Only by Faith

OneThing [3Jan11]

“If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.” – Isaiah 7:9

     Isaiah is commanded by God to give a message to King Ahaz.  Ahaz is anxious over the impending attack of both Assyria and Ephraim.  God promises that Ephraim will not even be a nation in 65 more years.  Ahaz must rely on this promise from God.  In God, is his only hope.  If he does not stand on the promises of God, he will surely fall.

     The same goes for us.  We have no strength to stand on our own.  We Christians must depend on God and His promises.  If we want to stand firm for Christ, we must stand firm in the faith.  This is an admonition which Paul repeats throughout his letters.  “Stand firm in the faith.”  This was true in the Old Testament and it is still true for us today.

God’s Call for Reason

OneThing [29Dec10]

“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;” – Isaiah 1:18

     Isaiah opens his book with a cry against the offenses of Israel.  Though God had been gracious to them and raised them as His own child, they turned away from Him.  Stupidly, they ignored God and refused to answer His voice, but turned to idols instead.  Later, Isaiah lists some of the sins of Israel and says that God should not forgive them.

     Indeed, there is nothing in man that is deserving of forgiveness.  Nothing in him merits grace.  But God is abounding in loving kindness (hesed).  In this passage, God offers an opportunity to the Israelites for a reasoning.  Even though, He is not obligated in any way, the LORD chose to invite Israel to a conversation.  Even more than that, He promises that the result will be the forgiveness of their sins!

     This passage is a great example of the loving mercy of God.  He extended mercy to the rebellious Israelites.  In fact, today, the same invitation and promise is offered to all nations.  This great promise has been open for the Gentiles.  Praise God for His grace!

Act Like Men – Live in Love

OneThing [28Dec10]

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love” - 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

     At the end of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he gives them parting instructions.  In the midst of many specific instructions to the church, the reader finds this exhortation: “act like men.”  What does this mean?

     In the context of the paragraph, it means that men of the faith are vigilant for opposition and when attacked, they do not give up their ground because they are strong.  And they do all this in love.

     In the context of the whole book, men do not quarrel with one another.  They do not engage in sexual immorality.  They do not sue their fellow believers, but they give preference to others and take care to not injure another believer’s conscience.  They surrender their rights for the sake of the gospel and do everything to glorify God.  They are sensitive to the needs of others and work well with others.  They prioritize love above all.  They endeavor to benefit the whole body and to help church services operate smoothly.  They stake all their hope in the resurrection of Christ and long for their own resurrection.  They are sacrificial with their resources and honor more mature Christians.

     It should be noted that 16:13 uses the illustration of manhood similarly to 13:11 which says,

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

This verse speaks of all earthly things passing away.  Only love will remain.  So it can be inferred that acting like a man means putting away the childish, earthly, things and  living for the things of eternity, namely, love.  Our speech, thought, and reasoning much be built of that which will endure.

     Acting like a man means many things.  Those listed above are merely the pebbles laying on the surface of a much deeper topic.

Live Rightly for the Gospel

OneThing [27Dec10]

“Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning.  For some have no knowledge of God.  I say this to your shame.” - 1 Corinthians 15:34

Here, in the middle of a passage about the resurrection, Paul urges the Corinthians to snap out of their continuing sin and live a pure life.  “Why?” they ask.  The reason presented here is the sake of the gospel.  The people were living drunken lives which indicate lives that are self-centered and out-of-control.  Such a lives are not ones a Christian should lead because they harm the image of the gospel.  Christ did not save us so that we may go back to sinning!  We are saved to new life and part of that new life is spreading the gospel to a dying and confused world. 

Four Days and One Half

So now I see

That time has come

And time has gone.

The end is here,

The Summer’s done.

On the fifth dawn,

Starts the new year.

For then I leave.

life reminders

There’s a joke that goes something like this:

   A female of a certain hair color walks into a beauty shop with headphones planted firmly over her ears. The beautician begins pulling out her instruments as she asks the young woman to please remove her headphones. The customer gasps, clenches the sides of her head, and says, “No! If I take these off, I’ll die!”

   The stylist is confused, but decides to attempt working around the head gear. Soon, the hard plastic gets in the way and the beautician asks again, “Ma’am, do you think you could take off your head phones for just a moment?”

   “No,” Replies the woman of a particular hair color, “if I take these off, I’ll die!”

   The stylist is confused and considerably frustrated now, but she continues cutting and trimming around the apparatus. Finally, it all becomes too much and she rips the headphones off the girl’s head and tosses them to the ground.

   The young woman sits completely still and then falls to the floor dead.

   The beautician is shocked! What could have been so important that this girl would die if she couldn’t hear it? Slowly, she reaches down to the floor, picks up the headphones, and listens. She heard a voice repeat over and over, “Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out…”

 

Pretty funny, huh? A little, but my point wasn’t to be humorous.

   I wish I was like that girl with the headphones. I am like her in many ways. I’m not nearly smart enough to live rightly. Even the simplest spiritual truths continually slip my mind. I need to be constantly reminded who my God is, who I am, and what I’m supposed to be doing.

   I wish I was like that girl because she knew she couldn’t make it on her own. She knew she needed the voice and she wouldn’t willingly let anyone take it away from her. I need the steady flow of spiritual refreshment. Without it, my life falls apart and I forget the most basic principles. I even forget that I need that refreshment at all. I become dry and useless. It happens so quickly.

   All Christians need that voice telling them how to live, who to worship, who to love. Where do we find that voice? Scripture and Prayer. So simple. So vital.

   Always keep the voice in your head: “Put off. Put on. Put off. Put on. Put off…”

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Life at Home

     It’s been a long year.  Although it flew by, my first nine months at Master’s was packed full.  From tests, to art work with the roommate, to late-night runs to Diddy Reese, and learning how to right MFRs for ROTC, I was barely ever without something to do and always responsible for my own decisions.

     Having been back home for a little over a month, I think I can say that I very much like being back in Ohio.  The green, the open roads, friendly waves from strangers, and long talks with old friends.  Life back here is so different from California. I don’t have to plan something every evening nor am I constantly being yelled at by a long-haired Korean.

     The hardest part about being home is that I feel as if I have a lacking of accountability.  Regrettably, my devotions are not as consistent or as deep as they are at school.  My prayers come more in spurts.  I haven’t shared the gospel even once since I’ve been back outside of the Sunday School classroom.  More and more I feel nearly like I’m going through the motions without any passion, fire, or willingness.

     These things ought not to be!  My God at TMC is my God here in Ohio.  His love is no less amazing and neither is His grace.  He still is working in my circumstances to sanctify me and He is still interceding for me when I fall into sin.  He is the God of creation, the Sovereign over this house, and He is still the Lord of my heart.  If I can encourage my spiritual brothers towards greater love for Him when I am at college, what would hinder me from encouraging my blood relations when I am at home?  Praise God for His incredible mercy that He does not condemn me for my lack of faithfulness.

     I long that this would be my attitude

GOD OF MY END,

   It is my greatest, noblest, pleasure to be acquainted with thee and with my rational, immortal soul;

   It is sweet and entertaining to look into my being when all my powers and passions are united and engaged in pursuit of thee, when my soul longs and passionately breathes after conformity to thee and the full enjoyment of thee;

   No hours pass away with so much pleasure as those spent in communion with thee and with my heart.

   O how desirable, how profitable to the Christian life is a spirit of holy watchfulness and godly jealousy over myself, when my soul is afraid of nothing except grieving and offending thee, the blessed God, my Father and friend, whom I then love and long to please, rather than be happy in myself!

   Knowing, as I do, that this is the pious temper, worthy of the highest ambition, and closest pursuit of intelligent creatures and holy Christians, may my joy derive from glorifying and delighting thee.

   I long to fill all my time for thee, whether at home or in the way; to place all my concerns in thy hands; to be entirely at thy disposal, having no will or interest of my own.

   Help me to live to thee for ever, to make thee my last and only end, so that I may never more in one instance love my sinful self.