I glance up at the pool to see my three year old son furiously splashing another youngster by leaning back and kicking his feet like a motor. I immediately stopped the activity, explaining that we don't splash others like that. It isn't kind. But my little guy felt completely justified.
"But he went like this to me!" And then he stuck out his tongue and spit.
And that's what we do. Someone spits at us, and we splash them back.
In yesterday's post, we talked about overcoming evil. We try to overcome evil with evil, but like Jay Adams says, you can't fight against evil with its own weapons. We need to use God's.
Blessings. Kindness. Love.
But what if you've been spit at and you don't feel very loving? All you want to do is splash back?
"Love is doing whatever good God says you must do for another, to please God, whether (at first) it pleases you or not. You must do so because He says so, and you don't wait until you feel like doing so. Love begins with obedience toward God in which one gives to another whatever the other needs. Love is not a gooey, sticky, sentimental thing; it is hard to love. Often, it hurts to love."
Jay Adams, How to Overcome Evil, page 35
The idea of overcoming means we don't just swim to the other side of the pool and ignore the person. We love them. It's an action. We overcome with good.
We can't do it alone. We need to be firmly tied to our Ultimate Lifeguard, the Savior of our Souls. Afterall, love comes from Him.
The housing market might be down, but here's a deal worth looking into.
I was talking to a friend tonight about what Jesus did for us. She just doesn't feel worthy of that kind of amazing love. She feels like she needs to be a better person first.
The conversation rolled around to visiting other people's houses unexpectedly when they're messy. She said, "Honestly, I don't care what their house looks like. I just want to see them."
And that's how it is with Jesus. He wants us. He doesn't want us running around hiding the dishes in the sink and throwing away the trash first. He's knocking, and He wants us to answer the door and let Him in.
We laughed together that then, He cleans the house for us, but in reality, He actually gives us His house! That's justification, my friends!
And then, as we grow to look like Him, we learn a thing or two about house cleaning. That's sanctification.
So if you're looking for a new house, look no further than to Jesus. He's offering us His perfect, sinless home by believing in Him. That's a deal in this market that is too good to pass up.
Simplify: That word sounds like a perfect pair of jeans with my favorite soft t-shirt. It's a cup of tea with milk and sugar and a black and white movie. My heart's desire to simplify is so that I will be freed up from the clutter of things and activities in order to make room for what matters most.
We're in the process of simplifying right now in a big way with a move. (Not far, just a local jaunt back into a little piece of country.) I'm selling furniture, digging through files, sorting through kitchen gadgets, and pairing down our toys. My mantra:
"Only keep my favorite things! Donate or sell the rest."
I want the new place to be like a vacation condo, where you have everything you need, but that's about it, and you can relax easily without all the stuff.
It's hard to do, though, and I don't know if I'll succeed. Clothes are a big problem, as well as my stock-piles of things I've acquired through sales and deals, like an entire shelf of first aid supplies that will last us quite a few years. That stuff is expensive, so I don't want to just donate with it.
And, I'm a home schooling mom, so don't even get me started about books!
As I painstakingly pick through boxes and totes and tubs and junk drawers that have hidden the items I don't usually want to deal with, I'm trying to optimistically look ahead to a simpler life.
Now switch gears...
I left my moving boxes and piles to have dinner tonight with missionary friends from Asia. They showed us pictures of how they and others lived. They talked about their daily lives and the work they are doing. And when I got into bed tonight, it hit me: I have not even begun to simplify my life!
Reducing my skirts from 21 to 12 seems insignificant when I hear that once, when she was at the hospital having a baby, she came home to find ALL of her clothing stolen from her closet. Narrowing down my beloved kitchen gadgets to just my "needs," debating about keeping one crock pot or two, is nothing compared to the single spoon many families share while sitting on the ground around a fire.
I felt so proud of my friend, but honestly, I left very unsettled inside. At 3 AM I woke up with this thought:
You have not yet resisted in sin to the point of death.
I'm on the grace-filled road of sanctification, but that verse is right--I have not yet resisted sin to the point of death! The striking contrast between my life and my friend's is immense, but it is nothing in comparison to the contrast between my puny struggle against sin and the perfect example Jesus set!
What does that look like?
It's dying to myself on a minute by minute basis so I can live as God wants me to live. Throwing off every sin that hinders and entangles me. Allowing myself to be trained by God's discipline instead of rationalizing. Making every effort to live in peace. Not allowing bitterness to grow. Not craving the "one thing" I am not to have, while forsaking the entire garden of life God has planned for me.
God woke me up tonight to tap me on the shoulder. He pulled me aside and said, "Becky, I have something I really want you to learn." It's a lesson not only about simplifying but about complete, unwavering, unquestioning, sold-out obedience.
Sins were confessed. Changes must be made, and by God's grace, I want to be different. I have a long way to go.
I'm so thankful that He loves me enough to correct me, for His patience as I deal with things He's been trying to teach me for years, and that He enables me by His Spirit to even have a heart that wants to change. I'm so thankful that He's already forgiven all my sins--past, present, and future--and that He cares enough to instruct me in the way I should go.
What a loving God we serve! Let's simplify our lives, by reducing the "stuff," but also the sins as well. Throwing off everything that so easily entangles.
"Our fathers
disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God
disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on,
however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who
have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:10-11
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Have you ever done anything with good intentions, but it was misunderstood? Or you really tried to do something well, and it either wasn't appreciated or it was taken the wrong way? Has anyone ever second guessed your goodwill or judged you for your actions?
Yes, there are many times when we sin and our accusers are correct, but there are also many times when other people don't understand. People like to judge motives. Sometimes there is an element of truth in what they say, but sometimes they are just plain wrong.
The only way to truly see who we are is to bring our lives before Jesus.At the end of the day, we take our moments into our hands and raise them up to Heaven. We say, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." (Ps 139:23-24).
And you know what? He understands!
"You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar." (Ps 139:2)
Isn't that what we long for? To be understood? Motives and plans and actions and words often can get so jumbled up in human relationships,what we really want is to be understood.
Jesus understands.
I paused there in reading that familiar Psalm in order to look up the word "understand." Do you know what it means? It means understand! Yes, deep, I know. To discern, know, consider.
No one around may understand. They may misconceive, judge, criticize, mock. But take your thoughts and your heart and your desires and bring them to Jesus. Speak truthfully to Him. He understands.
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
My Commitment to the Word
(Or what my commitment to the Word should look like.)
- I have promised to keep Your words.
- I consider my ways and turn my feet to Your testimonies.
- I hasten and do not delay to keep Your commandments.
- I am to meditate on His precepts and regard His ways.
- I must choose the faithful way, clinging to His testimonies, running the way of His commandments, always putting His ordinances before me.
- I am to trust in His word, waiting on His ordinances, keeping the law continually forever and ever.
- I am blessed if I walk in the law of the LORD, observe His testimonies, seek Him with all my heart, and walk in His ways, longing for and keeping His precepts diligently.
- I am to tell of the ordinances, rejoicing in the way of His Testimonies, as much as in all riches.
- My companions are also those who fear You and keep Your precepts.
- Affliction can be for my good, because then I learn to keep Your word, and God is faithful to afflict me.
- When the word is my delight, His compassion gives me life.
- Sometimes I have to wait with longing, but I must never forget or forsake His statutes and precepts.
- I must restrain my feet from every evil way, not turning aside from His ordinances that He has taught me, in order to keep His word.
- I hope for His salvation and do His commandments.
- God graciously deals with me according to His word.
What is Summer Sunday School with out candy? It is barren, stale, lifeless. It's an empty void of games and sword drills with no rewards. Competitions with no prizes.
That was the huge trial our 3-5th graders were facing this Sunday. The candy was locked away in the closet, and I did not have the master key to open it. There were many grown-ups standing around, with lots of great keys that did good things, but none of them were the "right" key to get us what we really wanted: Candy.
We played Bible Bingo, and there were winners, but I just had to say, "Wait until next week for your reward." Some had memorized their scripture passage, but their reward, also, was locked behind the closed door.
Only through Tillie, the Sunday School Assistant, could that door be opened, but Tillie was away on vacation.
But there was good news! Tillie did not leave us forever! When she left, she promised that she would return, and when she did, the key to the candy door would be opened for all! Hallelujah! So although now, the class is stuck in the in-between time, doing good things and earning unseen rewards, trying to live as a faithful Sunday School Student, they are waiting for Tillie, because only through Tillie will they have access to the right key.
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And yes, I did use this as an illustration in class. Did many kids understand it? I'm not sure. It's sort of like a parable of Jesus, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..." And with all parables, you can only take them at face value, not over-analyze them.
So for those who are asking, "What is this post all about? Candy? Huh?" Jesus came, died, and rose again... He didn't stay dead! After visiting with hundreds of people, He returned to Heaven, but has promised to come back to earth. In the meantime, we are to tell others about Him! There are many keys in the world, but Jesus is the only One with the Key to eternity with the Father.
Jesus said Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6).
Sometimes it's hard to wait. Sometimes we get squirmy in our seats. We grumble when we're doing our sword drills or making crafts, and when the other kids pull our pig tails or take our seats, we consider giving up.
But don't lose heart! When He returns, with the symbolic key to the candy door, all will be made right! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Blink. It's a card game I play with my kids. Over the weekend, we had a Blink marathon. It's a fast moving game, where you match up the numbers, colors, and shapes. I love that even the youngest kids can play. But the whole time we played, I kept singing the song "Blink" by Revive.
Then this morning, reading Psalm 90, the song jumped back in my head.
"Teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."
This summer is zooming fast. I usually start school in August so we get out earlier in May, but I'm dragging my heals at that thought. We haven't had enough lazy pool days!
And as I plan for fall, I am trying to be so careful not to pack it full of so much good stuff that the days rush by! Already saying no to hundreds and yes to a few activities feels like too much.
There's a line in the song, near the end, that always haunts me. "Slow Down... slow down." It's at about 2:32.
I suppose that even if we didn't do any activities at all except living day to day, like summer, time would still keep moving at a quick pace.
A few verses earlier, the writer says that a thousand years for us are just like yesterday for Him... zip, they're gone.
"O satisfy us in the morning with your lovingkindness,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." (90:14)
If life is going to keep traveling at this quickening pace, then I don't want to waste it complaining or frustrated or angry. I want to be filled with joy because of His lovingkindness! Don't you?
[Note: By "Heaven" I am referring to eternity, the new Heaven and New Earth, Rev 21, forever and ever, but it's easier to just say "Heaven." :) ]
I am allergic to adrenaline. Have I mentioned that? It's not been diagnosed or anything, but with one exception, roller coasters, I do not like to participate in activities that increase my adrenaline.
Like last weekend, we were out on a boat, and while my daughters were sitting in front, bouncing in the air with every bump and squealing with delight as the waves splashed their faces, I was planted in the back, holding on tight with my boys. I went to my five year old son for advice. "Why don't we like this? We like roller coasters!"
He wisely replied, "But on a boat, we can drown!" I agreed.
For my husband, Heaven would be an eternity of adrenaline-spiking activities. If I were there, I would think there was a mistake in the celestial book and I'd been sentenced to hell.
For me, I see Heaven as a place with unending relationships. Eternal, intensive, personal, intimate, sinless relationship building forever and ever. So many people to truly know and love without the baggage of sin: selfishness, greed, deceit. Ooh, I can't wait! Pour a hundredth cup of coffee and let's talk!
When I mentioned that delightful idea to my husband, he said, "Ugh, that sounds like a lot of work."
I'm sure the personality differences are beginning to be evident. I'll blog later about opposites attracting.
It made me laugh, though. How is God going to create a perfect eternity that suits all of us? I really don't have an answer, but it excites me to find out! Maybe I won't be allergic to adrenaline. Maybe my husband will grow a little more extroverted. Or maybe... it will be beyond anything we can even conceive of here on earth!
That gets me going! If You could design Heaven, what would it look like?
Above all, we'll be with Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
"Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth."
Psalm 73:25
Desiring nothing but Jesus on earth. That's a huge statement, and I'm making it my prayer today.
Do you ever feel like escaping? Running away? Just yesterday I did. It wasn't for bad reasons or really terrible trials, but I found my heart constantly wanting to flee, and I had to fight to keep it in line.
While washing dishes, I had to sing to avoid complaining. While doing laundry, my daughter laughed as I repeated over and over, "I'm thankful that we have clothes."
I finally succomed at rest time and escaped into a book. This is a Christian Fiction book that many friends have raved about, but I just didn't like it. It was gruesome and harsh, and it left me feeling worse than when I started. I finished it, because that's just how I am when I read a book, and I was left empty and irritable.
After the bedtime and pick-up routines were over, I longed to run away to a resort in Cancun that I loved so much. I dreamed of just packing our bags and catching a plane that very night.
Where do you run when you want to escape? I was reminded yesterday that all of our "escapes," though not bad in and of themselves, are just temporary pleasures that cannot satisfy. An evening with friends. Reading. Movies. Vacations. Parties. They all bring temporary joy, but not joy that lasts. That only left me feeling discouraged as I plopped into bed, ending the day.
I woke up this morning with a groan, and then immediately cried out, "Oh God, I don't want to start my day this way!"
I turned in the Psalms to chapter 71, and I was encouraged with verse 1. "In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge." The Psalm goes on to praise God for all that He has done for us. That's what I needed, more than a night out with friends or a trip to Cancun. I needed my heart to be renewed in thankfulness.
When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within,
Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
Nethertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
With Your Counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.
Psalm 73:21-28
Here's the funny thing: All of those good things I escape to only bring joy when I am already filled up with the joy of Jesus. I don't understand it completely, but when Jesus is in the center of my thoughts, everything shines brighter.
"Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed." Ps 34:5
I'm glad that Harold predicted May 21st and that the whole world was discussing the rapture. Really, questions like, "What happens if you're driving a bus?" and "What happens to my pets" are usually just discussed at a Christian's Small Group with coffee and brownies.
I just wish that instead of talking about the rapture, we were talking about the ONE who was coming on the clouds. The One who was bringing the judgement. The One who died so we could have peace with God. The WHO of the rapture, not the What or When.
I'm not going to belabor the point here, but if you're looking for a Biblical perspective, check out a sermon one of our pastors, Nate Irwin, recently preached in our Matthew series: http://www.yourchurch.com/sermon/judgment-day/
If you were to say to me, "I'm sorry about your grandma," then I'd reply, "Yes, I'm sorry too." This just isn't right.
I hope you don't mind my transparency as I go through this grief process. I'll try not to dwell too much, but writing is my way to express the emotions that get lodged inside.
At a counseling training meeting tonight, they mentioned that grief happens at various life intersections. So if you hardly saw your brother, you might miss him more at holidays and family events, when you'd normally see him. You might also grieve for the time you didn't get to spend with him.
My greatest intersection with my grandma was on Sundays, my favorite day of the week. Worship with God, feasting on the Word, and lots of time with family all afternoon and evening. Now, the best day of the week is clouded by a mist of grief.
Will Sundays ever be fully joyful again? Will we ever sit at the dinner table and not see her empty chair? Will we ever gather in the hot tub and not remember her funny comments? Each time I'm at my parents, I'll pass her house, and I'll think of how I used to honk to say goodbye. I grieve for my parents and uncle, whose life intersections were a daily event.
I also miss her emails telling me what meat is on sale. I miss her funny Maxine forwards. I miss our phone calls. I miss talking about plants and gardening. I miss sitting outside on her porch as we look at her flowers. I'll miss painting her garden gnome for her, or adding the eyes when the paint has faded. I miss her.
When we lost our baby through a miscarriage, I grieved for the loss of what could have been. When we lost our home, I grieved the future I'd planned there. But losing GG, I grieve for her, and who she was and our life together.
And I think, "This isn't right. I HATE death!"
Death is a harsh but good reminder that this world is not our home. We are living for a heavenly kingdom, where every tear will be wiped away and grief will be no more. That's the hope I cling to. I've been listening to Laura Story's Song, Blessings.
"When darkness seems to win, We know the pain reminds this heart, That this is not, this is not our home... What if my greatest disappointments, Or the aching of this life, Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy."
God placed eternity into the hearts of men. We are looking for eternal satisfaction and friendship and love. And that is coming! It's right around the corner! My grandma has already begun to taste the fullness of all that is in store for us.
______________________________
As I look ahead to my reunion with joy between my family and GG, the other side of me grieves for my dear friends who are not trusting in Jesus.
Please, just ask God to show you His truth. Seek Him. Read His Word. Get to know Jesus. You may know about John 3:16, but what about all of these other verses? Just a few among many.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. I Thess 4:14
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Romans 3:2
But also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Romans 4:22
Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. John 12:44
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. I Timothy 1:16
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. I John 3:23
Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. I John 5:5
After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. John 2:22
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.John 6:35
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; John 11:25
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. I Cor 15:3-4
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.John 1:1-5
When I opened the crescent rolls, they smelled funny. My darling husband accidentally bought garlic butter rolls. Oops! I didn't think they'd taste good with cinnamon and marshmallows! So we used some jumbo biscuits that I had in the fridge.
We rolled them out, buttered and seasoned the marshmallows, and wrapped them up. We sealed the tomb with tape and set a stuffed-animal to guard it.
But, when they were done, the "bodies" didn't disapear. They fluffed up and were huge! The kids and I started laughing. My 7-YO had the idea that they were the bodies that busted out of their tombs after Jesus died. We thought that was a good idea!
So the general idea was a failure, but the taste was amazing. It's definately a recipe we'll use again just for fun! We had the leftovers this morning, and they were just as good the second day.
Next year, we'll try it again with crescent rolls. I guess it's a good reminder that every illustration--no matter how clever-- falls short to the reality of what Jesus did for us Easter weekend.
Hi! Sorry I skipped yesterday. We have a new little boy from Safe Families in the house, and computer time was, well, not happening. :) I'm taking a break tonight, after they're in bed, to share a few more goodies.
Easter Ideas, Day 3: How about some hands-on fun?
COOKIES: Have you ever made resurrection cookies? Honestly, they aren't the tastiest thing in the world, but my kids thought they were cool. They look like tombs and are empty (hallow) on the inside. Here is the recipe: Resurrection Cookies.
EGGS: Each Easter, my sister-in-law brings Resurrection Eggs, 12 plastic eggs filled with symbols that walk us through the narrative. We take turns reading the verse and opening the eggs. The last egg, of course, is empty! This site has some good ideas: Resurrection Eggs. I suppose you could do this as sort of a count down, opening a new egg each night for the 12 nights leading up to Easter.
Today's Idea: Memorize a passage of scripture as a family this month.
If you have young kids and haven't memorized anything together before, you can choose a fairly short verse. Or, for the entire month of April, you can choose to memorize a larger passage.
Tips for memorizing as a family:
Post the verses in common locations through out the house like the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Before getting a snack or while brushing your teeth, encourage your family to read the verses.
Keep the verses displayed on the kitchen table. Hang them in a picture frame or stick them to the wall with tape. At mealtime, review the verses as a family. This year, I'm going to put ours in the middle of the dining room table, in one of those clear plastic stand-up frames.
Before bed, try to recite with the kids as much as you’ve learned.
Take the verses bit by bit, talking about it as you go. Don’t try to learn the whole thing at once.
Add motions! If you feel inadequate, have the kids come up with motions of their own. Use large gestures and let your silliness come out.
Act it out. If you choose a passage that has different people talking, assign roles for your family members with one or two narrators. Practicing your “skit” will help commit it to memory!
Here are some suggestions for applicable scripture memory passages during Easter:
I Corinthians 15:3-4
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Philippians 3:10-12
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Matthew 28:1-10
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
What other ideas do you have to keep Jesus in the Spotlight? I’ll share more thoughts tomorrow.
On Tuesdays, while my kids are in a home school class, I spend the mornings studying for my NANC Certification, a Biblical Nouthetic Counseling certification process. I'm currently working through the open-book theology essays.
So what's my inspired idea? To share these with you on Tuesdays! You will get to read the first drafts of the essays I've completed so far. The first one is:
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The Bible is spoken of as “inspired.” What does this mean?
Many people use the word inspired for works of art or literature that are so beautiful or amazing, there is no human way possible they could have accomplished them unassisted. They are beyond limited human capabilities. Though most people do not really take this thought to the next step - as to who the inspiration came from - that is the general idea behind the word.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we believe that the Bible has been inspired as well, meaning it was not accomplished by limited human minds, and the inspiration came from the one true God. Webster’s dictionary defines inspiration as “a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation.” God, as the only truly divine influence, delivered sacred revelation to the writers of the Bible. Therefore, it is not simply another book based on the thoughts of men that fill our library shelves. Their words were given to them by God’s perfect will as to what should be penned.
We know the Bible is inspired based on many Biblical texts. The most common passage is II Timothy 3:16, which says in the NASB, “All Scripture is inspired by God.” Jesus also explains that it is a work of the Holy Spirit by what He said in John 14:26, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” The Apostle Paul teaches, “...what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord.” (I Cor. 14:37) In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul says that he will give, “proof that Christ is speaking in me.” (II Corinthians 13:3)
The word “all” in the passage in II Timothy means each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything. For this reason, we do not believe that just some passages are inspired, but literally all of them. From Genesis to Revelation, the entire Word of God is inspired by God.
Understanding this, the way we read the Bible is transformed! We are no longer allowed to pick and choose which passages we like and which we do not. We must wrestle with the fact that God is the authority on what is true, and we must align our thoughts with His Word.
For example, some come to Christ believing that the stories of Noah and Jonah are just fictitious fairy tales taught in Sunday School Classes. However, knowing that God inspired all of the Scriptures, combined with the understanding that God does not lie, we must believe these stories to not only be true, but relevant to our lives today. II Timothy 3:16 goes on to say that all scripture is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” So those stories of Jonah and Noah are profitable for us as believers today.
Understanding the Bible is inspired also affects our daily life. God’s word says that a gentle reply best calms down a wrathful person. (Proverbs 15:1) When confronted with a heated situation, you might be tempted to think that the only proper response is to yell and make your point heard. However, God says that a gentle answer is the only correct course of action. If this were just good advice from a friend, then you might be able to rationalize away the instruction. However, knowing that God is the one giving the advice, there is really no other way to act.
The inspiration of the Bible gives us hope that God did not just leave us alone to figure out life in this world that He created. He did not abandon His children and leave them directionless. He used men to write a book - an inspired book - to guide us to Himself through Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit.
I'm going through a book called, "Praying the Names of Jesus" and it has been so helpful. Right now I'm on "Bread of Life" and today's just struck me.
From John 6, after feeding the 5000 and filling their bellies w/ bread, Jesus said,
Stop working for food that spoils. Work for the forever food that I will give you. The work you need to do is to believe in me. I am the bread of life. When you fall down dead, I will make you stand up alive again on the last day.
Ann Spangler explains that it was too much for them - the crowd wanted a leader to rise up right then and meet their needs, but Jesus was more concerned with their life after their death.
She says, "What about you? How hungry are you? It's so easy to stuff ourselves with the world's cheap bread - with money, success, comfort, and pleasure - that we take the edge off our spiritual hunger. We fail to realize the dangers of living in an affluent, consumer-driven society in which we can be consumed by the things we desire. So many of us are like sponges, soaking up the world's good things with no space left for God..."
Good stuff!
I love how she combines Bible reading and teaching with daily prayer and reflection. I'd highly recommend it!
Each day you read new passages about the name, which are mostly written in the book for you, and then you pray through them. Not a big time commitment, but a good one.
I have the book and the journal. I'm considering going through this with the girls, in a simplified format, this summer.
Last night I got together with some High School friends I was in Show Choir with for our 10th year reunion. We went to our school's choir performance and then out for drinks. What a night! I hardly know where to begin, but it was great seeing everyone and where they were on their journey.
For now, I'll share one thing about the night that hit me. We discussed our life in the show choir and also our director's "interesting" teaching tactics. I heard two words repeated a lot: Belonging and Approval.
Belonging: Most of us had dreams that we would make The Ambassadors and finally belong somewhere. There would always be a place to sit in the cafeteria. You'd never be alone on a Friday night. It would be a tight group of friends who got each other's back. Our Junior Year was anything but that. In fact, it was splintered, cliquish, and backstabbing. The competition was rough and very few people got along with everyone. The rose colored glasses fell off.
Approval: In the same way, we struggled to win the approval of our director. Never being good enough. Never hearing, "Great Job." Always feeling like he was manipulating us and playing mind games - which he probably was. On one hand we were filled with tremendously inflated pride at being the top show choir in the entire known universe, and on the other hand we felt like losers when our director offered us sarcastic and snide critiques.
A Change of Perspective:
I think of my life now. It is so different! The Bible says:
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." Gal 1:10
Pleasing God and pleasing men are worlds apart. Men can fail us, crush us, and have their own personal issues mixed in that complicate life when we are trying to follow their lead. But because I love God, Romans 8:28 says that God is working all things out for my good. God is for me!
He also understands that I am from dust and can sympathize with my weaknesses. I don't have to struggle with, "Am I good enough?" The answer is a resounding No! I'm not good enough, and He knows that. That's why He sent Jesus. Because I believe that His death covered my sins and the mistakes I'm bound to make, God no longer treats me like I deserve. He's adopted me into His family and treats me as His special child. How does my Heavenly Father treat me?
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenlyFather feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenlyrealms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." Ephesians 1:3
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenlylights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:7
Of course, as His child, I have responsibilities to act accordingly, but He still understands the struggle that goes on in each of us. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 7:
"I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin."
He knows we are going to struggle, and He gave us His Spirit to work in us, and We have the ability to overcome our sin only in Him.
"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." I John 4:4
And He promises in I John 1:9 that He will also always forgive my sins.
As if this wasn't good enough, He plans on rewarding us for the good that we do. He will remember all of our good deeds, even as simple as offering someone a cool drink. Things I could never remember, He will. Unbelievable. I pray that at the end of my life when I walk out of hear, I'll here the praise I may never receive from men on this earth. "Well done, My good and faithful servant."
In the meantime, He's given us a community where I belong. Many people I talk to are disillusioned by the many splits and fractures in the church. I get it. But when you are walking close to God, He brings people into your life to walk with you on your journey. The bonds that He enables us to share go beyond music preference, clothing style, and versions of the Bible. Of course we are all going to fail and disappoint each other, but according to His plan, He shows ways of restoration and forgiveness that are only possible with Him.
I know where I belong, and I know whose approval I'm seeking. God began this work in me, and I'm trusting in His faithfulness to complete it. So I'll end with the words of a song we sang in Show Choir, "I'll never go back to where I was before."
