He had a face that could be looked at.
Eyes you could look into.
Here, on earth.
God with us.
The Word, wrapped up in flesh.
22 November 2011
20 November 2011
Spiritual refreshment at Harvest.
Today we are in the Chicago suburbs with Keith's family. We worshiped at Harvest - so edifying. Today's message was about how we have no ability to live the Christian life outside of Christ living his life in us: the Holy Spirit. Here's the intro video from the sermon:
Lord Change Me from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.
If you're looking for some spiritual refreshment, I would encourage you to check out the entire sermon.
Lord Change Me from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.
If you're looking for some spiritual refreshment, I would encourage you to check out the entire sermon.
16 November 2011
Remembering.
I just finished reading the story of Gideon. It's full of human nature mixed with God's power. But the book of Judges is making me mad. God delivers Israel over and over again. And they keep whoring after other gods; after wood and stone and metal. After Satan.
They never deserve the deliverance God gives them. And they always forget about it, almost immediately.
I'm so mad about it.
But it's so true. It's so true of the human heart. God is so good to us. And we forget. We whore after other gods. And he waits, patiently. Then we get overtaken, and cry out to him for help. And he delivers us. We say thanks and feel great, then go whoring again. The cycle goes on.
That's why this concept of remembering what God has done is all over the Old Testament. That's how we escape the cycle of Judges. When things are great we remember who is our Deliverer. When things are terrible we remember who is our Deliverer.
We write it on our faces and on the doorposts of our houses so we don't forget. We talk about it when we're at home and when we're out, when we lie down and when we get up. We bind the words on our fingers and around our necks. We write them on the tablets of our hearts. We find the words and we eat them. We eat the scroll. We eat his body. We drink his blood. It's our only alternative to whoring.
They never deserve the deliverance God gives them. And they always forget about it, almost immediately.
I'm so mad about it.
But it's so true. It's so true of the human heart. God is so good to us. And we forget. We whore after other gods. And he waits, patiently. Then we get overtaken, and cry out to him for help. And he delivers us. We say thanks and feel great, then go whoring again. The cycle goes on.
That's why this concept of remembering what God has done is all over the Old Testament. That's how we escape the cycle of Judges. When things are great we remember who is our Deliverer. When things are terrible we remember who is our Deliverer.
We write it on our faces and on the doorposts of our houses so we don't forget. We talk about it when we're at home and when we're out, when we lie down and when we get up. We bind the words on our fingers and around our necks. We write them on the tablets of our hearts. We find the words and we eat them. We eat the scroll. We eat his body. We drink his blood. It's our only alternative to whoring.
08 November 2011
An update on our lives in the Natural State.
The Natural State. |
Ecclesia is a tiny college. It was started as a YWAM base in 1975, and got accredited as a four-year college in 2005. There are 105 full-time students taking classes on campus. There are another 45 part-time students, and then about 25 students in the Ecclesia Online program.
Keith and I are so thankful to each have full-time jobs: with the (modest) salaries we're making we should be completely debt-free within a year, if the Lord wills. My official title is Assistant Director of Financial Aid, which was bestowed upon me after working a few weeks, and I take it as an honor (note the absence of to the). However, my boss does the jobs of about seven different people, so while he is available to answer my questions and help me with unique situations, I am essentially running the financial aid office myself.
I'm really enjoying working in an office; the administrator in me who loves order and clarity and organization is blossoming. Clearer boundaries between work and personal life have been a welcomed change. It's not hard to leave financial aid at the office (although, the workaholic in me does try to bring it home from time to time). There are systematic changes that I am hoping to implement in the financial aid process at Ecclesia, but this semester has been about getting through the giant learning curve and keeping my head above water. It's been very challenging/frustrating/overwhelming at times. I've done tons of research and self-training. But, again, I am thankful.
The soccer boys at a rest stop on the way to a game. |
Keith and I are observing some patterns among small organizations. We have a number of frustrations here and are praying through how to deal with them. But we are thankful. And you know what? When I pray for things here, God has been answering speedily. I have to remember that and stay encouraged.
We have become a part of a wonderful church called Mosaic. It's a congregation that meets on Saturday nights, and it falls under the umbrella of Fellowship Bible Church NWA. It is a huge organization that runs in an excellent, strategic fashion, which brings a nice balance to our weeks. Now that the first soccer season is over, we're excited to get more involved in ministries there and join a small group.
I will end it there. Soon I hope to share more specifically about what God has been doing in me these last few months.
04 November 2011
Talking with an invisible Someone.
A quiet time takes faith. To stop all other activities to sit down and have a conversation with an invisible person requires faith.
Is he really real? Does he really speak? Does he really speak to you? When you speak to him does he really hear you? Would he really respond to something you say?
That you can quiet all other noises for the purpose of interacting with this invisible person says something of your faith. Quieting noises to read a book doesn't require much faith. But looking to commune with your invisible friend does indeed.
Be encouraged when you enter into a time of stillness with God. Faith got you there. Act on it. And receive the rewards of that.
"whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." bible.us/Heb11.6.ESV
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)