2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
"Maybe the gospel of Jesus, in other words, is all about our relationship with Jesus rather than about our ideas. And perhaps our lists and formulas and bullet points are nice in a sense that they help us memorize different truths, but harmful in the sense that they blind us to the necessary relationship that must begin between God and ourselves and God for us to become his followers. And worse, perhaps our formulas and bullet points and steps steal the sincerity with which we may engage God.”
- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Like a Monk
2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
“I was reading The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris the other day and she was talking about Benedictine monks and how they would sit up late at night to study the Bible by candlelight. I wondered what it would have been like to have studied the Bible and not be tainted by lists and charts and formulas that cause you to look for ideas and infer notions that may or may not be in the text, all the while ignoring the poetry, the blood and pain of the narrative, and the depth of emotion with which God communicates His truth.”
- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
“I was reading The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris the other day and she was talking about Benedictine monks and how they would sit up late at night to study the Bible by candlelight. I wondered what it would have been like to have studied the Bible and not be tainted by lists and charts and formulas that cause you to look for ideas and infer notions that may or may not be in the text, all the while ignoring the poetry, the blood and pain of the narrative, and the depth of emotion with which God communicates His truth.”
- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Just Pray
Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Just pray. Talk to God. And listen.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Just pray. Talk to God. And listen.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Life and Death
Romans 6:23 (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
“Do you know the easiest part of the Gospel for me to believe? The part that says 'the wages of sin is death.' I take that to mean that when Adam and Eve sinned, they began to die, not only physically, but in their souls, too, because they had been separated from God. It makes sense that if a plant is separated from the sun, it dies, and that if people are separated from God, they die. And so now it feels as if we live on a planet where there is just a little bit of water left, poisoned as it is, and we are all trying to get it and drink it so we can stay alive. But what we really need is God.”
- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
“Do you know the easiest part of the Gospel for me to believe? The part that says 'the wages of sin is death.' I take that to mean that when Adam and Eve sinned, they began to die, not only physically, but in their souls, too, because they had been separated from God. It makes sense that if a plant is separated from the sun, it dies, and that if people are separated from God, they die. And so now it feels as if we live on a planet where there is just a little bit of water left, poisoned as it is, and we are all trying to get it and drink it so we can stay alive. But what we really need is God.”
- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Relational Faith
Matthew 13:10-17 (NLT)
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
“I have this suspicion, however, that if we are going to get to know God, it is going to be little more like getting to know a person than practicing voodoo. And I suppose that means we are going to have to get over this fear of intimacy, or whatever you want to call it, in order to have an ancient sort of faith, the same faith shared by all the dead apostles.”
- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
“I have this suspicion, however, that if we are going to get to know God, it is going to be little more like getting to know a person than practicing voodoo. And I suppose that means we are going to have to get over this fear of intimacy, or whatever you want to call it, in order to have an ancient sort of faith, the same faith shared by all the dead apostles.”
- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)
Monday, September 23, 2013
Relationship Not Formula
Matthew 13:10-17 (NLT)
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
“My friend…believes the qualities that improve a person’s life are relational, relational to God and to the folks around us. This made a a lot of sense, too, because when Jesus was walking around on earth He taught His disciples truths through experience, first telling them stories, then walking with them, then causing stuff to happen like a storm on the sea, then reiterating the idea He had taught them the day before. Even then it took years before the disciples understood, and even then the Holy Spirit had to come and wrap things up. So it made me realize that either God didn’t know about the formulas, or the formulas weren’t able to change a person’s heart.”
- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
“My friend…believes the qualities that improve a person’s life are relational, relational to God and to the folks around us. This made a a lot of sense, too, because when Jesus was walking around on earth He taught His disciples truths through experience, first telling them stories, then walking with them, then causing stuff to happen like a storm on the sea, then reiterating the idea He had taught them the day before. Even then it took years before the disciples understood, and even then the Holy Spirit had to come and wrap things up. So it made me realize that either God didn’t know about the formulas, or the formulas weren’t able to change a person’s heart.”
- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Jesus on Earth
Another poem from Melissa Gonerway…
Jesus on Earth
What if Jesus was working on this earth as a human being?
Would you act the same and do the same things?
Would you talk to him about the people that you talk to all the time?
Or would you realize that’s not kind?
Would he wake you up from the coma you’re in?
And help you choose not to sin?
Jesus is here and he sees it all
Are you trying not to fall?
You wear his name but are you anything like him?
If you could touch him would you choose him or sin?
Jesus on Earth
What if Jesus was working on this earth as a human being?
Would you act the same and do the same things?
Would you talk to him about the people that you talk to all the time?
Or would you realize that’s not kind?
Would he wake you up from the coma you’re in?
And help you choose not to sin?
Jesus is here and he sees it all
Are you trying not to fall?
You wear his name but are you anything like him?
If you could touch him would you choose him or sin?
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Real Life
Psalm 1 (NLT)
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
“To live how you were intended, to interact with God’s creation in ways that were his breathings, brings life. Real life. Not just tedious existence, but life that breathes like a tree by a cool river with the grass of Eden stretching broad and embowering under limb. It is beauty. It is bending in the breeze, arms wide, leaves dancing. And to live in ways that twist and distort his creation brings death. Real death. Not just redundant (none of us are getting out of here alive) burying of corpses, but the walking around kind that tastes of dust rather than the Maker’s exhale of love. It is repulsive. It doesn’t hold together. It is not the genesis-shape imagined for a human.”
- David Crowder (Praise Habit)
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
“To live how you were intended, to interact with God’s creation in ways that were his breathings, brings life. Real life. Not just tedious existence, but life that breathes like a tree by a cool river with the grass of Eden stretching broad and embowering under limb. It is beauty. It is bending in the breeze, arms wide, leaves dancing. And to live in ways that twist and distort his creation brings death. Real death. Not just redundant (none of us are getting out of here alive) burying of corpses, but the walking around kind that tastes of dust rather than the Maker’s exhale of love. It is repulsive. It doesn’t hold together. It is not the genesis-shape imagined for a human.”
- David Crowder (Praise Habit)
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The Meaning of it All
John 10 (NLT) - too long to post. Look it up!
"The Bible and its message help you leave behind things that seem to offer pleasure (like living for yourself) but fail and leave you empty. God’s word does more than that. You find true life. Jesus says in John, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” Jesus himself is life (John 14). So don’t miss this: When you live the Word, you truly live.”
- David Crowder (Praise Habit)
"The Bible and its message help you leave behind things that seem to offer pleasure (like living for yourself) but fail and leave you empty. God’s word does more than that. You find true life. Jesus says in John, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” Jesus himself is life (John 14). So don’t miss this: When you live the Word, you truly live.”
- David Crowder (Praise Habit)
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
A Silent Song
Psalm 88 (NLT)
O Lord, God of my salvation,
I cry out to you by day.
I come to you at night.
Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.
You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O Lord; I lift my hands to you for mercy. Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?
O Lord, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. O Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors. Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. You have taken away my companions and loved ones.
Darkness is my closest friend.
“In this psalm there are no reasons given for GOD’s silence. This psalm is not interested in explanation…This psalm reports what its like to be GOD’s partner in His inexplicable absence…Everything properly belongs in this conversation of the heart. To withhold parts of life from the conversation is to withhold parts of life from the sovereignty of GOD. GOD must be addressed even if GOD never answers… Psalm 88 shows us what the cross is about: faithfulness in scenes of complete abandonment.”
- David Crowder (Praise Habit)
O Lord, God of my salvation,
I cry out to you by day.
I come to you at night.
Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.
You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O Lord; I lift my hands to you for mercy. Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?
O Lord, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. O Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors. Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. You have taken away my companions and loved ones.
Darkness is my closest friend.
“In this psalm there are no reasons given for GOD’s silence. This psalm is not interested in explanation…This psalm reports what its like to be GOD’s partner in His inexplicable absence…Everything properly belongs in this conversation of the heart. To withhold parts of life from the conversation is to withhold parts of life from the sovereignty of GOD. GOD must be addressed even if GOD never answers… Psalm 88 shows us what the cross is about: faithfulness in scenes of complete abandonment.”
- David Crowder (Praise Habit)
Monday, September 16, 2013
Preaching To Ourselves #2
Psalm 42:5 (NLT)
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
“The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself…you must turn on yourself, unbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself, “Hope in GOD” -instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way, and then you must go remind yourself of GOD, Who GOD is, and…what GOD has done, and what GOD has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: “I will praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my GOD.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones from "Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures"
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
“The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself…you must turn on yourself, unbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself, “Hope in GOD” -instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way, and then you must go remind yourself of GOD, Who GOD is, and…what GOD has done, and what GOD has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: “I will praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my GOD.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones from "Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures"
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Preaching To Ourselves #1
Psalm 42:5 (NLT)
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
“Have you realized that most of the unhappiness in your lives is due to the fact that you are listening to yourselves instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them but they are talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Yourself is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in Psalm 42] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. “Why are you cast down, my soul?” he asks. His soul has been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says, “Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones from "Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures"
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
“Have you realized that most of the unhappiness in your lives is due to the fact that you are listening to yourselves instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them but they are talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Yourself is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in Psalm 42] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. “Why are you cast down, my soul?” he asks. His soul has been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says, “Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones from "Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures"
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Delight in GOD
Psalm 1:2 (NLT)
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
“Our chief end is to glorify GOD, the great Object. We do so most fully when we treasure him, desire him, delight in him so supremely that we let goods and kindred go and display his love to the poor and the lost.”
From “When I Don’t Desire GOD” by John Piper (page 31)
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
“Our chief end is to glorify GOD, the great Object. We do so most fully when we treasure him, desire him, delight in him so supremely that we let goods and kindred go and display his love to the poor and the lost.”
From “When I Don’t Desire GOD” by John Piper (page 31)
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
In the End
1 Peter 4:13 (NLT)
Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
“…be so enthralled with the hope of glory that they would be willing to make any sacrifice now for the sake of knowing Christ…The final revelation of the glory of Christ will be the consummation of our joy. Every sacrifice will have been worth it. Indeed those who have suffered the most for Christ will say, in one very true sense, “We never made a sacrifice. That slight momentary affliction was ‘preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.’”
From “When I Don’t Desire GOD” by John Piper
Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
“…be so enthralled with the hope of glory that they would be willing to make any sacrifice now for the sake of knowing Christ…The final revelation of the glory of Christ will be the consummation of our joy. Every sacrifice will have been worth it. Indeed those who have suffered the most for Christ will say, in one very true sense, “We never made a sacrifice. That slight momentary affliction was ‘preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.’”
From “When I Don’t Desire GOD” by John Piper
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Seeing Without Seeing
Psalm 135:15-18 (NLT)
The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.
They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.
And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.
“The Psalmist described the connection between this inner blindness and idolatry… Make and trust a blind idol, and you become blind. Apply that principle to the modern world, and think of the idols of our own day. What we do make and what do we trust? Things. Toys. Technology. And so our hearts and our affections are formed by these things. They compress the void in our heart into shapes like toys. The result is that we are easily moved and excited by things- computers, cars, appliances, entertainment media. They seem to fit the shape into our heart. They feel good in the tiny spaces they have made. But in this readiness to receive pleasure from things, we’re ill-shaped for Christ. He seems unreal, unattractive. The eyes of our hearts grow dull.”
From "When I Don’t Desire GOD by John Piper" (page 58)
The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.
They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.
And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.
“The Psalmist described the connection between this inner blindness and idolatry… Make and trust a blind idol, and you become blind. Apply that principle to the modern world, and think of the idols of our own day. What we do make and what do we trust? Things. Toys. Technology. And so our hearts and our affections are formed by these things. They compress the void in our heart into shapes like toys. The result is that we are easily moved and excited by things- computers, cars, appliances, entertainment media. They seem to fit the shape into our heart. They feel good in the tiny spaces they have made. But in this readiness to receive pleasure from things, we’re ill-shaped for Christ. He seems unreal, unattractive. The eyes of our hearts grow dull.”
From "When I Don’t Desire GOD by John Piper" (page 58)
Monday, September 9, 2013
My Savior’s Healing
I have a wound inside me inflicted by a man,
I want you to heal me, but do I believe you can?
I’m scared to put my faith in what I cannot see,
But I feel this love stirring inside of me.
I feel this healing touch and this awesome power,
The voice inside of me is getting louder and louder.
The more I follow and I allow you to lead,
This wound inside of me has started to heal.
If I let it go and give it all to you,
Will you do what you say you do?
I’m gonna take that chance and reach out my hand,
The love from my Savior is much much more than man’s.
- Melissa Gonerway
I want you to heal me, but do I believe you can?
I’m scared to put my faith in what I cannot see,
But I feel this love stirring inside of me.
I feel this healing touch and this awesome power,
The voice inside of me is getting louder and louder.
The more I follow and I allow you to lead,
This wound inside of me has started to heal.
If I let it go and give it all to you,
Will you do what you say you do?
I’m gonna take that chance and reach out my hand,
The love from my Savior is much much more than man’s.
- Melissa Gonerway
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Skinned Knees and Pain
Recently, a friend of mine, Melissa Gonerway, passed along two poems she’d written. I have deemed them worthy (for whatever that’s worth) to share with the world wide web of Refugees. One today, the other tomorrow. May they touch you as much as they touched me…
Skinned Knees and Pain
I was a little child with skinned knees and a heart full of pain,
Some days I wished I could create some kind of change.
I tried to make myself feel better through a lot of different things,
Like drugs and alcohol and plenty of bright and shiny things.
I came to find out that I was created with a hole,
That went all the way down to my soul.
I was miserable and suicidal in the middle of sin,
It was really bad shape I had gotten myself in.
I tried everything that I possibly could,
To no avail and absolutely no good.
I got broken enough to reach out to Jesus Christ my Lord,
And he lifted me up and filled that hole with love.
He brushed me off and bandaged my knees,
He reached down in sin and took hold off me.
I reached back and held on and I’ve never let go
I have a GOD that loves me so.
Through some time and prayer He fixed me up,
Now I am happy because of Jesus love.
No more do I look for a fix in this world,
Because I know that my GOD’s got this little girl.
Skinned Knees and Pain
I was a little child with skinned knees and a heart full of pain,
Some days I wished I could create some kind of change.
I tried to make myself feel better through a lot of different things,
Like drugs and alcohol and plenty of bright and shiny things.
I came to find out that I was created with a hole,
That went all the way down to my soul.
I was miserable and suicidal in the middle of sin,
It was really bad shape I had gotten myself in.
I tried everything that I possibly could,
To no avail and absolutely no good.
I got broken enough to reach out to Jesus Christ my Lord,
And he lifted me up and filled that hole with love.
He brushed me off and bandaged my knees,
He reached down in sin and took hold off me.
I reached back and held on and I’ve never let go
I have a GOD that loves me so.
Through some time and prayer He fixed me up,
Now I am happy because of Jesus love.
No more do I look for a fix in this world,
Because I know that my GOD’s got this little girl.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Being with GOD
Let us break the mold today.
Rather than going through the usual routine of reading your LifeTogether scripture, devotion, and praying, put all your “resources” away and simply pray.
Talk to GOD.
Listen to GOD.
Be with GOD.
Find your joy in him, not in any words or thoughts from anywhere else.
Awkward though it may be, press on-
Rather than going through the usual routine of reading your LifeTogether scripture, devotion, and praying, put all your “resources” away and simply pray.
Talk to GOD.
Listen to GOD.
Be with GOD.
Find your joy in him, not in any words or thoughts from anywhere else.
Awkward though it may be, press on-
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 47: Don’t Try So Hard
Galatians 5:6,13-14
For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
For years, I hated church. Despised it. Avoided it. Excused my way out of it. Quit it.
“You? No way! Why?” you may ask with astonishment.
“Well,” I would commence, “the reasons are two-fold.”
One: People are made to come out of fear, not love. And two: People are forced into guilt, not conviction. (This is not a scathing indictment on all churches. Just sharing my experiences.)
I have been a part of churches and services where hell-fire, brimstone, and judgment were spewed so voraciously that people flooded to the altar, terrified of being thrown in the lake of fire and scorched for eternity. If you’re not praying…if you’re not squalling at the altar…if you’re not doing this or that…if you aren't turning, you’re burning. And on and on the deluge of condemnation pours. While there is a judgment and a hell away from GOD, the church should focus on the love of GOD. Remember that we are instructed to love, set apart from the world by our displaying it. A holy fear, or reverence, for GOD is spiritual healthy. But we shouldn't quake in fear of him squishing us like a bug. The Scriptures says, “Perfect love casts out fear” and “we can approach the throne (of GOD) boldly” because of Jesus Christ.
So let us do things more out of love and less out of fear.
The second thought goes hand-in-hand with the first. A Biblical difference exists between Godly sorrow (conviction) and worldly sorrow (guilt). Conviction is wrought by the Holy Spirit and ushers us back to the Presence of GOD. It can be a rather bumpy ride sometimes but like the Prodigal, we return home. Guilt, by contrast, drives us further into self and reeks of a vicious cycle of depression and sadness. Of the utmost importance is distinguishing between the two both in our own lives and as we help the Refugees (and others) around us.
So accept the Spirit’s conviction, confess, and sprint back to GOD. To sit, soak, and sour in guilt leads you further away from GOD and the hope he so desperately desires to share with us all.
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 101-103 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
For years, I hated church. Despised it. Avoided it. Excused my way out of it. Quit it.
“You? No way! Why?” you may ask with astonishment.
“Well,” I would commence, “the reasons are two-fold.”
One: People are made to come out of fear, not love. And two: People are forced into guilt, not conviction. (This is not a scathing indictment on all churches. Just sharing my experiences.)
I have been a part of churches and services where hell-fire, brimstone, and judgment were spewed so voraciously that people flooded to the altar, terrified of being thrown in the lake of fire and scorched for eternity. If you’re not praying…if you’re not squalling at the altar…if you’re not doing this or that…if you aren't turning, you’re burning. And on and on the deluge of condemnation pours. While there is a judgment and a hell away from GOD, the church should focus on the love of GOD. Remember that we are instructed to love, set apart from the world by our displaying it. A holy fear, or reverence, for GOD is spiritual healthy. But we shouldn't quake in fear of him squishing us like a bug. The Scriptures says, “Perfect love casts out fear” and “we can approach the throne (of GOD) boldly” because of Jesus Christ.
So let us do things more out of love and less out of fear.
The second thought goes hand-in-hand with the first. A Biblical difference exists between Godly sorrow (conviction) and worldly sorrow (guilt). Conviction is wrought by the Holy Spirit and ushers us back to the Presence of GOD. It can be a rather bumpy ride sometimes but like the Prodigal, we return home. Guilt, by contrast, drives us further into self and reeks of a vicious cycle of depression and sadness. Of the utmost importance is distinguishing between the two both in our own lives and as we help the Refugees (and others) around us.
So accept the Spirit’s conviction, confess, and sprint back to GOD. To sit, soak, and sour in guilt leads you further away from GOD and the hope he so desperately desires to share with us all.
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 101-103 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 46: When You’re in Love
Psalm 42:1-2 (NLT)
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?
Ever heard anyone hurl the following phrase?
"I still love them; I’m just not in love with them anymore."
While it's usually referring to couples, the sentiment seeps into our relationship with GOD as well. And it doubtlessly occurs when we get our priorities distorted. During the summer, a friend and I reeked of similar symptoms when it came to this thought. He was having a hard go of trying to fit GOD into his busy schedule and seeking materialism, while I, on the other hand, was doing a lot “for GOD” and drowning in his blessings to the point I’d lost sight of Him. Because we shared a longing to return to pure relationship with Jesus, we began a devotional together called, “When I Don’t Desire GOD.” The whole premise of the study is desiring GOD for no other reason than because he is GOD. Forget the blessings (which are good things by the way). Forget the prosperity. Forget the poverty. Forget the motions and mentalities we get entrapped by. Forget doing things for GOD. Forget everything…but He alone.
The Message words today’s Scripture like this, “I want to drink GOD, deep draughts of GOD. I’m thirsty for GOD-alive.”
That’s what we cried out for. And when you find joy in GOD, not just in the things he so graciously bestows upon us, we return to the roots of our salvation. Remember how real it felt. How freeing. How you would burst into laughter or tears or shouts of joy. Simply because you were with GOD. In relationship. Keep in mind that love is a choice. Feelings come and go, and ebb and flow. But we can make a conscious choice to love. Especially when it comes to the One who loves us first.
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 99-101 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?
Ever heard anyone hurl the following phrase?
"I still love them; I’m just not in love with them anymore."
While it's usually referring to couples, the sentiment seeps into our relationship with GOD as well. And it doubtlessly occurs when we get our priorities distorted. During the summer, a friend and I reeked of similar symptoms when it came to this thought. He was having a hard go of trying to fit GOD into his busy schedule and seeking materialism, while I, on the other hand, was doing a lot “for GOD” and drowning in his blessings to the point I’d lost sight of Him. Because we shared a longing to return to pure relationship with Jesus, we began a devotional together called, “When I Don’t Desire GOD.” The whole premise of the study is desiring GOD for no other reason than because he is GOD. Forget the blessings (which are good things by the way). Forget the prosperity. Forget the poverty. Forget the motions and mentalities we get entrapped by. Forget doing things for GOD. Forget everything…but He alone.
The Message words today’s Scripture like this, “I want to drink GOD, deep draughts of GOD. I’m thirsty for GOD-alive.”
That’s what we cried out for. And when you find joy in GOD, not just in the things he so graciously bestows upon us, we return to the roots of our salvation. Remember how real it felt. How freeing. How you would burst into laughter or tears or shouts of joy. Simply because you were with GOD. In relationship. Keep in mind that love is a choice. Feelings come and go, and ebb and flow. But we can make a conscious choice to love. Especially when it comes to the One who loves us first.
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 99-101 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
Monday, September 2, 2013
The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 45: Weighing Eternity
Luke 9:25 (NLT)
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
“…But the fact is nothing should concern us more than our relationship with GOD; its about eternity, and nothing compares to that.” (page 96)
While I hate to keep harping on the same things, my conviction will not relent until we get it. That this life ultimately doesn’t matter. It’s the next one which resonates for eternity.
This whole discussion reminds me of a conversation I had while sitting in John’s (the Pastor not the Baptist) office. He shared with me a story about Martin Luther (of Protestant Reformation fame). Many in Luther’s congregation had grown weary of hearing him preach the plain, simple Gospel week after week. And told him so. In what must have been an awkward moment, he turned to them and replied, “When you start living out the plain, simple Gospel, I’ll move on to preach about something else.”
This topic- of focusing too much on this corporeal world- continues to grab our attention because we haven’t gotten “it” yet. We still get deceived into believing that we need this or that thing, we must spend every minute of our time making ourselves more comfortable, we must find any (and every) distraction possible to the fill the void. Despite our understanding of this and John’s repeated messages and these persistent devotions and God’s relentless reminders, we still go in circles.
One thing is certain. One day we will fall on our faces before the Living GOD. And we will have to give an accounting. And on that day, we don’t want to explain to GOD that he only got our leftovers. An hour on Sunday and Wednesday. Five minutes a day to read the devotion. A ten second prayer before a meal.
There’s this saying we have in education: “Begin with the end in mind.” May that become an anthem we display. (And then, we can quit talking about it all the time.)
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 96-98 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
“…But the fact is nothing should concern us more than our relationship with GOD; its about eternity, and nothing compares to that.” (page 96)
While I hate to keep harping on the same things, my conviction will not relent until we get it. That this life ultimately doesn’t matter. It’s the next one which resonates for eternity.
This whole discussion reminds me of a conversation I had while sitting in John’s (the Pastor not the Baptist) office. He shared with me a story about Martin Luther (of Protestant Reformation fame). Many in Luther’s congregation had grown weary of hearing him preach the plain, simple Gospel week after week. And told him so. In what must have been an awkward moment, he turned to them and replied, “When you start living out the plain, simple Gospel, I’ll move on to preach about something else.”
This topic- of focusing too much on this corporeal world- continues to grab our attention because we haven’t gotten “it” yet. We still get deceived into believing that we need this or that thing, we must spend every minute of our time making ourselves more comfortable, we must find any (and every) distraction possible to the fill the void. Despite our understanding of this and John’s repeated messages and these persistent devotions and God’s relentless reminders, we still go in circles.
One thing is certain. One day we will fall on our faces before the Living GOD. And we will have to give an accounting. And on that day, we don’t want to explain to GOD that he only got our leftovers. An hour on Sunday and Wednesday. Five minutes a day to read the devotion. A ten second prayer before a meal.
There’s this saying we have in education: “Begin with the end in mind.” May that become an anthem we display. (And then, we can quit talking about it all the time.)
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 96-98 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
Sunday, September 1, 2013
The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 44: Lessons From The Mighty Mississippi
James 2:17 (NLT)
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
“If life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream.” (page 95)
Mere miles from Refuge flows one of the most awesome forces on the planet- the Mississippi River. Since moving here a decade ago, I’ve loitered under its bridge writing and drinking, stared mesmerized into its unrestrained power, and heard countless stories revolving around its banks. Some of the more fascinating ones involve people attempting to swim across. Anyone brave (or stupid) enough to do so will tell you a couple of things. First, no one swims directly across. The raw force of the current will take you down river no matter how strong a swimmer you are. That being said, number two is that it is possible to cross the river if you persist and never give up. And third, if you do lose heart and give up, you will drown and die. Plain and simple.
In remembering these stories, their significance to us spiritually is even more profound. No matter how strong our faith in Jesus is, it must be reinforced by our actions. We must “swim” with everything we have, understanding that it won’t be an easy, straightforward crossing, but a manageable one nonetheless. We must endure being swept away and jostled by the current and whirlpools of life. We must never lose sight of the opposite bank (the eternal life) and continue chugging away until we reach it, having spent every ounce of energy we possess. If at any point, we take our eyes off of Jesus, throw our cross down, or find the struggle too difficult, we will be pulled backwards. And downstream. Lost among the churning waters and further and further away from GOD.
The other side awaits. Press on-
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 90-95 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
“If life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream.” (page 95)
Mere miles from Refuge flows one of the most awesome forces on the planet- the Mississippi River. Since moving here a decade ago, I’ve loitered under its bridge writing and drinking, stared mesmerized into its unrestrained power, and heard countless stories revolving around its banks. Some of the more fascinating ones involve people attempting to swim across. Anyone brave (or stupid) enough to do so will tell you a couple of things. First, no one swims directly across. The raw force of the current will take you down river no matter how strong a swimmer you are. That being said, number two is that it is possible to cross the river if you persist and never give up. And third, if you do lose heart and give up, you will drown and die. Plain and simple.
In remembering these stories, their significance to us spiritually is even more profound. No matter how strong our faith in Jesus is, it must be reinforced by our actions. We must “swim” with everything we have, understanding that it won’t be an easy, straightforward crossing, but a manageable one nonetheless. We must endure being swept away and jostled by the current and whirlpools of life. We must never lose sight of the opposite bank (the eternal life) and continue chugging away until we reach it, having spent every ounce of energy we possess. If at any point, we take our eyes off of Jesus, throw our cross down, or find the struggle too difficult, we will be pulled backwards. And downstream. Lost among the churning waters and further and further away from GOD.
The other side awaits. Press on-
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 90-95 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
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