Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Will you love Jesus more?

This is an old song by Phillips, Craig, and Dean, but I am always convicted by it.  Here are the words to the first verse and chorus:

I feel quite sure if I did my best I could maybe impress you, with tender words and a harmony a clever rhyme or two. But if all I've done in the time we've shared is turn your eyes on me, then I've failed at what I've been called to do there's Someone else I want you to see.

Will you love Jesus more when we go our different ways? When this moment is a memory will you remember His face? Will you look back and realize you sensed His love more than you did before? I'd pray for nothing less than for you to love Jesus more.
 
As I sit here in my office reading hundreds of discussion board postings by my 201 students in my 6 classes, I am mesmerized by the opportunity and need for the love of God to infiltrate our world.  I've worked in a "Christian" workplace for most of my life, and part of my desire to move to a "secular" workplace was to carry out the Great Commission.  I've even found that there are so many people who know the Lord that just need to be encouraged to follow hard after Him even in difficult circumstances.  So no matter where I am, I need to be spreading Christ's love.  I know many people have obeyed this command and been a huge encouragement to me. 
 
I am not responsible for their salvation, but I am responsible to show them the love of God.  So I need to always be checking my motives and reactions.  I need to always be loving, kind, gracious, and gentle.  I pray that the line that I bolded above will not be reflective of my time here on earth.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Lies

While I regarded God as a tyrant I thought my sin a trifle; But when I knew Him to be my Father, then I mourned that I could ever have kicked against Him. When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have ...rebelled against One who loved me so, and sought my good.  C. Spurgeon

I spent some significant time in 2010 fighting the thoughts that God wasn't good.  Satan was on the attack, and he took something very good and twisted it (as he is so good at doing) into thoughts of God not being good.  A year ago, I would have laughed at you if you told me I would entertain thoughts of God not being good, but I underestimated Satan's deceitfulness.  I'm glad that I'm seeing God more kind and good these days.  It is helping me recover spiritually.  Lies like that are poison to our souls.  Always be on guard to Satan's tools.  He is tricky, and it can cause some serious issues if you fall prey to him. 

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Hope in 2011

God has been getting my attention over the last few days.  Here are a few quotes I've come across that have come across my attention: 

"Is your perspective ego-centric or theo-centric?  You centered or God centered? It does matter." (Brian Smith, a friend)
". . . in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, . . . " Titus 1:2
"Faith is not a sense, nor sight, nor reason, but taking God at His word." Evans (don't know which Evans, sorry)
"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith, is the end of anxiety." George Mueller
"You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings." (Cowan, I think)
"The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock." Isaiah 26:3-4
 
Hope must be in the Lord.  If I hope in anything else, it is only false hope.  I've spent a year thinking I was hoping in the Lord, but finding out that I really wasn't . . . hence why 2010 was such a rough year.  But I asked the Lord to increase my faith a little over a year ago, and He did it.  As as you see by the possible Cowan quote above, that is never easy. 
 
So 2010 was a tough year, but I believe that my faith has increased, and I try to keep my hope in the Lord. 
My hope is in the Lord

Who gave Himself for me,

And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary.

Chorus

For me He died,

For me He lives,

And everlasting life and light He freely gives.


No merit of my own

His anger to suppress.

My only hope is found in Jesus’ righteousness.

Chorus


And now for me He stands

Before the Father’s throne.

He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own.

Chorus


His grace has planned it all,

’Tis mine but to believe,

And recognize His work of love and Christ receive.

Chorus
(Norman Clayton)