I don’t know how many of you have come to the kind of watershed moment, when you realize, “My life’s work is in front of me. Here. Right here, right now.”
Last night, I left the barn, where the wedding reception will be held, and went by the church to drop minutiae off and load yet more minutiae back into my van to take back to the barn tomorrow.
All was still, dark, and quiet. When I finished the tasks, it was about 10 PM, and I realized: I will not have another quiet, alone moment until after the wedding. This was it.
This was my time.
I turned out all the lights, and lit the candles in the sanctuary and laid on the floor at the altar. Quiet. Still. Absorbing all that is about to happen to our family. Then I turned over on my back and, arms laid wide on the floor, stared up at the ceiling….vanilla sweetly scenting the air. It was then, I realized…I was looking at the beginning of the culmination of the first half of my LIFE’S WORK….and it is GOOD!
IT. IS. GOOD.
Let me tell you, it does not get sweeter than this.
There I was, lying on the floor of the church. I remembered when we bought that little building. I remembered all the labor and tears and laughter that has gone into planting this church called Harvest. My oldest (by 30 seconds) daughter is about to get married in that little sanctuary, to a man of God, with an apostolic calling. (He’ll be a lifetime coming into something that profound. Ask me how I know. ) The wedding will take place in less than two days, at the very altar where I lay. Holy ground! Many Harvest members remember getting married there!
I thought of all the work everyone has put into ALL the weddings that have taken place in Harvest….Hannah’s included. And I began to weep aloud. A spirit of prayer and thanksgiving came upon me and my inner being just mightily magnified the Lord. I asked Him fervently to bless each Harvester with HIS BEST. This is community…this is church family….at its sweetest and finest.
Prophetically, Sarah is “30 seconds away” from her sister. There will be one more wedding. Then one more. Then one more.
I know that someday I will hold grandchildren, and will begin to get a glimpse of the second half of my life’s work. It will seem stunningly wonderful and impossibly daunting, all at the same time, I am sure. I will plant whole households, as each of my children marries….and plant whole churches. Spiritual children, coming of age. Spiritual grandchildren will be next.
All of it rolled over me last night. “Deep calls to deep, all Your waves and breakers have gone over me…” the Psalmist declared. For the first time, I know…I mean, I really know….what he meant. They are refreshing, these waves, in this season of my life. Tingly and sweet and perfumey and misty and mellow. The Lord is good.
Quotable Quotes
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts,blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. Psalm 84:11-12
Jehovah is bounteous in His nature--to give is His delight. His gifts are precious beyond measure, and are as freely given as the light of the sun!
...The little conjunction "and" in this verse is the diamond rivet binding the present with the future! Grace and glory always go together. God has married them--and none can divorce them! The Lord will never deny a soul eternal glory--to whom He has freely given His saving grace.
Indeed, glory is nothing more than grace in its heavenly dress; grace in full bloom; grace like autumn fruit--mellow and perfected....
...Oh, rare promise of a faithful God! Two golden links of one celestial chain! Whoever has grace--shall surely gain glory!
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Jehovah is bounteous in His nature--to give is His delight. His gifts are precious beyond measure, and are as freely given as the light of the sun!
...The little conjunction "and" in this verse is the diamond rivet binding the present with the future! Grace and glory always go together. God has married them--and none can divorce them! The Lord will never deny a soul eternal glory--to whom He has freely given His saving grace.
Indeed, glory is nothing more than grace in its heavenly dress; grace in full bloom; grace like autumn fruit--mellow and perfected....
...Oh, rare promise of a faithful God! Two golden links of one celestial chain! Whoever has grace--shall surely gain glory!
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
"I'll Show You My Faith By My Works"
"Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (James 2)
I have proof that preaching grace doesn't produce passive Christianity. Two words: Harvest Church.
Nope, neither Harvest's pastor, nor his wife worry that the message of "Sola Gracia" (the "Grace Alone", history-rending cry of Martin Luther) will cause people to be without evidence of their faith. The people of Harvest Church, though they are told Sunday in and Sunday out that they have no righteousness of their own, persist and insist on abounding in righteous works. Go figure!
In my church, I cannot think of a single member who is not actively involved in the lives of others. I mean that. Not. One.
Those are darn good statistics for "one of those grace churches."
Every single day, the saints are caring for the sick, serving little children, repairing each other's automobiles, counseling the confused, pulling off whole weddings and funerals, cooking meals for others, paying bills for those out of work, giving gifts, babysitting each other's children, clothing the poor and homeless, and preaching the gospel without regard to reward or fear of man. The people of Harvest are ever about the business of life: playing their music, painting their paintings, producing their television broadcasts, practicing their medicine, dancing their dances, singing their songs....and yeah....answering e-mails with an enthusiasm that is sincere, and writing blog entries with grace infused passion. All of it "works of righteousness".
People in whom there is no guile. That's my church, for the most part. They don't treat relationships like a game of chess - always analyzing the other person, attempting to stay "one move ahead". Their love is sincere. They won't try to impress you. They don't try to be righteous. They don't try to do righteous things. They've been taught better than that. They simply are righteous.
Tim and I do not even conceive of a life that does not abound in what Eugene Peterson paraphrases, in James, "...a seamless unity of believing and doing." Um...to us, in our personal lives, the "doing" literally often goes without saying. Our finest doings happen when we are unconscious of them. And the members of Harvest out-do us all the time.
We love to have it so. They are our letters of commendation - commending not us, but the gospel of Christ, and the message of grace.
You see, Paul said it like this: "Not by works of righteousness which I have done, but according to His mercy He saved me."
Righteous works? Paul says, "Been there. Done that. Still doing." And the big deal is....? The big deal is the mercy of God. What Paul accomplished, through grace, meant not near as much to Paul as the grace that enabled him. The works themselves really are not the big deal. They are the evidence of a reality far, far greater.
Here is another thing Tim and I cannot conceive of: Not being Tim. Not being Sheila. Tim can't be Barack Obama or John Travolta. I can't work the works of Laura Bush or Angelina Jolie.
So...when we say we are the righteousness of God in Christ, and that it is "not I, but Christ who lives in me"...we mean that the things we do, every day, become acts of righteousness. Tim and I have been made righteous. We can't be anything but righteous, just like John Travolta can't be anything but.....you know. John.
My home, its atmosphere and hospitality, is an ongoing act of righteousness. I can't help it. I am righteous. The cookies I bake are an act of righteousness, because a righteous woman created them. Our old cars...the repairs Tim makes to them are acts of righteousness, done by a righteous man, for the good of his family. When he takes his boy canoeing, it is an act of righteousness.
No one needs a mandate to just "be" who they are, in Christ.
The grace of God sets us free to abound in all the good works we were created new creatures in Christ to do. That might mean organizing an entire wedding reception for someone else, or that might mean traveling to Cambodia.
I can find you lots of people in my church who do either one or both, every chance they get, and all of it is as natural to them as breathing.
They know who they are, in Christ. They can't help but act like who they are.
Really! To them, it is no big deal.
I have proof that preaching grace doesn't produce passive Christianity. Two words: Harvest Church.
Nope, neither Harvest's pastor, nor his wife worry that the message of "Sola Gracia" (the "Grace Alone", history-rending cry of Martin Luther) will cause people to be without evidence of their faith. The people of Harvest Church, though they are told Sunday in and Sunday out that they have no righteousness of their own, persist and insist on abounding in righteous works. Go figure!
In my church, I cannot think of a single member who is not actively involved in the lives of others. I mean that. Not. One.
Those are darn good statistics for "one of those grace churches."
Every single day, the saints are caring for the sick, serving little children, repairing each other's automobiles, counseling the confused, pulling off whole weddings and funerals, cooking meals for others, paying bills for those out of work, giving gifts, babysitting each other's children, clothing the poor and homeless, and preaching the gospel without regard to reward or fear of man. The people of Harvest are ever about the business of life: playing their music, painting their paintings, producing their television broadcasts, practicing their medicine, dancing their dances, singing their songs....and yeah....answering e-mails with an enthusiasm that is sincere, and writing blog entries with grace infused passion. All of it "works of righteousness".
People in whom there is no guile. That's my church, for the most part. They don't treat relationships like a game of chess - always analyzing the other person, attempting to stay "one move ahead". Their love is sincere. They won't try to impress you. They don't try to be righteous. They don't try to do righteous things. They've been taught better than that. They simply are righteous.
Tim and I do not even conceive of a life that does not abound in what Eugene Peterson paraphrases, in James, "...a seamless unity of believing and doing." Um...to us, in our personal lives, the "doing" literally often goes without saying. Our finest doings happen when we are unconscious of them. And the members of Harvest out-do us all the time.
We love to have it so. They are our letters of commendation - commending not us, but the gospel of Christ, and the message of grace.
You see, Paul said it like this: "Not by works of righteousness which I have done, but according to His mercy He saved me."
Righteous works? Paul says, "Been there. Done that. Still doing." And the big deal is....? The big deal is the mercy of God. What Paul accomplished, through grace, meant not near as much to Paul as the grace that enabled him. The works themselves really are not the big deal. They are the evidence of a reality far, far greater.
Here is another thing Tim and I cannot conceive of: Not being Tim. Not being Sheila. Tim can't be Barack Obama or John Travolta. I can't work the works of Laura Bush or Angelina Jolie.
So...when we say we are the righteousness of God in Christ, and that it is "not I, but Christ who lives in me"...we mean that the things we do, every day, become acts of righteousness. Tim and I have been made righteous. We can't be anything but righteous, just like John Travolta can't be anything but.....you know. John.
My home, its atmosphere and hospitality, is an ongoing act of righteousness. I can't help it. I am righteous. The cookies I bake are an act of righteousness, because a righteous woman created them. Our old cars...the repairs Tim makes to them are acts of righteousness, done by a righteous man, for the good of his family. When he takes his boy canoeing, it is an act of righteousness.
No one needs a mandate to just "be" who they are, in Christ.
The grace of God sets us free to abound in all the good works we were created new creatures in Christ to do. That might mean organizing an entire wedding reception for someone else, or that might mean traveling to Cambodia.
I can find you lots of people in my church who do either one or both, every chance they get, and all of it is as natural to them as breathing.
They know who they are, in Christ. They can't help but act like who they are.
Really! To them, it is no big deal.
This Is My Righteousness
Contrast these words spoken by God's people, who were under the law...
"And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us." (Deut. 6)
...with these words, penned by a saint with a revelation of Christ and the New Covenant...
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Now by this I’ll overcome
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Glory! Glory! This I sing
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
That Darn Veil
For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.
Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.
But when (and only when) one (Greek: he) turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
And we, now with unveiled face (having turned to Christ as our only righteousness), beholding the glory of the Lord, (or "reflecting His glory") are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
II Cor. 3
You cannot experience true transformation without the veil being removed. The veil is only removed by letting go of self righteousness. Self effort is/was the essence of the law....read Deuteronomy chapter 6! The children of Israel said, in direct reference to the moral code, "And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us."
And to this day, the same veil remains...clouding the understanding of all who cling to self righteousness by the law. They truly do not see the big deal about grace, they do not see what others are so excited about, and can even become suspicious of the preaching of the true gospel! (Which illustrates how seldom the pure gospel is preached. The larger percentage of believers have not been grounded in it. Their foundation is either a Catholic or denominational or charismatic system of works...a code of behavioral modification, justified by Scripture often taken out of context.)
That darn veil.
It is only removed one way! And only by the removal of the veil do we experience real, inner change. Everything, all my perceived "righteousness" up to the point of the removal of the veil was, in reality, a mere exercise in self modification. And some are better at the modification of the flesh than others. I was pretty good at it, which made me live a veiled life for longer than I might otherwise have had to.
After the removal of the veil, everything becomes an exercise of wonder, love and praise....an exercise of the Spirit, who is a far more potent change-agent. He produces His fruit in my life.
That is, once the veil is finally lifted, and I see Christ in His all-sufficient glory...
Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.
But when (and only when) one (Greek: he) turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
And we, now with unveiled face (having turned to Christ as our only righteousness), beholding the glory of the Lord, (or "reflecting His glory") are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
II Cor. 3
You cannot experience true transformation without the veil being removed. The veil is only removed by letting go of self righteousness. Self effort is/was the essence of the law....read Deuteronomy chapter 6! The children of Israel said, in direct reference to the moral code, "And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us."
And to this day, the same veil remains...clouding the understanding of all who cling to self righteousness by the law. They truly do not see the big deal about grace, they do not see what others are so excited about, and can even become suspicious of the preaching of the true gospel! (Which illustrates how seldom the pure gospel is preached. The larger percentage of believers have not been grounded in it. Their foundation is either a Catholic or denominational or charismatic system of works...a code of behavioral modification, justified by Scripture often taken out of context.)
That darn veil.
It is only removed one way! And only by the removal of the veil do we experience real, inner change. Everything, all my perceived "righteousness" up to the point of the removal of the veil was, in reality, a mere exercise in self modification. And some are better at the modification of the flesh than others. I was pretty good at it, which made me live a veiled life for longer than I might otherwise have had to.
After the removal of the veil, everything becomes an exercise of wonder, love and praise....an exercise of the Spirit, who is a far more potent change-agent. He produces His fruit in my life.
That is, once the veil is finally lifted, and I see Christ in His all-sufficient glory...
Quotable Quote
Oh, would that my mind could let fall its dead ideas, as the tree does its withered leaves!
-Andre Gide, author, Nobel laureate (1869-1951)
...reminds me of a worship song by Kelanie Gloekler (and God bless Jamie at Finished Work, for introducing me to this incredible young worship leader, who sings only of the gospel of grace!) ~
VERSE 1:
Holy Spirit, overshadow me
Take me by the corners of my soul and shake me
What a love,
You’ve been waiting to
Break me wide open to carry Your heart
VERSE 2:
Oh my Jesus, draw near to me
Take me to the center of the flame, consume me
I surrender to this holy burn
Break me wide open to carry Your heart
CHANNEL:
All I wanna do is lose myself in You
Lean back in Your arms and just let go (repeat)
CHORUS:
Let it be to me according to Your Word
Your ways are higher than mine
Let it be to me according to Your Word
Your ways are higher than mine
BRIDGE:
I let go…
Your kingdom come
In my life…
Your will be done
I let go!
"Gotta put yourself smack dab in it..."
Pastor Tim's Favorite Song ~
(not really, but it is a great song...sounds a lot like his messages of recent weeks. Feel free to turn your speakers way up and hit the "play" button on the YouTube screen. You won't regret it. )
Freedom - keep walkin'
Keep on your toes and don't stop talkin' 'bout
Freedom - get goin'
Lots to be learned and lots to be knowin' 'bout
People - gotta reach 'em
Sit 'em right down and then you gotta teach 'em 'bout
Freedom - gotta win it
Gotta put yourself smack dab in it
Hey tomorrow
Now don't you go away
'Cause freedom
Just might come your way
Freedom - keep tryin'
People stay alive and people keep dyin' for
Freedom - so don't lose it
Ya gotta understand ya just can't abuse it
Freedom - get movin'
Never gonna stop till everybody's groovin' on
Love for - one another
Callin' some friend and callin' some brother
Hey tomorrow
You're not so far away
Freedom!
We'll know you well someday...
(not really, but it is a great song...sounds a lot like his messages of recent weeks. Feel free to turn your speakers way up and hit the "play" button on the YouTube screen. You won't regret it. )
Freedom - keep walkin'
Keep on your toes and don't stop talkin' 'bout
Freedom - get goin'
Lots to be learned and lots to be knowin' 'bout
People - gotta reach 'em
Sit 'em right down and then you gotta teach 'em 'bout
Freedom - gotta win it
Gotta put yourself smack dab in it
Hey tomorrow
Now don't you go away
'Cause freedom
Just might come your way
Freedom - keep tryin'
People stay alive and people keep dyin' for
Freedom - so don't lose it
Ya gotta understand ya just can't abuse it
Freedom - get movin'
Never gonna stop till everybody's groovin' on
Love for - one another
Callin' some friend and callin' some brother
Hey tomorrow
You're not so far away
Freedom!
We'll know you well someday...
Paul Prayed What?
And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. (Paul, in Philippians 1)
So, Paul doesn't pray that I will find a supernatural ability to keep the ten commandments better?
Nope.
So, Paul isn't praying that I will increase more and more in my personal excellence, work ethic, honesty, integrity, and morality?
Nope.
If not, why not?
Well, because Paul chooses not to pray for secondary things. Paul, as a wise apostle with the heart of a true pastor, prays for first things. Remember, if you focus on secondary things, you lose both first and second things; but if you focus on first things, secondary issues get tossed in, seemingly for free.
Paul prays that my relationships be blessed to overflowing, as a direct result of both my intellect and my emotions being deeply affected by the power of the gospel of grace.
"But Sheila...Paul said '..that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all judgement.' " That's what I just said. Love is a moot point outside the context of relationship. Without relationship, love does not exist. The knowledge of what Christ accomplished on my behalf contains enough doctrine to keep my intellect busy for an eternity, and it also infuses my heart with wonder, awe, and praise...love and adoration. The knowledge of what Christ accomplished on your behalf causes me to so urgently desire that you personally experience this great salvation, that I'd lay my life down to see you "get it". If I would lay my life down, I would certainly do anything else for you - anything necessary to your revelation of Christ. If that isn't loving you, what would loving you look like?
When first things are put in their proper place, what is the result? What is the result of abounding love-relationships, relationship with God and with people, relationships overflowing in a knowledge and experience of the gospel?
Answer: everything following the word "that". When Paul's first request, the one for abounding love, is answered, the other requests will also be answered - this he knew!
THAT I would discern the things that are excellent. (Not that I would have an ability to find fault. Ahem.)
THAT I would be sincere and untroubled by sin-consciousness until the day Jesus Christ returns, or I go to be with Him. That is what the phrase "without offense" means! It means to be untroubled by sin-consciousness....uh, probably because I'm too busy approving the things that are excellent, to become jaded by your mistakes. Or my own mistakes. Or the mistakes of my present or former church leaders. (Oh, this is huge! I have met people all over the world, who have been hurt in their church experience...)
I want very much to dig into what being "sincere" really means, but that will have to be another blog post for another day. Suffice it to say, being sincere is the opposite of being critical and jaded. The Lord is showing me that sincerity of faith is almost non existent in spiritual leadership today. Those who have managed to guard their sincerity are the cream of the crop.
If you know a leader who is sincere, as opposed to sophisticated or cynical, please give him or her a (sincere) tender embrace, and then pray for that person every day. I promise you, they and their heart of sincerity are the prime target of satan. The devil is out to rob them of their honest and childlike belief in the simple power of the gospel, as proclaimed through the foolishness of preaching it. And since misery loves company, every jaded person in the church wants to darken the heart of the sincere with their quasi-spiritual perspective.
In Paul's own words, the consequence of putting first things first (putting the focus on an abounding love for God and love for the saints) is that I am filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ.
Those are better results, by far, than I would get by adherence to anywhere from ten to six hundred plus commandments.
Wise man, that Paul. A true leader.
So, Paul doesn't pray that I will find a supernatural ability to keep the ten commandments better?
Nope.
So, Paul isn't praying that I will increase more and more in my personal excellence, work ethic, honesty, integrity, and morality?
Nope.
If not, why not?
Well, because Paul chooses not to pray for secondary things. Paul, as a wise apostle with the heart of a true pastor, prays for first things. Remember, if you focus on secondary things, you lose both first and second things; but if you focus on first things, secondary issues get tossed in, seemingly for free.
Paul prays that my relationships be blessed to overflowing, as a direct result of both my intellect and my emotions being deeply affected by the power of the gospel of grace.
"But Sheila...Paul said '..that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all judgement.' " That's what I just said. Love is a moot point outside the context of relationship. Without relationship, love does not exist. The knowledge of what Christ accomplished on my behalf contains enough doctrine to keep my intellect busy for an eternity, and it also infuses my heart with wonder, awe, and praise...love and adoration. The knowledge of what Christ accomplished on your behalf causes me to so urgently desire that you personally experience this great salvation, that I'd lay my life down to see you "get it". If I would lay my life down, I would certainly do anything else for you - anything necessary to your revelation of Christ. If that isn't loving you, what would loving you look like?
When first things are put in their proper place, what is the result? What is the result of abounding love-relationships, relationship with God and with people, relationships overflowing in a knowledge and experience of the gospel?
Answer: everything following the word "that". When Paul's first request, the one for abounding love, is answered, the other requests will also be answered - this he knew!
THAT I would discern the things that are excellent. (Not that I would have an ability to find fault. Ahem.)
THAT I would be sincere and untroubled by sin-consciousness until the day Jesus Christ returns, or I go to be with Him. That is what the phrase "without offense" means! It means to be untroubled by sin-consciousness....uh, probably because I'm too busy approving the things that are excellent, to become jaded by your mistakes. Or my own mistakes. Or the mistakes of my present or former church leaders. (Oh, this is huge! I have met people all over the world, who have been hurt in their church experience...)
I want very much to dig into what being "sincere" really means, but that will have to be another blog post for another day. Suffice it to say, being sincere is the opposite of being critical and jaded. The Lord is showing me that sincerity of faith is almost non existent in spiritual leadership today. Those who have managed to guard their sincerity are the cream of the crop.
If you know a leader who is sincere, as opposed to sophisticated or cynical, please give him or her a (sincere) tender embrace, and then pray for that person every day. I promise you, they and their heart of sincerity are the prime target of satan. The devil is out to rob them of their honest and childlike belief in the simple power of the gospel, as proclaimed through the foolishness of preaching it. And since misery loves company, every jaded person in the church wants to darken the heart of the sincere with their quasi-spiritual perspective.
In Paul's own words, the consequence of putting first things first (putting the focus on an abounding love for God and love for the saints) is that I am filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ.
Those are better results, by far, than I would get by adherence to anywhere from ten to six hundred plus commandments.
Wise man, that Paul. A true leader.
Wordless (Not Really) Wednesday
Pictures from my daughter Hannah's bridal shower, held this past Saturday, and hosted by my sister Lynn..."the hostess with the mostest"....who I could never, ever, thank enough for such beautiful, life long memories. Hannah and I were so blessed...
Pillars, dripping with fragrant wisteria, at the Avalon Clubhouse, on a storybook April morning...
...and a pile of presents. I mean, a pile!
Our Hannah, with Katie in the background to her right...
Hannah, Katie, and my gorgeous sister, Lynn...(who got all the "great hair genes" in my family genepool. Whoever said life was fair??)
Hannah, reading her hand made card from Katie...
Hannah and her "Wendy Basket"....
I wish I still had a piece of this cake right now...it was that good.
This is part, of just one of the food tables - each one loaded down with delectable things to eat, and lovingly and beautifully appointed with photographs and fresh roses...
A picture of Hannah and her man, on one of the tables...
It was the sort of bridal shower every girl (and her mother) dreams of. I was surrounded by life long friends, my Harvest Church family...plus my beautiful and supportive and loving mother, sister, and aunt...the sun was shining...there was an air of abundance...the fragrance of wisteria perfuming the breezes through the open doors leading to the balcony...and did I mention the veritable pile of presents?
"Father, I thank you..." My heart is so full. Thank you, dear online friends, for sharing these moments with me, via my blog!
Pillars, dripping with fragrant wisteria, at the Avalon Clubhouse, on a storybook April morning...
...and a pile of presents. I mean, a pile!
Our Hannah, with Katie in the background to her right...
Hannah, Katie, and my gorgeous sister, Lynn...(who got all the "great hair genes" in my family genepool. Whoever said life was fair??)
Hannah, reading her hand made card from Katie...
Hannah and her "Wendy Basket"....
I wish I still had a piece of this cake right now...it was that good.
This is part, of just one of the food tables - each one loaded down with delectable things to eat, and lovingly and beautifully appointed with photographs and fresh roses...
A picture of Hannah and her man, on one of the tables...It was the sort of bridal shower every girl (and her mother) dreams of. I was surrounded by life long friends, my Harvest Church family...plus my beautiful and supportive and loving mother, sister, and aunt...the sun was shining...there was an air of abundance...the fragrance of wisteria perfuming the breezes through the open doors leading to the balcony...and did I mention the veritable pile of presents?
"Father, I thank you..." My heart is so full. Thank you, dear online friends, for sharing these moments with me, via my blog!
Seek and Ye Shall Find
You and I are not to pursue “righteousness”. We submit to the gift of righteousness, that came from and through Christ alone. If you want to pursue something, to make yourself feel alive or somehow spiritual, then seek peace with people. Pursue right relationships. Ah…that is Biblical!!!
We do not pursue right standing with God. We submit to what has been done. We say, “I give up. I will never be able to bring anything to this covenant. God is always right. He is the only one righteous, and He has removed the law from me, nailing it to the cross forever.”
Romans 10: 13 ~ For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
“Ignorant” does not mean stupid. If you are “ignorant” of God’s righteousness, it might mean that you simply have not been thoroughly taught. Perhaps you came up in a denominational or charismatic church that never spent significant time establishing you in grace. Again – we would do well to thank God, if He has placed us in a church where this “full gospel” of grace is being hammered and taught and preached and spoken of - a church where, consistently, with maddening repetitiveness, the gospel is loved and esteemed.
Some will say, “Oh, but I want to live in the blessings spoken of in Deuteronomy that come with obeying the law!” Please. Please, please. You still don’t get it! (I say it in humility, because neither did I"get it"...not for many years!!!) If you insist on hugging Deuteronomy to your breast like a treasure, then you are under a curse.
There. I said it.
Anyone who does not FULLY obey “all these commands I give to you this day”, then ALL the curses come upon you. Read your Deuteronomy. Then read your New Testament. Those who are under the law (choosing to relate to God through their own ‘acts of righteousness’) are under a curse. But you don’t have to be. Christ became a curse FOR us. So that we could inherit the blessing of Abraham. (Not the blessing of Moses….the big “IF, THEN” blessing… “if you obey the law, then all these blessings will overtake you…”)
So stop seeking “righteousness” for the sake of righteousness. Instead, seek first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, and all you could possibly need will be added to you. He who spared not His own Son, shall He not, WITH HIM, freely give us all things? I'm blessed.
Seek peace. Seek God’s face. Seek those things which are above. Set your affections on things above, where CHRIST SITS at the right hand of God. If you are IN CHRIST, you sit at the right hand of blessing….period. Stop seeking righteousness, and submit to the gift.
We do not pursue right standing with God. We submit to what has been done. We say, “I give up. I will never be able to bring anything to this covenant. God is always right. He is the only one righteous, and He has removed the law from me, nailing it to the cross forever.”
Romans 10: 13 ~ For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
“Ignorant” does not mean stupid. If you are “ignorant” of God’s righteousness, it might mean that you simply have not been thoroughly taught. Perhaps you came up in a denominational or charismatic church that never spent significant time establishing you in grace. Again – we would do well to thank God, if He has placed us in a church where this “full gospel” of grace is being hammered and taught and preached and spoken of - a church where, consistently, with maddening repetitiveness, the gospel is loved and esteemed.
Some will say, “Oh, but I want to live in the blessings spoken of in Deuteronomy that come with obeying the law!” Please. Please, please. You still don’t get it! (I say it in humility, because neither did I"get it"...not for many years!!!) If you insist on hugging Deuteronomy to your breast like a treasure, then you are under a curse.
There. I said it.
Anyone who does not FULLY obey “all these commands I give to you this day”, then ALL the curses come upon you. Read your Deuteronomy. Then read your New Testament. Those who are under the law (choosing to relate to God through their own ‘acts of righteousness’) are under a curse. But you don’t have to be. Christ became a curse FOR us. So that we could inherit the blessing of Abraham. (Not the blessing of Moses….the big “IF, THEN” blessing… “if you obey the law, then all these blessings will overtake you…”)
So stop seeking “righteousness” for the sake of righteousness. Instead, seek first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, and all you could possibly need will be added to you. He who spared not His own Son, shall He not, WITH HIM, freely give us all things? I'm blessed.
Seek peace. Seek God’s face. Seek those things which are above. Set your affections on things above, where CHRIST SITS at the right hand of God. If you are IN CHRIST, you sit at the right hand of blessing….period. Stop seeking righteousness, and submit to the gift.
Oh Dear...
I wasn't good at multitasking before wedding plans were underway. Now, one month before the Big Day (my daughter's Big Day), I am much worse than ever.
This past Sunday, after church, I was driving home when I realized...I'd been chewing on the same piece of minty gum since before I got there, that morning. I was instantly obsessed with the notion of getting rid of it.
As I motored along, I rooted about my console for the tiny ice-blue wrapper the piece of gum came in - or any wrapper, for that matter. Nothing. Not even a piece of paper, anywhere, from which a small corner could be sacrificed, and the no-longer-minty gum deposited in the fragment, then stuffed into my ashtray, which obviously is not ever used for ashes. (It is full of tiny wads of chewed gum, scrupulously wrapped in the tiny paper each piece came in. I can't bring myself to divest of my used gum in any other manner.)
Where is this going? Steel yourselves, my friends. This is psychotic.
No wrappers, no paper. What to do? I planned that at the next stop light, I would roll down my window, and very forcefully eject said piece of gum onto the grassy median to my immediate left. Unladylike, but necessary. Besides, no one ever walks there, I promise. As I neared the stop light, I rolled down my window. The light went from green to yellow. "HOO-rah." thought I. "This'll be an easy spit. From a stopped car."
As I came to a stop, with perfect timing, my cell phone rang. From my purse.
Ooooh, you can't make this stuff up.
I took a deep cleansing breath....iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin through the nose.....and pulled my purse onto my lap, unzipping it and opening it wide.
I. Almost. Did it.
I came within a split second of hocking that wad of gum into my purse, just as hard as I could. But I didn't. My inner alarm sounded: RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! My face froze into what had to have been a shocking expression of horror.
That phone call never got answered. I giggled till the tears came, very nearly (and gleefully) losing my mind in the process.
Ever since Sunday, the memory returns to me at the most inopportune times, robbing me of all dignity.
This past Sunday, after church, I was driving home when I realized...I'd been chewing on the same piece of minty gum since before I got there, that morning. I was instantly obsessed with the notion of getting rid of it.
As I motored along, I rooted about my console for the tiny ice-blue wrapper the piece of gum came in - or any wrapper, for that matter. Nothing. Not even a piece of paper, anywhere, from which a small corner could be sacrificed, and the no-longer-minty gum deposited in the fragment, then stuffed into my ashtray, which obviously is not ever used for ashes. (It is full of tiny wads of chewed gum, scrupulously wrapped in the tiny paper each piece came in. I can't bring myself to divest of my used gum in any other manner.)
Where is this going? Steel yourselves, my friends. This is psychotic.
No wrappers, no paper. What to do? I planned that at the next stop light, I would roll down my window, and very forcefully eject said piece of gum onto the grassy median to my immediate left. Unladylike, but necessary. Besides, no one ever walks there, I promise. As I neared the stop light, I rolled down my window. The light went from green to yellow. "HOO-rah." thought I. "This'll be an easy spit. From a stopped car."
As I came to a stop, with perfect timing, my cell phone rang. From my purse.
Ooooh, you can't make this stuff up.
I took a deep cleansing breath....iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin through the nose.....and pulled my purse onto my lap, unzipping it and opening it wide.
I. Almost. Did it.
I came within a split second of hocking that wad of gum into my purse, just as hard as I could. But I didn't. My inner alarm sounded: RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! My face froze into what had to have been a shocking expression of horror.
That phone call never got answered. I giggled till the tears came, very nearly (and gleefully) losing my mind in the process.
Ever since Sunday, the memory returns to me at the most inopportune times, robbing me of all dignity.
PS.
In celebration of the inauguration of the New Covenant, nullifying the 600+ ordinances that were formerly in force...
...it seems wildly appropriate that I will be putting a big, spiral sliced, honey baked ham in the oven, tomorrow morning. ::cheers, confetti::
What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
Hmmmmm. God has cleansed ME. Guess that makes me sanctified...uncommon...
...it seems wildly appropriate that I will be putting a big, spiral sliced, honey baked ham in the oven, tomorrow morning. ::cheers, confetti::
What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
Hmmmmm. God has cleansed ME. Guess that makes me sanctified...uncommon...
Have A Blessed Resurrection Sunday!
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. (Hosea 6)
Blatant New Covenant truth, up there, found smack dab in the Old Testament...grace is all over the place, from Genesis to Malachi, from the first Messianic prophecy, and the blood sacrifice to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve, to the Sun of Righteousness arising with healing in His wings.
But what reaches out and grabs me by the throat in these verses in Hosea is the phrase, "Then shall we know, IF we follow on to know the Lord..."
Some things pertaining to the Lord, I only get when I pursue them, persist in them, persevere in the quest. Follow on to know. I will not follow on to know with any sincerity if I think I already know all there is. And in my limited experience, the manifold grace of God is one of the aspects of the gospel that I have had to follow on to know. It has been a stunning journey, so far.
There is much more about the Lord that I will need to follow on to know. I plan to search for all of Him, as for hidden treasure, a priceless pearl concealed away in a field. Because, you see, I don't know. I know nothing as I should know it - there is always more to be discovered.
I'm so glad. What sort of God would He be if even one aspect of His nature could be comprehended in a glance?
Blatant New Covenant truth, up there, found smack dab in the Old Testament...grace is all over the place, from Genesis to Malachi, from the first Messianic prophecy, and the blood sacrifice to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve, to the Sun of Righteousness arising with healing in His wings.
But what reaches out and grabs me by the throat in these verses in Hosea is the phrase, "Then shall we know, IF we follow on to know the Lord..."
Some things pertaining to the Lord, I only get when I pursue them, persist in them, persevere in the quest. Follow on to know. I will not follow on to know with any sincerity if I think I already know all there is. And in my limited experience, the manifold grace of God is one of the aspects of the gospel that I have had to follow on to know. It has been a stunning journey, so far.
There is much more about the Lord that I will need to follow on to know. I plan to search for all of Him, as for hidden treasure, a priceless pearl concealed away in a field. Because, you see, I don't know. I know nothing as I should know it - there is always more to be discovered.
I'm so glad. What sort of God would He be if even one aspect of His nature could be comprehended in a glance?
C.S. Lewis
~C.S. Lewis, on his conversion …
You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet.
That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me.
In the Trinity Term of 1929, I gave in, and admitted that God was God: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.
I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms.
The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet.
But who can duly adore the Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape?
The words compelle itrare - compel them to come in - have been so abused; but, properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy.
The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and his compulsion is our liberation.
- C.S. Lewis
"Oh Lord, do not speak of me as you did those Pharisees, when you said, "Let them alone. They are blind leaders..." Bother me, Lord! Keep compelling me further and further into your gracious Self, keep forcing me to see You as You have always been...not as other men have presented You to me in the past, based on their own human understanding. Keep convincing me of how little I have known, and how much more is yet to be gained. Compel me to come into a better understanding. Be thus kind to me, Lord!"
You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet.
That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me.
In the Trinity Term of 1929, I gave in, and admitted that God was God: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.
I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms.
The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet.
But who can duly adore the Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape?
The words compelle itrare - compel them to come in - have been so abused; but, properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy.
The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and his compulsion is our liberation.
- C.S. Lewis
"Oh Lord, do not speak of me as you did those Pharisees, when you said, "Let them alone. They are blind leaders..." Bother me, Lord! Keep compelling me further and further into your gracious Self, keep forcing me to see You as You have always been...not as other men have presented You to me in the past, based on their own human understanding. Keep convincing me of how little I have known, and how much more is yet to be gained. Compel me to come into a better understanding. Be thus kind to me, Lord!"
Wake Up, People!
"Don't be deceived. Unbelieving companions corrupt your faith. Awake to righteousness, and don't sin! Some don't know God..." I Cor. 15
I love the conversations my husband and I have. Tonight, I found myself laughing out loud at Paul's wit and sarcasm, when he said, in the same chapter 15 as the above verses, "If after the manner of men, I fought with beasts at Ephesus..." In other words, "I'm not talking about literal lions and tigers and bears, oh my, I am referencing certain people in Ephesus ..."
Hoo boy. Paul, Paul, Paul! I laughed loudly, thinking I was alone. Tim, who, unbeknownst to me was in the closet, came out the door, putting his pajamas on, and asked "What is so funny?"
I smiled at him over the tops of my 1.5 fashionably blue-rimmed readers, and said, "Oh, just Paul's sarcastic humor."
Tim honestly asked me, "What's he done this time?"
As though Paul were alive to us both, right now, this moment. In a way, he is. I mean, you have no idea. I Corinthians 15. Paul is alive, in heaven, this very moment. We love that Paul...so much. We can't wait to meet him in glory, someday.
I then read to him the above passage from I Corinthians. A bit further down, Paul basically declares, "Somebody, somewhere is going to ask such-and-such a stupid question about bodily resurrection." I know Paul thought the inevitable question was stupid, not because it would be an honest question, but because he knew it would be a cloak for cynical argument. I also know he thought it would be a stupid question, because he answers it by saying, "You idiot..."
Yup. Read it for yourself. Paul, Paul, Paul.
But what stood out to me was Paul's passionate and brilliant defense of the finished work of Christ. As with any humble and Godly man, Paul says some things as asides that are in reality quite huge. He tosses profound statements out there as though they were a minor detail, a mere supporting argument to the greater issue of the completeness of our salvation - all the way down to the raising of the dead.
The "aside"? Oh, just this: "Awake to righteousness, and sin not." Or, you could reason, "If you wake up to the gift of righteousness that is in Christ, if you really know God like you think you do, you won't keep sinning through your unbelief and ignorance of His grace and power."
And you certainly won't keep company with those who are merely religious, who don't actually believe God saves to the absolute uttermost. If one aspect of our salvation - including bodily resurrection - has not been fully accomplished by Jesus Christ, by himself, without us having a thing to do with it....in the words of Paul, same chapter, "Let's party, because tomorrow we die."
"Neither is there salvation in any other..."
I love the conversations my husband and I have. Tonight, I found myself laughing out loud at Paul's wit and sarcasm, when he said, in the same chapter 15 as the above verses, "If after the manner of men, I fought with beasts at Ephesus..." In other words, "I'm not talking about literal lions and tigers and bears, oh my, I am referencing certain people in Ephesus ..."
Hoo boy. Paul, Paul, Paul! I laughed loudly, thinking I was alone. Tim, who, unbeknownst to me was in the closet, came out the door, putting his pajamas on, and asked "What is so funny?"
I smiled at him over the tops of my 1.5 fashionably blue-rimmed readers, and said, "Oh, just Paul's sarcastic humor."
Tim honestly asked me, "What's he done this time?"
As though Paul were alive to us both, right now, this moment. In a way, he is. I mean, you have no idea. I Corinthians 15. Paul is alive, in heaven, this very moment. We love that Paul...so much. We can't wait to meet him in glory, someday.
I then read to him the above passage from I Corinthians. A bit further down, Paul basically declares, "Somebody, somewhere is going to ask such-and-such a stupid question about bodily resurrection." I know Paul thought the inevitable question was stupid, not because it would be an honest question, but because he knew it would be a cloak for cynical argument. I also know he thought it would be a stupid question, because he answers it by saying, "You idiot..."
Yup. Read it for yourself. Paul, Paul, Paul.
But what stood out to me was Paul's passionate and brilliant defense of the finished work of Christ. As with any humble and Godly man, Paul says some things as asides that are in reality quite huge. He tosses profound statements out there as though they were a minor detail, a mere supporting argument to the greater issue of the completeness of our salvation - all the way down to the raising of the dead.
The "aside"? Oh, just this: "Awake to righteousness, and sin not." Or, you could reason, "If you wake up to the gift of righteousness that is in Christ, if you really know God like you think you do, you won't keep sinning through your unbelief and ignorance of His grace and power."
And you certainly won't keep company with those who are merely religious, who don't actually believe God saves to the absolute uttermost. If one aspect of our salvation - including bodily resurrection - has not been fully accomplished by Jesus Christ, by himself, without us having a thing to do with it....in the words of Paul, same chapter, "Let's party, because tomorrow we die."
"Neither is there salvation in any other..."
Oh, the Love of God!
But now, God's message:
The God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
I've called your name. You are mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end -
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That's how much you mean to me!
That's how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.
So don't be afraid: I'm with you.
~Isaiah 43:1-5a in "The Message"
Someone (a friend who does not attend Harvest Church) said to me yesterday, "The grace of God is the gospel!" I agree. With all my heart, I agree. You can't separate God from His grace. You can't separate grace from the gospel, or the gospel from grace. You can't compartmentalize the atonement, justification, or the truth about the power of the Holy Spirit doing the works of God in and through the believer...it is all the gospel.
Because the gospel is many faceted, and the grace of God is, in Peter's words, "manifold", God raises up pastors and teachers who spend their lives for it...explaining it, living it, reminding everyone of it, at every opportunity.
Just because a limited, finite human vessel (like a pastor or teacher) has 45 minutes to an hour, once a week, to instruct and illustrate manifold "grace", does not mean grace has somehow been separated from the person of Jesus, or isolated from the other aspects of His nature. I'm sure there have been heretical antinomians who've done that, but I don't know them by name.
The "first things" that CS Lewis referred to? (see blog entitled "First Things") They are always all-of-a-piece. First things, (like the love of God), have no power apart from their source. You cannot slice and dice the Godhead. They dwell in an eternal, unchangeable state of unity amongst diversity. God is love. God is justice. God is wisdom and peace. God is grace. God is truth. Grace is the truth about God, and the truth about God is His grace.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. (I Cor. 1: 30, 31)
Because of God, we are in Christ Jesus, who because of God is our imputed wisdom, our imputed righteousness, our imputed (and ongoing) sanctification, and our complete redemption. That pretty much covers it all. The entire Trinity has conspired to make sure Jesus is our entire substitute, so that all we can take credit for is His Finished Work.
To focus on any aspect of this gospel, such as grace, using Scripture as your authority - what seems like a singular focus will automatically put you in the rip-tide of the Holy Ghost. You will be pulled, inexorably, into all God is; you will be drawn into the depths of all that Christ has accomplished on your behalf. Why? Because "Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God is one God." You might begin with grace, and you still end up with....GOD!
But until it becomes personal, until it becomes something we realize we desperately need, it is mere creed. The only thing that takes the gospel from creed to need is a constant exposure to The Message. More than a one-time "prayer of salvation", more than a doctrine; the more you see God, the more you become aware of your stark need of Him - his power, grace, and love.
Grace is the gospel. The atonement is the gospel. Righteousness is the gospel. The love of God is the gospel. He'd "sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you."
The God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
I've called your name. You are mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end -
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That's how much you mean to me!
That's how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.
So don't be afraid: I'm with you.
~Isaiah 43:1-5a in "The Message"
Someone (a friend who does not attend Harvest Church) said to me yesterday, "The grace of God is the gospel!" I agree. With all my heart, I agree. You can't separate God from His grace. You can't separate grace from the gospel, or the gospel from grace. You can't compartmentalize the atonement, justification, or the truth about the power of the Holy Spirit doing the works of God in and through the believer...it is all the gospel.
Because the gospel is many faceted, and the grace of God is, in Peter's words, "manifold", God raises up pastors and teachers who spend their lives for it...explaining it, living it, reminding everyone of it, at every opportunity.
Just because a limited, finite human vessel (like a pastor or teacher) has 45 minutes to an hour, once a week, to instruct and illustrate manifold "grace", does not mean grace has somehow been separated from the person of Jesus, or isolated from the other aspects of His nature. I'm sure there have been heretical antinomians who've done that, but I don't know them by name.
The "first things" that CS Lewis referred to? (see blog entitled "First Things") They are always all-of-a-piece. First things, (like the love of God), have no power apart from their source. You cannot slice and dice the Godhead. They dwell in an eternal, unchangeable state of unity amongst diversity. God is love. God is justice. God is wisdom and peace. God is grace. God is truth. Grace is the truth about God, and the truth about God is His grace.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. (I Cor. 1: 30, 31)
Because of God, we are in Christ Jesus, who because of God is our imputed wisdom, our imputed righteousness, our imputed (and ongoing) sanctification, and our complete redemption. That pretty much covers it all. The entire Trinity has conspired to make sure Jesus is our entire substitute, so that all we can take credit for is His Finished Work.
To focus on any aspect of this gospel, such as grace, using Scripture as your authority - what seems like a singular focus will automatically put you in the rip-tide of the Holy Ghost. You will be pulled, inexorably, into all God is; you will be drawn into the depths of all that Christ has accomplished on your behalf. Why? Because "Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God is one God." You might begin with grace, and you still end up with....GOD!
But until it becomes personal, until it becomes something we realize we desperately need, it is mere creed. The only thing that takes the gospel from creed to need is a constant exposure to The Message. More than a one-time "prayer of salvation", more than a doctrine; the more you see God, the more you become aware of your stark need of Him - his power, grace, and love.
Grace is the gospel. The atonement is the gospel. Righteousness is the gospel. The love of God is the gospel. He'd "sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you."
Simply Come...
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and pow’r.
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
Oh, there are ten thousand charms.
Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.
Come, ye weary, heavy-laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.
View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies;
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?
Lo! th’ incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.
Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.
Joseph Hart, 1759
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just as I am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am; Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be thine, yea, thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
~Charlotte Elliot, 1800's
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and pow’r.
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
Oh, there are ten thousand charms.
Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.
Come, ye weary, heavy-laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.
View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies;
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?
Lo! th’ incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.
Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.
Joseph Hart, 1759
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just as I am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am; Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be thine, yea, thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
~Charlotte Elliot, 1800's
First Things
CS Lewis said, "Put first things first and second things are thrown in. Put second things first and you lose both first and second things."
Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God - (pursue the right standing with God that comes through Jesus Christ, His favor, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost ) and all these things will be added to you."
The church, in general, has been preoccupied with second things. Whole conferences, books, and programs are geared to groom, adjust, and "fix" the second things. Consequently, we are without affect, without power, in both first and second things. Since we may not be presently encountering the God of all grace, in His majestic fullness, we get preoccupied or satisfied with lesser agendas. Or, worse, we become bored and slightly annoyed with life.
A. W. Tozer said, "The only healthy emotions are those aroused by great ideas."
We are stewards of the greatest Plan, the greatest Mystery, the greatest Idea in the history of this earth. The gospel is the First Thing. It not only changes your destiny, it can deeply affect your day. The holy passion that the gospel can give us, cannot exist apart from the New Covenant.
Second things have to be managed...watched...worried over. First things can only be received and celebrated. Second things become successful through God-given human ability, first things are successful no matter what. First things are the gift of God. Amazingly, first things have a way of making sure second things prosper by the same grace.
Jesus, the First and Last. The Beginning and the End. When He, Himself, and all He is and can give, becomes our "first thing", suddenly everything, from A to Z takes its proper place. Finances. Relationships. Health. No secondary thing becomes the first thing - so we are not devastated when the inevitable problems arise. The Word of God suddenly becomes the Primary Thing, as we read that No Thing...no, nothing...can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.
Nagging fears, niggling irritations, all our stuff" begins to be pushed farther and farther down the list of priorities. It isn't that a First Things Person minimizes sin - rather, they maximize grace. A First Things Person is completely sold on the idea of overcoming evil with good. We turn our eyes upon Jesus, and the things of this world, the good, the bad, and the indifferent, become all alike so strangely dim.
He didn't save me to make me better, more educated, respectably socialized, or well spoken. He saved me because He set His great love upon me, and is intent on forming His Son in me, by first making me the righteousness of God in Christ. He didn't save me to make everything in my life serve my purposes. He didn't save me to make me someones wife, or someones mother.
He saved me because He wants a people for His glory. He wants my life to be a reflection of His beauty, and He is determined to enable me to be a carrier of His care, concern, and power to anyone and everyone who is needy.
You wouldn't believe all the "second things" He throws in, free of charge.
Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God - (pursue the right standing with God that comes through Jesus Christ, His favor, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost ) and all these things will be added to you."
The church, in general, has been preoccupied with second things. Whole conferences, books, and programs are geared to groom, adjust, and "fix" the second things. Consequently, we are without affect, without power, in both first and second things. Since we may not be presently encountering the God of all grace, in His majestic fullness, we get preoccupied or satisfied with lesser agendas. Or, worse, we become bored and slightly annoyed with life.
A. W. Tozer said, "The only healthy emotions are those aroused by great ideas."
We are stewards of the greatest Plan, the greatest Mystery, the greatest Idea in the history of this earth. The gospel is the First Thing. It not only changes your destiny, it can deeply affect your day. The holy passion that the gospel can give us, cannot exist apart from the New Covenant.
Second things have to be managed...watched...worried over. First things can only be received and celebrated. Second things become successful through God-given human ability, first things are successful no matter what. First things are the gift of God. Amazingly, first things have a way of making sure second things prosper by the same grace.
Jesus, the First and Last. The Beginning and the End. When He, Himself, and all He is and can give, becomes our "first thing", suddenly everything, from A to Z takes its proper place. Finances. Relationships. Health. No secondary thing becomes the first thing - so we are not devastated when the inevitable problems arise. The Word of God suddenly becomes the Primary Thing, as we read that No Thing...no, nothing...can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.
Nagging fears, niggling irritations, all our stuff" begins to be pushed farther and farther down the list of priorities. It isn't that a First Things Person minimizes sin - rather, they maximize grace. A First Things Person is completely sold on the idea of overcoming evil with good. We turn our eyes upon Jesus, and the things of this world, the good, the bad, and the indifferent, become all alike so strangely dim.
He didn't save me to make me better, more educated, respectably socialized, or well spoken. He saved me because He set His great love upon me, and is intent on forming His Son in me, by first making me the righteousness of God in Christ. He didn't save me to make everything in my life serve my purposes. He didn't save me to make me someones wife, or someones mother.
He saved me because He wants a people for His glory. He wants my life to be a reflection of His beauty, and He is determined to enable me to be a carrier of His care, concern, and power to anyone and everyone who is needy.
You wouldn't believe all the "second things" He throws in, free of charge.
Of Weddings and True Community
Today, say the authors of Cinderella Dreams: The Allure of the Lavish Wedding, "the lavish wedding allows participants to experience unabashed magic in their lives, and to spend freely to achieve that magic, without a guilt hangover the next morning." The question here is: do you really want to spend over $50,000 for your special day, when you can't really afford it, making you pay off debt for years to come...
~snippet from the website http://www.yourdreamwedding.com/
My Hannah and her Justin became engaged on November 8, 2008. We are thrilled, and we gave them our unqualified blessing.
Instantly, every latent joy and insecurity that has ever floated around in my head, lo' these last 21 years, came clamouring to the front of the line, shouting and waving, demanding my full attention. The word "deserve" was what was being loudly bandied about, by competing insecurities: this daughter of mine "deserves" the best.
So she does. Without question. And doesn't grace give us "better than we deserve"?
My first dream for both my daughters was that they walk with the Lord. God, and God alone, has given me my heart's desire. I had nothing to do with it. My very next dream was that they each marry a true man of God. I am watching that take place before my very eyes, and it is good.
But here is where things begin to get sticky. As a family who has always managed on one income, always blessed, but never "comfortable" financially speaking, I didn't realize how deeply I feared being unable to provide the sort of wedding every girl (and her mother) dreams of, and what every Godly, parent-honoring daughter "deserves".
Enter the body of Christ.
I was looking at every way we could possibly afford to do this all by ourselves, so that our whole church could simply attend the wedding and reception, and enjoy it. We could have done exactly that. We could have utilized our credit card, with its roomy, more than adequate amount of available credit, and we could have paid a few strangers to do all the work for us. We could have done it ourselves in cash, by reducing it all to the simplest terms possible, still asking very little of anyone else in Harvest. We wanted them to be able to "just enjoy" the event. That was our heart… but our hearts can be deceiving. They can be preening (overly conscious of what others think), or cultural (overly conscious of “how it is always done”), or simply non-artistic and uncreative. I don’t pretend to even KNOW my own heart completely. I am still surprising myself with what I find there.
I could not figure out why there was no peace in the "do it ourselves" plan. I could not get my brain to function in the direction of cultural norms. I found myself longing to have the sort of false affluence that could pay for a few flashy bells and whistles; all the while knowing that I am rich, in a few ways money can buy, and rich in all ways that money cannot buy.
I could not figure out why there was no peace in the "do it ourselves" plan. I could not get my brain to function in the direction of cultural norms. I found myself longing to have the sort of false affluence that could pay for a few flashy bells and whistles; all the while knowing that I am rich, in a few ways money can buy, and rich in all ways that money cannot buy.
My definitions of affluence, peace, and happiness are being re-worked completely. Transition tends to do that to a woman. Tim and I both function from a place of deep conviction. We know in Whom we have believed, and it touches every aspect of our lives. This wedding, along with all the transition in our family, and some of the conflict with our sons, their character training, and their college education - it all has forced me to look at what I really think about personal peace, affluence, and happiness.
So we acknowledged our wedding ineptitude, and our dilemma. Instantly, the body of Christ lovingly rallied - not out of any sense of obligation, but with a sense of celebration! Folks, we have ourselves an official Scottish Penny Wedding in the works!
So we acknowledged our wedding ineptitude, and our dilemma. Instantly, the body of Christ lovingly rallied - not out of any sense of obligation, but with a sense of celebration! Folks, we have ourselves an official Scottish Penny Wedding in the works!
There is peace in this plan. And the more I consider it, the more I realize: weddings (all celebrations, really) are meant for the church. They ARE the church. All of human history will culminate in a celestial wedding.
A wedding was never meant to be some cultural thing, a parade of false affluence, followed by divorce in a few years. They are not meant to be an event with jobs hired out to various bidders, and where paid "professionals" set the agenda. And here I am….a Bible teacher….I’ve taught this stuff. I've taught that every Godly celebration consists of two ingredients: 1) Remembering, and 2) Honoring
I was forgetting my own learning. Don’t we all???
Remembering. Honoring. That’s it. Search your Scriptures and see if this is not true. The manner in which a family remembers and honors is up to them….but the Atchleys cannot separate themselves from the Body of Christ at Harvest. We are them, and they are us, in a way.
Deep down, I guess neither Hannah nor I could actually conceive of a celebration that wasn’t a community thing. We couldn't make the attempt to impress our church family - we long too much to be loved by them.
I was forgetting my own learning. Don’t we all???
Remembering. Honoring. That’s it. Search your Scriptures and see if this is not true. The manner in which a family remembers and honors is up to them….but the Atchleys cannot separate themselves from the Body of Christ at Harvest. We are them, and they are us, in a way.
Deep down, I guess neither Hannah nor I could actually conceive of a celebration that wasn’t a community thing. We couldn't make the attempt to impress our church family - we long too much to be loved by them.
We thought we were operating “in community” because we were planning on having a dear, life long friend bake the cake and cupcakes, and and another life long friend take the pictures, and one of our precious men do the videography. We thought that was community enough. But apparently, community means COM (with) UNITY (togetherness, unity)…showing the watching world how the family of God celebrates, as each one brings a part, and all who want to be a part, can be an integral, needed part.
No one will be patronized during this event. The need is sincere, and so is the gratitude. Hannah and I are to TRUST the body of Christ with all of it.
This feels vulnerable and humbling. Isn’t that wonderful? Lately, I can never get out of that place. I'm beginning to believe I don't want out.
God is teaching me, down into my depths. As usual, I promise to be very transparent about it, and communicate my way through the whole experience.
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