Militia: Joel 3:10
- Militia: Joel 3:10
- "When You hear the worship from the Church who loves You and You know my voice like You know the throne..."
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I said "Let me see your Frankenstein, WHATS THAT YOU SAY?"
Recently while prayer journaling at the bottom of myself, I recognized the unfiltered self pity in content. Interestingly enough I had been at a study only a few days prior, when the teacher Tim Conway of Grace Community Church explained that, it is a necessity to AVOID being a Christian who dwells on his sin and/or struggle. I think Tim was prepping another lesson with this statement that hints at Paul's "I do what I don't desire to do, and do not do, what I do" (not a direct quote, but possibly the beginning of Doo Wop) in Roman's 7.
As I journaled this necessity that Pastor Tim spoke of came to mind and my prayer was affected. I began claiming the Truths that I know about God. "You say that you heal" as apposed to "Oh God Heal me" "You say that you forgive" instead of "why am I so bad at being a Christian", and "You say that you have proven to be sovereign" instead of "God, what will you have me do?" As I wrote, listing out the unmistakable qualities of God, writing the names and attributes of God that came to mind, a sense of wholeness came about me. It wasn't that my pangs had been silenced or my iniquities amended in that moment, it was the pleasure of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. I concluded that there is nothing God would rather hear than His own Words. Some people may think, God is not that self-centered that He would rather hear His Word than my own defeatist pleas. God is just that God Centered as the Father of Glory can my words offer. What faithless concerns, self doubts, or struggles of mine can not be related to by King David, Abraham, or Peter.
- insert scholarly facade - There is a whole dispensational discussion that can be derived from this idea of which I don't have the diploma driven verbiage, understanding, or interest engaging in, especially if I have to use the word dispensational. So I wont try and convince anyone who doesn't think God is primarily interested in His own Glory. If you have questions with this Truth I gladly refer you to Ephesians, just because its fresh on my mind, the the entire text is filled with such support. Note the "According to His fill in the blank" or start in verse 9 and go on. - finished with scholarly facade -
As I was saying, It wasn't that my pains had been silenced or my iniquities amended in that moment, it was the pleasure of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ in hearing His name called upon. I concluded that there is nothing God would rather hear than His own Word spoken to Him. Even the tears of His children, in this case my displeasure with myself, would not be as pleasing to Him as the Words He has spoken, but when we align His Words with our tears and that unifying deliverance of desperation is both heard by Him and understood by us, what else would a triune God ordain.
Years ago a friend of mine passed away in a very untimely accident, in response a group of people sent me a note with multiple verses from Scripture written all over the envelope. At the time my emotional response walked a line between thankfulness and obligatory antagonism. As I received the note offering condolences, I thought, "that's great! These verses are super and its the Bible and everything, but regurgitating the classic Valley of the Shadow does me no good." One of the texts listed was from 2 Corinthians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" I thought, "now is not the time, I don't want to be told that God is the Father of mercies and the God of comfort" (judge me, its okay). My response was selfish and a bit angry, but as I reconsider that gift, I realize that those verses were not written to calm my heart by reading the text alone, as I was surely settled on not being joyful. It was this text that came from God that has the intention of comfort, but even more so, these verses are intended to be heard by God from the mouth of an angry, confused, and saddened child of the Lord. A child who mirrors Romans 3 text, claiming my mouth is no more than an open grave. Maybe this is old hat and Christians everywhere know this simple Truth, but when I put this in context with my own self-doubt I see that my only response to my own despair is to seek Christ through the Word and claiming in prayer that God is who God says He is.
So as I move forward in my prayer life, I am obligated to speak the Truth that has been given me, to the God who gave it for their is no greater sound than for His children's tears to be expressed in His infallible Word.
Check Out This Pamphlet on Scipture memory, how else will we speak the Lord's Truth to Him!
As I journaled this necessity that Pastor Tim spoke of came to mind and my prayer was affected. I began claiming the Truths that I know about God. "You say that you heal" as apposed to "Oh God Heal me" "You say that you forgive" instead of "why am I so bad at being a Christian", and "You say that you have proven to be sovereign" instead of "God, what will you have me do?" As I wrote, listing out the unmistakable qualities of God, writing the names and attributes of God that came to mind, a sense of wholeness came about me. It wasn't that my pangs had been silenced or my iniquities amended in that moment, it was the pleasure of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. I concluded that there is nothing God would rather hear than His own Words. Some people may think, God is not that self-centered that He would rather hear His Word than my own defeatist pleas. God is just that God Centered as the Father of Glory can my words offer. What faithless concerns, self doubts, or struggles of mine can not be related to by King David, Abraham, or Peter.
- insert scholarly facade - There is a whole dispensational discussion that can be derived from this idea of which I don't have the diploma driven verbiage, understanding, or interest engaging in, especially if I have to use the word dispensational. So I wont try and convince anyone who doesn't think God is primarily interested in His own Glory. If you have questions with this Truth I gladly refer you to Ephesians, just because its fresh on my mind, the the entire text is filled with such support. Note the "According to His fill in the blank" or start in verse 9 and go on. - finished with scholarly facade -
As I was saying, It wasn't that my pains had been silenced or my iniquities amended in that moment, it was the pleasure of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ in hearing His name called upon. I concluded that there is nothing God would rather hear than His own Word spoken to Him. Even the tears of His children, in this case my displeasure with myself, would not be as pleasing to Him as the Words He has spoken, but when we align His Words with our tears and that unifying deliverance of desperation is both heard by Him and understood by us, what else would a triune God ordain.
Years ago a friend of mine passed away in a very untimely accident, in response a group of people sent me a note with multiple verses from Scripture written all over the envelope. At the time my emotional response walked a line between thankfulness and obligatory antagonism. As I received the note offering condolences, I thought, "that's great! These verses are super and its the Bible and everything, but regurgitating the classic Valley of the Shadow does me no good." One of the texts listed was from 2 Corinthians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" I thought, "now is not the time, I don't want to be told that God is the Father of mercies and the God of comfort" (judge me, its okay). My response was selfish and a bit angry, but as I reconsider that gift, I realize that those verses were not written to calm my heart by reading the text alone, as I was surely settled on not being joyful. It was this text that came from God that has the intention of comfort, but even more so, these verses are intended to be heard by God from the mouth of an angry, confused, and saddened child of the Lord. A child who mirrors Romans 3 text, claiming my mouth is no more than an open grave. Maybe this is old hat and Christians everywhere know this simple Truth, but when I put this in context with my own self-doubt I see that my only response to my own despair is to seek Christ through the Word and claiming in prayer that God is who God says He is.
So as I move forward in my prayer life, I am obligated to speak the Truth that has been given me, to the God who gave it for their is no greater sound than for His children's tears to be expressed in His infallible Word.
Check Out This Pamphlet on Scipture memory, how else will we speak the Lord's Truth to Him!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
"I am a warrior."
I have limited experience as a blogger, and in a world of hyper information, who wants to read another post by an author with an inflated view of self valued perspective. I have had 2 previous sites, one started in 2008 around March and the last post didn't make it into April. Possible failure, but I found I lacked drive, opinion, cause, and of course readers. The next blog I was asked to start by one of my current employers. I work at a homeless service organization. The blog is used for anything but allows for limited genuine opinion. Though the articles are usually informative on the homeless population or people that serve the population. The organization's website gets a lot of hits, therefore the blog has had plenty of readers which strokes my ego just enough to make me want to take off my NPO fundraising mask and speak to what enlightens, encourages, challenges and occasionally enrages my heart.
The Clanging Bell
In the wake of the the Justin Taylor V. Rob Bell twitter-rama, I have been both heart broken and deeply encouraged. We, as the Church, are in a pivotal point as we are on the brink of exposing a false gospel. In Kevin DeYoung post, not intended to defend Taylor, but rather to explain the emergence of action on Rob Bell's doctrine. He starts the post by saying, "I am eager to read the book, not to pick a fight (though sometimes we need to fight, and this is one of those times.)"
For those of you who do not know/care story goes like this:
There is a movement that we are witnessing in this country but we need to pay attention. David Platt has a platform of self denial, Rob Bell taught that Peter fell through the water because he lacked faith in himself. (Velvet Elvis pg 133) Francis Chan has expressed that he has served at funerals, knowing the people in the casket have a spirit in Hell. Bell seems to think Hell is too mean for God (Velvet Elvis pg 148), the same God that killed everybody on earth but Noah's family. John Piper teaches that Scripture memorization is the best way to ensure successful ministry. (Psalm 119:11) Rob Bell doesn't believe the Bible.(Velvet Elvis pg 68)
The movement is upon us, we are seeing people take sides in front of our very eyes. We are witnessing denominations split based on what may appear as political views but always comes down to Scripture, weather we are aware of it or not. The head of the Episcopalian Church is a driving force in the mass exodus of Scripture study, The Presbyterians are on their 3 or 4th split, the Methodists quietly tried to avoid judgment and controversy, while the Baptists are presented as the school yard bully. It is happening, we are witnessing the Re-Formation of this country, marriage will no longer be defined the way we have always known it, fornication, pornification(that ones made up, but you get it), drug use, and alcoholism can no longer be judged, but expected. We are all victims of our own existence, the consequences of broken homes with no one to blame but media, not to mention Mark Zuckerberg. China is becoming evangelical, Seoul is Christian and the American church is splitting up. The question of, "Who gets the kids?" will only be answered with time. The church has been categorized as both a societal problem and the on the counter she has been called our cultures savior. When the church began forsaking Truth for inclusively, she abandoned Truth for popularity, maybe I am the lunch room school girl telling my web friends how Bif and Marty went at it at the Dance Under the Sea. The sole thing that needs to be heard by believers is that we must work in haste, for those on the fence, well you aren't really on the fence. There is no fence. The fence was made in to a cross that bore the sin of man inside the Son of man, though man's sin is serving any/everything under the sun.
Farmers make a sword, fishermen make a spear, the weak will say, "I am warrior." Joel 3:10 tells us that no one is going to miss this fight. This is one of those times!
The Clanging Bell
In the wake of the the Justin Taylor V. Rob Bell twitter-rama, I have been both heart broken and deeply encouraged. We, as the Church, are in a pivotal point as we are on the brink of exposing a false gospel. In Kevin DeYoung post, not intended to defend Taylor, but rather to explain the emergence of action on Rob Bell's doctrine. He starts the post by saying, "I am eager to read the book, not to pick a fight (though sometimes we need to fight, and this is one of those times.)"
For those of you who do not know/care story goes like this:
- Bell wrote a book, yet to be read but the publicity is provocative and damaging suggestion the non-existence of Hell or God's Judgement.
- Taylor posts blog claiming Bell a Universalist
- Bell is silent
- Taylor takes heat for assuming the position of critique without reading the book, though he was resounding to the promotions of the book and not the book's page by page substance.
- Bell is still
- Piper tweets "Farewell Rob Bell" (side note: that's like the ultimate 6th grade "oooooooooooooh" by the surrounding crowd)
- DeYoung blogs explaining, a sheep pretending to be a wolf is not a sheep pretending to be a wolf, but a wolf, fooled into thinking he is a sheep (my personal interpretation)
- Bell is sleeping
There is a movement that we are witnessing in this country but we need to pay attention. David Platt has a platform of self denial, Rob Bell taught that Peter fell through the water because he lacked faith in himself. (Velvet Elvis pg 133) Francis Chan has expressed that he has served at funerals, knowing the people in the casket have a spirit in Hell. Bell seems to think Hell is too mean for God (Velvet Elvis pg 148), the same God that killed everybody on earth but Noah's family. John Piper teaches that Scripture memorization is the best way to ensure successful ministry. (Psalm 119:11) Rob Bell doesn't believe the Bible.(Velvet Elvis pg 68)
The movement is upon us, we are seeing people take sides in front of our very eyes. We are witnessing denominations split based on what may appear as political views but always comes down to Scripture, weather we are aware of it or not. The head of the Episcopalian Church is a driving force in the mass exodus of Scripture study, The Presbyterians are on their 3 or 4th split, the Methodists quietly tried to avoid judgment and controversy, while the Baptists are presented as the school yard bully. It is happening, we are witnessing the Re-Formation of this country, marriage will no longer be defined the way we have always known it, fornication, pornification(that ones made up, but you get it), drug use, and alcoholism can no longer be judged, but expected. We are all victims of our own existence, the consequences of broken homes with no one to blame but media, not to mention Mark Zuckerberg. China is becoming evangelical, Seoul is Christian and the American church is splitting up. The question of, "Who gets the kids?" will only be answered with time. The church has been categorized as both a societal problem and the on the counter she has been called our cultures savior. When the church began forsaking Truth for inclusively, she abandoned Truth for popularity, maybe I am the lunch room school girl telling my web friends how Bif and Marty went at it at the Dance Under the Sea. The sole thing that needs to be heard by believers is that we must work in haste, for those on the fence, well you aren't really on the fence. There is no fence. The fence was made in to a cross that bore the sin of man inside the Son of man, though man's sin is serving any/everything under the sun.
Farmers make a sword, fishermen make a spear, the weak will say, "I am warrior." Joel 3:10 tells us that no one is going to miss this fight. This is one of those times!
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