Have you ever noticed how the words "He" and "His" are said over 20 times in Ephesians 1...and that, unless you study deeper, you can't really tell the difference between the times when "He" and "His" refer to God and when they refer to Jesus? Well, I had actually never noticed. I guess I always just skimmed over that chapter and never tried to fully understand it. But once you find out which "He"s are talking about God and which are talking about Jesus, it really makes quite a difference in the level of your comprehension.
During family devotions one night, Dad had us go through those verses in Ephesians 1 and figure out which named belonged to every "He" and "His." It was challenging at times, but it was fun...not to mention the fact that we all came away having a better understanding of that first chapter in Paul's letter to Ephesus.
Take a look at verses 7 through 9. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him." Not all of those "Him"s are meaning "God." At least two are talking about Jesus.
If you want to read Ephesians 1, the way it is written in the Bible (NASB), click here.
And below is Ephesians 1 with the names God and Jesus instead of He and His. Maybe this will help it make sense, or at least stick in your head a little better. *smile*
(If you see God or Jesus not highlighted, it's because the name was already there and was not in the "He" or "His" form. And as you can see, God is highlighted in green, Jesus in orange, and the Holy Spirit in purple, so that they really stand out to you.)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as God chose us in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before God. In love God predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself [God], according to the kind intention of God's will, to the praise of the glory of God's grace, which God freely bestowed on us in the Beloved [Jesus Christ]. In God we have redemption through Jesus' blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of God's grace which God lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight God made known to us the mystery of God's will, according to God's kind intention which God purposed in Jesus Christ with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Jesus Christ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to God's purpose who works all things after the counsel of God's will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of God's glory. In Jesus Christ, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of God's glory. For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of God's calling, what are the riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of God's power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of God's might which God brought about in Christ, when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated Jesus Christ at God's right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And God put all things in subjection under Jesus Christ's feet, and gave Jesus Christ as head over all things to the church, which is Jesus Christ's body, the fullness of God who fills all in all.
Does that make better sense? I know it completely changed the way I read Ephesians!
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
An Illustration of Salvation
So. Who knows anything about little one-year-old boys?
I do.
At least, I know a little...since I have a little one-year-old brother. Anyways, for those of you who don't know Henry, he's cute, fuzzy (at least his hair is), smart, and can be stubborn at times. Not to mention naughty. But I won't mention it.
I do.
At least, I know a little...since I have a little one-year-old brother. Anyways, for those of you who don't know Henry, he's cute, fuzzy (at least his hair is), smart, and can be stubborn at times. Not to mention naughty. But I won't mention it.
Anyways. I was playing a game with him several weeks ago. I was in Mom's room with the light turned off, and he kept shutting the door and "locking" me in. He doesn't know how to open the door himself (and I am certainly not going to teach him how!), so I guess he was rather "locked out" himself. After he pulled the door all the way shut, I would wait for a few seconds, then twist the doorknob so that he could push the door back open again. I would run and hide, and he'd crawl into the room (he can't walk yet) looking for me. As soon as he saw me (or as soon as I jumped out of my hiding place and scared him), he would crawl as fast as he could to the door and shut me in the room again.
Well, eventually he decided to shut us both in Mom's room...and of course he couldn't get out, so I was laughing at him while he pushed and pulled at the door, trying to figure out how on earth to get back to the other side.
As I said before, it was dark in that room, and the only light we could see was coming in from underneath the door...from the hallway.
Just for fun, I decided to tell Henry that if he clapped, the door would magically open. Guess what he did? Or rather, guess what he didn't do? Well, he didn't clap, and that's all there is to it. I kept saying, "Henry, clap and the door will be opened!" But instead, he would crawl away from me and try to open the door himself.
Well, Henry's not the only one around here who can be a bit stubborn. I decided not to let him out of the room until he clapped for me. Don't ask my why I decided this...it's just me, I guess. Anyways, I kept explaining to him how he could open the door, if he would just obey me and clap. I even clapped myself and opened the door to show him how it worked.
He eventually tired of my game, so he crawled off into the dark to play. I laid there for a while, pretending to be dead (this part has nothing to do with the illustration), but Henry didn't seem to be scared. He just laughed at me and pulled my hair.
Finally he made his way back over to the door and pulled at it again, his Uh-oh's getting shriller. He banged on the floor, knocked on the door, and called for help, but still the door didn't open. [Of course.] Then I came up behind him and said, "Henry, clap!" He did. And I opened the door.
I'm sure the light looked great to him, after having been cooped up in the dark room.
Now, the whole time I was playing this "game" I was thinking about how similar it is with people and God.
We are trapped in sin -- the dark room -- with no way out...that is, no way out on our own. But then God come to us and says, "Believe...simply believe, and I will open the door to eternal life." But we laugh. No, we think. That's too easy. It's just not possible. Things aren't done that way. 'Believe.' Nah!
And all the while, as we crawl around in the darkness of our sin, as we stumble and fall, as we remained frightened by the shadows in life, God is there, always with us, patiently saying over and over again... "Believe! Simply believe!"
Our stubbornness keep us from obeying. But then, when we are at our wit's end...when we have no where else to turn to...when we finally realize that -- no! -- we can't do it on our own...then we stretch out our hand and say, "I believe! I confess, I was wrong, but now I believe!"
And God opens the door to light.
I'm sure the light looked great to him, after having been cooped up in the dark room.
Now, the whole time I was playing this "game" I was thinking about how similar it is with people and God.
We are trapped in sin -- the dark room -- with no way out...that is, no way out on our own. But then God come to us and says, "Believe...simply believe, and I will open the door to eternal life." But we laugh. No, we think. That's too easy. It's just not possible. Things aren't done that way. 'Believe.' Nah!
And all the while, as we crawl around in the darkness of our sin, as we stumble and fall, as we remained frightened by the shadows in life, God is there, always with us, patiently saying over and over again... "Believe! Simply believe!"
Our stubbornness keep us from obeying. But then, when we are at our wit's end...when we have no where else to turn to...when we finally realize that -- no! -- we can't do it on our own...then we stretch out our hand and say, "I believe! I confess, I was wrong, but now I believe!"
And God opens the door to light.
Friday, November 28, 2014
Times of Refreshment | Ashamed, Part 3
"Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
-Acts 3:19
Usually when I think of "refreshment," I think of peace.
If I were to plan a time of refreshment for myself, the first thing that would come to my mind, being the introvert I am, would probably be a nice, cozy cabin waaaaaaaaay up on a mountain and waaaaaaaaay away from civilization.
Like...WAAAAAAAYYYYYYY away from civilization. Far enough away that I wouldn't have to hear my brother's yodeling, whistling and singing...far enough away that I wouldn't have to hear siblings squabble with each other...far enough away that I would finally have peace and quiet.
On this little dream vacation of mine, I would take walks, draw, read, pick flowers, eat chili and chicken noodle soup, drink apple cider and coffee, and write books. I would be on my own time schedule. No one would be around to say, "You'd probably better get to bed," or, "Don't forget about your chores!" Everything would be absolutely silent, except for the crackle and snap of the fire in the fireplace, the chirping of the birds, and the wind through the pines...oh, and that little voice inside my head that talks to me quite frequently. We kind of keep each other company, that little voice and I. That's why I don't mind being alone, I guess...I have all kinds of fake people to talk to, and they never annoy me or pick fights over stupid things. :)
That is MY kind of vacation. Quiet...still...carefree...alone. Peaceful. Refreshing.
About six months ago, I was trying to figure out how on earth some people led such happy lives...so carefree, so relaxed, so peaceful. They were always so happy with where they were in life. I was frustrated with myself for not being able to be joyful all the time, for not being able to rejoice no matter what the circumstances. I was having an especially hard time with my younger siblings then...I could never seem to say or do the right thing when it mattered.
Then one day the whole family was gone and the house was quiet...I was home alone by myself. I cleaned up the kitchen, put music on, and started rebuilding a Lincoln-log house I had accidentally knocked over. I was relaxed. No siblings, no noise, no conflict. And I thought, "Well, maybe this is what peace is...maybe this is happiness."
Of course, I was wrong. The minute the kids got home, the music was drowned out, the peace was shattered...and one of my siblings even had the nerve to say that I had built the Lincoln-log house all wrong. I don't remember what happened after that, but I probably said something dumb like, "Well who cares? I made it better than it was before!" Which of course could not have helped less.
So -- obviously -- I did not find the real way to have peace.
Actually, did you know that the word "peace" doesn't mean the same thing as "refreshment"?
According to Dictionary.com, peace is defined as, "cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension," "freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquility; serenity," and, "a state of tranquility or serenity." The definition of refresh is, "to stimulate," "to make fresh again; reinvigorate or cheer (a person, the mind, spirits, etc.)," and, "to provide new vigor and energy by rest, food, etc."
Nowhere in the definition for refresh does "freedom from distraction, annoyance and anxiety" appear. In Greek -- the language that a portion of the Bible was written in -- the definitions are also different. I did a word search of the word "peace" in the Bible, and in most cases the word for peace in Greek is eirēnē, meaning (as said in Strong's Bible Concordance) "by implication prosperity: - one, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again."
In Greek, the word used for refreshing in Acts 3:19 is anapsuxis, which means "recovery of breath" or (figuratively) "revival."
Now we see again, the two definitions are not the same. Revival and quietness/rest aren't the same thing...although it is possible for them to be alike at times.
Looking at the full context of Acts 3, some people have said it is possible that Peter (who was speaking in verse 19) could have been referring to the time when Jesus Christ would come back and take all believers home to heaven. If that is so, then God be praised! We have a time of refreshment waiting for us...a kind of refreshment so wonderful that we can't even imagine it! But I believe that, even if it is true that the refreshment spoken of here is for later on in heaven, God offers us refreshment here on earth. If you lift up to the Lord the desires of your heart and present them to Him to use as He wishes, He will bless that. Refreshment, invigoration, cheer, and revival come through submitting your will and praying that God's will be done.
In Isaiah 64:4, it is written, "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him."
{emphasis added}
And in James 4:10 says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."
Not "He might," or "if He feels like it..." NO! He will! Maybe not even in the way you envisioned, but He will!
Refreshment can be found also through reading/studying the Bible, praying, and having fellowship with other believers. And, of course, "repenting and returning."
First of all, let me stress to you how important reading the Bible is! I've found a new way of having devotions (which I'll be sharing in a future post), and I have been learning so much! Once, though, I slacked off for about two or three months, hardly reading or studying the Bible at all, and that was probably the toughest three months I've had in a long time. I was angry, easily provoked, and was having one of the more difficult times with my siblings. Reading is important, folks! Don't just let it slip, like I so often do. The apostle Peter was a fisherman by trade. He was probably not considered to be very important by his acquaintances...after all, he was only a fisherman! I don't know how much schooling fishermen would have had...maybe none at all? All I know is that they probably weren't scholars, by any means! And before Peter met the Lord, I doubt he had any reason to study the Scriptures. But notice that after his life was changed, after Jesus had died on the cross, he wrote those two letters that we know so well as 1st and 2nd Peter. In 1 Peter, I've noticed especially, he refers back to Isaiah, Psalms, and Proverbs many times. And if you'd look in Acts and read the things he said when he preached...it becomes obvious that he does know Scriptures, and quite well, too. My guess is that he probably studied them during or after the time Jesus was on earth. (And Jesus probably quoted Scripture to him a lot, as well, which would account for at least some of Peter's knowledge.)
The words in the Bible are powerful. Or, rather, the God behind them is powerful. God has a way of showing you the verses you need to hear, just at the right time. Don't stop Him from blessing you through His word in your devotions! Another thing I might add...it's probably a good idea to have your own devotions and not just go along with whatever your dad or mom is reading that night. Family devotions is great, but God can -- and does! -- bless the one-on-one time you spend with Him through His word.
And then there's the studying. That, people, is actually where it gets fun. It is amazing what depth the Bible has, what historical accuracy, and what relevancy to today's day-and-age! When I read a book -- a good one, that is -- I will fall in love with the characters and feel like I know them inside and out by the time I'm finished the story. Do you ever fall in love with the Bible characters? Do they mean something special to you? Do you feel horribly embarrassed when they make a mistake and say something dumb (the apostle Peter for instance, when he rebuked Jesus... *cringe*)? Do you feel the same emotions they feel? I do! (But more on that later in a future post...)
Prayer is also really important. One thing I've found about prayer is that it isn't always necessary to talk. I am a bit of an introvert, and I think quite a lot of silence. It's actually possible to communicate with someone without speaking. Just being with someone can sometimes be just as much of a blessing as when you are talking. Sometimes, especially when I'm outside, I will feel God's presence around me, and I'll just bask in it. I don't have to say anything. God knows that I'm worshiping Him in that way. (Of course, just because you can worship God without talking doesn't mean that you shouldn't ever talk. Talking can be pretty beneficial too. But I just thought I'd share a new idea. *smile*)
Haha, at first I was going to list the "Reading/studying the Bible, prayer, fellowship, and repentance/returning" in order of importance. But I couldn't figure out what that order was, since they all seem important. I think that if you have fellowship with God, worshiping Him and talking to Him on a daily (or hourly!) basis, all the rest will follow...reading, fellowship with believers, and having true repentance for sin.
But I think that having good fellowship is definitely high up on the list. From what we see in the news about teenagers (and grownups too, come to think of it) drinking alcohol, smoking, having fights, getting high on drugs, committing suicide, and getting into all sorts of trouble, it's obvious that they were somehow influenced by someone to do those things...probably a close friend that they look up to, or maybe a relative who made bad choices. Aaaaaand, judging by that, I think it's pretty safe to say that it is REALLY important who you spend time with. Talking and laughing with (or at?:) other Christians can really build your character up for the better. They're there to help you, to walk alongside you and give you guidance. Praying with and for them can build bonds of friendship that will last forever...the kind of friendships that get better and better with time, because of Christ.
And then there's repenting.
*sigh*
That one's hard. (Sincere repentance, that is.)
I should probably go back and read the first "Ashamed" post all over again. :)
Really, guys and gals. If I do not repent of my sins and return to God over and over and over and over again, what will happen? I'll tell you what will happen. A gulf, a chasm, will spring up between me and God, and my relationship with God will no longer be the same. I can tell you from experience, if I don't make things right with God, I feel testy and irritable...and sometimes I get downright angry at nothing. I know, deep in my heart and deep in my soul, if I am not right with God, nothing is right. God will forgive! But we have to repent and ask forgiveness. And guess what will happen when we do?
God will wipe out our sins. And times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord.
-Acts 3:19
Usually when I think of "refreshment," I think of peace.
If I were to plan a time of refreshment for myself, the first thing that would come to my mind, being the introvert I am, would probably be a nice, cozy cabin waaaaaaaaay up on a mountain and waaaaaaaaay away from civilization.
Like...WAAAAAAAYYYYYYY away from civilization. Far enough away that I wouldn't have to hear my brother's yodeling, whistling and singing...far enough away that I wouldn't have to hear siblings squabble with each other...far enough away that I would finally have peace and quiet.
On this little dream vacation of mine, I would take walks, draw, read, pick flowers, eat chili and chicken noodle soup, drink apple cider and coffee, and write books. I would be on my own time schedule. No one would be around to say, "You'd probably better get to bed," or, "Don't forget about your chores!" Everything would be absolutely silent, except for the crackle and snap of the fire in the fireplace, the chirping of the birds, and the wind through the pines...oh, and that little voice inside my head that talks to me quite frequently. We kind of keep each other company, that little voice and I. That's why I don't mind being alone, I guess...I have all kinds of fake people to talk to, and they never annoy me or pick fights over stupid things. :)
That is MY kind of vacation. Quiet...still...carefree...alone. Peaceful. Refreshing.
About six months ago, I was trying to figure out how on earth some people led such happy lives...so carefree, so relaxed, so peaceful. They were always so happy with where they were in life. I was frustrated with myself for not being able to be joyful all the time, for not being able to rejoice no matter what the circumstances. I was having an especially hard time with my younger siblings then...I could never seem to say or do the right thing when it mattered.
Then one day the whole family was gone and the house was quiet...I was home alone by myself. I cleaned up the kitchen, put music on, and started rebuilding a Lincoln-log house I had accidentally knocked over. I was relaxed. No siblings, no noise, no conflict. And I thought, "Well, maybe this is what peace is...maybe this is happiness."
Of course, I was wrong. The minute the kids got home, the music was drowned out, the peace was shattered...and one of my siblings even had the nerve to say that I had built the Lincoln-log house all wrong. I don't remember what happened after that, but I probably said something dumb like, "Well who cares? I made it better than it was before!" Which of course could not have helped less.
So -- obviously -- I did not find the real way to have peace.
Actually, did you know that the word "peace" doesn't mean the same thing as "refreshment"?
According to Dictionary.com, peace is defined as, "cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension," "freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquility; serenity," and, "a state of tranquility or serenity." The definition of refresh is, "to stimulate," "to make fresh again; reinvigorate or cheer (a person, the mind, spirits, etc.)," and, "to provide new vigor and energy by rest, food, etc."
Nowhere in the definition for refresh does "freedom from distraction, annoyance and anxiety" appear. In Greek -- the language that a portion of the Bible was written in -- the definitions are also different. I did a word search of the word "peace" in the Bible, and in most cases the word for peace in Greek is eirēnē, meaning (as said in Strong's Bible Concordance) "by implication prosperity: - one, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again."
In Greek, the word used for refreshing in Acts 3:19 is anapsuxis, which means "recovery of breath" or (figuratively) "revival."
Now we see again, the two definitions are not the same. Revival and quietness/rest aren't the same thing...although it is possible for them to be alike at times.
Looking at the full context of Acts 3, some people have said it is possible that Peter (who was speaking in verse 19) could have been referring to the time when Jesus Christ would come back and take all believers home to heaven. If that is so, then God be praised! We have a time of refreshment waiting for us...a kind of refreshment so wonderful that we can't even imagine it! But I believe that, even if it is true that the refreshment spoken of here is for later on in heaven, God offers us refreshment here on earth. If you lift up to the Lord the desires of your heart and present them to Him to use as He wishes, He will bless that. Refreshment, invigoration, cheer, and revival come through submitting your will and praying that God's will be done.
In Isaiah 64:4, it is written, "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him."
{emphasis added}
And in James 4:10 says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."
Not "He might," or "if He feels like it..." NO! He will! Maybe not even in the way you envisioned, but He will!
Refreshment can be found also through reading/studying the Bible, praying, and having fellowship with other believers. And, of course, "repenting and returning."
First of all, let me stress to you how important reading the Bible is! I've found a new way of having devotions (which I'll be sharing in a future post), and I have been learning so much! Once, though, I slacked off for about two or three months, hardly reading or studying the Bible at all, and that was probably the toughest three months I've had in a long time. I was angry, easily provoked, and was having one of the more difficult times with my siblings. Reading is important, folks! Don't just let it slip, like I so often do. The apostle Peter was a fisherman by trade. He was probably not considered to be very important by his acquaintances...after all, he was only a fisherman! I don't know how much schooling fishermen would have had...maybe none at all? All I know is that they probably weren't scholars, by any means! And before Peter met the Lord, I doubt he had any reason to study the Scriptures. But notice that after his life was changed, after Jesus had died on the cross, he wrote those two letters that we know so well as 1st and 2nd Peter. In 1 Peter, I've noticed especially, he refers back to Isaiah, Psalms, and Proverbs many times. And if you'd look in Acts and read the things he said when he preached...it becomes obvious that he does know Scriptures, and quite well, too. My guess is that he probably studied them during or after the time Jesus was on earth. (And Jesus probably quoted Scripture to him a lot, as well, which would account for at least some of Peter's knowledge.)
The words in the Bible are powerful. Or, rather, the God behind them is powerful. God has a way of showing you the verses you need to hear, just at the right time. Don't stop Him from blessing you through His word in your devotions! Another thing I might add...it's probably a good idea to have your own devotions and not just go along with whatever your dad or mom is reading that night. Family devotions is great, but God can -- and does! -- bless the one-on-one time you spend with Him through His word.
And then there's the studying. That, people, is actually where it gets fun. It is amazing what depth the Bible has, what historical accuracy, and what relevancy to today's day-and-age! When I read a book -- a good one, that is -- I will fall in love with the characters and feel like I know them inside and out by the time I'm finished the story. Do you ever fall in love with the Bible characters? Do they mean something special to you? Do you feel horribly embarrassed when they make a mistake and say something dumb (the apostle Peter for instance, when he rebuked Jesus... *cringe*)? Do you feel the same emotions they feel? I do! (But more on that later in a future post...)
Prayer is also really important. One thing I've found about prayer is that it isn't always necessary to talk. I am a bit of an introvert, and I think quite a lot of silence. It's actually possible to communicate with someone without speaking. Just being with someone can sometimes be just as much of a blessing as when you are talking. Sometimes, especially when I'm outside, I will feel God's presence around me, and I'll just bask in it. I don't have to say anything. God knows that I'm worshiping Him in that way. (Of course, just because you can worship God without talking doesn't mean that you shouldn't ever talk. Talking can be pretty beneficial too. But I just thought I'd share a new idea. *smile*)
Haha, at first I was going to list the "Reading/studying the Bible, prayer, fellowship, and repentance/returning" in order of importance. But I couldn't figure out what that order was, since they all seem important. I think that if you have fellowship with God, worshiping Him and talking to Him on a daily (or hourly!) basis, all the rest will follow...reading, fellowship with believers, and having true repentance for sin.
But I think that having good fellowship is definitely high up on the list. From what we see in the news about teenagers (and grownups too, come to think of it) drinking alcohol, smoking, having fights, getting high on drugs, committing suicide, and getting into all sorts of trouble, it's obvious that they were somehow influenced by someone to do those things...probably a close friend that they look up to, or maybe a relative who made bad choices. Aaaaaand, judging by that, I think it's pretty safe to say that it is REALLY important who you spend time with. Talking and laughing with (or at?:) other Christians can really build your character up for the better. They're there to help you, to walk alongside you and give you guidance. Praying with and for them can build bonds of friendship that will last forever...the kind of friendships that get better and better with time, because of Christ.
And then there's repenting.
*sigh*
That one's hard. (Sincere repentance, that is.)
I should probably go back and read the first "Ashamed" post all over again. :)
Really, guys and gals. If I do not repent of my sins and return to God over and over and over and over again, what will happen? I'll tell you what will happen. A gulf, a chasm, will spring up between me and God, and my relationship with God will no longer be the same. I can tell you from experience, if I don't make things right with God, I feel testy and irritable...and sometimes I get downright angry at nothing. I know, deep in my heart and deep in my soul, if I am not right with God, nothing is right. God will forgive! But we have to repent and ask forgiveness. And guess what will happen when we do?
God will wipe out our sins. And times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord.
Friday, October 31, 2014
My Sins Will Be Wiped Out | Ashamed, Part 2
Why, hello there. Welcome to "Ashamed, Part 2"...otherwise known (by me, at least) as "My Sins Will Be Wiped Out." If you want to get the full point of this post and you haven't read Part 1 yet, I would advise that you do so. Aaaaaaand, I would give you the link, except for that I would hate to sow laziness in you. So you can just scroll down there and look at it yourself. ;) [Hehe...]
"Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
-Acts 3:19
I love the part, "in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." But that's for Ashamed, Part 3. :) Today I'll be focusing on the "that your sins may be wiped away" section of the verse.
First of all, I think that in order to appreciate the fact that Jesus can -- and does -- wipe our sins completely away, we should understand a little more about the hugeness of sin.
Sin is huge in at least three ways that I can think of.
1). Sin separates us from God, which is why Jesus Christ came to save us. He died for my sins and He died for yours. And then He rose again, conquering death, so that we could one day enter the presence of God and be with Him forever. God hates sin. He hates it. We have a God who loves us, yes, but we also have a God who is just and therefore hates our sin. He is holy, we are not. Because He loves us so much, He was willing to send His only Son to be the sacrifice in our place. I can guarantee you that I would NEVER send a child of mine to die in your place...no matter who you are. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. I might die in place of a child, but I wouldn't send him to be the sacrifice in your place. But that's just what God did. He sent His Son, whom He loved, to die for us. Now we can be sanctified and made pure and clean.
2). Anger is murder. According to Matthew 5, if we are angry with a brother, that is the same as if we committed murder. If we look at another person with lust, it is as if we have committed adultery with that person in our hearts. So even if a sin seems "little," know, my friends, that it is NOT little at all in God's eyes! I've always hated the term "white lie," because I've always been taught that lying is lying, no matter how big or small. If anger is the same as murder, I cringe to think of what a "white lie" would be.
3). Sin is huge in number. Think of all the sins we commit each and every day. I get angry multiple times a day, and it's not the righteous kind of anger either. It's the kind that makes me glower at people, the kind that causes me to snap at my brothers and sisters. And my anger is over stupid things like not having enough time to read my precious book or having to help with supper when I'm in the middle of something I deem more "important." And anger isn't my only problem. Sometimes I cringe when I remember that God can see in my heart ALL THE TIME, not just when I want Him to. He can see all of the nasty attitudes, the mean thoughts, the condescending words that I'm just itching to say out loud...the ones that -- even though they never make it through my lips -- are meant very sincerely, just as they are when I yell them at the top of my lungs.
For an experiment, let's just say that I average about 20 sins a day (which is actually, unfortunately, quite a lot less than in reality...but 20 is an easy number to multiply). Now, there are 7 days in a week, and 52 weeks in a year, right? That would come to 7,280 sins in a year. When you think of how long it takes to count to one thousand, and then think again about how long it would be to count seven times that far, 7,000 suddenly seems like a bigger number than it used to.
Now, let's take this a step further and multiply 7,280 sins by 17 years (because I'll be 17 in a little over a week). From 1997 to 2014, I would have sinned 123,760 times. Try to count to 100,000, will you? :) But let's not stop here. In the year 2014, there are an estimated 7 billion people on the earth. Now, if each of those people sinned 20 times a day for a year...the number would equal 50,960,000,000,000. (Or so my Google calculator tells me.)
Now, in case you didn't know, this number is fifty trillion, nine hundred and sixty billion.
Try counting that far. Actually, don't. Because some estimates say that it would take 542,241 years. Imagine, once you get up to the billions, counting like this: ninety-six billion, five hundred and thirty-seven million, eight hundred and nine thousand, three hundred and eighty-two...ninety-six billion, five hundred and thirty-seven million, eight hundred and nine thousand, three hundred and eight-three...ninety-six billion, five hundred and thirty-seven million, eight hundred and nine thousand, three hundred and eighty-four...
Yeah. Don't think so.
By the way, just to give you another idea of how BIG a trillion is, one trillion is equal to one thousand billions and to one million millions.
And in case you haven't comprehended it yet, here's some more info:
-One trillion seconds of normal clock time = 31,546 years. (Which means, if you were counting backwards, you would have landed yourself in 30,000 B.C.)
-If you stack a trillion-worth of $1,000 bills together (note that this is 1 trillion-worth of $1,000, not $1...because if you had 1 trillion-worth of $1, it would be a bigger number than there would be with $1,000), the stack would be 63 miles high. And also note that these bills are stacked, not laid end-to-end.
-If a person's salary is $40,000 per year, it would take 25 millions years to earn $1 trillion.
{Sources: grc.nasa.gov, ihtd.org}
And we're talking over fifty trillion sins here.
But then, what about all the people who have been alive ever since Adam's day. What about Methuselah, who lived 969 years? What about Jared (from Genesis 5:20) who lived nine hundred and sixty-two years? And what about the people who will be alive in the years to come?
Sin is huge. But God is even bigger. He is fully capable of casting our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. And He does, too.
Psalms 103:8-13, 17-18 says this: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. ... But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them."
Then, from verses 20-22 of that same chapter, David says four times, "Bless the Lord!"
Bless the Lord, you His angels... Bless the Lord, all you His hosts... Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion... Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Yes! Bless the Lord, O my soul! None of us deserve the grace and mercy He has bestowed on us. But do we remember to bless the Lord for this gift? I don't know about you, but I sure forget to. I should be praising Him with every breath I have in me, thanking Him for His loving kindness.
John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Have you ever read the story about King David committing adultery with Bathsheba? It's found in 2 Samuel 11. David did a terrible thing, committing adultery, and then murdering the husband of the woman to cover up his sin. In Psalms 51, David is pouring out his sin before God, begging for forgiveness and asking God to restore to him the joy of salvation. God forgave him, and removed David's sin from him as far as the east is from the west.
(While I was writing the above paragraph, I suddenly realized that the very sins David committed -- the ones we think are so, so terrible: murder and adultery -- we commit every day. If anger is murder and lust is adultery, we are just as bad as David. And yet God forgives us when we ask Him!)
I was once in a situation where I was having a hard time "feeling forgiven" for something mean I had done. I had been extremely rude -- actually, "extremely rude" doesn't even sum it up -- to one of my brother's friends...and not just once, either. It was over and over, time after time. And it was completely stupid. There was not even a justified cause for why I was being so mean. I look back and wonder how on earth I could have said the ugly things I said. I hated bullies then, and somehow, in my own way, I had become one! There were times when I despised myself. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of those times.
I asked God for forgiveness over and over, and yet I still didn't feel justified. I was terribly sorry, but still, even my sorrow didn't take the pain and guilt away.
Then our pastor spoke about our sin and God's forgiveness. He gave an example that if we go to God and say, for the second, third, fourth, fifth, or two-hundredth time (about the same sin), "Lord, please forgive my sin," God would say, "What sin? What sin? There IS no sin anymore! I have removed it from you! It is gone! The sin you are asking forgiveness for is no more!"
That really hit me. All of a sudden I realized that my sin was already removed from me as far as the east is from the west. That is a loooooooooong ways away. I no longer needed to worry about it. God had taken care of it. In a way, my worrying was like telling him, "Lord, I don't think you're capable of taking my sin away. I feel that I need to do something myself, because the sacrifice of Your Son wasn't enough." I wasn't literally saying that, but that's really how it sums up.
Pretty much, forgiveness all boils down to this: Do you believe that God has the power to take away your sins? Do you believe in Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection?
But always remember not to forget.
"Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away..."
How refreshing that is! "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." {2 Corinthians 5:17} Yes! All things have become new. Are sins are wiped away, and we are clean, washed as white as pure snow.
"Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
Times of refreshing came for me, after I realized that God had already taken away my sin and cleansed me. Times of refreshment are much needed in our society. (Actually, they are much needed in any kind of society.) Especially the kind of refreshment that comes from the presence of the Lord.
But more on that later. ;) I still have another looooooong post to write on the subject.
Therefore I will say goodbye and go away so you can finish this and hopefully come back later for more.
"Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
-Acts 3:19
I love the part, "in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." But that's for Ashamed, Part 3. :) Today I'll be focusing on the "that your sins may be wiped away" section of the verse.
First of all, I think that in order to appreciate the fact that Jesus can -- and does -- wipe our sins completely away, we should understand a little more about the hugeness of sin.
Sin is huge in at least three ways that I can think of.
1). Sin separates us from God, which is why Jesus Christ came to save us. He died for my sins and He died for yours. And then He rose again, conquering death, so that we could one day enter the presence of God and be with Him forever. God hates sin. He hates it. We have a God who loves us, yes, but we also have a God who is just and therefore hates our sin. He is holy, we are not. Because He loves us so much, He was willing to send His only Son to be the sacrifice in our place. I can guarantee you that I would NEVER send a child of mine to die in your place...no matter who you are. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. I might die in place of a child, but I wouldn't send him to be the sacrifice in your place. But that's just what God did. He sent His Son, whom He loved, to die for us. Now we can be sanctified and made pure and clean.
2). Anger is murder. According to Matthew 5, if we are angry with a brother, that is the same as if we committed murder. If we look at another person with lust, it is as if we have committed adultery with that person in our hearts. So even if a sin seems "little," know, my friends, that it is NOT little at all in God's eyes! I've always hated the term "white lie," because I've always been taught that lying is lying, no matter how big or small. If anger is the same as murder, I cringe to think of what a "white lie" would be.
3). Sin is huge in number. Think of all the sins we commit each and every day. I get angry multiple times a day, and it's not the righteous kind of anger either. It's the kind that makes me glower at people, the kind that causes me to snap at my brothers and sisters. And my anger is over stupid things like not having enough time to read my precious book or having to help with supper when I'm in the middle of something I deem more "important." And anger isn't my only problem. Sometimes I cringe when I remember that God can see in my heart ALL THE TIME, not just when I want Him to. He can see all of the nasty attitudes, the mean thoughts, the condescending words that I'm just itching to say out loud...the ones that -- even though they never make it through my lips -- are meant very sincerely, just as they are when I yell them at the top of my lungs.
For an experiment, let's just say that I average about 20 sins a day (which is actually, unfortunately, quite a lot less than in reality...but 20 is an easy number to multiply). Now, there are 7 days in a week, and 52 weeks in a year, right? That would come to 7,280 sins in a year. When you think of how long it takes to count to one thousand, and then think again about how long it would be to count seven times that far, 7,000 suddenly seems like a bigger number than it used to.
Now, let's take this a step further and multiply 7,280 sins by 17 years (because I'll be 17 in a little over a week). From 1997 to 2014, I would have sinned 123,760 times. Try to count to 100,000, will you? :) But let's not stop here. In the year 2014, there are an estimated 7 billion people on the earth. Now, if each of those people sinned 20 times a day for a year...the number would equal 50,960,000,000,000. (Or so my Google calculator tells me.)
Now, in case you didn't know, this number is fifty trillion, nine hundred and sixty billion.
Try counting that far. Actually, don't. Because some estimates say that it would take 542,241 years. Imagine, once you get up to the billions, counting like this: ninety-six billion, five hundred and thirty-seven million, eight hundred and nine thousand, three hundred and eighty-two...ninety-six billion, five hundred and thirty-seven million, eight hundred and nine thousand, three hundred and eight-three...ninety-six billion, five hundred and thirty-seven million, eight hundred and nine thousand, three hundred and eighty-four...
Yeah. Don't think so.
By the way, just to give you another idea of how BIG a trillion is, one trillion is equal to one thousand billions and to one million millions.
And in case you haven't comprehended it yet, here's some more info:
-One trillion seconds of normal clock time = 31,546 years. (Which means, if you were counting backwards, you would have landed yourself in 30,000 B.C.)
-If you stack a trillion-worth of $1,000 bills together (note that this is 1 trillion-worth of $1,000, not $1...because if you had 1 trillion-worth of $1, it would be a bigger number than there would be with $1,000), the stack would be 63 miles high. And also note that these bills are stacked, not laid end-to-end.
-If a person's salary is $40,000 per year, it would take 25 millions years to earn $1 trillion.
{Sources: grc.nasa.gov, ihtd.org}
And we're talking over fifty trillion sins here.
But then, what about all the people who have been alive ever since Adam's day. What about Methuselah, who lived 969 years? What about Jared (from Genesis 5:20) who lived nine hundred and sixty-two years? And what about the people who will be alive in the years to come?
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
{Isaiah 53:5}
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
{2 Corinthians 5:21}
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:Christ died for our sins, and not only for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world. Those of us who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior have had our sins wiped completely away. He died for us. He died for the sins of those who would one day come to believe in Him. Trillions of sins, all laid upon Him. No wonder He cried out at the cross, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" ("My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?")
"Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by whose stripes you were healed.
{1 Peter 2:21-24}
Sin is huge. But God is even bigger. He is fully capable of casting our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. And He does, too.
Psalms 103:8-13, 17-18 says this: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. ... But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them."
Then, from verses 20-22 of that same chapter, David says four times, "Bless the Lord!"
Bless the Lord, you His angels... Bless the Lord, all you His hosts... Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion... Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Yes! Bless the Lord, O my soul! None of us deserve the grace and mercy He has bestowed on us. But do we remember to bless the Lord for this gift? I don't know about you, but I sure forget to. I should be praising Him with every breath I have in me, thanking Him for His loving kindness.
John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Have you ever read the story about King David committing adultery with Bathsheba? It's found in 2 Samuel 11. David did a terrible thing, committing adultery, and then murdering the husband of the woman to cover up his sin. In Psalms 51, David is pouring out his sin before God, begging for forgiveness and asking God to restore to him the joy of salvation. God forgave him, and removed David's sin from him as far as the east is from the west.
(While I was writing the above paragraph, I suddenly realized that the very sins David committed -- the ones we think are so, so terrible: murder and adultery -- we commit every day. If anger is murder and lust is adultery, we are just as bad as David. And yet God forgives us when we ask Him!)
I was once in a situation where I was having a hard time "feeling forgiven" for something mean I had done. I had been extremely rude -- actually, "extremely rude" doesn't even sum it up -- to one of my brother's friends...and not just once, either. It was over and over, time after time. And it was completely stupid. There was not even a justified cause for why I was being so mean. I look back and wonder how on earth I could have said the ugly things I said. I hated bullies then, and somehow, in my own way, I had become one! There were times when I despised myself. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of those times.
I asked God for forgiveness over and over, and yet I still didn't feel justified. I was terribly sorry, but still, even my sorrow didn't take the pain and guilt away.
Then our pastor spoke about our sin and God's forgiveness. He gave an example that if we go to God and say, for the second, third, fourth, fifth, or two-hundredth time (about the same sin), "Lord, please forgive my sin," God would say, "What sin? What sin? There IS no sin anymore! I have removed it from you! It is gone! The sin you are asking forgiveness for is no more!"
That really hit me. All of a sudden I realized that my sin was already removed from me as far as the east is from the west. That is a loooooooooong ways away. I no longer needed to worry about it. God had taken care of it. In a way, my worrying was like telling him, "Lord, I don't think you're capable of taking my sin away. I feel that I need to do something myself, because the sacrifice of Your Son wasn't enough." I wasn't literally saying that, but that's really how it sums up.
Pretty much, forgiveness all boils down to this: Do you believe that God has the power to take away your sins? Do you believe in Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection?
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.Christ has the power to cleanse our sins!!! The problem is that we often forget to recognize it. At church we remember, and during devotions we remember. But during the times that it most matters, I often forget that the death that Christ died, He died to sin once for all. Those of us who have put our faith in Him have been cleansed! If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgives us our sins! What wonderful news!!! And yes, I realize that this probably isn't "new" news to you.
But always remember not to forget.
"Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away..."
How refreshing that is! "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." {2 Corinthians 5:17} Yes! All things have become new. Are sins are wiped away, and we are clean, washed as white as pure snow.
"Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
Times of refreshing came for me, after I realized that God had already taken away my sin and cleansed me. Times of refreshment are much needed in our society. (Actually, they are much needed in any kind of society.) Especially the kind of refreshment that comes from the presence of the Lord.
But more on that later. ;) I still have another looooooong post to write on the subject.
Therefore I will say goodbye and go away so you can finish this and hopefully come back later for more.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Survivor of Boko Haram Attack
I'm still planning to get my "Ashamed, Part Two" post up...but before I do, I thought I'd show this video. Have any of you heard of "Boko Haram"? Well, if you haven't, now's the time to get updated on it. My Sunday School teacher has been sending me and my classmates some videos via email about various things going on around the world. I personally think that it is a good thing to be updated on nationwide news, and I'm glad my teacher thinks so too. One of the videos she sent is this one, about a Boko Haram attack: (Click here)
In case you didn't click on the link because you thought you might as well not waste your time, let me tell you that it isn't a waste. It's almost 20 minutes long, but it's well worth it. At 7 minutes and 18 seconds into the video, the Nigerian man shares a passage of Scripture: John 16:1-4. I admit it, it made me cry.
Four men came to the Nigerian man's house and asked him to deny his faith in Christ. The man refused, and so the Boko Haram men called his wife out of the house and told her to plead with her husband to forsake Jesus Christ. But the man would not denounce his Savior. So they shot him in the head. He ended up living, and when he quoted John 16:1-4, to explain to the interviewer how he had the courage to stand against the Boko Haram men, I was amazed.
Now go watch the video.
In case you didn't click on the link because you thought you might as well not waste your time, let me tell you that it isn't a waste. It's almost 20 minutes long, but it's well worth it. At 7 minutes and 18 seconds into the video, the Nigerian man shares a passage of Scripture: John 16:1-4. I admit it, it made me cry.
Four men came to the Nigerian man's house and asked him to deny his faith in Christ. The man refused, and so the Boko Haram men called his wife out of the house and told her to plead with her husband to forsake Jesus Christ. But the man would not denounce his Savior. So they shot him in the head. He ended up living, and when he quoted John 16:1-4, to explain to the interviewer how he had the courage to stand against the Boko Haram men, I was amazed.
These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the times is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God a service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.Wow. And "these things I have spoken to you" are the words spoken in John 15:
"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of this world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'
"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."Yes, the world hates that man for standing up for his faith. And yet, Jesus has given him the strength to stand firm, despite the odds. He lived through a terrible gunshot that blew out part of his face, and yet he tells that interviewer that Christ has commanded him to love his enemies. And this man is not only loving his enemies on the outside (which would be hard enough), he is loving them on the inside too...he is praying for the members of the Boko Haram. Incredible!
Now go watch the video.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Repent and Return | Ashamed, Part 1
Unfortunately, I am well acquainted with the word "ashamed."
I have to say, Frank Peretti really scares me, and I don't like reading his books. But he has a point...there really is spiritual warfare going on around us. It's not a cutesy little game of bad guys against good guys. Spiritual warfare is for real. For real. I feel it every day in the contest that is going on around and inside of me...Jesus Christ against Satan, holy against unholy, sinless against sinful, love against hate, beautiful light against grotesque darkness.
And unfortunately I give into sin a lot more often and easily than I do to Jesus.
WHY is it so much easier to just give in to sin? Why, when coming to the light after being so long in the dark, are we so willing to step back into darkness again? Why, after tasting of the beauty and freedom God gives, are we led so easily back to ugliness, decay, and bondage?
I have wrestled with this question, and I still don't have a good answer, beyond the fact that I know it is Satan, our sin natures, and...yeah, and us. We are such stupid, miserable creatures!
Why would we exchange the truth of God for a lie?
How would you like to have something that, instead of being ugly and corrupt, is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true and righteous altogether?
Guess what? You can have it!
Acts 3:19 says, "Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
And do you know what? I can do the repentance part pretty well; in fact, I've done it enough times that it should come pretty easy by now (though it definitely doesn't always). But I forget the next two parts:
1). My sin will be wiped out.
2). Times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord.
When I first started this post, I had originally planned to share a story about something that had happened in my life that had made me incredibly ashamed of the way I had acted, and how it had opened my eyes to see ways that I needed to change and become more like Christ. Well, that obviously didn't happen, but I may be sharing about that on my other blog, so you may still have a chance to see it. ;)
You may be thinking, "What, you're already to the end of this post? You didn't even finish!"
Nope, I'm not finished. I've come across some verses today that have made me think more deeply on the subject of shame and how Christ can take it all away. I will be back with part 2 and 3...and maybe 4...who knows?!
Before I go, may I ask you a favor?
I wish to be held accountable to my readers for all I write here. Questions, answers, verses, thoughts, and pieces of insight are all very welcome! If you have a problem with what I wrote, or if you have questions, don't hesitate to comment! If I share a verse that is out of context, please tell me! The main thing that has kept me from starting a blog like this is that I'm afraid that if I make a mistake, someone might start believing something that is not true. Also, sometimes when I'm writing in a frenzy of excitement, trying to get every word in my head down on paper, I don't think long enough about the way it will sound to YOU when you read it, and sometimes it comes out all wrong. So, if you ever see this happening, hold me accountable! I don't want to accidentally post something that will hinder someone in their walk with Christ or cause them to doubt. Thank you!
"...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."
-1 Corinthians 15:57-58
Every day I do something that I am ashamed of...and I am ashamed of that fact. Every day I do something dumb or hurtful or very un-christ-like. Every day I make mistakes, whether the mistakes are made in front of the whole world (which unfortunately they often are) or in my little bedroom where no one can see.
Sometimes it's just a thought, sometimes it's an action. Sometimes I speak crossly (or yell crossly), or sometimes I just call people rude names in my head. Either way, it is shameful. I am a sinner by nature, and...
"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in my that does it.
"So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
"So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
{Romans 7:15-25}Hard to comprehend, but once I wrapped my mind around it, it completely summed up what I feel whenever I make a mistake and give in to my sinful nature. And I agree with Paul...THANKS BE TO GOD, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
I have to say, Frank Peretti really scares me, and I don't like reading his books. But he has a point...there really is spiritual warfare going on around us. It's not a cutesy little game of bad guys against good guys. Spiritual warfare is for real. For real. I feel it every day in the contest that is going on around and inside of me...Jesus Christ against Satan, holy against unholy, sinless against sinful, love against hate, beautiful light against grotesque darkness.
And unfortunately I give into sin a lot more often and easily than I do to Jesus.
WHY is it so much easier to just give in to sin? Why, when coming to the light after being so long in the dark, are we so willing to step back into darkness again? Why, after tasting of the beauty and freedom God gives, are we led so easily back to ugliness, decay, and bondage?
I have wrestled with this question, and I still don't have a good answer, beyond the fact that I know it is Satan, our sin natures, and...yeah, and us. We are such stupid, miserable creatures!
Why would we exchange the truth of God for a lie?
How would you like to have something that, instead of being ugly and corrupt, is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true and righteous altogether?
Guess what? You can have it!
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
{Psalm 19:7-9, emphasis added}And even though I know this, I still forget and fall back into the way of sin that was in me before I became a Christian. And I am ashamed. What I often forget is that when Christ died, He took ALL of my sins upon Him...not just the ones I have already committed, but the ones that I will commit tomorrow, the next day, and the next.
Acts 3:19 says, "Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
And do you know what? I can do the repentance part pretty well; in fact, I've done it enough times that it should come pretty easy by now (though it definitely doesn't always). But I forget the next two parts:
1). My sin will be wiped out.
2). Times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord.
When I first started this post, I had originally planned to share a story about something that had happened in my life that had made me incredibly ashamed of the way I had acted, and how it had opened my eyes to see ways that I needed to change and become more like Christ. Well, that obviously didn't happen, but I may be sharing about that on my other blog, so you may still have a chance to see it. ;)
You may be thinking, "What, you're already to the end of this post? You didn't even finish!"
Nope, I'm not finished. I've come across some verses today that have made me think more deeply on the subject of shame and how Christ can take it all away. I will be back with part 2 and 3...and maybe 4...who knows?!
Before I go, may I ask you a favor?
I wish to be held accountable to my readers for all I write here. Questions, answers, verses, thoughts, and pieces of insight are all very welcome! If you have a problem with what I wrote, or if you have questions, don't hesitate to comment! If I share a verse that is out of context, please tell me! The main thing that has kept me from starting a blog like this is that I'm afraid that if I make a mistake, someone might start believing something that is not true. Also, sometimes when I'm writing in a frenzy of excitement, trying to get every word in my head down on paper, I don't think long enough about the way it will sound to YOU when you read it, and sometimes it comes out all wrong. So, if you ever see this happening, hold me accountable! I don't want to accidentally post something that will hinder someone in their walk with Christ or cause them to doubt. Thank you!
"...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."
-1 Corinthians 15:57-58
Friday, September 12, 2014
My First Post Ever
Well.
I never thought I'd be writing two blogs at one time. I'm not so sure this is a good idea, since I'm barely keeping up with my other blog, With Eagles' Wings, but one can always try. And so I will.
In case you don't follow my other blog, or have never met me before, my name is Kaitlyn Bergen (or "Katie" to everyone who I'm not in trouble with at the moment). I am 16 years old, but by the time I get the guts up to tell anyone about this blog, I will probably be at least 17.
The reason I decided to have two blogs is because I have a serious side to me as well as a humorous one. The humorous side will try to stay where it belongs...at With Eagles' Wings. My serious side will show up more at this blog, which I hope doesn't scare you away. The reason I feel that my serious side should show up a little more often is because I have so many thoughts tumbling around inside of me that aren't funny or simple. On my other blog, I hardly write about anything that isn't funny, and I wanted another place to come to when I needed it; a place where I could write about my walk with Christ, or my fears or doubts, or the latest biblical discovery I've made when having devotions. It's not like I can't write about that at With Eagles' Wings, but I'd rather have a place that is completely devoted to more consequential ideas.
So here is my blog, Taking Up the Cross of Jesus.
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