Make me one who...

My God, make me one

who cares not

what others think of me,

but what You think of me,

and what others think of You

because of me.
__________________________

"You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." - 1 Cor. 6:19-20 ESV

Intoxicated with Holy Joy

Layering verses is, I think, a good way to understand the Scriptures better. Take these two passages, which are quite similar:

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, - Ephesians 5:18-20 ESV

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” – Colossians 3:16 ESV

Being filled with the Spirit, and being richly filled with the word of Christ are one and the same. The word is only effectual when accompanied by the Spirit, and Spirit-filling comes only through drinking deeply of the word of Christ. Jesus said,

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive... - John 7:37-39 ESV

The Spirit and the Word – God’s breath – are indivisible in their joy-producing work in the soul. And when they breathe together in and through us, they produce joyful, Scriptural, spiritual singing!

Just as one can only be drunk on wine by drinking plenty of it, we must drink the Word of God - plenty of it, praying for the Spirit's help, reading, drinking, meditating on its glories, trusting in its promises, until there is an intoxication with holy joy. Then, let all who by the Spirit are happy in Christ and His promises sing songs of praise!

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. - James 5:13 ESV

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Is this a right application of the Scriptures? Feel free to comment and tell me what you think!

Take this day...

The first part of this poem has been in my mind all this morning and many other mornings. I pray it when I wake up and do not want to waste this day, or my life, but use it for God's glory.

a morning prayer

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. - Psalm 90:14 ESV

Take this day - I would not keep it for myself and fruitless be...

...Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5 ESV

I would see in it Thy glory

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. -Psalm 19:1 ESV

I would read in it Thy story

"...give me understanding according to your word!" - Psalm 119:169 ESV

I would keep my soul-eyes fixed upon the One who died for me.


For I am Thine

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20 ESV


Then, let me hold and cling to closely
Not Thy gifts, but only Thee
Let me see I'm undeserving
Let me see my place is serving
Let me love Thee and Thy children
Let me gladly rest in Thee.
For Thou art mine.

- by Alyssa Faith Colby

...nothing like a job well done!

Quite a few years ago, a group of us missionary kids used to gather together to do music with one of the missionary moms. We learned alot of "Patch the Pirate" (Ron Hamilton) songs. The chorus of one that I still remember well goes something like this:

"It's good old fashioned, callous-makin' back-bone-breakin' work
That's the secret formula - it's plain, hard, work!
I work all day; I work all night; I'm up with the mornin' sun
'Cause nothin' brings me satisfaction like a job well done!

The other day the song was going through my head. When I got to the last line I started thinking... "Nothing brings me satisfaction like a job well done..." That is how I am. I love to start a task, whether sewing, cleaning, baking or writing, and finish it well. But there is one work that was better done than any job I've done. When it was done, the One who accomplished it said, "It is finished."

Whenever I think of that song now, I think of the finished work of Christ. His death on the cross for my sins and his resurrection for my justification, totally satisfied the justice of God. It should totally satisfy me. What can I do to make up for my sin? Nothing. "It is finished."

There at the cross of Christ, my salvation was worked, and worked perfectly. It was a job well done. Nothing should bring me greater satisfaction. I not only believe in this, I must satiate my soul-thirst with it.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." - Rom. 3:23-26 ESV

It is finished!

Thoughts on Killing Sin

"Our darling sin must die. Spare it not for its much crying. Strike, though it be as dear as an Isaac. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon His own Son. With stern unflinching purpose must you condemn to death that sin which was once the idol of your heart. Do you ask how you are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power. You have grace to overcome sin given you in the covenant of grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade against inward lusts, because Christ Jesus has promised to be with you even unto the end. If you would triumph over darkness, set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There is no place so well adapted for the discovery of sin, and recovery from its power and guilt, as the immediate presence of God. Job never knew how to get rid of sin half so well as he did when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself, and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the Christian is oft becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to consume the dross. Let us fly to our God, He is a consuming fire; He will not consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the goodness of God excite us to a sacred jealousy, and to a holy revenge against those iniquities which are hateful in His sight." - from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening

John Owen said, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you."

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." - 1 Peter 2:11 (ESV)

Some thoughts on movies and television

As a young child, I loved watching movies and videos, but Mother and Daddy were always good about not letting us watch too many videos (for which I am glad)

A year or so ago, someone sent us two DVD's - not Christian, just secular, old family movies. We watched one of them one evening, and the next morning at my devotions, I found myself fighting desperately to keep my mind on God's word. Scenes from the movie came back again and again. They weren't necessarily bad scenes, but they filled my mind. In anguish, I thought, "So help me God - I never want to watch a secular movie again." That is the foundation of life experience on which this blog post is written:

My heart is burdened these days about the amount of television and movies many Americans view, including some Christians. I am not concerned about it as if it were outright disobedience (there is no command, "Do not watch television"). I am sad because so many people forfeit God's best for their life by frittering their time away on legitimate, but worthless things.

To set the affections of our hearts on things above is humanly un-natural, yes humanly impossible, and thus requires much grace from God, prayer and meditation on Scripture. It seems that a God directed state of heart is so fragile, it can be swept away by the smallest thing. And television can crush it so quickly! It's hard to be spiritually-minded - why make it harder with secular tv shows and movies? Of course, R-rated movies and trash TV are terribly destructive to holiness, but so-called "clean" movies or tv shows can also be detrimental to the fervency of devotion that Christians desire to have because of a profound absence of God.

I'm not talking about a law. Clean TV programs are not necessarily a sin to watch. But do I desire to have a deep awareness of the presence of God, a rich fullness of His word? Or do I desire to be entertained and have an hour of fun, even at the expense of an hour of growth in grace. (It is important to remember also, that our desire is fueled by being fed what it wants) Can I say after watching a movie or tv program, "Oh how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day!" It may be true of some movies and programs, but it is not so with most of the media available today.

What makes them so spiritually dulling? The comfortable absence of God.

What is immoral? Is it violence? Is it nudity and immodesty? Is it bad language? Yes, yes and yes. But it is also immoral to neglect God. "Whether you eat or you drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (I Cor. 10:31) Secular movies simply ignore the Glorious Creator of the World, and that is evil. Unlike the sodomy and violence that fills many tv screens, this evil is subtle and creeps into the households of a sadly large number of people. God is not acknowledged, and as far as the people on the screen are concerned, it's just fine that way.

Just test yourself after you watch a secular movie. Where is your hunger for God? Where is your desire to read His Word? I have found at such times that holy desires are far away . Is it a wonder so many Christians lack holiness, fervent devotion and spiritual power when their brains are tuned to entertainment?

Why starve your poor soul? Why feed on that which makes you spiritually malnourished?

I pray for people that God would cause them to lose taste for the things of this world, that he would do as the psalmist says, "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word."

I got this quote from Horatius Bonar on a blog, and though it speaks of reading, it applies very well to television:

"Specially beware of light reading…The light literature of the day is working a world of harm; vitiating the taste of the young, enervating their minds, unfitting them for life’s plain work, eating out their love of the Bible, teaching them a false morality, and creating in the soul an unreal standard of truth, and beauty, and love. Don’t be too fond of the newspaper. Yet read it, that you may know both what man is doing and what God is doing; and extract out of all you read matter for thought and prayer…Let your reading be always select; and whatever you read, begin with seeking God’s blessing on it. But see that your relish for the Bible be above every other enjoyment, and the moment you begin to feel greater relish for any other book, lay it down till you have sought deliverance from such a snare, and obtained from the Holy Spirit an intenser relish, a keener appetite for the Word of God (Jer. 15:16)."

Well, that was a long post, but I hope that whoever reads it is encouraged by it, to more wholeheartedly pursue God's word, God's kingdom, love and good deeds.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
-Hebrews 10:24 ESV

"Our lives proceed out of our theology"

Thursday, June 22, 2006

In When People are BIG and GOD is Small by Ed Welch, I read the most interesting statement:

"our lives proceed out of our theology"

That statement struck me because it is so true. What we do is a result of how we view God and what we believe about him. This theology is not necessarily a stated creed (though such things can be very good) or what we would write on a theology examination; it is what we really think of God in our deepest heart. Our lives proceed from this.

It doesn't matter if I can say God is good, or can quote Romans 8:28 to hurting people, if I don't believe in my heart that God really is good.

Do I believe firmly that He keeps His promises? Are they my rock in difficult circumstances? Or do I think they are nice-sounding words that can't have meaning when my heart is aching? My life will show it.

Do I really believe that since the righteousness of God in Christ is mine by faith, that my righteousness cannot fluctuate, and that God looks at me as righteous in Christ all the time? Or do I think that when I sin He gets angry at me?

Do I really believe that if I confess my sins, he is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse? Or do I think that Christ's death was not enough for my sins, and I have to feel morbid and guilty for at least a whole day to "make up" for my failure?

Do I really believe that "If God is for us, who can be against us?" and "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:31-32 ESV) It will make a difference in how I live. What I believe about God is the basis of my life, whether I realize it or not.

Do I believe that God is great and awesome - really? I could sing "I Stand in Awe of You" on Sunday, but unless I believe in God's all-surpassing might and value in my heart, on Monday I could go to the mall with one thought pre-eminent in my mind: "What are people thinking of me?" and care more about that then about God. What is my theology then? What about being in awe of God? If I claim to stand in awe of Him, why doesn't His presence consume my every thought?
This is the aspect of life that Ed Welch's book deals with. Here is the context of the first quote: "Perhaps you weren't expecting a theological excursion on the path to dealing with the fear of other people, but our lives proceed out of our theology - our understanding of God and ourselves."

Sometimes...we have pretty bad theology, and sometimes we supress good theology. I believe those are the times we sin. So what I desire to do (and encourage anyone reading this to do) is to fix in my heart and mind who God really is - what He has really done and what He is really like. And that comes through His Word.

Wow - it comes back to reading the Bible.

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence"
(2 Peter 1:3 ESV)

What is heavenly reward like? Thoughts from Jonathan Edwards

Monday, June 5, 2006

We hear alot, in sermons and in reading the Bible, about reward in heaven. But what does it consist of? I heard it explained at one time, I think by John Piper quoting Jonathan Edwards, so I ransacked Google to find it. Finally I turned up a page entitled "The Glory of Heaven", which is not by Edwards, but quotes him, and so I have entered this piece, which states the same analogy I once heard, because it presents itself well to me:

"..."For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, whether good or bad."... It is apparent that free rewards are promised to believers in glory which will be equivalent to what we have done in our labors for the Lord here on earth....
Other Scriptures state quite clearly that a difference will be made between believers in glory. Daniel is told that "those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3)... This is plainly taught in the parable of the talents as well, where one man was put in authority over ten cities and another over five (Luke 19:12-19).

(Now here's the analogy that I liked):
"The saints are like so many vessels of different sizes cast into a sea of happiness where every vessel is full: this is eternal life, for a man to have his capacity filled. But after all tis left to God's sovereign pleasure, tis His prerogative to determine the largeness of the vessel."[Jonathan Edwards] Each person will be filled to their capacity with blessedness and joy. None will lack anything. But there will be those who have a greater capacity for joy than others. Christopher Love explains: "Though there be degrees of glory, yet this doth not imply, that there shall be defects or want (lack) of glory in heaven to any glorified persons, but every person shall be as full of glory as he can hold, or is capable of. Perkins explains it by a clear demonstration. Take a little vessel and a great vessel, and cast both these into the sea, both these vessels will be full, yet there is not [as much] in the little vessel as in the great, though both are full. So, saith he, the godly are like two vessels, yet one, by reason of the enjoyment of God, is more capacious (spacious) to take in more of God than the other is, yet the least saint shall be full of glory; he that hath least glory, shall have glory sufficient, though not glory equal with some glorified saints: so that degrees of glory doth not argue any defect in those persons that have less glory than others have."...Jonathan Edwards believed that the degree of glory or reward would be determined by four factors: degrees of grace and holiness here, degree of good that is done, self-denial and suffering, and eminency in humility... ".

I cannot think of any better analogy of eternity and its rewards than this one of jars in a sea.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. - Psalm 16:11 ESV

A Little Picture of Perseverance

May 30, 2006

On Sunday I was with Mother in the car - now I have to explain to any readers our unique situation. We have a little church that meets in a decrepit building on the corner of the main road. (It's decrepit partly because we don't own it, and every service we have no assurance that it won't be our last one in the building - so we don't spend much money on upkeep. We are trying and praying toward buying the building but the owner is a rather moody Hindu man who wants more money out of us than we can give. Thankfully, neither he nor his demands are greater than our God.) Anyway, after service mother was taking a lady home in our car while everyone else waited at the church - except for me. I decided to go along. It was raining, and after dropping off the lady, we were going along the muddy road back toward the church building when we saw a sight. Both Mother and I wished we had the camera, but a word picture must suffice:
A young boy of about seven years was coming down the road. He was barefoot and wearing only underpants (which is very normal in Guyana - and probably better for walking in the rain!) He had probably just ridden the family bike to the local shop to buy ice and was now returning. The bike was a full-size adult bike and he was pushing it with both hands. His head was slightly down, gripping the top of the bag of ice between his front teeth, while rain streamed down his face. His face was a picture of grit and determination as he slowly pushed the bike toward home. What a picture! I hope his mother thanked him when he got home.
Sometimes life is like that.
What kept that boy going? The command of his parent and the end of his trip - home! (and maybe a soft drink with ice when he got there.) Something better awaits believers in Christ - God. Our dwelling place, our eternal home and our fountain of delight forever. He will fill us with joy in His presence, with eternal pleasure at His right hand.
And if we have to tramp barefoot through mud in life, our hands so full, we wish we had three... we can keep on going, one step at a time. Jesus will keep us persevering in grace and our God will bring us safely home. I know that no analogy is a perfect one - our lives aren't always tramping through mud. There is earthly joy many times in our way. But when we have to drudge, the joy of the Lord is our strength and the end of the journey is our hope.

"...strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." - Acts 14:22 ESV