Christ Relieves My Inadequacy
"For no one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what his law commands. For the more we know God's law, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying it" Romans 3:20
We can be overwhelmed with our own in adequacy and in a state of constant frustrations, or we can call on Jesus to fulfill for us what his righteous law demands...
Love fulfills what the law demands, and we forever benefit.
God Exacts Vengeance, So I Need Not Seek Revenge
1 Peter 2:23
The most innocent man who ever lived suffered the most outrageous injustice ever inflicted, and yet he refused to carry the burden of revenge, turning it over to God because he knew God would settle it in a just way.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
One Year Book of Hope. week 16 God's Name
Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord will Provide
At the lowest moment in his life, Abraham listened for God and looked up to see God at work.
Jehovah M'Kaddesh: The Lord Who Sanctifies
God does want you to be happy, but he knows that your greatest happiness is found as you pursue holiness. He wants to BE your happiness, and he wants you to be holy....
"May the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this" 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord My Peace
Peace is not a feeling or a possession but a person. Jesus will invade your hopelessness and distress and reveal himself as Peace.
At the lowest moment in his life, Abraham listened for God and looked up to see God at work.
Jehovah M'Kaddesh: The Lord Who Sanctifies
God does want you to be happy, but he knows that your greatest happiness is found as you pursue holiness. He wants to BE your happiness, and he wants you to be holy....
"May the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this" 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord My Peace
Peace is not a feeling or a possession but a person. Jesus will invade your hopelessness and distress and reveal himself as Peace.
One Year Book of Hope. week 15 Knowing God
God Is Just
Should not the judge of all the earth do what is right? Genesis 18:25
Justice is the righteous way God governs every part of the universe....
We can be confident that when destiny-defining decisions are made, the Judge of all the earth will do what is right.
God is Holy
If we are going to grow up in God, it is time we learn that God's passion for his holiness is the supreme force and focus in the universe.....
When we allow ourselves to be consumed by a passion for God's holiness, other passions lose their power over us. Struggles with sexual temptation lose their allure; deep-rooted bitterness, paralyzing fear, and insignificant obsessions case to be the focus of our energy. See him for who he is-altogether holy-and usher him to the throne of your life.
One Year Book of Hope. week 14 The Presence of God
p.105 God's very presence is his greatest gift to us. And yet I think it is a gift that most of us have never fully unwrapped.
Walking with God P. 107
There's a big difference between walking with God and merely living.
Walking with God P. 107
There's a big difference between walking with God and merely living.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
One Year Book of Hope Week 13. Healer of My Soul
Jesus, Our Compassionate Healer
The Lord Who Heals
Healing is not an activity God may choose to do or choose not to do. Healing is who he is; it is his very nature, reflected in his name.
Some use Scripture to say that God has promised to heal your body if you pray a certain way or with a certain person. But God has not promised you a long life in this body on this earth. he has promised you a perfect body in a perfect place for an eternity. Would you be willing to stop holding on to this life with such vigor so you can open your hands and heart to welcome the ultimate healing God has promised you?
What Are Your Miracles All About?
If we want to understand the nature and purpose of the miracles Jesus performed, we have to hear Jesus'implied message: "I am the one you've been waiting for. I am the one who was promised long ago. I AM."
If it Be your Will
It was hard for us that some people saw our reluctance to pray in this way as a lack of faith. But it had nothing to do with whether or not God had the power to heal Hope. We firmly believe that God can do anything. For us, it was more a matter of asking ourselves if this was the way we have seen God work. And more important, was it what he had planned for Hope? Did God have in mind for her a short but meaningful life, and would we be open to that as his best>?
Often I see the body of Christ put so much into pursuing God for physical healing. With great boldness and passion and persistence, we cry out to God, begging for healing of the body. And in these prayers, there is often a tiny P.S. added at the end where we say, 'If it be your will." But shouldn't we switch that around? Shouldn't we cry out to God with boldness and passion and persistence in a prayer that says, "God, would you please accomplish Your will? Would you give me a willing heart to embrace YOUR plan and YOUR purpose? Would you mold me into an instrument that you can use to accomplish what you have in mind? And then, perhaps, we could add a tiny P.S. that says, "If that includes healing, we will be grateful."
The Lord Who Heals
Healing is not an activity God may choose to do or choose not to do. Healing is who he is; it is his very nature, reflected in his name.
Some use Scripture to say that God has promised to heal your body if you pray a certain way or with a certain person. But God has not promised you a long life in this body on this earth. he has promised you a perfect body in a perfect place for an eternity. Would you be willing to stop holding on to this life with such vigor so you can open your hands and heart to welcome the ultimate healing God has promised you?
What Are Your Miracles All About?
If we want to understand the nature and purpose of the miracles Jesus performed, we have to hear Jesus'implied message: "I am the one you've been waiting for. I am the one who was promised long ago. I AM."
If it Be your Will
It was hard for us that some people saw our reluctance to pray in this way as a lack of faith. But it had nothing to do with whether or not God had the power to heal Hope. We firmly believe that God can do anything. For us, it was more a matter of asking ourselves if this was the way we have seen God work. And more important, was it what he had planned for Hope? Did God have in mind for her a short but meaningful life, and would we be open to that as his best>?
Often I see the body of Christ put so much into pursuing God for physical healing. With great boldness and passion and persistence, we cry out to God, begging for healing of the body. And in these prayers, there is often a tiny P.S. added at the end where we say, 'If it be your will." But shouldn't we switch that around? Shouldn't we cry out to God with boldness and passion and persistence in a prayer that says, "God, would you please accomplish Your will? Would you give me a willing heart to embrace YOUR plan and YOUR purpose? Would you mold me into an instrument that you can use to accomplish what you have in mind? And then, perhaps, we could add a tiny P.S. that says, "If that includes healing, we will be grateful."
One year Book of Hope week 11 Protected By God
Keep You From Stumbling p.84
If you are in Christ, you are as likely to stumble and fall away as Christ is.
Protection From Your Enemies
In our self-centered worlds, we are much more concerned about having god on our side to protect our own interests and reputation than we are about being on God's side, seeking after his glory and ultimate victory.
If you are in Christ, you are as likely to stumble and fall away as Christ is.
Protection From Your Enemies
In our self-centered worlds, we are much more concerned about having god on our side to protect our own interests and reputation than we are about being on God's side, seeking after his glory and ultimate victory.
One Year Book of Hope Week 10. Sovereignty of God
Though God's sovereignty can be hard to accept, it is also a soft place to land. Without confidence in God's sovereign oversight of the universe, life becomes meaningless, hope for justice faces, and everything seems random. The truth is, if God is not sovereign, we're in trouble. The sovereignty of God is a rock underfoot when the winds blow in our lives. It confronts what seems absurd in our existence. God's sovereignty is our greatest hope as we face an uncertain and unknown future.
The One year Book of Hope. Week 9 The Love of God
While some chapters will be more difficult than others, visible in every scene, on every page, is the love of God.
Nothing Can Separate Us From Christ's Love p.67
What does it feel like to be loved by God? It is not a sentimental feeling. Nor is it circumstantial. Being loved by God is the deep certainty that the God of the universe is not opposed to me, though I deserve it; he is for me! it is an inner confidence in his loving intentions that gives us the security and strength we need for enduring the difficulties of this life.
Focus on his loving provision for your eternal future, nurturing your confidence to say with Paul, For I AM CONVINCED that neither....etc.
Lord, The One You Love is Very Sick p. 70
Our suffering become the soil in which our doubts about God's love begin to grow.
Lord, I want to see everything in my life through the lens of your love in quiet confidence that you are working everything for my good and your glory.
One Year Book of Hope. Week 7 LIFE
Acts 17:28
Every life is valuable because God himself gives life and breath to everything. He is not only the source of life; he is also the source of satisfaction and meaning in life. "In him we live and move and exist."
Losing Your Life p. 52
Jesus calls us to abandon our own agendas, what we have deemed will please and fulfill us, so that we can embrace the kind and quality of life that only He gives. this is not about adding Jesus to the life we are living. This is about making Jesus our life. This is about putting our plans for our lives to death so that the abundant life he offers has room to take root and grow. And death is always painful. This is not an extreme brand of discipleship only for go-getters. This is the call for everyone who chooses to be a follower of Jesus. The problem is, we don't really believe that God's plan for our lives could be better than the one we've planned. it takes a step of faith to believe God will supply satisfying life now and when we die.
Every life is valuable because God himself gives life and breath to everything. He is not only the source of life; he is also the source of satisfaction and meaning in life. "In him we live and move and exist."
Losing Your Life p. 52
Jesus calls us to abandon our own agendas, what we have deemed will please and fulfill us, so that we can embrace the kind and quality of life that only He gives. this is not about adding Jesus to the life we are living. This is about making Jesus our life. This is about putting our plans for our lives to death so that the abundant life he offers has room to take root and grow. And death is always painful. This is not an extreme brand of discipleship only for go-getters. This is the call for everyone who chooses to be a follower of Jesus. The problem is, we don't really believe that God's plan for our lives could be better than the one we've planned. it takes a step of faith to believe God will supply satisfying life now and when we die.
One Year Book of Hope. Week 6
Why?
Living in A Broken World p. 43
Romans 8:20-21
Against it's will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
Suffering As Satan's Tool p.44
That is certainly what satan wants to do with the tool of suffering in your life. He wants to hammer away at your thoughts of the goodness of God and replace them with dark thoughts about God. he wants to chisel away at your confidence in the character of God and cause you to question his authority in your life.
Living in A Broken World p. 43
Romans 8:20-21
Against it's will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
Suffering As Satan's Tool p.44
That is certainly what satan wants to do with the tool of suffering in your life. He wants to hammer away at your thoughts of the goodness of God and replace them with dark thoughts about God. he wants to chisel away at your confidence in the character of God and cause you to question his authority in your life.
Friday, November 30, 2012
One Year Book of Hope..week 5
Sufferers
My Grace Is All You Need
Because I choose to believe God's Word and because I have experienced it in my own life, I thoroughly believe that the grace God provides is all you need-it is enough-for whatever you face. It will be delivered to you in the form and quantity and timing your circumstances require. It is enough to enable you to endure rejection and betrayal without becoming bitter. It is enough to generate joy in the midst of great sorrow. it is enough to help you endure the loneliness of your bed and the reminders of loss everywhere you turn. It is enough to enable you to continue believing that God is good and he loves you.
The grace God provides to you is enough for whatever suffering he allows into your life, not just enough to survive but enough to equip you to emerge from your suffering with faith intact and hope for the future. What God said to Paul he also says to you: "My gracious favor is all you need" today and for everything you will face in the days to come.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
One Year Book of Hope week 4
Holy Spirit, Comforter
Spirit-filled, Spirit-Controlled
The key questions is not, "how do I get more of the Holy Spirit?" If you have placed your faith in Christ to save you, you already have the fullness of the holy Spirit inside of you. The question is, Are you willing to give him more of you? Perhaps he is inside you but you've kept him confined, refusing to give him full room and reign to change your attitudes, alter your perspective, order your steps. Are you willing to move your demanding ego and consuming desires out so that he can become the central force and sweetest desire in your life? Are you willing to see your agenda and appetites diminish so he can accomplish his purposes?
No Words
I want to pray. I want to pray in harmony with God's will. But sometimes I just don't seem to have the will to pray, nor do I know how to pray. What a relief to know that the Holy Spirit helps me in myh weakness and confusion. When we are weak-willed and weak-minded, when distress has consumed our energy and emotions, the Holy Spirit helps us. .... He prays for us with deep devotion and perfect articulation when we have no words--only tears and questions.
Deuteronomy 29:29 Acts 2:22-24, Romans 11:33-34, 1 Corinthians 2:9....excellent scriptures on God's ways being a mystery to us.
Spirit-filled, Spirit-Controlled
The key questions is not, "how do I get more of the Holy Spirit?" If you have placed your faith in Christ to save you, you already have the fullness of the holy Spirit inside of you. The question is, Are you willing to give him more of you? Perhaps he is inside you but you've kept him confined, refusing to give him full room and reign to change your attitudes, alter your perspective, order your steps. Are you willing to move your demanding ego and consuming desires out so that he can become the central force and sweetest desire in your life? Are you willing to see your agenda and appetites diminish so he can accomplish his purposes?
No Words
I want to pray. I want to pray in harmony with God's will. But sometimes I just don't seem to have the will to pray, nor do I know how to pray. What a relief to know that the Holy Spirit helps me in myh weakness and confusion. When we are weak-willed and weak-minded, when distress has consumed our energy and emotions, the Holy Spirit helps us. .... He prays for us with deep devotion and perfect articulation when we have no words--only tears and questions.
Deuteronomy 29:29 Acts 2:22-24, Romans 11:33-34, 1 Corinthians 2:9....excellent scriptures on God's ways being a mystery to us.
One Year Book of Hope. Week 3
The Father Heart of God
A Father's Joy p.19 But he had no opportunity to give the speech because his father was so eager to forgive.
A Father Gives Good Gifts
If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:11
We know he's our heavenly Father and desires to give good gifts to those who ask him. The problem is, because we are so limited in our understanding, we don't always know what is good.
But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering. Romans 8:15-17
A Loving Father Disciplines His Child
Should we not all the more CHEERFULLY submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever? Hebrews 12:9
A Father's Joy p.19 But he had no opportunity to give the speech because his father was so eager to forgive.
A Father Gives Good Gifts
If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:11
We know he's our heavenly Father and desires to give good gifts to those who ask him. The problem is, because we are so limited in our understanding, we don't always know what is good.
But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering. Romans 8:15-17
A Loving Father Disciplines His Child
Should we not all the more CHEERFULLY submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever? Hebrews 12:9
The One year Book of Hope Week 2
Jesus, Man of Sorrows
The Greatest Tragedy p.13 But I wonder, What would God label as a tragedy?
There is no tragedy in being ushered from this life to the next when that next life is spent in the presence of God. The only real tragedy is a life that ends without that hope.
Wrestling With God's Plan. p.14
In it I see the fully human, fully God Jesus facing the Cross and crying out to his Father, who has the power to make another way, enact another plan...but chooses not to.
The Greatest Tragedy p.13 But I wonder, What would God label as a tragedy?
There is no tragedy in being ushered from this life to the next when that next life is spent in the presence of God. The only real tragedy is a life that ends without that hope.
Wrestling With God's Plan. p.14
In it I see the fully human, fully God Jesus facing the Cross and crying out to his Father, who has the power to make another way, enact another plan...but chooses not to.
The One Year Book of Hope
wk.1 Broken hearted
p.1 You may feel that no one wants to be around you. Deep down we know that it is not a lot of fun to be with someone who is sad. But God loves brokenhearted people.
Guard Your Heart p.4
To nurture a soft heart, keep telling god what you need, even when you hardly know what to say or what to ask for or if he hears you. Thank him for who he is and what he has done, for all he has given you, and for the ways he is making himself known to you. Gratitude plows up the ground for God's peace to grow. This is the kind of peace in the midst of paint hat is foreign and unintelligible to the world, and can only come supernaturally. Peace is a gift of God, but we prepare ourselves to receive this gift as we pray about everything, cultivate gratitude, and refuse to surrender to worry,.
But I Am Trusting p.6
I would like to tell you that our desire to trust in God erased the fear we had about the future-but it wouldn't be true. What I will tell you is that we determined to trust God with the future of our family. And it wasn't a decision we made one day for forever. It is a decision we make again every day (or at least most days) and a decision we continue to make every day. It's the same for you. Will you trust God today even as your life feels shortened by sadness? Will you surrender your future into the loving hands of God?
p.1 You may feel that no one wants to be around you. Deep down we know that it is not a lot of fun to be with someone who is sad. But God loves brokenhearted people.
Guard Your Heart p.4
To nurture a soft heart, keep telling god what you need, even when you hardly know what to say or what to ask for or if he hears you. Thank him for who he is and what he has done, for all he has given you, and for the ways he is making himself known to you. Gratitude plows up the ground for God's peace to grow. This is the kind of peace in the midst of paint hat is foreign and unintelligible to the world, and can only come supernaturally. Peace is a gift of God, but we prepare ourselves to receive this gift as we pray about everything, cultivate gratitude, and refuse to surrender to worry,.
But I Am Trusting p.6
I would like to tell you that our desire to trust in God erased the fear we had about the future-but it wouldn't be true. What I will tell you is that we determined to trust God with the future of our family. And it wasn't a decision we made one day for forever. It is a decision we make again every day (or at least most days) and a decision we continue to make every day. It's the same for you. Will you trust God today even as your life feels shortened by sadness? Will you surrender your future into the loving hands of God?
Monday, November 5, 2012
Unpacking Forgiveness-chapter 8
Should I Just Get Over It?
p.98 Starting a quarrel is like flinging a glass of water across a room. Once you have done it, you can never reverse the process...
p.99 The first thing you should do when you are offended is prayerfully evaluate yourself...
In those instances where right and wrong are not clear, it is usually best to drop the matter, "Love covers a multitude of sins" A person's wisdom gives him patience.
p.102 "Dropping it" does not mean talking to everyone else about it. If you decide to drop the matter, then do not say another word about it. And if someone comes up to you complaining about how he or she has been treated, encourage him or her to go directly to the other person. Avoid a person who talks too much (Proverbs 20:19)
p.98 Starting a quarrel is like flinging a glass of water across a room. Once you have done it, you can never reverse the process...
p.99 The first thing you should do when you are offended is prayerfully evaluate yourself...
In those instances where right and wrong are not clear, it is usually best to drop the matter, "Love covers a multitude of sins" A person's wisdom gives him patience.
p.102 "Dropping it" does not mean talking to everyone else about it. If you decide to drop the matter, then do not say another word about it. And if someone comes up to you complaining about how he or she has been treated, encourage him or her to go directly to the other person. Avoid a person who talks too much (Proverbs 20:19)
Unpacking Forgiveness-chapter 7
Unpack with Great Urgency
p.89 If we don't work through conflicts immediately, there is a possibility we may cause others to stumble, and that is a responsibility we do not want to shoulder; better to gouge out our eyes, cut off our hands, or tie an anchor to our ankles and pitch it over the side of a boat than to do that.
p.91 But don't you realize that continuing the conflict one more day may cause your children or friends or family to stumble? Is that a responsibility you want to have? Take radical action as soon as possible to work things out.
p.89 If we don't work through conflicts immediately, there is a possibility we may cause others to stumble, and that is a responsibility we do not want to shoulder; better to gouge out our eyes, cut off our hands, or tie an anchor to our ankles and pitch it over the side of a boat than to do that.
p.91 But don't you realize that continuing the conflict one more day may cause your children or friends or family to stumble? Is that a responsibility you want to have? Take radical action as soon as possible to work things out.
Unpacking Forgiveness-chapter 5
More than a Feeling
p.65 Therapeutic Forgiveness says that forgiveness is unconditional. Forgiveness should be granted regardless of whether or not the offender is repentant.
Biblical Forgiveness is conditioned upon repentance...
(my thoughts; totally new thought to me...not sure what I thought at first but after reading this chapter found some things very helpful. I believe he is correct but do need to revisit this several times before it sinks in...)
p.66 first objection is to say, 'Well, if we do not automatically forgive all people, we will be bitter."
I then explain, "No, because Christians must graciously OFFER forgiveness to all people, just as God offers forgiveness to all. A Christian who loves and offers grace is not bitter."
p.71 God did not intend that we would forget about relationships and move on. Members of the Body of Christ ought to be distinguished by our self-sacrificing love for one another (John 13:34-35), not by our ability to start over with a clean slate and a different set of people.
p.65 Therapeutic Forgiveness says that forgiveness is unconditional. Forgiveness should be granted regardless of whether or not the offender is repentant.
Biblical Forgiveness is conditioned upon repentance...
(my thoughts; totally new thought to me...not sure what I thought at first but after reading this chapter found some things very helpful. I believe he is correct but do need to revisit this several times before it sinks in...)
p.66 first objection is to say, 'Well, if we do not automatically forgive all people, we will be bitter."
I then explain, "No, because Christians must graciously OFFER forgiveness to all people, just as God offers forgiveness to all. A Christian who loves and offers grace is not bitter."
p.71 God did not intend that we would forget about relationships and move on. Members of the Body of Christ ought to be distinguished by our self-sacrificing love for one another (John 13:34-35), not by our ability to start over with a clean slate and a different set of people.
Unpacking Forgiveness-chapter 4
Defining Forgiveness for Christians
Eph. 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
The quality of mercy in not strained, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven, Upon the place beneath: it is twice blessed/It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
Shakespeare
p.55 In biblical forgiveness, the forgiving person pays the price of forgiveness.
p.57 or to punish by holding the person at a distance (I do this)
Christians must always forgive the repentant.
Eph. 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
The quality of mercy in not strained, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven, Upon the place beneath: it is twice blessed/It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
Shakespeare
p.55 In biblical forgiveness, the forgiving person pays the price of forgiveness.
p.57 or to punish by holding the person at a distance (I do this)
Christians must always forgive the repentant.
Unpacking Forgiveness-chapter 2
Motivation to Unpack
p. 37 So why do it? Here is the short answer. You should be motivated to unpack forgiveness so you can know maximum happiness.
p.38 We should seek to glorify God in how we work through broken relationships, knowing that even as we glorify God, we will maximize our joy.
p.39 Where forgiveness is concerned, if I do what is right (what glorifies God and is most Christlike), then I will also do what is best (that which maximizes my own joy and happiness.)
This is how we can understand what the Bible teaches about forgiveness and act (with determination) upon that understanding.
p. 37 So why do it? Here is the short answer. You should be motivated to unpack forgiveness so you can know maximum happiness.
p.38 We should seek to glorify God in how we work through broken relationships, knowing that even as we glorify God, we will maximize our joy.
p.39 Where forgiveness is concerned, if I do what is right (what glorifies God and is most Christlike), then I will also do what is best (that which maximizes my own joy and happiness.)
This is how we can understand what the Bible teaches about forgiveness and act (with determination) upon that understanding.
Unpacking Forgiveness..chapter 1
chapter 1-How to begin unpacking
p.30 The reason Paul told the Philippians to WORK out their salvation with fear and trembling is that when they do, God will graciously work in and through them. God works in and through us as we cooperate with his gracious work in our lives...
Means of grace are how God pours out his grace into the life of a Christian. These means of grace include his Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and worship. When you participate in any of these means of grace, you hoist your sail into the wind of God's love and favor. If you have been trying to work through forgiveness without consistent involvement in the means of grace, you are only paddling with your hands.
p.30 The reason Paul told the Philippians to WORK out their salvation with fear and trembling is that when they do, God will graciously work in and through them. God works in and through us as we cooperate with his gracious work in our lives...
Means of grace are how God pours out his grace into the life of a Christian. These means of grace include his Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and worship. When you participate in any of these means of grace, you hoist your sail into the wind of God's love and favor. If you have been trying to work through forgiveness without consistent involvement in the means of grace, you are only paddling with your hands.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Gospel Wakefulness- Chapter 2
Nonnegotiable Brokenness
"The price of God's glory shining in our lives is brokenness" Murray Brett
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. (ER...9-29-12)
p.41 When our heavenly Father looks upon the broken mess of our lives, he doesn't snicker or sigh. He ministers to us a sweeter comfort than any temporary and worldly comfort we'd sought before.
p.44
Some of the most joyful people I know are those who have no promises of a better tomorrow this side of the new heavens and the new earth.
In times of ease, God whispers. In times of pain, he is shouting to us, rousing us to turn our attention to him.
Job 36:15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.
Sharing in the sufferings of Christ means feasting on his broken body while we ourselves are broken. And his body, broken for us, is the Bread of Life.
"This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life." Psalm 119:50
p. 53 But despair not just of hell but of the sin in us is evidence of gospel wakefulness.
"The price of God's glory shining in our lives is brokenness" Murray Brett
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. (ER...9-29-12)
p.41 When our heavenly Father looks upon the broken mess of our lives, he doesn't snicker or sigh. He ministers to us a sweeter comfort than any temporary and worldly comfort we'd sought before.
p.44
Some of the most joyful people I know are those who have no promises of a better tomorrow this side of the new heavens and the new earth.
In times of ease, God whispers. In times of pain, he is shouting to us, rousing us to turn our attention to him.
Job 36:15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.
Sharing in the sufferings of Christ means feasting on his broken body while we ourselves are broken. And his body, broken for us, is the Bread of Life.
"This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life." Psalm 119:50
p. 53 But despair not just of hell but of the sin in us is evidence of gospel wakefulness.
Gospel Wakefulness
chapter 1: What is Gospel Wakefulness?
They were not preaching the death and resurrection of Christ, at least not directly at first. They were announcing that God's righteousness was finally coming to bear upon the real world, that the manifest presence of his sovereignty was finally breaking into history, as is the hope seen throughout the longing of Israel in the Old Testament. This in-breaking kingdom, of course, centers on Christ as King, and the coronation and exaltation of Christ as King hinges on his death and resurrection, so the 'gospel of the kingdom' and Paul's gospel of first importance are not really separate concepts, but degrees of magnification of the same concept.
Jesus died and resurrected according to the Scriptures, which means God's kingdom has come according to the Scriptures.
(helpful for me..always get confused about the Kingdom of God and what that is/means)
p.23
In this wide-angle view of the gospel, the good news is that the peace that was broken at the fall will be restored in everything, from God's reconciliation with sinners to his establishing of the new heavens and the new earth. A cosmic gospel means the restoration of all things.
p. 30 If you were to ask me today when I was saved, I would answer, not entirely humorously, "about two thousand years ago." Indeed, because I have been predestined for salvation by the one who foreknew me before I was born or had done anything good or bad, and because the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, I don't need the security of the date of my new birth. I only need the security of knowing he whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to safeguard my life for all eternity.
p. 33 It is the result of Spiritually seeing with the eyes of faith what you always assumed was there.
p.34. There is the combination prescribed for gospel wakefulness-receiving the Word in the midst of affliction, resulting in Spiritual joy and Christlikeness.
p.35. I can and should tell you to 'Behold!"-and that is the major function of this book-but whether you will truly see is up to God, and it is usually dependent on how dim all your other earthly hopes have grown for you.....Really, there are only two steps to gospel wakefulness: be utterly broken and be utterly awed. But neither of these things are things you can really Do. They are things only God can do for you.
p.37 To borrow from Abraham Kuyper, there is no square inch of our lives over which Christ who is Lord over all does not declare, "Mine!" and the gospel-wakened heart does not gladly proclaim, "Yours!"
They were not preaching the death and resurrection of Christ, at least not directly at first. They were announcing that God's righteousness was finally coming to bear upon the real world, that the manifest presence of his sovereignty was finally breaking into history, as is the hope seen throughout the longing of Israel in the Old Testament. This in-breaking kingdom, of course, centers on Christ as King, and the coronation and exaltation of Christ as King hinges on his death and resurrection, so the 'gospel of the kingdom' and Paul's gospel of first importance are not really separate concepts, but degrees of magnification of the same concept.
Jesus died and resurrected according to the Scriptures, which means God's kingdom has come according to the Scriptures.
(helpful for me..always get confused about the Kingdom of God and what that is/means)
p.23
In this wide-angle view of the gospel, the good news is that the peace that was broken at the fall will be restored in everything, from God's reconciliation with sinners to his establishing of the new heavens and the new earth. A cosmic gospel means the restoration of all things.
p. 30 If you were to ask me today when I was saved, I would answer, not entirely humorously, "about two thousand years ago." Indeed, because I have been predestined for salvation by the one who foreknew me before I was born or had done anything good or bad, and because the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, I don't need the security of the date of my new birth. I only need the security of knowing he whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to safeguard my life for all eternity.
p. 33 It is the result of Spiritually seeing with the eyes of faith what you always assumed was there.
p.34. There is the combination prescribed for gospel wakefulness-receiving the Word in the midst of affliction, resulting in Spiritual joy and Christlikeness.
p.35. I can and should tell you to 'Behold!"-and that is the major function of this book-but whether you will truly see is up to God, and it is usually dependent on how dim all your other earthly hopes have grown for you.....Really, there are only two steps to gospel wakefulness: be utterly broken and be utterly awed. But neither of these things are things you can really Do. They are things only God can do for you.
p.37 To borrow from Abraham Kuyper, there is no square inch of our lives over which Christ who is Lord over all does not declare, "Mine!" and the gospel-wakened heart does not gladly proclaim, "Yours!"
Sunday, October 7, 2012
The Meaning of Marriage, Chapter 5
Loving the Stranger
p.160
Serving your spouse also means showing that you are committed to his or her well-being and flourishing. This kind of love is given when you seek to help you spouse develop gifts and pursue aspirations for growth...
One of the greatest expressions of love is the willingness to change, to make a commitment to change attitudes and behaviors in yourself that trouble or hurt your spouse. There must be an ability to take correction and to be accountable for real concrete changes. This kind of change is always hard, and nearly impossible without the grace of God, but it is also one of the most powerful signs of love in a marriage.
It means being tenderly affectionate and transparent with each other. And you hear your spouse lifting you up to God for blessing. if you do that every day, or most days, it seasons your entire realtiionship with the love of God and of one another.
The Power of Grace--Reconciling
The solution is grace!
p,.164 you are not really telling the truth for their sake; you are telling it for your sake, and the fruit of that will be grief, bitterness, and despair.
One of the most basic skills in marriage is the ability to tell the straight, unvarnished truth about what your spouse has done-and then, completely, unself-righteously, and joyously express forgiveness without a shred of superiority, without making the other person feel small. This does not mean you cannot express anger. In fact, if you never express anger, your truth-telling probably won't sink in. But forgiving grace must always be present, and if it is, it will, like salt in meat, keep the anger from going bad. Then truth and love can live together because beneath them both, you have forgiven your spouse as Christ forgave you.
The Ultimate Power
And marriage has the unique power to show us the GRACE OF WHAT GOD DID FOR US IN JESUS CHRIST. In Ephesians 5, Paul tells us that Jesus laid down his life for us, forgiving at great cost us to make us something beautiful. And because he has done it for us, we can do the same for others,.
p.160
Serving your spouse also means showing that you are committed to his or her well-being and flourishing. This kind of love is given when you seek to help you spouse develop gifts and pursue aspirations for growth...
One of the greatest expressions of love is the willingness to change, to make a commitment to change attitudes and behaviors in yourself that trouble or hurt your spouse. There must be an ability to take correction and to be accountable for real concrete changes. This kind of change is always hard, and nearly impossible without the grace of God, but it is also one of the most powerful signs of love in a marriage.
It means being tenderly affectionate and transparent with each other. And you hear your spouse lifting you up to God for blessing. if you do that every day, or most days, it seasons your entire realtiionship with the love of God and of one another.
The Power of Grace--Reconciling
The solution is grace!
p,.164 you are not really telling the truth for their sake; you are telling it for your sake, and the fruit of that will be grief, bitterness, and despair.
One of the most basic skills in marriage is the ability to tell the straight, unvarnished truth about what your spouse has done-and then, completely, unself-righteously, and joyously express forgiveness without a shred of superiority, without making the other person feel small. This does not mean you cannot express anger. In fact, if you never express anger, your truth-telling probably won't sink in. But forgiving grace must always be present, and if it is, it will, like salt in meat, keep the anger from going bad. Then truth and love can live together because beneath them both, you have forgiven your spouse as Christ forgave you.
The Ultimate Power
And marriage has the unique power to show us the GRACE OF WHAT GOD DID FOR US IN JESUS CHRIST. In Ephesians 5, Paul tells us that Jesus laid down his life for us, forgiving at great cost us to make us something beautiful. And because he has done it for us, we can do the same for others,.
The Meaning of Marriage, chapter 4
The Mission of Marriage
share with my boys..
We should be going at it the other way around. Screen first for friendship. Look for someone who understands you better than you do yourself, who makes you a better person just by being around them. And then explore whether that friendship could become a romance and a marriage.
p.127 God says, "I didn't put a parent and a child in the Garden, I put a husband and a wife. When you marry your spouse, that must supercede all other relationships, even the parental relationship. Your spouse and your marriage must be the number one priority in your life."
Your marriage must be more important to you than anything else. No other human being should get more of your love, energy, industry, and commitment than your spouse.
p.129 When you marry, you commit to becoming a new decision-making unit and to developing new patterns and ways of doing things. If you rigidly impose the patterns that you saw in your own family rather than working together with your spouse to create new ones that fit both of you, you haven't 'left home' yet.
share with my boys..
We should be going at it the other way around. Screen first for friendship. Look for someone who understands you better than you do yourself, who makes you a better person just by being around them. And then explore whether that friendship could become a romance and a marriage.
p.127 God says, "I didn't put a parent and a child in the Garden, I put a husband and a wife. When you marry your spouse, that must supercede all other relationships, even the parental relationship. Your spouse and your marriage must be the number one priority in your life."
Your marriage must be more important to you than anything else. No other human being should get more of your love, energy, industry, and commitment than your spouse.
p.129 When you marry, you commit to becoming a new decision-making unit and to developing new patterns and ways of doing things. If you rigidly impose the patterns that you saw in your own family rather than working together with your spouse to create new ones that fit both of you, you haven't 'left home' yet.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Give Them Grace-Chapter 3
This is the Work of God
Here's the formula we're most at ease with: Good parenting in, good children out.
Seeking to be faithfully obedient parents is our responsibility; granting faith to our children is His. Freedom to love and enjoy our children flows out of the knowledge that God saves them in spite of our best efforts, not because them. Salvation belongs to the Lord!
We're concerned about parents who carry on their shoulders the entire burden for their kids' salvation and lifelong happiness. We were never meant to carry the ultimate responsibility or anyone's soul:neither our own nor our children's. Only the Good Shepherd is strong enough to carry a soul-that's his job, nor ours. And although this kind of committed parenting appears godly, it is nothing less than works righteousness and idolatry.
We are not nor can we be the savior's of our children. He is the Savior. When we forget this, our parenting will be pockmarked by fear, severity, and exhaustion.
He loves flooding our consciences with the peace that comes from knowing our sins are forgiven and our standing before him is completely secure. When we're quietly resting in grace, we'll have grace to give our children too. When we're freed from the ultimate responsibility of being their Savior, we'll find our parenting burden becoming easy and light.
Here's the formula we're most at ease with: Good parenting in, good children out.
Seeking to be faithfully obedient parents is our responsibility; granting faith to our children is His. Freedom to love and enjoy our children flows out of the knowledge that God saves them in spite of our best efforts, not because them. Salvation belongs to the Lord!
We're concerned about parents who carry on their shoulders the entire burden for their kids' salvation and lifelong happiness. We were never meant to carry the ultimate responsibility or anyone's soul:neither our own nor our children's. Only the Good Shepherd is strong enough to carry a soul-that's his job, nor ours. And although this kind of committed parenting appears godly, it is nothing less than works righteousness and idolatry.
We are not nor can we be the savior's of our children. He is the Savior. When we forget this, our parenting will be pockmarked by fear, severity, and exhaustion.
He loves flooding our consciences with the peace that comes from knowing our sins are forgiven and our standing before him is completely secure. When we're quietly resting in grace, we'll have grace to give our children too. When we're freed from the ultimate responsibility of being their Savior, we'll find our parenting burden becoming easy and light.
Give Them Grace-Chapter 2
How to Raise Good Kids
Barnabas saw God's grace working in the lives of the people, so he exhorted them to remain faithful. We too can see God's grace at work in our children and exhort them to remain faithful.
The one encouragement we can always give our children (and one another) is that God is more powerful than our sin, and he's strong enough to make us want to do the right thing...Our encouragement should always stimulate praise for God's grace rather than for our goodness.
On the other hand, if we persist in seeking to build our children's self esteem by praising them, we make them into our own image, boys and girls who idolize the benediction, adults who are enslaved to the opinion of others....
But if our human obedience or morality isn't motivated by gratitude for God's grace, it is very dangerous. If not rooted in gratitude for God's love for us in Christ, morality is deadlier to the soul than immorality. Why? Remember that Jesus said it is those who are lost, who know they need a physician, that he came to save. (luke 19:10)
Barnabas saw God's grace working in the lives of the people, so he exhorted them to remain faithful. We too can see God's grace at work in our children and exhort them to remain faithful.
The one encouragement we can always give our children (and one another) is that God is more powerful than our sin, and he's strong enough to make us want to do the right thing...Our encouragement should always stimulate praise for God's grace rather than for our goodness.
On the other hand, if we persist in seeking to build our children's self esteem by praising them, we make them into our own image, boys and girls who idolize the benediction, adults who are enslaved to the opinion of others....
But if our human obedience or morality isn't motivated by gratitude for God's grace, it is very dangerous. If not rooted in gratitude for God's love for us in Christ, morality is deadlier to the soul than immorality. Why? Remember that Jesus said it is those who are lost, who know they need a physician, that he came to save. (luke 19:10)
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