I took cookies to my new neighbor a couple weeks ago. Such a small easy thing... why did it take me so long? I'm glad to know his name and I pray that see him again sometime! I met him almost two weeks ago but I haven't seen him again.
My next step - starting a book club for the women in my apartment complex. My friend Emily started a book club in her neighborhood and said it's been great for meeting people, so I decided to give it a shot. I asked the apartment manager to put a note about it in our December newsletter, she said sure, and I've already had a few phone calls about it.
I'm thankful to my faithful God who wouldn't allow me to sit in my own little bubble any longer, but I confess that fear and anxiety still find a home in my heart. I'm afraid that I will build relationships with these people and never share the gospel with them. I'm afraid that I won't build authentic relationships because I might see these women as projects. I'm afraid of rejection. What if no one comes? God save me from these fears!
To be continued, God willing...
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Dreadful Works of God
Living under the new covenant, it is easy to forget some of what Christ saves us from. When I think about salvation or thank God for his saving grace, I often turn my mind towards what my heart is without Him. I become grateful because I know I can live this life free from sin, shame, and depravity, and I'm awestruck and moved to worship. How can we not be thankful? He provided a way out! He provided a way for us to truly enjoy life, which would otherwise be ruined by our own selfish desires and hopeless attempts to numb the consequences of sin.
What I rarely think on, however, is the utter destruction God would bring upon us were it not for Christ. How do we so easily forget the just nature of God? The prophets are full of these descriptions of him, and God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow! His very nature is to punish sin, and not simply by denying us more money or happier lives. The Old Testament paints a much more dreadful picture of the wrath of God.
Lamentations 2:5 - "The Lord has become like an enemy."
I don't think I can summarize the imagery that I read in Ezekiel today (Chapter 4) or any of the other OT writers that explain the just acts of God, but Lamentations 2:5 describes a dreadful enough situation, right? We are not just saved from lives of depravity. We're rescued from the dreadful wrath of a just God. My sin is the same as the sin of 2000 years ago. I have to be punished. My sin has to be punished. And it has.
"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." Rom. 5:6-9
My prayer is to be thankful for all that He's rescued me from - a dreadful life without Christ, and a dreadful death of judgement against my sin.
What I rarely think on, however, is the utter destruction God would bring upon us were it not for Christ. How do we so easily forget the just nature of God? The prophets are full of these descriptions of him, and God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow! His very nature is to punish sin, and not simply by denying us more money or happier lives. The Old Testament paints a much more dreadful picture of the wrath of God.
Lamentations 2:5 - "The Lord has become like an enemy."
I don't think I can summarize the imagery that I read in Ezekiel today (Chapter 4) or any of the other OT writers that explain the just acts of God, but Lamentations 2:5 describes a dreadful enough situation, right? We are not just saved from lives of depravity. We're rescued from the dreadful wrath of a just God. My sin is the same as the sin of 2000 years ago. I have to be punished. My sin has to be punished. And it has.
"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." Rom. 5:6-9
My prayer is to be thankful for all that He's rescued me from - a dreadful life without Christ, and a dreadful death of judgement against my sin.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Ezekiel 3:17-19
17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. "
"The responsibility of a believer in Christ today to share the word of life, salvation, and forgiveness is no less awesome. Once the message of salvation is entrusted to us, we are responsible and accountable to share with those who are lost." - Lamar Cooper
I can only beg and plead with my God that he would make his glory as real to me as he did to Ezekiel. When we see God for who he really is, how can we respond but in obedience? I have often prayed that God would make me passionate to preach good news to the lost. Shouldn't my prayer have been to see his glory? To repent from my disobedience? To be given an obedient heart?
A couple weeks ago I had a new neighbor move in right across from me. My husband and I glanced out our windows throughout the day, both trying not to seem too interested. I said something about taking them cookies or homemade salsa and introducing myself, but I got caught up with the days activities and hardly gave it another thought. I don't think I'm ok with that anymore. As Cooper said, it's my responsibility as a believer in Christ to share the word of life, salvation, and forgiveness with those around me.
So, here goes with Day 1 of obedience to the Great Commission. Today I'm actually going to bake cookies and take them to my new neighbor. Let's pray they're home.
17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. "
"The responsibility of a believer in Christ today to share the word of life, salvation, and forgiveness is no less awesome. Once the message of salvation is entrusted to us, we are responsible and accountable to share with those who are lost." - Lamar Cooper
I can only beg and plead with my God that he would make his glory as real to me as he did to Ezekiel. When we see God for who he really is, how can we respond but in obedience? I have often prayed that God would make me passionate to preach good news to the lost. Shouldn't my prayer have been to see his glory? To repent from my disobedience? To be given an obedient heart?
A couple weeks ago I had a new neighbor move in right across from me. My husband and I glanced out our windows throughout the day, both trying not to seem too interested. I said something about taking them cookies or homemade salsa and introducing myself, but I got caught up with the days activities and hardly gave it another thought. I don't think I'm ok with that anymore. As Cooper said, it's my responsibility as a believer in Christ to share the word of life, salvation, and forgiveness with those around me.
So, here goes with Day 1 of obedience to the Great Commission. Today I'm actually going to bake cookies and take them to my new neighbor. Let's pray they're home.
Monday, November 23, 2009
My Silence Testifies Against Me
"The measure of success in God's work is not always in terms of the amount and frequency of visible response. Success is to be measured in terms of our obedience to the words, commands, and will of God regardless of the visible results" - Lamar Cooper
Cooper penned these words in response to Ezekiel 2:6-7, which is God's encouragement to Ezekiel to be obedient and faithful to his calling despite the persecution that would certainly come from his people. It encourages my soul to know that God recognizes (how could he not) hardship in our lives and takes time to encourage us to continue in faithfulness. I like Cooper's application, though. Vocational ministers must find a way to measure success, but biblically, it should not be with amount and frequency of visible response... I've learned not to measure success in a church by counting members and baptisms, but at The Village we still measure success in terms of how lives are changed. Are we willing to be obedient when God calls us to preach the gospel to the hard-hearted? Will we consider ourselves unsuccessful? Do we look on other churches with judgement when they are not growing or seeing lives changed? Do we consider their obedience before we cast our judgement?
More importantly, am I being obedient? The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all of our being. My silence is testifies against me. The second most important commandment is to love our neighbors, but how can I show them love if I don't know their names? I can easily justify my laziness by thinking about my work-life. I intentionally pursue relationships with co-workers and parents in hopes of communicating the gospel. And I daily teach principles of the gospel to my students, whether they recognize it or not. Still, my comfort has not been compromised, and I can't remember the last time I explained the truth of the bible to any nonbeliever.
Yesterday I sang and danced to this song in Kids Village: "I will not stay silent. I cannot hold back..." What a patient God we serve that lets us live after we sing lies with unrepentent hearts. Do not be fooled. His jealous love for us is too great. Even now, He pulls dreadfully dark things from my heart and replaces them with the Spirit of Christ. Praise God
Cooper penned these words in response to Ezekiel 2:6-7, which is God's encouragement to Ezekiel to be obedient and faithful to his calling despite the persecution that would certainly come from his people. It encourages my soul to know that God recognizes (how could he not) hardship in our lives and takes time to encourage us to continue in faithfulness. I like Cooper's application, though. Vocational ministers must find a way to measure success, but biblically, it should not be with amount and frequency of visible response... I've learned not to measure success in a church by counting members and baptisms, but at The Village we still measure success in terms of how lives are changed. Are we willing to be obedient when God calls us to preach the gospel to the hard-hearted? Will we consider ourselves unsuccessful? Do we look on other churches with judgement when they are not growing or seeing lives changed? Do we consider their obedience before we cast our judgement?
More importantly, am I being obedient? The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all of our being. My silence is testifies against me. The second most important commandment is to love our neighbors, but how can I show them love if I don't know their names? I can easily justify my laziness by thinking about my work-life. I intentionally pursue relationships with co-workers and parents in hopes of communicating the gospel. And I daily teach principles of the gospel to my students, whether they recognize it or not. Still, my comfort has not been compromised, and I can't remember the last time I explained the truth of the bible to any nonbeliever.
Yesterday I sang and danced to this song in Kids Village: "I will not stay silent. I cannot hold back..." What a patient God we serve that lets us live after we sing lies with unrepentent hearts. Do not be fooled. His jealous love for us is too great. Even now, He pulls dreadfully dark things from my heart and replaces them with the Spirit of Christ. Praise God
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