I was thinking tonight, and a thunk occurred to me. The thunk is as follows:
Problems suck; not exactly a revelation but a generally accepted truth nonetheless. Problems are hard; they are hard to deal with and work through. I've been noticing problems I have with my faith - aspects of my walk that God desires to work on in me. It is tough to realize these problems, to see where I am coming up short, to realize big holes, and to feel like, all of a sudden, that I am nowhere close to where I need to be. But here is the deal with problems. Most of the time (I say most, because God is capable of revealing things to us that fix our problems immediately, making us realize, "Wow, I had a problem there," but more often with big things, it is not that easy), problems have to be recognized before they are fixed. Sure, when we have unrecognized problems, we aren't bothered by them: ignorance is bliss as the old saying goes. It is not until we realize problems that we can work on them and fix them. Once problems are recognized, the "hardness" of it all begins, but that problem is being fixed. And when was the last time that something wasn't better after a problem was fixed? So yes, we are comfortable in our problems when we don't recognize them, and then when we do, it sucks. But that problem is usually not going to be fixed until it has been exposed. I have some exposed problems, some exposed areas that I need to work on. So that is what I will do, not necessarily by doing more myself, but on really praying and seeking God's help and trusting Him that when I honestly come to him with problems I have recognized, that I truly want to fix because I need to for my walk with Him, that He will be faithful to do all He needs to do. God is good, and God is love. He has plans to prosper me, for a future and a hope. He wants the best for me, and He is fully capable of giving it. I will forge ahead knowing that problems I have identified, and problems I need to work on, are happening for a reason, a reason soaked in God's love for me and those He has for me to impact (which could be you!)
I ask, humbly, for your continued prayer. Good things are happening, and it is hard, but for now I plan to forge ahead in God's love and plan for my life.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Something Cool I Came Across
"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it." - John 12:47
"Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son" - John 5:22
Seems contradictory right? Well, it did to me too, but the reason for this makes sense and seemed, at least to me, to be fairly obvious once I found the answer and understood it. We see, in the first verse, that Jesus is not a judge. Then we see that God has entrusted all judgment to Him. How can Jesus, who doesn't judge, be the conductor of all judgment? Well, as usual, it is all in the context.
Jesus, when He first came to Earth, did not come to judge. It clearly states that in John 12 and in John 8 with the women caught in adultery: "Has no one condemned you . . . Then neither do I condemn you . . . Go and leave your life of sin." Jesus did not come to judge, but rather to save sinners and bring people to Him.
However, there will be a day when Jesus returns to Earth: "And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:27-28). When Christ returns, that is when He will judge. If you continue on in John 5, it states, "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:22-29). The judgment we see of Christ is the authority given to him by God, the authority to judge in man's final days, whether in death or Christ's return.
Did Christ come to Earth over 2000 years ago to judge? No; He came to save it because "[He] so loved the world." But there is a day coming when He will judge, and rightfully so. That judgment hasn't come yet, and it certainly didn't start this evening at 6PM, but it will one day. A part of me wishes the rapture would have started today; rather, most of me wishes it. You know why?
“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"
1 Corinthians 2:9
Context is pretty important my friends - please don't forget that.
"Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son" - John 5:22
Seems contradictory right? Well, it did to me too, but the reason for this makes sense and seemed, at least to me, to be fairly obvious once I found the answer and understood it. We see, in the first verse, that Jesus is not a judge. Then we see that God has entrusted all judgment to Him. How can Jesus, who doesn't judge, be the conductor of all judgment? Well, as usual, it is all in the context.
Jesus, when He first came to Earth, did not come to judge. It clearly states that in John 12 and in John 8 with the women caught in adultery: "Has no one condemned you . . . Then neither do I condemn you . . . Go and leave your life of sin." Jesus did not come to judge, but rather to save sinners and bring people to Him.
However, there will be a day when Jesus returns to Earth: "And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:27-28). When Christ returns, that is when He will judge. If you continue on in John 5, it states, "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:22-29). The judgment we see of Christ is the authority given to him by God, the authority to judge in man's final days, whether in death or Christ's return.
Did Christ come to Earth over 2000 years ago to judge? No; He came to save it because "[He] so loved the world." But there is a day coming when He will judge, and rightfully so. That judgment hasn't come yet, and it certainly didn't start this evening at 6PM, but it will one day. A part of me wishes the rapture would have started today; rather, most of me wishes it. You know why?
“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"
1 Corinthians 2:9
Context is pretty important my friends - please don't forget that.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
You've Got To Hear This!!!
"'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the Lord Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the Lord." - Haggai 2:8-9
Seems like your typical Old Testament verse right; a prophet speaking on Israel and God's dealings with them, right? Wrong! Yes, Haggai is speaking to Judah's leader (Zerubbabel, a.k.a. my first child's name, boy or girl) and their high priest (Joshua). But, in case you didn't know, pretty much everything in the Old Testament is a picture of something else; the nation of Israel that God saved from slavery is us, coming out of Egypt represents us coming out of our sin, the rock that gives water in the desert is Christ, etc. So how does that apply here? Well, buckle your seat belts, because I, personally, was blown away by this.
First, some background. The people here have returned from captivity in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had burnt down the original temple built by Solomon and the people are now constructing a new one. However, this new temple cannot compare in glory to Solomon's temple, which was the most glorious building constructed to that day, and maybe ever. Some of the older folk that are watching the new temple being built had actually seen the old temple, in all its glory, and are now mourning over what the new temple is. In their minds, their disobedience to God has cost them big time; they have lost their original temple forever and will never be able to replace its splendor. However, God comes in and speaks the verse above. Good, now you're caught up.
So God basically says, "You know what, all the gold and silver that filled the old temple (and there was A LOT of it), that was mine anyway." Then God tells them that the glory of this new temple will be greater than the former one. It won't just equal it, but it will be GREATER. Why? Well that's a darn good question. And that question is answered by one thing. What temple do you think Jesus walked in to when He came to Earth? That's right, this new temple. So if the gold and silver are all God's anyways, what we are seeing is that what makes this new temple so much greater is who is in it. But remember, all this Old Testament stuff is a picture of something else as well.
When we mess up, when we think we have forfeited what God can do in our lives by the sinful choices we have made, it is NOT the end. What makes the temple (us) great is not what we do, but rather who we allow to work inside us. When we make sinful choices, we forfeit something of God in our lives. But when we repent and allow Jesus to work inside of us, that new temple becomes even GREATER than the old. So if you've ever felt like you lost something in your life due to poor decisions, when you repent before God and allow Jesus to work in your life, you don't have to worry about what you've lost in the presence of God and can never recover, because "the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house." This shows how unbelievable his mercy and grace are, and how much He loves us.
I, personally, really needed to hear this last night. And big ups to my padre for coming through in the clutch, even though he probably had no idea what it meant to me at the moment. As my struggle seems to just, at times, drag on and on, getting better and better before taking a turn for the worst due to mistakes I make, I think about what God is trying to do in my life and wonder if I will ever have true peace again. I wonder where I would be right now if I hadn't made certain decisions. And I wonder if everything will ever be completely "normal" again. But God states that He hasn't given up on me and He isn't sitting up-stairs thinking, "Boy, I can't do much in this kids life after the mistakes he's made; I had great plans, but now he's gonna have to deal with a little less because he messed up big time." No, I'm allowing Jesus to enter into my life, and God promises the results are going to be even greater!
Seems like your typical Old Testament verse right; a prophet speaking on Israel and God's dealings with them, right? Wrong! Yes, Haggai is speaking to Judah's leader (Zerubbabel, a.k.a. my first child's name, boy or girl) and their high priest (Joshua). But, in case you didn't know, pretty much everything in the Old Testament is a picture of something else; the nation of Israel that God saved from slavery is us, coming out of Egypt represents us coming out of our sin, the rock that gives water in the desert is Christ, etc. So how does that apply here? Well, buckle your seat belts, because I, personally, was blown away by this.
First, some background. The people here have returned from captivity in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had burnt down the original temple built by Solomon and the people are now constructing a new one. However, this new temple cannot compare in glory to Solomon's temple, which was the most glorious building constructed to that day, and maybe ever. Some of the older folk that are watching the new temple being built had actually seen the old temple, in all its glory, and are now mourning over what the new temple is. In their minds, their disobedience to God has cost them big time; they have lost their original temple forever and will never be able to replace its splendor. However, God comes in and speaks the verse above. Good, now you're caught up.
So God basically says, "You know what, all the gold and silver that filled the old temple (and there was A LOT of it), that was mine anyway." Then God tells them that the glory of this new temple will be greater than the former one. It won't just equal it, but it will be GREATER. Why? Well that's a darn good question. And that question is answered by one thing. What temple do you think Jesus walked in to when He came to Earth? That's right, this new temple. So if the gold and silver are all God's anyways, what we are seeing is that what makes this new temple so much greater is who is in it. But remember, all this Old Testament stuff is a picture of something else as well.
When we mess up, when we think we have forfeited what God can do in our lives by the sinful choices we have made, it is NOT the end. What makes the temple (us) great is not what we do, but rather who we allow to work inside us. When we make sinful choices, we forfeit something of God in our lives. But when we repent and allow Jesus to work inside of us, that new temple becomes even GREATER than the old. So if you've ever felt like you lost something in your life due to poor decisions, when you repent before God and allow Jesus to work in your life, you don't have to worry about what you've lost in the presence of God and can never recover, because "the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house." This shows how unbelievable his mercy and grace are, and how much He loves us.
I, personally, really needed to hear this last night. And big ups to my padre for coming through in the clutch, even though he probably had no idea what it meant to me at the moment. As my struggle seems to just, at times, drag on and on, getting better and better before taking a turn for the worst due to mistakes I make, I think about what God is trying to do in my life and wonder if I will ever have true peace again. I wonder where I would be right now if I hadn't made certain decisions. And I wonder if everything will ever be completely "normal" again. But God states that He hasn't given up on me and He isn't sitting up-stairs thinking, "Boy, I can't do much in this kids life after the mistakes he's made; I had great plans, but now he's gonna have to deal with a little less because he messed up big time." No, I'm allowing Jesus to enter into my life, and God promises the results are going to be even greater!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
An Unlikely Simile
I remember at one point during the school year talking to my mom about hard times. I was asking questions and wondering why exactly things had to be so hard, the point of going through difficult times, and how good could come out of so much pain and suffering. I don't remember the exact line of questioning, but we all know the drill, going through tough times is hard, and sometimes we don't understand why it has to be that way (and if you don't "know the drill" still listen up, because this will come in handy one day for you). Well, my mom, in her old-aged wisdom (please don't tell her I called her old, even though she probably won't hear you because, well, you know, she's old) used the simile of child birth to tell me about how much pain a woman goes through when giving birth to a child, but how that pain leads to something that is so very wonderful.
The other day I came across this passage in Isaiah:
"Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the Lord. Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery? says your God. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." - Isaiah 66:9,13
I usually go into longer, more drawn out writing about the verses I post on but enough said. Have a great night. I'm out like Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semi's. Have a great night!
The other day I came across this passage in Isaiah:
"Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the Lord. Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery? says your God. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." - Isaiah 66:9,13
I usually go into longer, more drawn out writing about the verses I post on but enough said. Have a great night. I'm out like Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semi's. Have a great night!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Perseverance . . . But I'm Tired
James 1:2-4 states "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Now this is a far cry from the feeling of those whose faith is being tested. And what I mean by that is this; when a Christian feels as if their faith is being tested and strained, at least in my experience, they feel as if they are extremely lacking. I lack comfort; I lack peace; I lack joy; and I lack a desire to press on; I lack in being who I want to be. But au contraire says James. This testing, this straining, this trial you are facing will mature your faith and develop positive things in your spiritual walk and make you . . . wait for it . . . a little longer . . . not lacking ANYTHING. James never looks upon those going through the trial with a sneer or look of contempt either. His passage does not state that the trials themselves are fun to go through. Rather, he looks to the results of these trials. The results of not lacking anything. When we go through these trials and tests of our faith, we learn how to battle through them (develop perseverance) and we learn because, ultimately, we learn so much more in the hard times than in those good times. These results are what make the suffering worth it; and not just worth it, but joyful.
Romans 5:3-5 states "Not only so [rejoicing in the hope of Christ a.k.a. "good"] but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy
Spirit, whom he has given us."
So James tells us that perseverance is formed in us through our faith trials. But what does having this perseverance mean? Well, Paul is nice enough to tell us. This perseverance produces character (see blog entry "My Grandpa Was Awesome" for more on character) and this character produces hope. Now hope is a funny word, because we can put our hope in many things ("for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him" - II Peter 2:19). But Paul, in the last clause of verse 2, says "and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." Our hope is in God, the one whose compassions never fail (Lam. 3:22), whose faithfulness is great (Lam. 3:23), and who can do more then we can ever ask or even imagine (Eph. 3:20). The one who will take delight in us (Zeph. 3:17), the one who has a good, pleasing, and perfect will for our lives and who has plans for us to prosper, plans for a hope and a future and not to harm us (Rom. 12:2 and Jer. 29:11). We will have hope in a God who doesn't lie or change his mind (Numbers 23:19). We have hope in a God who, in his very essence, is love (I John 4:8).
So there you have it. These trials, these tests and tribulations, are producing something very good, something that I am thankful for and cannot wait to see the fruits of. I have learned so much about God and what it means to be a true Christian. God is working through me in this trial of my faith and he is using it for something good. He is working in me so that I will lack nothing. He is refining me to be like gold :)
Now this is a far cry from the feeling of those whose faith is being tested. And what I mean by that is this; when a Christian feels as if their faith is being tested and strained, at least in my experience, they feel as if they are extremely lacking. I lack comfort; I lack peace; I lack joy; and I lack a desire to press on; I lack in being who I want to be. But au contraire says James. This testing, this straining, this trial you are facing will mature your faith and develop positive things in your spiritual walk and make you . . . wait for it . . . a little longer . . . not lacking ANYTHING. James never looks upon those going through the trial with a sneer or look of contempt either. His passage does not state that the trials themselves are fun to go through. Rather, he looks to the results of these trials. The results of not lacking anything. When we go through these trials and tests of our faith, we learn how to battle through them (develop perseverance) and we learn because, ultimately, we learn so much more in the hard times than in those good times. These results are what make the suffering worth it; and not just worth it, but joyful.
Romans 5:3-5 states "Not only so [rejoicing in the hope of Christ a.k.a. "good"] but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy
Spirit, whom he has given us."
So James tells us that perseverance is formed in us through our faith trials. But what does having this perseverance mean? Well, Paul is nice enough to tell us. This perseverance produces character (see blog entry "My Grandpa Was Awesome" for more on character) and this character produces hope. Now hope is a funny word, because we can put our hope in many things ("for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him" - II Peter 2:19). But Paul, in the last clause of verse 2, says "and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." Our hope is in God, the one whose compassions never fail (Lam. 3:22), whose faithfulness is great (Lam. 3:23), and who can do more then we can ever ask or even imagine (Eph. 3:20). The one who will take delight in us (Zeph. 3:17), the one who has a good, pleasing, and perfect will for our lives and who has plans for us to prosper, plans for a hope and a future and not to harm us (Rom. 12:2 and Jer. 29:11). We will have hope in a God who doesn't lie or change his mind (Numbers 23:19). We have hope in a God who, in his very essence, is love (I John 4:8).
So there you have it. These trials, these tests and tribulations, are producing something very good, something that I am thankful for and cannot wait to see the fruits of. I have learned so much about God and what it means to be a true Christian. God is working through me in this trial of my faith and he is using it for something good. He is working in me so that I will lack nothing. He is refining me to be like gold :)
Thursday, May 5, 2011
End of the Year
WOW!!!! That's all I can say as I look back over the past year and see all the changes that have taken place in my life. Never in a million, zillion years would I have guessed, just one year ago, that I would be where I am now. This past year has been the most interesting, crazy, stressful, hardest, most difficult year of my entire life. And guess what . . . it's not over yet. However, as I look where I was at in August, when this flash of a school year was just beginning, I cannot help but extremely thankful for all the progress I have made, both personally and spiritually. Do I still struggle, yes I do. But am I doing much better than just a few months ago, you betcha!
If you had asked me in mid-September if I would have been coming back to Dordt for the spring semester, I would have told you there was no way in the world. I didn't think I had anything here left for me. But guess what!? I did, and it was incredible. I am soooo thankful for all the wonderful people I have met this year that I didn't know last year. The new friends I have made, who have accepted me for who I am, have been incredible and have made this school year what it was for me. My family has been the epidemy of love and understanding as they have guided me through this difficult time, never once showing frustration or anger but always showing love, compassion, and incredible understanding. Finally, I am stand in awe of the opportunities I have had in theater and Comedy League this year. When I lost baseball, which I loved with everything I had, I was incredibly blessed to find something new to put my energy and efforts into. I cannot wait to continue!
The struggle is frustrating, and I don't always understand why it is happening the way it is, but it has caused me to grow spiritually in awesome ways. It has forced me to take a hard look at aspects of my life and make some really positive changes. I continue to look forward to the day when it is all behind me, and as I look back I realize that chunks of it already are. Do I still struggle with doubt - yes. Do I know why - not really. But I try to trust in that very God and hang onto the fact that he loves me and has a "good and perfect will" for my life; plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans for a future and a hope. I cannot thank everyone enough for what they have been to me this year, and I hope and request that you all continue to pray for me as I plug along in this crazy thing called life. I continue to encourage everyone to ask me questions if you have any -- I would love to talk to you. Thank you for a great year and have a wonderful summer!
"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." - James 4:8-10
If you had asked me in mid-September if I would have been coming back to Dordt for the spring semester, I would have told you there was no way in the world. I didn't think I had anything here left for me. But guess what!? I did, and it was incredible. I am soooo thankful for all the wonderful people I have met this year that I didn't know last year. The new friends I have made, who have accepted me for who I am, have been incredible and have made this school year what it was for me. My family has been the epidemy of love and understanding as they have guided me through this difficult time, never once showing frustration or anger but always showing love, compassion, and incredible understanding. Finally, I am stand in awe of the opportunities I have had in theater and Comedy League this year. When I lost baseball, which I loved with everything I had, I was incredibly blessed to find something new to put my energy and efforts into. I cannot wait to continue!
The struggle is frustrating, and I don't always understand why it is happening the way it is, but it has caused me to grow spiritually in awesome ways. It has forced me to take a hard look at aspects of my life and make some really positive changes. I continue to look forward to the day when it is all behind me, and as I look back I realize that chunks of it already are. Do I still struggle with doubt - yes. Do I know why - not really. But I try to trust in that very God and hang onto the fact that he loves me and has a "good and perfect will" for my life; plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans for a future and a hope. I cannot thank everyone enough for what they have been to me this year, and I hope and request that you all continue to pray for me as I plug along in this crazy thing called life. I continue to encourage everyone to ask me questions if you have any -- I would love to talk to you. Thank you for a great year and have a wonderful summer!
"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." - James 4:8-10
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