tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231775722024-02-08T12:07:49.260-05:00Pure PassionO Lord, Give me one Pure and Holy Passion for You...Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-71914666940283480442008-01-27T19:47:00.000-05:002008-01-27T20:01:53.225-05:00Sinners in need of a Savior, Any Way you Look at itI've started to read Jerry Bridges' "Discipline of Grace", and have already stumbled across some important gems. As he sets up the book, he talks about the difference between a pharisee and a tax collector. The pharisee has mostly "good" days and thinks that because of his faithfulness, he has somehow earned God's favor. The tax collector has mostly "bad" days and thinks that because he feels guilty, he can't be blessed or used by God. But in fact, both are in the same situation - both are sinners, deserving death, in need of God's mercy. Both can come to God with a repentant, humble heart, and expect forgiveness and possibly even blessing - this is the beauty of the gospel, that "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the <em>reach</em> of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the <em>need</em> of God's grace."<br /><br />The gospel message frees us to be honest about our sin with ourselves and God. "We can call sin exactly what it is, regardless of how ugly and shameful it may be, because we know that Jesus bore that sin in His body on the cross. With the assurance of total forgiveness through Christ, we have no reason to hide from our sins anymore"! This helps both the pharisee and the tax collector, by humbling us in our pride, and showing grace to us in our weakness. Hallelujah that I can freely say, "I am a sinner" and yet at the same time, "I am forgiven"!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-51164547422273042132008-01-20T21:00:00.000-05:002008-01-20T21:20:44.013-05:00Is the Education of American Women Problematic?As I read Carolyn McCulley's recent post (<a href="http://solofemininity.blogs.com/posts/2008/01/trend-spotting.html">http://solofemininity.blogs.com/posts/2008/01/trend-spotting.html</a>) on the growing state of educated women in the US, I couldn't help but wonder how real a concern this is. Yes, I do believe that women are becoming more educated than they have been in the past. No, I do not believe that is wrong. So what is the problem? Here are some of my thoughts on the possibilities:<br />- Women are using their education and knowledge to "lord it over" their husbands, whether or not they are more educated than their spouse.<br />- Men are giving in to the "authority" of their more educated spouses, possibly because they don't care, or because they'd rather have someone tell them what to do instead of figure it out for themselves.<br />So what are we, as women of God, supposed to do in response to this? Do we simply stay at home, forget education, and seek to be "barefoot and pregnant" (as some might 'lovingly' term it)? I suggest an alternative - coming from the Authority on all life:<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will give her no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">...She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">...Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">...Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">...Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. (Proverbs 31:10-31)</span></em><br /><br />In this day and age, I believe the author of Proverbs would agree with the idea that women can and should pursue education as they are interested and able, and use it in such a way as to benefit her family. Whether this is by helping to provide monetarily, educating their children in the home, or advising and encouraging her husband, all are important and respectable ways for a woman to use her education for God's glory. It is an action that is not selfish, seeking to become smarter or greater than her husband, but one of love and interest in helping out in any way possible.Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-2485933588121341952008-01-20T17:35:00.000-05:002008-01-20T19:55:23.461-05:00Forgiveness, Part IIIn the following quote, Dave Harvey shares an example of true forgiveness at work between a couple that was torn apart by the sin of adultery, and then reunited by God's saving grace at work in their hearts. As I read through this amazing story of God at work in the hearts of His people, it is a reminder to me that it is truly only by His grace that any of us are saved, that any of us do not fall into greater sin than we do. Here, the husband who committed the sin speaks about his experience coming back to his wife and starting over:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Our story is one of God's faithfulness to an unfaithful sinner. The depth of my sin stands in stark contrast to the inexhaustable glory of God's grace. From this tragedy, I know in a unique way that no one is ever too far removed from the grace of God.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">It took years for God to restore our marriage. Though the memory of our dark years will never be erased, there is an undeniable cleansing of the past. When scripture says that the Lord will restore the years that the locusts have eaten, I feel as if that passage was written with us in mind. ...I know this is only possible because of the shed blood of our Savior. He has given me a righteousness not my own which overwhelms all my sin. </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">...I wish so many things were different. I wish I had never committed adultery and caused such pain. I wish that I could tell my children that I had been faithful to my wife from the day we were married. However, because of my sin, these are only wishes. And ultimately, my wishes pale in comparison to God's plan. I will likely never know in this lifetime why God chose to use my sin to get us to where we are now. However, we are beyond asking those questions because they are eclipsed by the glory of God's forgivenss and blessing. By God's grace we no longer look back with regret but rather forward with anticipation to what he has called us to do.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">The memories remain, yet they no longer influence our lives. Each year, our marriage is sweeter and more satisfying than the one before. By fixing our eyes on the Savior, he has done far more abundantly than all we could ask or think. How amazing is that?!</span></em>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-35338235242950203052008-01-20T17:19:00.000-05:002008-01-20T17:35:44.882-05:00How many times must I forgive?A selection from "When Sinners Say 'I Do' ", by Dave Harvey:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">...In the eyes of our compassionate and loving God, sin is sin, guilt is guilt, and all sin is against his limitless holiness...but...God was inconceivably benevolent toward the ungrateful servant (representing us) who by his behavior demonstrated that he had completely missed the significance of what had been done for him. ...As one of the Puritans in the Valley of Vision prayed, "Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies not so much in the nature of the sin committed, as in the greatness of the Person sinned against." ...Sin is infinitely wicked because it rejects the one who is infinitely holy and good. The more we recognize the perfection of God's holiness, the more obvious this truth becomes.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br />How can we not forgive our brothers and sisters, and even our enemies, if God has forgiven us so much? If we do not forgive them, we become like the ungrateful servant, who, after being forgiven our 10,000 talent (think, $1 billion) debt, we go out and find the brother who owes us 10 denari (think, $10). So too, will God call us to account for our actions - "You ungrateful wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" (Matt. 18:33)Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-10613713945602134792007-11-25T12:57:00.000-05:002007-11-25T13:27:27.731-05:00Who are we really offending?I have just started to read a book entitled, "When Sinners Say, 'I Do' ", by Dave Harvey, and it is certainly not your average marriage "self-help" book. As you might have guessed from the title, the focus of the book is not on "Three key principles of communication" or "Seven ways to divorce-proof your marriage", but understanding the heart of the whole matter of why marriage (and life!) is not and will never be perfect - because WE are the problem (we're sinners!).<br />Once we have this concept understood, it is easy to see why even the best marriages have conflict, hurts, and less-than-perfect stories to tell. While there are many aspects of sin that the author talks about as he lays the groundwork for recognizing we are sinners, one of the points he made that stuck out to me is on the issue of sinning against others. Harvey makes the claim (to which I agree) that while we sin against other people, such as our spouse, children, friends and other family, our sin is <em>"<span style="font-size:85%;">most strongly, and therefore primarily, against God! ...Every sin, however small or great its apparent impact on people, violates the purity of the perfectly just and holy God. Sin is always aimed first and foremost against God (Deut. 9:16, 1 Sam. 15:24, Ps. 51:4).</span>"</em><br /> This is truly something great to understand, for when we realize that our sin does not just affect ourselves and others, but each sin is also a direct offense to the author and sustainer of the universe, we realize that an empty, "I'm sorry" does not satisfy God's call to repentance. Being human, as we are, we like to maximize pleasure and avoid pain - but this is not the call of a Christian. We must realize the true gravity of our sin, seen by God as a rebellion against His perfect ways, and then confess it before Him, repent of our continued sinfulness, realize God's mercy and grace in His forgiveness of our sin, and then turn from it into His way. When we realize who our sin is really offending, we get to the heart of the matter, and can then practice grace and forgiveness toward those who offend us (reminescent of the Lord's prayer: "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors").<br /> Taste and see the grace, mercy, and peace that comes from knowing God has forgiven His children even when we do not acknowledge we have sinned against Him! "<em><span style="font-size:85%;">For it is by grace I am saved, through faith, and this not of myself - it is the gift of God</span></em>."Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-44327774149678055812007-09-10T22:34:00.000-04:002007-09-10T22:41:51.298-04:00One last item for submission...As I continued reading, more was said on this topic, so I decided to add more that continued what I was saying in my earlier post, one more time from John Ensor:<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"When God sets forth the complementary expression of love - manly sacrifice and womanly submission - he connects it to something so profound and powerful that it must be highlighted as its own directive in doing things right in matters of the heart...Brothers, to love sacrificially is not a sacrifice! Sisters, in submitting you are not giving up something, you are gaining something!</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">...Christ's sacrifice, as is true with all godly sacrifice, is a sacrifice that brings gain. Sacrifice is a means of increasing and fulfilling our own lives. Sacrificial love always increases personal joy in the long run. It is a self-fulfilling self-sacrifice...The power, or motivation, for sacrificing and submitting comes from seeking your own happiness in the other person's well being, as if your spouse is truly an extension of your own body...</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Love is basically seeking your own happiness in the well-being of another. It may be more than that, but it can never be less. Selfishness is seeking your own need separate from the needs of others, or at the expense of others, or apart from God...Seek your happiness in the holy happiness of the other."</span></em>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-37641572859405472872007-09-10T19:06:00.000-04:002007-09-10T19:36:35.712-04:00What's all this about submission?Submission - another unfriendly word, almost anywhere you go. But why? Don't people realize that every day we are submitting to somebody, something, somewhere? Unless we are running around doing every single thing our heart desired (yikes!) we are submitting to some authority other than ourselves, whether it be the government (law), our boss / teacher / parents, or God. So why when the Bible talks about women submitting to their husband as to the Lord does everyone have a hissy fit?<br /><br />Most likely because we do not realize we are submitting to someone or something every day, and we live in ignorant bliss. Either that, or we do realize it and are mad at the world, government, etc. for making us do what we don't want to. But most of the time, we do things, submitting to some higher authority, without even realizing it. What would the world be like if people didn't obey traffic laws and employees told their bosses to take a hike? Chaos, for one, and unhappiness for another - because God created us as people who need direction, and in most cases, people figure out that they are happier submitting their own desires to a higher authority than taking matters into their own hands and suffering the consequences. In this same way, wives can submit to their husbands in happiness, not even realizing it, and reap great rewards from it in the meantime! But it doesn't come naturally, and sometimes we do have to learn the hard way before we give our own desires over to God.<br /><br />John Ensor's quote below shows us how true submission is not a burden, but in fact a blessing; while selfishness will never lead to happiness:<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"Sacrificing and submitting must become the established patterns of our lives, especially in seeking agreement and resolution (remember unity - not winning - is the heart of the matter) when the inevitable conflicts come. Without unity as the goal, battles are won and lost in daily interchanges of "what about what i want?" and "what about my needs?" Whenever these words are spoken, something in the relationship dies...These words kill. Unity has been sacrificed on the altar of self. One has returned to two. It is no longer 'you and me against the world!' It has become 'to each his own.'...</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">[However...] In a marriage of two equals, the way the husband shows his reverent submission to Christ is in submitting to the burden of leadership. The way the wife shows her reverent submission to Christ is in respecting her husband's obligation to lead and submitting to it in spite of his weakness and inadequacies...Submission is a disposition or attitude of honor and respect for her husband as the leader."</span></em><br /><br />Ladies, when we submit our own desires to our husband, we tell him that we respect his decision and will follow him, even if we don't agree with it. Ultimately, he is responsible before God for making that decision and we are responsible to follow him in it [unless it is against God's law]. A loving husband, on the other side, should also be sacrificing his own desires for the better happiness of his wife, so that he might show her he cares for her before himself. With both husband and wife looking towards the other person first, there is no fear of a domineering husband or a rebellious wife, but a unified relationship seeking happiness in serving each other (which, in fact, is what Christ calls us to do in life).Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-51715722621120405102007-09-06T19:37:00.000-04:002007-09-06T20:07:10.811-04:00Thoughts on ChastityWhat a word. These days, it seems like a bad word - Who wants to be described as "chaste"? Pure, yes, but chaste? They mean pretty much the same thing when it comes to sexual abstinence, but they seem to have different connotations. To me, something that is <em>pure</em> is undefiled and untouched by others, a state of being; but being <em>chaste</em> seems to require action on the part of the person described, to prevent himself from becoming defiled. With these definitions in mind, take a look at what John Ensor has to say about chastity and purity with respect to men and women in his recent book, "Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart".<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"Men protect women by their chastity. Women, by their chastity, test the maturity and character of the man pursuing them...</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Brothers, our power to abstain from sexual impurity and to practice sexual self-control with those with whom we fall in love comes from two sources. One is the love of God accompanied by a childlike desire to please him. The other is love for others, accompanied by the desire to protect, that such love prompts within us. Brothers, practice sexual self-control out of a desire to protect her from sin, guilt, shame, embarrassment, pregnancy, and the fallout that all women bear so disproportionaltely from sex outside of marriage.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Sisters, abstaining from sexual immorality is, for you, to, a matter of submitting to God and his commands. But it is more, It is God's 'Mature Manhood Test Kit' for women. The immature, self-centered ungodly man will test negative in a matter of weeks. The deceitful and cutnning predator will test negative in a matter of days. Men willing to wait, and wanting to wait, will test positive. It is not a lack of sexual interest; it is a healthy fear of God. It is love, which at this point rightfully expresses itself as protection from sin and shame. If he weakens, help him succeed. If all else goes well in the development of the relationship, you know you are marrying a godly man, on who has self-control and a clear sense of his calling as a man."</span></em><br /><em></em><br />Amazing, isn't it? Doing the things that the world tells us are so old-fashioned and timid actually work out for our best interest in the long run! While the world tells girls to dress provacatively, speak your mind, and let that boy know you're interested, God tells us to be modest, wait on Him, and allow the man to lead the relationship. If you've found a godly man, he will respect your modesty and cherish it more than any other half-dressed body on the street. If you've found a godly man, he will ask for your opinion and take your feelings into consideration. If you've found a godly man, he'll let you know that he's serious about pursuing a relationship. But if you take the first step, if you give into the temptation to wait, you'll never know how godly that man might be.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."</span></em><br />Titus 2:11-12Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-76147113950838300812007-08-21T21:27:00.000-04:002007-08-21T21:58:21.991-04:00That Knight Fell Off His White Horse Again!?Alright, so how many of you girls have boyfriends (or wifes who have husbands) out there who are just the perfect "Knight in Shining Armour?" They know exactly what you're thinking when you frown, they respond estatically to that little "cute" surprise you threw them, and they jump at the first chance to go shopping with you for hours on end. Anybody? Ok, so maybe some of you could answer those three examples with a "yes", but my guess is your guy doesn't <em>always</em> do exactly what you want or expect him to. And should he? Well we often think so, or at least we are told so by the movies we watch, the books we read, or the dreams we have of "the perfect man" rescuing us from our distress, no matter how little. Is that really how things work?<br /><br />Uhmmm, no. (And on the same token, praise the Lord we aren't held to such high standards ourselves!) So why do we have this "idolatry of idyllic love", as John Ensor puts it in his book, "Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart"? Ensor explains it this way:<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">"<em>No man can fulfill the deepest longings of the human heart because these longings belong to God alone and connot be fulfilled by another. Our desire for a healthy, tender, passionate, enduring mutually fulfilling life with a good man or woman will always be a work in progress. There is no perfect marriage, only two people pledged to live together for better and worse. The best lover is still a sinner." </em></span></div><br />Isn't that so true! More often than not, we girls tend to think that if we only had a boyfriend, or if we only were married, then we would be happy and fulfilled. But God tells us in His Word that nothing of this world will truly satisfy the longings of our heart. Even the most fulfilling human relationship can only pale in comparison to the eternal relationship we can have with our Creator. It is also for this reason that the Bible tells us there will be no marriage in heaven. Even the most intimate relationship we enjoy on this earth cannot come with us into the next life - nor should it! For we will be enjoying our True Love for all eternity and praising His Name forevermore, no longer infatuated with the "loves" of this world.<br /><br />So ladies, as you look to your boyfriend, fiance, or husband to be your "all-consuming delight", remember that you are not only setting him up for failure and dissappointing yourself, but you are also missing the one true fulfillment in life - Christ. <span style="font-size:78%;">(Ensor, 49 )</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>"Do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'</em> [or 'Who shall we marry?'] <em>For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Seek <strong>first</strong> the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matther 6:31-33,</em> addition mine.</span></div>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-88395234297736712172007-08-18T23:47:00.000-04:002007-08-19T00:46:53.191-04:00All this talk about marriageI must confess, I have been held captive by a most popular topic for young women (or any woman, for that matter) - marriage...whether it be the events leading up towards, the wedding itself, or the life changing process afterwards. It is the thing most women long for, and many spend countless hours planning for, but all for what? Is the wedding ceremony the culmination of the entire marriage? Or perhaps the honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas? But what happens after the wedding? Does the marriage continue in wedded bliss?<br />Well, from one on the outside, looking in, I can't answer those questions from my own experience. But I can sure try to find out, with all the books written out there on how to "divorce-proof" your marriage, "spice up" your sex life, and especially those written on how to find "the one" worth keeping, even (or especially) on the Christian side of things. So how many people does it take to unlock the mystery of marriage? Ten? One Hundred? One Thousand? Thankfully, we don't have to read all the books (and believe me, I've tried) or catch the latest "trick" on how to get through married life, because we have God's inspired word to guide us through any problem. I'm not proposing that the Bible is an explicit "how to" book on every issue we face in life, but I am proposing that the Bible is sufficient for any situation we may face in this life, and provides ample direction for our choices. So the next time you pick up a "self-help" book, attempting to solve (or avoid) the problems in life, think again and pick up your Bible instead. While it may not have a table of contents to point you to the exact chapter and verse of wisdom, His Word is sufficient for everything we face in this life, for Christ was tempted in every way known to man, and yet did not sin. He is not only familiar with our trials and temptations, but He endured them unto death on a cross, bearing our sins because we could not.<br />So when you think that marriage will solve your problems, think again, and look to Christ as your Savior, forever, amen.Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-89576941364661541052007-08-13T21:07:00.001-04:002007-08-13T22:52:16.480-04:00Thoughts on Cultivating a Pure PassionIt has been a long while since I have posted, and of course a lot has happened in the past five months, but the significant event I speak of today happened only two days ago. This past weekend was a blur of activity, craziness, joy and sadness, all wrapped up into a "simple" event most every little girl (and big girl, too!) dreams about. Have you guessed yet? Yes, this past weekend was (one of) my best friend's wedding, and I had the pleasure of being one of her bridesmaids. It is funny to reflect on the past four years of our lives together, thinking of all the times we worried about finding a guy, and then worried about how to find the "right" guy amongst all the wrong ones, worried about if the guy we liked was really the guy God had specially picked out for us, and finally worried how we would make it until the wedding day! All along, however, God was at work in both of us, in vastly different ways, forming our relationships and cultivating love, while we worried about what was coming next!<br /><br /><p></p><br /><p>Looking back, however, after my best friend has finally found and married that one special person that she will share her hopes and dreams with, I see how far their relationship has come in the short year and a half they have been courting. When I first learned of my best friend's interest in her now husband, I must say that I was not just a little skeptical. I mean, how could any guy understand my best friend enough to think he was worthy of her companionship? I know now that I was wrong, but at the time, it only seemed like he was taking her away from me. In a short amount of time (a year, but really only 5 months was he there), I learned that not only did he care for her, respect her, cherish her and love her, but he also cared about getting to know her friends better too (Guys, getting in with her girlfriends is the key)! I soon was assured that this "boy" that took my best friend away from me was not only a really wonderful guy, but also was genuinely the best man in the world for her. And so even though I already do and know I will miss our "roomie" experience terribly, I can honestly say she traded me for an even better roomate, and more importantly, the most perfect mate she could have found. All this, and more, God had planned and designed just for her! How silly of us to worry then, and how silly of us to worry now, for as He clothes the wildflowers in all their splendor, so much MORE will he clothe each of us, providing for our deepest needs in ways greater than we could ever imagine.</p>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-5048501217587512352007-03-18T14:47:00.001-04:002010-02-15T21:40:23.805-05:00True HumilityWhat happens when all is said and done, when no one else is looking, and God is the only one left to see your heart? Do we put on a show for Him, like we try to for everyone else - saying all the right words, doing all the things we are supposed to do - and wait for God to say, "Well, done, Jennifer, you are certainly a humble servant," as we then bask in our own pride for being humble? Somehow, I do not think this is the standard Christ calls us to when He says in Matthew 5, <span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (5)</i></span><br />
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God's call for us to be humble is far above what the world thinks humility is. On one hand, the world does not treat humility (even in the wrong sense of the word) as something to be desired. According to the world, those who are humble will never succeed in life because they are never agressive enough to make something happen. On the other hand, when the world does recognize humility as a desireable trait, it is usually a fake humility that even the most proud person can pass off on others. This happens when people appear to "pass" on credit "due" them by saying, "It was really nothing" or "You would have done the same for me" when questioned about a particular action.<br />
However, while we may outwardly say that to people, on the inside we're really thinking, "Well it's about time you noticed something I did, because I certainly didn't do this NOT to get some recognition for it!" Some people will say this aloud, and on one hand, at least they are telling the world the truth about what they think, instead of trying to disguise their motives by hiding behind a fake humility like the rest of us.<br />
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So how are we to be humble in a world that doesn't even know what true humility is? Let us look to Christ, the perfect example of humility embodied for us in the Gospels. Often we think being humble means not talking much, not insisting on our own opinions, and not taking a stand for ourselves, but that is actually the exact opposite of what Jesus, the perfect humble man, did on earth. Not only did he speak a lot about the truth of God, but He most certainly insisted everyone believe Him, and stood entirely against the Jewish Pharisaical concept of humbleness. He called the Pharisees "whitewashed tombs" exactly for the reason that they gave the appearance of holiness and humility while having dead, rotting hearts, set only on themselves!<br />
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Now that isn't exactly our idea of what it means to be humble, but really it should be - Jesus spoke the truth and had nothing to gain for it -- Actually, he had everything (in the material sense of the word) to lose! Remember, the Pharisees didn't really like Him as it was, much less after He calls them rotting tombstones. Yet Jesus did not speak to gain recognition for His actions - He spoke because the Pharisees offended God by their appearance of holiness, and the Jewish people needed to see that their way was not God's way.<br />
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So before we think we are humble, consider Christ's words in Matthew 23:<br />
<i><span style="font-size: 85%;">"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence...First cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also... You are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (25-28)</span></i>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-11978568223995271752007-02-20T17:35:00.001-05:002010-02-15T21:39:21.456-05:00Trusting GodWhat an idea..."Trusting God". Do I even have any clue what that encompasses? I say I trust God, but really I think it is more trusting in myself to get things done. Then, when they do get done, I congratulate myself on a job well done, and of course throw up some haphazard thanks to God for helping me (if I remember). ..."Helping" me? He's basically doing it for me, and I just happen to be following His direction, if it happens to be the same direction I'm going! Only by the grace of God does anything get resolved in life. And yet whom do I place my trust in? Myself. [Yeah, that makes sense...riiiiight]<br />
So what exactly does trusting in God mean? Well, for starters, it means that when we have no idea where life is taking us, we can have comfort in the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for us that are better than we could ever put into place ourself. It also means that not only do we need to trust God with those things that are out of our hands, but also trust God with the things that are IN our hands! (That's the hard part!) So whenever we have to make a decision, we need to look to our Guide for direction, and then actually follow where He leads us, in full knowledge that HE knows what He's doing (we don't!).<br />
In the end, life becomes so much happier - we stop worrying about things we can't control (big relief!), and we stop worrying about things we CAN control, because we trust God's Word and direction to lead us in making the right decision. Wow! What a relief! If only it were as easy as I say it is, right? :) Well, it is - Just look what God himself tells us ---<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: 85%;">"Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more precious than they? ...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin...Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ...Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." -- Matthew 6:25-34</span></i>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1170366799995118772007-02-01T16:26:00.001-05:002010-02-15T21:38:21.231-05:00More thoughts on PassionAs I think about the whole idea of having a passion in life, it continues to astound me how easily we are distracted by our other "passions". Whether they are for work or play, though they may be good things to do, they still must be subordinate to our first passion, or love, for Christ. It may be that we have these good passions because we love Christ, but they must not become more important than Him, or they will cease to be good and instead become idols. The fine line every person must learn to define is when a passion becomes an idol.<br />
Good questions to ask are, "Does this passion of mine draw me closer to Christ or farther from Him?" "Does this passion cause me to think about myself or it more, and Christ less?" "Is my life, thoughts, time and energy directed towards this passion more than Christ?" Passions can very easily turn into idols, especially under the disguise of being "spiritual" passions. May we be discerning in evaluating our loves and likes, and learn to focus on our true passion - Christ.Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1170023966986665252007-01-28T17:13:00.001-05:002010-02-15T21:37:49.087-05:00God's Call to HolinessHow many times a day do we think about what we want to do? Well, I'd have to say pretty much 24/7. I mean, when don't we think about what we want to do? If we don't think about ourselves, chances are we're trying to please someone else, and usually that someone else isn't God. But amazingly enough, God calls us to think about and pursue what He has commanded above EVERYTHING else. And just what has God commanded and demanded of us? Holiness.<br />
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Wow - so basically, when I'm thinking about everything I need to do for this reason and that, and when I'm rationalizing my actions because I think my own desires are more important than God's commands, God says, "What?! You think you know better than the Creator of the Universe? You think that anything you could think of would be better than doing exactly what I have told you? How much you have to learn!" (Actually, God wouldn't be surprised, because that man-centered attitude is typical of me and everyone else who calls himself human.)<br />
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Of course I have much to learn! So I must continue to press on toward the goal - not towards life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but towards God's perfect standard of holiness. Though I know I will never reach it in this lifetime, I am still expected to move towards it with all my strength, which I have only through Christ Jesus. May Christ strengthen each of you who seek to move towards holiness, further from the old man, and closer to the new.Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1160959454119972832006-10-15T20:25:00.001-04:002010-02-15T21:37:20.826-05:00Recovering a View of the CrossHow often do we ponder <i>why</i> the cross was necessary? Do we ever think about how it was <i>our</i> sins that put Him there? That even if we only sinned once, it was enough to cause Him to face death and the abandonment of God?<br />
My guess is, you, like I, do not always take the time to ponder the significance of the cross. Though it is an essential doctrine of faith, it is often not brought home to us as individuals. Often it is construed as Jesus dying for the sins of His people, which is entirely true, but it takes away from the essential message of Jesus dying for our own sins of gossip, idolatry, meanness, envy and lust. And even if we had mastered living an outwardly pure life, how often would we be convicted, tried, and found guilty by God of having an impure thought life? Equally sinful are our thoughts, words and deeds.<br />
C.J.Mahaney makes an excellent point in his book, <i>Living the Cross-Centered Life</i>, that each of us were part of the spiritual 'crowd' that yelled, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" when Pilate offered to free Him over Barabbas.<br />
Each day we make His death necessary, and each day we must realize the abundant mercy of God towards us, His children, in sending His own son, part of Him, to die and face ultimate judgement in separation from God, because He considered us as His own sons. Praise God for His amazing act of mercy and grace towards us!<br />
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<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate, </i></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>but our attempt will be futile, as futile as his. </i></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>For there is blood on our hands.</i> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;">John Stott</span></div>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1150326664865692022006-06-14T18:40:00.001-04:002010-02-15T21:35:06.607-05:00De-sensitizing our Conscience: The Nature of Sin"<i><span style="font-size: 85%;">If our feelings could be trusted - if we felt good every time we did something good, and felt bad every time we did something bad - we would need neither biblical guidelines of right behavior nor a community to help hold us accountable to those biblical standards. In other words, if we felt lousy every time we sinned, there would be a lot less sinning in the world, And if we felt great every time we did something good and worthy and true, there would be a lot more prayer and giving of charity</span>.</i>" -- Lauren Winner, <i>Real Sex</i><br />
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How many times, I wonder, do we come before God to pray, and sinfully think, "I don't really feel bad about anything, so I guess I haven't done anything <i>that</i> wrong. Sure, I've messed up somehow, and I'll ask God for some blanket forgiveness (which supposedly covers everything I don't think of confessing), but there's really nothing that I feel will impair my relationship with God. I mean, if I don't think it's that bad, why would He?"<br />
Hmmmm, lets think about that for one moment---yup, I think the answer would have to be, "Well, because He happens to be God - that all-knowing, perfect being who requires us to live up to His holy standard of perfection - and beyond that, can we, even for one moment, pretend to think that we have a conscience that convicts us of our sin to the extent that we would feel all sin to be wrong?"<br />
The sad fact of life is, because we are sinful human beings, we won't feel bad about every sin we commit, or even realize that we are committing sin. That is just one of the reasons why WE don't determine what is right or wrong, and why the idiom, "If it feels good, do it." doesn't work. What we have to come back to is what God says is right - which is found in one place - His Word (the Bible!). So, perhaps the saying, "Let your conscience be your guide" isn't the best advice in the world - instead, "Let the Bible be your guide", or, as the Psalms better put it,<br />
"<i><span style="font-size: 85%;">Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path</span></i>." (119:105)<br />
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"<i><span style="font-size: 85%;">For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividion of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account</span></i>." -- Hebrews 4:12-13Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1148342089899496502006-05-22T19:38:00.001-04:002010-02-15T21:34:10.676-05:00Things to Think About...While reading Josh Harris's "Stop Dating the Church", I was caught once again thinking, "How much more passionate are we about the things of this world than the things of God?" I can start the long list of things that are in my top priorities, and I wonder how often I squeeze God out so I can make room for them?<br />
John Stott said, "<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>If the church is central to God's purpose as seen in both history and the gospel, it must surely also be central to our lives. How can we take lightly what God takes so seriously? How dare we push to the circumference what God has placed at the center?</i></span>" Thinking about that in relationship to our priorities, but also with respect to how we worship God in His house, how can we know what God desires and expects of us except through His Holy Word? Will we choose to dictate to God how we will run our lives and how we will worship Him? Who are we to say this to God, who has created us and formed our innermost being?<br />
The next time we want to push God out so we can fit our activities in, we should ask ourselves, "Do I live for myself, or for Christ Jesus, my LORD and Savior?"Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1147271495472382402006-05-10T10:19:00.001-04:002010-02-15T21:33:24.029-05:00Thinking Before You SpeakEver wonder what it was like before the fall, when all communication was perfect, honoring to God, and free from evil motives? Can you imagine being in perfect communion with God, coming to Him without caring about your own interests, but instead fully intending to glorify Him and advance His purpose? How wonderful and awesome it must have been for Eve to be able to talk to her husband, Adam, and for him to be able to understand her, because both of their objectives were to obey and glorify God!<br />
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When we realize that most of our communication struggles come from the sin in our own hearts, it makes a big difference in how we think about people. When we finally see that our own sinful motives and desires are both keeping us from saying what we need to and causing us to say what we should not, we would take extra care in saying things, and perhaps would not be nearly as outspoken as we once were.<br />
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When we complain, we speak out against God, and when we get angry with another, we are angry at God for not giving us what we think we deserve - which in fact is death! Praise be to God that He does NOT give us what we deserve!<br />
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Some closing verses to dwell on:<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. </i>Prov. 10:19</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions. </i>Prov. 18:2</span>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1143408579280854252006-03-26T15:43:00.001-05:002010-02-15T21:32:59.252-05:00Identity (Found in ourselves, others, or Christ?)Who am I? How do I think of myself? Oftentimes, young adults and adults alike define themselves by their "marital status" - single, dating, courting, engaged, or married. That might be the first thing they think about in describing themselves, or the last thing they think about before going to bed, but (thankfully) God doesn't view that as the most important characteristic in our lives, and it certainly isn't something that we are judged by.<br />
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There are many "titles" (Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss) or descriptions (brother, sister, son, daughter, boyfriend, girlfriend) that may or may not apply to us, but these are all only in submission to the most important descriptor of our life - that of being a Christian. Being single describes me only after my being a Christian and a woman, for while salvation and gender do not change, status can change several times throughout life. Thus, it should also not <i>define</i> our life, but instead be an aspect of, or, as Paul calls it, a <i>gift</i>.<br />
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As we know, all gifts come from God, and have a purpose, whether or not we know what that purpose is. So, all we can say for certain is if we are single, it is because it is God's will for us <i>Right Now</i>. Now, I know that I have heard (and perhaps, at times, myself thought) that "God will not give us a spouse until we are content with being single". While it is certainly important for us to be content with our position in life, thankfully God doesn't base His gifts to us on our <i>work</i> of being content - singleness and marriage are both gifts, not obtained from our own works.<br />
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In much the same way, our usefulness in the church is not contingent on our marital status either (isn't <i>that</i> a relief?!) - each of us, as part of the body of Christ (married or single) has a unique and important purpose, that is shown in how we serve God. That said, we should be diligently at work in the church, serving others, seeking God's plan for our lives (while we may be waiting for God's man for our life) by being active in His kingdom.<br />
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One other thing that is helpful to keep in mind is this: we don't know all the circumstances! Because we have no idea what the next year, day, or even hour will bring, we must trust and have faith that God knows best; and, that perhaps He is trying to teach us something even greater by not sending us a spouse at this point in our life. We must not expect Him to work by our own time table, and remember that God's "silence" in this area is not necessarily "No" - it may be a "Wait on Me, Trust Me, that I have your best interests in mind". Would God withold blessings from His precious children without good (perfect, actually) reason?<br />
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In closing, here is something that C.J. Mahaney said that really stuck with me:<br />
<i><span style="font-size: 85%;">"Your greatest need is not a spouse. Your greatest need is to be delivered from the wrath of God - and that has already been accomplished for you through the death and resurrection of Christ So why doubt that God will provide a much, much lesser need? Trust His sovereignty, trust His wisdom, trust His love."</span></i><br />
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<div align="right"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>- Written in reflection of Carolyn McCulley's chapter "Sex and the Single Woman", </i></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>taken from</i> Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, edited by John Piper & Justin Taylor</span></div><br />
"<i>As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God</i>." - 1 Peter 4:10Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1142191965217721422006-03-12T14:02:00.000-05:002006-03-12T14:32:47.256-05:00About the Name - Pure PassionInspired partly by a favorite book of mine, Elizabeth Elliot's <em>Passion and Purity</em>, this is also something I strive for in my life. Looking at those two words individually, here's what I found:<br /><br />pure: (<em><span style="font-size:85%;">adj</span></em>.) 1. Free from adulterants or impurities 2. Free of dirt, defilement, or pollution 3. Having no faults; sinless<br />passion: (<em><span style="font-size:85%;">n</span></em>.) 1. Boundless enthusiasm 2. A powerful emotion, such as love or joy 3. The suffering of Jesus at the crucifixion<br /><br />Putting those two words together, having a "holy desire", shows that which I must continually seek after, day in and day out. My thoughts are summarized nicely in the praise song below, as one believer speaks in earnest to his Holy God:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Give me one pure and holy passion</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Give me on magnificent obsession</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Give me one glorious ambition for my life</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">To know and follow hard after You</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">To know and follow hard after you</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">To grow as your dicsiple in your truth</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">This world is empty, pale, and poor</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Compared to knowing you, my Lord</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Lead me on and I will run after you.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br />How often are my desires holy and blameless before God? How often do I even desire God? Oh that I had the faith to passionately pursue God above all else, instead of my own sinful desires. <br /><br />What would this world be like if the Church had this passion? Can you imagine the impact Christians could have on the world if we truly had this "pure passion" for Christ and His kingdom?<br /><br /><em>"<span style="font-size:85%;">The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but the words of the pure are pleasant</span></em>.<em>"</em> - <span style="font-size:85%;">Proverbs 15:26</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God wich lives and abides forever..."</em> - 1 Peter 1: 22-23</span>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1141795195990878842006-03-08T00:05:00.001-05:002010-02-15T21:32:13.641-05:00Do we yearn for heaven enough?I just finished this book, "10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health" (I know, it sounds cheesy, and not very 'reformed', but it actually was quite insightful), and the 10th question is just that - Do we yearn for heaven? As "youth", I think I express the thoughts of most when I say that most of the time, we can't wait for the next event in our lives to happen. We live our lives in anticipation of the next 'big event' (college, marriage, kids, etc...the list goes on), and rarely do we actually anticipate 'the end' of life. Or, are we so busy anticipating the next event on earth that we almost completely forget about the glory awaiting us in heaven?<br />
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Next question - even if we do actually desire to be in heaven with Jesus, why and what exactly are we desiring? Are we seeking only to escape from our troubles here on earth? Are we looking forward so much to our 'new body' that we forget about our new pure heart? And how much are we actually desiring to <i>dwell</i> with God? Whitney points out that, as growing Christians, we should not only be desiring our holy hearts in heaven, but we should also be striving after holiness on earth.<br />
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What are you striving after? The grade, the paycheck, the girl/guy, fun, or something else altogether? How much effort to we put into these "earthly treasures", and yet perhaps lack motivation to... be in the Word daily? commune throughout the day with God?<br />
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Final thoughts: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." - Colossians 3:1-4Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572.post-1141154162573657982006-02-28T14:14:00.000-05:002006-02-28T14:16:02.580-05:00"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit." -- Psalm 51:10-12Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17484562297046869232noreply@blogger.com1