with Christ.
As I look inside my very own church, I see so few Christians; they are eclipsed by Churchgoers. If your Sunday morning service is Thanksgiving, then the football game that afternoon is Black Friday. You scarf down your meal - the filling of your spirit - in angst, longing for the good deal the next day. But what happens after Black Friday? Are you even thankful for the bargains you found? You may have a mountain of shopping bags surrounding you but you can't eat them. Toys and clothes and electronics can't fill you or eliminate your hunger.
And that's how we've gone on to live our lives - we want the cheap thrill of Black Friday. How much can we get for $20? What's the least amount of money, of effort, that we can put into something and still get a good reward? This life that we live is nothing more than emptiness. Tell me, does a movie satisfy the stomach? Does a stuffed animal quench your thirst? No, only the Bread of Life satisfies the stomach. Only the Water of Life quenches thirst.
Over the past few years especially, I have seen Thanksgiving turn into a preamble for Black Friday. "What are you thankful for?" someone at your table may ask. I hope with all my heart that you say "The freedom and love of Christ; the freedom to choose who I worship and how I do so" instead of "Good deals on Black Friday".
Thursday, November 17, 2011
And the Word Came with Power = a must read.
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
~ Acts 4:31 (NASB)
Several nights ago, I was physically exhausted but mentally wide awake. Can you relate? I wanted so badly to get to sleep so that I could wake up early the next morning and get the day going. But for some reason, no matter how hard I tried, sleep just would not come.
Within the past month or two, I had purchased a book called And the Word Came with Power. The book is the firsthand account of an American missionary to a remote Filipino village.
Thinking that I would only read a chapter or two, I picked up the 176 page book and began to read it. At first I felt the writing was mediocre and somewhat choppy, but the more I read... the better it seemed to get. Since I had just a few minutes earlier asked God to romance my heart, I thought that maybe this book would be the answer to my prayer. I was right.
Since I have a burden for a place full of spiritual darkness and hostility towards Christianity, this book especially ministered to me. The incredible stories of deliverance and healing are beautiful. Joanne Shetler began her journey in the hopes of translating the Bible into the language of the Balangao people. As she learned to trust God and came to value the family of Christ, God opened doors and softened the hearts of the people.
Ordinarily I would give you an in-depth analysis of this book and go into a whole bunch of theological whatnot. But this time... I'm just going to leave it at this: read this book. Even though I was dead tired, I stayed up until 3am reading this book. I literally read it cover to cover. I didn't get up to go to the bathroom or get water or anything. I just read it straight through. And that is something that rarely happens.
... The word of God is not imprisoned.
~ 2 Timothy 2:9 (NASB)
Saturday, November 5, 2011
The Travesty of the Spiritual Couch Potatoes
My fingers have spent hours tapping away on my keyboard, trying to squeeze out a blog entry. Since my last post on October 15th, God has moved so fantastically in my life. My eyes have been opened to a world I always knew existed but failed to live in; I had merely visited.
The change has been so overwhelming that I literally can't put it into words and still do it justice. It is something that must be experienced firsthand - which is why so few believe in it, and thus fail to live it. Though it seems pessimistic, in this post I'm going to be talking about the most common Christian failure.
As I've written before, until I was about 8 or 9 my family went to a Baptist church. Since then, we've gone to a church that could easily be called non-denominational. It's got aspects of many denominations, but has never truly fit inside the box of a particular one - and that's something that it loves. Anyone can walk into our church and fit in.
I didn't open this post today to bash my church, which it may sound like I'm about to do. But I promise you that I am not. I'm heavily involved in my church and I love being there. However, there are several things that I would change if given the chance, one of them being this: my church's focus is to evangelize. It loves to welcome new people to the faith. Every weekend (and every Wednesday too!) I see dozens of people giving their lives to Christ. For that, my church is a wonderful one. I typically always love the sermons, and tend to agree with my pastor's theology. But there's something missing. It seems like it lacks that next step, for people who are already into their walk with God and ready for some revolutionary stuff to happen. I'm one of those people.
For that, most churches (mine included) suggest that you check out one of their home small groups. My parents belong to two of those groups. But where do I fit in? I don't. My church doesn't have a small group program for serious, devoted teens. And that's something I would like to change. Where is the serious Christianity for the teenagers? My age certainly isn't looked down upon at my church, but it's not glorified either. But anyways. That's starting to get off topic.
I think my point is that this is where so many churches fail Christians. The church's focus is on getting people inside their building, converting them, and letting them leave. But what about the people who are already there? What about the people who desire something more than for their hand to be raised one time and be done with things? This is the failure of the church.
Instead of focusing almost solely on converting people as if they're sheep to be sheared, the church should spend a lot of time and devote a lot of energy into equipping its existing members. What good is a church body of 5 million if only 50 of its members go out and heal the sick or help the needy?
Churches spend a lot of time focusing on organizing mission trips, which are great. Don't get me wrong. But step outside. Look at your neighbors. I can guarantee you that at least one of them has something in their life that you can fix. Why are we not helping them, our very own neighbors? How is Guatemala or Burma any different that your very own street? People are in need of something every single place you look. If you live with someone, I'd bet that they've got something you could help them with. If you're a Christian, you have power in the name of Jesus, granted to us by the Father, delivered to us by the Holy Spirit to pray over sick people and heal them. If you've got the Holy Spirit, you are able to prophesy to people. Through Him you can speak in tongues or preach or see into the spiritual realm. Those things are very real. Yet we live as if the only healers are doctors with drugs, the only prophets are those that died during Bible times, the only tongues are Russian and Chinese, the only preachers are those in the pulpit, and the only seers are those committed to mental institutions.
One song by Casting Crowns comes to mind. Listen to this song and read the lyrics. Open up your heart and let it stab you.
This is a burden of mine. I ache for the dying church. If Christianity were to go on forever exactly as it is right now, we would not be changing the world. We would merely be existing within it. And that, my readers, is a problem. Christians shouldn't be spiritual couch potatoes.
That's one thing that God has shown me so clearly in the past few weeks. The body is dying. We are almost all failing to live life inside the body. This is why Christians are so often called hypocrites. Because we are. If you actually read the Bible, you'll see some of God's explicitly clear commands. But where are they being carried out? So few people actually live the Christian life that God designed.
The majority of the Christian church as it is right now is a living but dying travesty. At its best the mainstream church mocks what Christians once were and should still be. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a breathing travesty.
Jesus did not die on the cross for us to be travesties. So what are you going to do about that?
The change has been so overwhelming that I literally can't put it into words and still do it justice. It is something that must be experienced firsthand - which is why so few believe in it, and thus fail to live it. Though it seems pessimistic, in this post I'm going to be talking about the most common Christian failure.
As I've written before, until I was about 8 or 9 my family went to a Baptist church. Since then, we've gone to a church that could easily be called non-denominational. It's got aspects of many denominations, but has never truly fit inside the box of a particular one - and that's something that it loves. Anyone can walk into our church and fit in.
I didn't open this post today to bash my church, which it may sound like I'm about to do. But I promise you that I am not. I'm heavily involved in my church and I love being there. However, there are several things that I would change if given the chance, one of them being this: my church's focus is to evangelize. It loves to welcome new people to the faith. Every weekend (and every Wednesday too!) I see dozens of people giving their lives to Christ. For that, my church is a wonderful one. I typically always love the sermons, and tend to agree with my pastor's theology. But there's something missing. It seems like it lacks that next step, for people who are already into their walk with God and ready for some revolutionary stuff to happen. I'm one of those people.
For that, most churches (mine included) suggest that you check out one of their home small groups. My parents belong to two of those groups. But where do I fit in? I don't. My church doesn't have a small group program for serious, devoted teens. And that's something I would like to change. Where is the serious Christianity for the teenagers? My age certainly isn't looked down upon at my church, but it's not glorified either. But anyways. That's starting to get off topic.
I think my point is that this is where so many churches fail Christians. The church's focus is on getting people inside their building, converting them, and letting them leave. But what about the people who are already there? What about the people who desire something more than for their hand to be raised one time and be done with things? This is the failure of the church.
Instead of focusing almost solely on converting people as if they're sheep to be sheared, the church should spend a lot of time and devote a lot of energy into equipping its existing members. What good is a church body of 5 million if only 50 of its members go out and heal the sick or help the needy?
Churches spend a lot of time focusing on organizing mission trips, which are great. Don't get me wrong. But step outside. Look at your neighbors. I can guarantee you that at least one of them has something in their life that you can fix. Why are we not helping them, our very own neighbors? How is Guatemala or Burma any different that your very own street? People are in need of something every single place you look. If you live with someone, I'd bet that they've got something you could help them with. If you're a Christian, you have power in the name of Jesus, granted to us by the Father, delivered to us by the Holy Spirit to pray over sick people and heal them. If you've got the Holy Spirit, you are able to prophesy to people. Through Him you can speak in tongues or preach or see into the spiritual realm. Those things are very real. Yet we live as if the only healers are doctors with drugs, the only prophets are those that died during Bible times, the only tongues are Russian and Chinese, the only preachers are those in the pulpit, and the only seers are those committed to mental institutions.
One song by Casting Crowns comes to mind. Listen to this song and read the lyrics. Open up your heart and let it stab you.
This is a burden of mine. I ache for the dying church. If Christianity were to go on forever exactly as it is right now, we would not be changing the world. We would merely be existing within it. And that, my readers, is a problem. Christians shouldn't be spiritual couch potatoes.
That's one thing that God has shown me so clearly in the past few weeks. The body is dying. We are almost all failing to live life inside the body. This is why Christians are so often called hypocrites. Because we are. If you actually read the Bible, you'll see some of God's explicitly clear commands. But where are they being carried out? So few people actually live the Christian life that God designed.
The majority of the Christian church as it is right now is a living but dying travesty. At its best the mainstream church mocks what Christians once were and should still be. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a breathing travesty.
Jesus did not die on the cross for us to be travesties. So what are you going to do about that?
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Will You?
Confession #1 of a 90s baby
I grew up listening to some really awesome music.
Confession #2
Among my favorite bands was the Newsboys. In spite of my temporary dislike for Christian music, I always loved them.
Confession #3
As a little girl, I was convinced I would marry Phil Joel.
Confession #4
I didn't.
Confession #5
Aside from that tragic heartbreak (:P), I still love their music and have recently rediscovered it, thanks to my mom.
I don't know what it was about them, but I really loved the Newsboys. Just ask any member of my nuclear family, and they'll assure you. I was hardcore.
Even though I was just a toddler, I'm pretty sure I knew every single word to every single Newsboys song. I also watched their movie, Down Under the Big Top, about a billion times. We had a few of their concert videos, which I watched repeatedly. I also went to several of their concerts. I seem to recall having a Newsboys poster when I was about four, right by my bed. If there was an award for being the biggest Newsboys fan ever, I'm pretty sure my little kid self would have won it. Just sayin'.
So for the past couple of days, my mom has been listening to Love Liberty Disco, Adoration, and Thrive, all of which I love. Although each album is filled with songs that speak to me, the ones that are really standing out to me at this point in time belong to the Thrive album.
The title song is just plain gorgeous. But it's "It is You" that got me writing this post.
I've been studying a lot about the Holy Spirit lately, and God has really been teaching me about all sorts of relationships. Away from the chaos of human relationships lies the most brilliant of them all: the relationship between God and man (or woman!). When I heard this song for the first time in a couple of years the other day, it caught my heart in its net. I love, love, love, love, love the lyrics, particularly this part:
As we lift up our hands, will You meet us here?
As we call on Your name, will You meet us here?
We have come to this place to worship You,
God of mercy and grace; it is You we adore.
That part really stood out to me. It's such an earnest, calm prayer. The singer is petitioning God, saying, "We're going to praise You, we're going to worship You. Would you meet us here? Could you come down from Heaven and love on us as we love on You?" Gah. It's so simple, and so undeniably beautiful.
This song has really become my prayer for worship. It just occurred to me - literally, just now - that when some people worship, they don't expect anything from God. They just sing the song, maybe raise a hand or close their eyes, but they never invite the Holy Spirit to rest on them. I don't want to be like that. Worship, for me at least, is more than just a one-way offering. Worship is a way for me to sacrifice myself to God and to experience His music as I sing.
God, will You meet us here?
Next time that you worship, pour your soul into it. Don't let it be a routine anymore. Invite the presence of God to fill you. Ask Him to meet you. And He will.
Monday, October 10, 2011
As I Followed the Flock
Even though in my chronological Bible reading I'm still back in Deuteronomy (almost to Joshua!), I happened to read a few verses in Amos the other day. They really resonated with me. To me, these couple of verses are so personal, and they really speak of not only Amos but of every Christian. Here they are:
... "I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder, and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.'"
~ Amos 7:14-15 (NKJV)
I don't know how many Bible readers have passed this up. I can only wonder at how many times it has been read, but never really meditated upon. It's perhaps one of the most profound parts of the Bible in terms of our identities and gifts. Allow me to explain.
Amos was just a regular guy. No noble blood, no noteworthy inheritance. He wasn't really a person of stature; he was merely a person. A man living his life, doing his job, walking with the Lord. As is noted in Keil and Delitzsch's Old Testament commentary, Amos was not even possessing the flocks which he tended nor the fruit which he pruned. He was a totally blue collar guy.
Quite simply put, Amos was an average Joe. There wasn't anything "special" about him, really. Amos could be you, Amos could be me. He could be anybody, and the fact that he had no "significance" makes him so important. His ordinariness is what sets him apart.
So here's where this gets me: Amos had no claim to prophecy. It wasn't his trained profession, he had no connections in prophecy, he wasn't related to any prophets... This job wasn't familiar to him. Instead of prophesying, he took care of sheep and fruit. He did his job well and loved God. Then one day as he is doing his work, God tells him to prophesy.
As he is doing his work. "As I followed the flock," Amos wrote.
God's call is "out of the blue" to Amos. It happened suddenly. I like what A. W. Tozer says:
As he is doing his work. "As I followed the flock," Amos wrote.
God's call is "out of the blue" to Amos. It happened suddenly. I like what A. W. Tozer says:
God's
people are so afraid of “suddenly”. They always want things to
slip up on them a little bit at a time, slowly. Everybody is willing
to be filled with the Holy Spirit provided God does it very gingerly
and slowly, and does not take away their face nor embarrass them nor
frighten them. But the scripture says, “Suddenly they were filled
with the Holy Ghost.” It even says, “Suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts.” I think you will find
that word occurring whenever God did a wonderful thing. He did it
suddenly.
God did a wonderful thing through Amos, and He most certainly did it without warning. He did it as Amos followed the flock. As Amos did his work, God did His. I've heard in so many places that God likes taking ordinary people to do extraordinary things. And it's true; He does. Amos is just one of many examples of that. I think the problem with so many of us is that we're lazy. "Oh, I'm just waiting on God," we'll say. "It's all Him now. I've prayed. All I can do is sit back." Um, no. You keep praying, and you keep working. Rewards don't come to people who don't do anything. They go to people who actually work for them.
Of course, I'm not saying that God only "helps those who help themselves" or anything like that. I'm not saying that if you don't work your butt off that God won't show up. I'm just saying that you can't be completely passive about your calling. You have to live expectantly. God won't trust you with the big things until you show Him He can trust you with the little things too. You can't just sit down in the midst of chaos waiting for God to show up. You have to stand up, fight for Him, and know that He'll come.
Amos didn't work for ten years and then say, "Alright. I've worked my fair share, it's about time God did something for a change. I'm just going to quit working and wait." Amos did his duty and expected God to do His. God called Amos out of his ordinary job to do something extraordinary -- go and prophesy to Israel. And God can do that for you, too.
You probably aren't a literal shepherd. I know I'm not. And you probably don't tend sycamore fruit. I don't even know what sycamore fruit really is. I don't know your circumstances. But I know mine. I'm a student, and I have a pretty normal life. But then, one day, God said "Hey. I want you to do this for Me." And as I followed the flock, as I lived my life and loved Him, He called me to something. It may not necessarily be prophecy, but God can do that for you too. I encourage you to trust Him with where you are, because He put you there for a reason. Do your duty. Do it heartily. And then, God just might show up.
Of course, I'm not saying that God only "helps those who help themselves" or anything like that. I'm not saying that if you don't work your butt off that God won't show up. I'm just saying that you can't be completely passive about your calling. You have to live expectantly. God won't trust you with the big things until you show Him He can trust you with the little things too. You can't just sit down in the midst of chaos waiting for God to show up. You have to stand up, fight for Him, and know that He'll come.
Amos didn't work for ten years and then say, "Alright. I've worked my fair share, it's about time God did something for a change. I'm just going to quit working and wait." Amos did his duty and expected God to do His. God called Amos out of his ordinary job to do something extraordinary -- go and prophesy to Israel. And God can do that for you, too.
You probably aren't a literal shepherd. I know I'm not. And you probably don't tend sycamore fruit. I don't even know what sycamore fruit really is. I don't know your circumstances. But I know mine. I'm a student, and I have a pretty normal life. But then, one day, God said "Hey. I want you to do this for Me." And as I followed the flock, as I lived my life and loved Him, He called me to something. It may not necessarily be prophecy, but God can do that for you too. I encourage you to trust Him with where you are, because He put you there for a reason. Do your duty. Do it heartily. And then, God just might show up.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Give it a try.
For several years straight, I was heavily involved in theater. In just 3 1/2 years, I managed to take part in 3 plays and 7 musicals. Though I didn't really know it at the time, acting became my crutch. I hadn't truly discovered God yet. I worshiped performing.
During the time that I was actually in theater, I took for granted much of what my directors, choreographers, and voice coaches taught me. I was naive and a little cocky. Though they imparted upon me a lot of knowledge, I didn't really take any of it to heart. I shoved it to the back of my mind and went on with the show. Since I had always been a performer to some extent, I thought that I didn't really need any of this formal training. And actually, my directors took both formal and informal approaches to their teaching, all of which I took for granted.
It's been about a year since I was in a full-on show, though I've done a few skits and talent shows since then. By the time I finished the most recent show, I was simply burnt out. The high that I got from performing was no longer there. I needed something else, something more. Don't get me wrong, I still loved performing -- but it simply wasn't enough. I needed God.
Recently, though, I've started trying some new things, such as volunteering at church and playing violin. (Among other things.) And finally -- after all those years -- I understood something that my director had taught me.
Several years ago, I was at "my" theater's audition for a musical that had some filler parts for cheerleaders. I already had a supporting role that I was happy with, so I just sat back and watched those auditions. And I'm glad I did; I learned something extremely valuable.
In order to get one of those parts, you had to be able to do a cartwheel. (Among a few other things.) Always the opportunist, my director turned that into a lesson. (I'm going to paraphrase him here.) "When it comes to auditions like this," he said, "never say 'but I can't do that.' Always say, 'I can do my best and give it a try.' Even if you don't get that specific part, the people casting will notice that you're willing to stretch yourself and test your limits. Don't let an opportunity get away from you simply because you didn't try."
Wow. I didn't realize it back then, but now I've come to appreciate this extremely valuable lesson. There have been many times just recently that I have opted out of saying "I can't" and into saying "I can try." I can't even begin to describe how much this has helped me, not only in "regular" things, but also in God things.
If He asks me to do something, He knows that, through Him, I am capable. Instead of complaining to Him that "I can't" do something, I should respond with a willing attitude and a cheerful heart. This reminds me of something Mother Teresa once said:
But whatever God gives us, it is for a purpose. Perhaps it will be like Abraham sacrificing Isaac -- even though God doesn't actually want us to do that, He wants us to trust Him enough to give it a shot and to just heed His call. And don't forget --
During the time that I was actually in theater, I took for granted much of what my directors, choreographers, and voice coaches taught me. I was naive and a little cocky. Though they imparted upon me a lot of knowledge, I didn't really take any of it to heart. I shoved it to the back of my mind and went on with the show. Since I had always been a performer to some extent, I thought that I didn't really need any of this formal training. And actually, my directors took both formal and informal approaches to their teaching, all of which I took for granted.
It's been about a year since I was in a full-on show, though I've done a few skits and talent shows since then. By the time I finished the most recent show, I was simply burnt out. The high that I got from performing was no longer there. I needed something else, something more. Don't get me wrong, I still loved performing -- but it simply wasn't enough. I needed God.
Recently, though, I've started trying some new things, such as volunteering at church and playing violin. (Among other things.) And finally -- after all those years -- I understood something that my director had taught me.
Several years ago, I was at "my" theater's audition for a musical that had some filler parts for cheerleaders. I already had a supporting role that I was happy with, so I just sat back and watched those auditions. And I'm glad I did; I learned something extremely valuable.
In order to get one of those parts, you had to be able to do a cartwheel. (Among a few other things.) Always the opportunist, my director turned that into a lesson. (I'm going to paraphrase him here.) "When it comes to auditions like this," he said, "never say 'but I can't do that.' Always say, 'I can do my best and give it a try.' Even if you don't get that specific part, the people casting will notice that you're willing to stretch yourself and test your limits. Don't let an opportunity get away from you simply because you didn't try."
Wow. I didn't realize it back then, but now I've come to appreciate this extremely valuable lesson. There have been many times just recently that I have opted out of saying "I can't" and into saying "I can try." I can't even begin to describe how much this has helped me, not only in "regular" things, but also in God things.
If He asks me to do something, He knows that, through Him, I am capable. Instead of complaining to Him that "I can't" do something, I should respond with a willing attitude and a cheerful heart. This reminds me of something Mother Teresa once said:
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.
But whatever God gives us, it is for a purpose. Perhaps it will be like Abraham sacrificing Isaac -- even though God doesn't actually want us to do that, He wants us to trust Him enough to give it a shot and to just heed His call. And don't forget --
... Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.
~ Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Fail to prepare...
...prepare to fail.
Have you heard that old adage? The first time I remember hearing it was at a conference a few years ago. "Huh," I had thought, "that's interesting." It somehow managed to get stowed away inside my mind, only to resurface about a week ago.
If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll know that I have a heart for missions (particularly foreign). While I'm obviously not in a position to pack my bags and move to some obscure corner of the world just yet, God is training me in my everyday life. Our relationship went from being ritualistic - and religious - to being loving and reminiscent of the way parent-child relationships should be. As I make mistakes, I hear "the little voice" inside my head giving me mini-lectures. It's kind of like having spell-check on your life. (More simply put, extremely helpful yet occasionally aggravating.)
Just recently, I realized that yes - God is training me right in my very own city - but eventually, I won't be in high school anymore. I won't be living with my parents in Anytown, USA for the rest of my life. One day, I'm going to go out into the world, start my own family, build my own legacy, etc. All that jazz. (That Hollywood jazz... Forgive me, but I love 80s music.) But before I go to my "ultimate" place - the country that I feel God calling me to - I should probably (no; definitely) have some practical experiences.
Within the past year, I've stumbled upon a good amount of mission trip opportunities, both within my own state and country and on other continents. (The latter category appeals to me far more.) My parents, the frugal people that they are, wouldn't go for a $2,000 expense. Back then, I didn't have a source of income (other than my allowance... haha) and I wasn't as in love with Jesus as I am now. The Holy Spirit hadn't yet become my go-to guy. So I let these opportunities go.
Then, just the other day, I remembered that if I
and it hit me like a ton of bricks. (Gotta love the English language; it has such peculiar idioms.) If I want to go on a missions trip within the next few years, I need to start saving now. So I grabbed a standard envelope and a Sharpie. On the envelope I wrote "Missions money" and made myself the following deal: whatever money goes into the fund does not come out until I am paying my expenses for a foreign mission trip. No exceptions.
I'm a movie buff. Just today I bought the Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy of the new X-Men movie. Did I really need that? No. I just wanted it. But people out there NEED the gospel, and it is not my duty to sit back and watch as others take action; instead, it is my responsibility to get off my butt and do something about the evil in this world. I could have added another thirty bucks to my missions fund. But I didn't. I wasted it on a material thing.
Not that there's anything wrong with indulging every now and then. But I could have saved that money for something else. And next time, I think I will. (Of course, ever since I first saw First Class in theaters, I told myself that I would buy the combo pack, so it wasn't some spur-of-the-moment thing.) When it comes down to it, I don't want to prepare to fail simply because I failed to prepare. I want to be ready when the time comes. (Reminds me of "I Wanna Be Ready" by B. J. Thomas; this is the song I'd fall asleep to as a kid.) I'm saving a good portion of my money for this future mission trip. I've told several people about it; they can help hold me accountable. My bare minimum for the fund is $1 out of every $10 that I make. (So, 10%, like my tithe.) And that's a good place to start.
So let me ask you this: what are you doing? Are you failing to prepare? Or are you preparing for success? Find your burden, and do something about it. Save money, volunteer, whatever. But don't just sit there.
I refuse to let evil, in its many forms, triumph. I may not be big, but I'm not too small to make a difference. Neither are you.
Have you heard that old adage? The first time I remember hearing it was at a conference a few years ago. "Huh," I had thought, "that's interesting." It somehow managed to get stowed away inside my mind, only to resurface about a week ago.
If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll know that I have a heart for missions (particularly foreign). While I'm obviously not in a position to pack my bags and move to some obscure corner of the world just yet, God is training me in my everyday life. Our relationship went from being ritualistic - and religious - to being loving and reminiscent of the way parent-child relationships should be. As I make mistakes, I hear "the little voice" inside my head giving me mini-lectures. It's kind of like having spell-check on your life. (More simply put, extremely helpful yet occasionally aggravating.)
Just recently, I realized that yes - God is training me right in my very own city - but eventually, I won't be in high school anymore. I won't be living with my parents in Anytown, USA for the rest of my life. One day, I'm going to go out into the world, start my own family, build my own legacy, etc. All that jazz. (That Hollywood jazz... Forgive me, but I love 80s music.) But before I go to my "ultimate" place - the country that I feel God calling me to - I should probably (no; definitely) have some practical experiences.
Within the past year, I've stumbled upon a good amount of mission trip opportunities, both within my own state and country and on other continents. (The latter category appeals to me far more.) My parents, the frugal people that they are, wouldn't go for a $2,000 expense. Back then, I didn't have a source of income (other than my allowance... haha) and I wasn't as in love with Jesus as I am now. The Holy Spirit hadn't yet become my go-to guy. So I let these opportunities go.
Then, just the other day, I remembered that if I
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
and it hit me like a ton of bricks. (Gotta love the English language; it has such peculiar idioms.) If I want to go on a missions trip within the next few years, I need to start saving now. So I grabbed a standard envelope and a Sharpie. On the envelope I wrote "Missions money" and made myself the following deal: whatever money goes into the fund does not come out until I am paying my expenses for a foreign mission trip. No exceptions.
I'm a movie buff. Just today I bought the Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy of the new X-Men movie. Did I really need that? No. I just wanted it. But people out there NEED the gospel, and it is not my duty to sit back and watch as others take action; instead, it is my responsibility to get off my butt and do something about the evil in this world. I could have added another thirty bucks to my missions fund. But I didn't. I wasted it on a material thing.
Not that there's anything wrong with indulging every now and then. But I could have saved that money for something else. And next time, I think I will. (Of course, ever since I first saw First Class in theaters, I told myself that I would buy the combo pack, so it wasn't some spur-of-the-moment thing.) When it comes down to it, I don't want to prepare to fail simply because I failed to prepare. I want to be ready when the time comes. (Reminds me of "I Wanna Be Ready" by B. J. Thomas; this is the song I'd fall asleep to as a kid.) I'm saving a good portion of my money for this future mission trip. I've told several people about it; they can help hold me accountable. My bare minimum for the fund is $1 out of every $10 that I make. (So, 10%, like my tithe.) And that's a good place to start.
So let me ask you this: what are you doing? Are you failing to prepare? Or are you preparing for success? Find your burden, and do something about it. Save money, volunteer, whatever. But don't just sit there.
All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
~ Edmund Burke
I refuse to let evil, in its many forms, triumph. I may not be big, but I'm not too small to make a difference. Neither are you.
Deliberation is the work of many men. Action, of one alone.
~ Charles De Gaulle
So how about it, folks? Let's be that one man (or woman!) who acts. Let's not be "good people" who stand in silence. Let's be ransomed sinners who walk by faith.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Churchaholics Anonymous
Last night I was texting a friend when I said, "Man. I miss church already."
She replied with, "Ha. You're a church addict!"
"Yes, I am. I'm a churchaholic. I should be in a Churchaholics Anonymous group. We would have fellowship and do worship and study the Bible."
"...But that's the same as going to church..." she noted.
"Exactly," I shot back.
She replied with, "Ha. You're a church addict!"
"Yes, I am. I'm a churchaholic. I should be in a Churchaholics Anonymous group. We would have fellowship and do worship and study the Bible."
"...But that's the same as going to church..." she noted.
"Exactly," I shot back.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
I am not; I am
For years, my mom would tell me to "speak words of life". For a few years, starting when I was about 7 or 8 and ending when I was 11, I had a tendency to be negative about everything. Those years were pretty rough for me, and honestly--I'm probably the one at fault. I never said anything positive. I became closeted and angry. I didn't know at who or about what, but I lived inside a self-constructed prison of negativity and self-beration. Um, yeah, not a fabulous world to create for myself.
Starting in 2009, God began to really get a hold of my heart. He was laying the foundations for what would happen this spring (my true realization of Christianity). This was already several years after my seemingly unshakable bad attitude finally dissolved. So I don't remember exactly when it was, but my pastor gave a sermon on our identities. In a nutshell, he said that we needed to stop living inside the lies of who the world declares us as. Instead, we need to live in the truth of who God knows we are.
So instead of saying, "I'm just a girl. I'm not worth anything. I can't change anything. I'm meaningless and unimportant. I'm not special." -- I should be saying positive things about who God made me to be. He crafted me with great care, forming me with His loving hands.
But now, O Lord, You are our Father;
we are the clay, and You are the potter;
and all we are the work of Your hand.
~ Isaiah 64:8 (NKJV)
God knew what He was doing when He made me. He made me to serve and love Him. And when I do, He will do great things through me, just as He can do great things through you as well. Words are inadequate to describe His glory. As A. W. Tozer once said,
Always remember this: God is always bigger than anything God can say, because words are inadequate to express God and what God can do.
I love this quote. But anyways. My pastor gave that sermon, and it took awhile for it to really sink in. I had always thought of myself as "Anna the Useless" or "Anna the Follower", but then one day God revealed to me that I was exactly the opposite of what I had believed--I am not an unimportant pushover. I am "Anna the Useful" and "Anna the Leader". Through Christ, I have the ability to move mountains and see my world change.
So the other night, a holy discontent welled up within me. I may not be able to solve world hunger or eliminate poverty, but I sure as heck can pray my soul out. I can raise awareness for issues that burden me. I can work with the hungry and the poor in my area. But before I can do that, I must have a vision. I must know what God wants for me. And even before I can know that, I must know who God created me to be. So after the holy discontent, I wrote a brief paragraph to myself. In it I included words of life that feed God's power within me and terminate the lies that I had so willfully taken in the past. Here it is:
So the other night, a holy discontent welled up within me. I may not be able to solve world hunger or eliminate poverty, but I sure as heck can pray my soul out. I can raise awareness for issues that burden me. I can work with the hungry and the poor in my area. But before I can do that, I must have a vision. I must know what God wants for me. And even before I can know that, I must know who God created me to be. So after the holy discontent, I wrote a brief paragraph to myself. In it I included words of life that feed God's power within me and terminate the lies that I had so willfully taken in the past. Here it is:
I am NOT "just a girl" from Anytown, USA.
I am a child of God - a daughter of the King -
with a vision and a dream. And that counts for
more than just "something"; it counts for everything.
I can - and WILL - make a difference in
this world for the glory of God.
And there you have it. It speaks truth about my life and projects God's power into my future. Let me tell you, I am going to be keeping this near and dear to my heart. Come to think of it, I think we all should have one of these. I encourage you to write one for yourself. Find out what God has placed on your heart. I'm not saying that you have to know what your life's work will be. All I'm asking is, what is bothering you right now? Homelessness? Illness? What is it? Find it. Pray about it. Then act upon it.
What's your burden for today? What does your "power statement" say?
Saturday, September 17, 2011
What does it matter?
As summer seemed to wind down this year, my family decided to have a garage sale. We all scoured our belongings, trying to find things to get rid of. While I still have a lot that could be purged, I managed to rid myself of a good amount of clutter. My parents, too, found much to sell. Among the things that my mom wanted to get rid of was a devotional called Voices of the Faithful. I had seen that my dad was reading the sequel to it, and I was curious about it.
"Why are you getting rid of this? It looks good!" I asked. The book, some 400 pages, is comprised of a daily Bible verse, prayer, and one-page story from a missionary. As an aspiring missionary, this devotional really appealed to me. Needless to say (but I'm going to say it anyways!), I saved the book from going into the garage sale.
By the time I started reading it, August was drawing to a close. Immediately I fell in love with this devotional. I don't know how those who aren't called to foreign missions would feel about it, as it probably wouldn't be that appealing to them. But I strongly recommend Voices of the Faithful to anyone who desires to be a missionary in any way, shape, or form--especially foreign missions.
So September 11th's reading began with Romans 14:8:
While I've read a few chapters in Romans and have skimmed most of it, I don't recall ever having read this verse before the other night. As I read it, I felt such a strange peace. If you read my post from a few weeks ago, you'd have seen that I mentioned I had been fearing death in the mission field. This verse was sent to me at just the right time!
I realized that I have something that many do not -- a firm faith in God. I can't even explain the strength and peace that this gives me!
I've realized (just recently) that without God, I simply have nothing left worth living for. All that I do would be in vain. I would be wandering aimlessly, searching for meaning or truth yet I would have nothing. Honestly, if Jesus weren't on my side, and if the Holy Spirit weren't my constant companion, I would have killed myself a long time ago. I was living inside of a personal hell. I had no faith in this God that I "kinda sorta" believed in.
But now that I know what it is to be loved by and important to God, I know that the only important thing is to love God. If we do, everything else, though utter chaos, falls into place. If we allow it, God will have His way. And believe me, His way is always better for us than our way.
"Why are you getting rid of this? It looks good!" I asked. The book, some 400 pages, is comprised of a daily Bible verse, prayer, and one-page story from a missionary. As an aspiring missionary, this devotional really appealed to me. Needless to say (but I'm going to say it anyways!), I saved the book from going into the garage sale.
By the time I started reading it, August was drawing to a close. Immediately I fell in love with this devotional. I don't know how those who aren't called to foreign missions would feel about it, as it probably wouldn't be that appealing to them. But I strongly recommend Voices of the Faithful to anyone who desires to be a missionary in any way, shape, or form--especially foreign missions.
So September 11th's reading began with Romans 14:8:
If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
While I've read a few chapters in Romans and have skimmed most of it, I don't recall ever having read this verse before the other night. As I read it, I felt such a strange peace. If you read my post from a few weeks ago, you'd have seen that I mentioned I had been fearing death in the mission field. This verse was sent to me at just the right time!
I realized that I have something that many do not -- a firm faith in God. I can't even explain the strength and peace that this gives me!
If God be for us, who can be against us?
~ Romans 8:31 (KJV)
[See also "Our God" by Chris Tomlin -- a favorite!]
I've realized (just recently) that without God, I simply have nothing left worth living for. All that I do would be in vain. I would be wandering aimlessly, searching for meaning or truth yet I would have nothing. Honestly, if Jesus weren't on my side, and if the Holy Spirit weren't my constant companion, I would have killed myself a long time ago. I was living inside of a personal hell. I had no faith in this God that I "kinda sorta" believed in.
But now that I know what it is to be loved by and important to God, I know that the only important thing is to love God. If we do, everything else, though utter chaos, falls into place. If we allow it, God will have His way. And believe me, His way is always better for us than our way.
...
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from
generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the Earth are
reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of
Heaven and among the inhabitants of the Earth. No one can restrain
His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?”
~ Daniel 4:34-35
(NKJV)
To truly be a Christian should mean to surrender whatever little control we have over our lives to God. We really do need to let Jesus take the wheel. I choose to allow Him to do so. If I live, it is His will. If I die, it is His will. What does it even matter how I feel? What does it matter what I desire? I will follow the Lord.
Monday, September 12, 2011
The beholder's eye
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
~ Proverbs 31:10 (NASB)
The other day I had a rather humbling experience with God on the subjects of beauty and vanity.
I was just running errands, nothing too important, when I saw a girl my age who had rather unfortunate looks. This was a field that I had lived in; I was just beginning to get over the feeling that I was somehow unforgivably hideous. Ever since elementary school, I've battled with feeling ugly or fat or simply not good enough. I never got to the point of anorexia or bulimia, but I lived underneath a big black cloud of shame. If you've been through this (and I'm sure most of us have!), you'll know that no matter how many people tell you that you're beautiful, you never believe it. When you look in the mirror, you still only see the body that you've created in your head. No amount of weight loss can change that. Neither can a new tan, copious additions to your wardrobe, or a new haircut. The only thing that can change how you perceive yourself--and beauty in general, for that matter--is by allowing yourself to be influenced by the Father Who loves you and knows that you're beautiful just the way that He created you.
So anyways. There I was, and I saw this girl. I don't really know why I prayed what I did, but I asked God to make her beautiful. She just simply didn't really have any attractive qualities. Feeling sorry for her, and also somewhat empathetic, I prayed that she would become wonderfully beautiful. Right as I was wrapping up this stupid prayer, God gently said, "But Anna, she already is."
Just a few simple words. "She already is." All that can be said for this is selah.
So while I have no idea what guys find to be truly beautiful, us girls tend to believe that beauty is found in being a size 0 with expensive clothing, perfect skin, and impeccable makeup and hair. But what about all the other girls? Are they--am I--not beautiful also? Was the girl that I prayed for--this "unattractive" girl--not beautiful?
It was then that I realized what I had already known for some time: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Our Creator sees us all as "fearfully and wonderfully made" regardless of what the world thinks. Through God's eye, His glorious, perfect eye, we are all exceedingly beautiful. After all, He purposefully made us the way we are. Yet somehow, through the world's eye--this damaged eye, always requiring glasses to see--beauty is something that only the elite are allowed to possess.
God has taught me about beauty quite well. I now no longer strive to merely look beautiful. My strife is now only in truly being beautiful in my spirit and soul.
So anyways. There I was, and I saw this girl. I don't really know why I prayed what I did, but I asked God to make her beautiful. She just simply didn't really have any attractive qualities. Feeling sorry for her, and also somewhat empathetic, I prayed that she would become wonderfully beautiful. Right as I was wrapping up this stupid prayer, God gently said, "But Anna, she already is."
Just a few simple words. "She already is." All that can be said for this is selah.
So while I have no idea what guys find to be truly beautiful, us girls tend to believe that beauty is found in being a size 0 with expensive clothing, perfect skin, and impeccable makeup and hair. But what about all the other girls? Are they--am I--not beautiful also? Was the girl that I prayed for--this "unattractive" girl--not beautiful?
It was then that I realized what I had already known for some time: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Our Creator sees us all as "fearfully and wonderfully made" regardless of what the world thinks. Through God's eye, His glorious, perfect eye, we are all exceedingly beautiful. After all, He purposefully made us the way we are. Yet somehow, through the world's eye--this damaged eye, always requiring glasses to see--beauty is something that only the elite are allowed to possess.
God has taught me about beauty quite well. I now no longer strive to merely look beautiful. My strife is now only in truly being beautiful in my spirit and soul.
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
~ 1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV)
Monday, September 5, 2011
Update
Well, yesterday was a busy one, but a great one.
I don't know if I've blogged about my Sunday routine before, but my Sundays are always brimming with busyness. I wake up early, head to church early, and am there until about 2:30 in the afternoon. For two hours, I work with toddlers. If you're a parent, or if you've ever worked in any sort of nursery or daycare, you'll know that holding little kids for that amount of time can be quite tiring. I actually decided that I don't need to even exercise on Sundays; I get a work out from serving! Then, after serving, I attend the sermon and worship.
In reality, I don't even have to go to church at all. And most people, when they go, they're only there for one service. At my church, and many others, this means about one hour. But no; I'm a churchaholic! I love serving there, and worshipping and learning and having fellowship. I've finally discovered what one's church should be for them.
Anyways, I got home around 2:30, and then had a handful of friends over to my house for Bible study and dinner. By the time everyone had left, it was 11pm. I then proceeded to fall asleep, unable to eat anything because I had been so spiritually satisfied. Have you ever had that happen to you?
So here I am now, still basking in His presence as I enjoy my Labor Day. Alright, so this isn't my typical post. But you're probably enjoying the reprieve, aren't you? ;P Today I'm going to install my new ceiling fan and assemble my new desk, and then hopefully relax and play some violin.
Edit: I wrote in this entry that I made an account on Tumblr, but I ended up deleting it not too much later.
I don't know if I've blogged about my Sunday routine before, but my Sundays are always brimming with busyness. I wake up early, head to church early, and am there until about 2:30 in the afternoon. For two hours, I work with toddlers. If you're a parent, or if you've ever worked in any sort of nursery or daycare, you'll know that holding little kids for that amount of time can be quite tiring. I actually decided that I don't need to even exercise on Sundays; I get a work out from serving! Then, after serving, I attend the sermon and worship.
In reality, I don't even have to go to church at all. And most people, when they go, they're only there for one service. At my church, and many others, this means about one hour. But no; I'm a churchaholic! I love serving there, and worshipping and learning and having fellowship. I've finally discovered what one's church should be for them.
Anyways, I got home around 2:30, and then had a handful of friends over to my house for Bible study and dinner. By the time everyone had left, it was 11pm. I then proceeded to fall asleep, unable to eat anything because I had been so spiritually satisfied. Have you ever had that happen to you?
So here I am now, still basking in His presence as I enjoy my Labor Day. Alright, so this isn't my typical post. But you're probably enjoying the reprieve, aren't you? ;P Today I'm going to install my new ceiling fan and assemble my new desk, and then hopefully relax and play some violin.
Edit: I wrote in this entry that I made an account on Tumblr, but I ended up deleting it not too much later.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Some thoughtful advice from A. W. Tozer
Set
aside time and search the Scriptures. And if the Scriptures do not
convince you that the Church and the individuals in the Church ought
to be living a happy, Spirit-filled life, then do not listen to me.
Because if I preach five hours straight and I do not preach according
to the truth found in the Bible, I am wrong no matter how eloquent I
try to be. Pray, yield, believe, obey, and see what God will do for
you. …
~ A. W Tozer
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