Tag Archives: salvation

Thank God, I’m not the One

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“The Afters” sing a great song about how it’s a good thing we’re not God, we’re not the Savior of the world because we couldn’t do, wouldn’t do all that He does for mankind.  He shows mercy when we would just as soon write someone off for ticking us off.  He loves even when we turn our backs on Him, spit in His face in anger or shrug in apathy.  He forgives when we tend to hold grudges.  He gives second, third, fourth, fifteenth, and hundredth chances when we give up on people after a few offenses.

Thank God, I’m not the one!  The world would be in trouble with such a fickle, weak, limited deliverer.  There is a God and it’s not me.  Or you. Continue reading →

His Indescribable Gift

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3 days ’til Christmas…if you have children in your house I’m sure they have made you aware of this and are counting down the days and even hours until Christmas morning.  Many of them will be so excited to see the surprises waiting for them under the tree that they won’t be able to sleep the night before.  Gifts have been a big part of celebrating Christmas for centuries.

Did that start because of the gifts the wise men gave Jesus, Mary and Joseph when they finally arrived?  Did the tradition become more pronounced because of the original Saint Nicholas who gave anonymous gifts to needy people by dropping small bags of coins or other treasures down their chimneys?  It actually was started by God, the original and best gift giver of all time.  He offered His Son, out of love, and continues to give good gifts to his children.  He is the most generous, creative, and recklessly lavish giver.

Imagine your boss left gifts for you and all your co-workers – hefty cash bonuses for a year’s work well done.  Imagine that you hadn’t gotten the memo Continue reading →

Day 14 – Ruined

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ru·in// [roo-in]

1.  ruins, the remains of a building, city, etc., that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay
2.  a destroyed or decayed building, town, etc.
3.  a fallen, wrecked, or decayed condition: The building fell to ruin.
4.  the downfall, decay, or destruction of anything.
5.  the complete loss of health, means, position, hope, or the like.
6.  something that causes a downfall or destruction; blight: Alcohol was his ruin.
7.  the downfall of a person; undoing: the ruin of Oedipus.
8.  a person as the wreck of his or her former self; ravaged individual.
9.  the act of causing destruction or a downfall.

I heard a convicting, compelling message yesterday by Pastor Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch.tv about practical atheism in the Church:  when people profess belief in God but live as if He doesn’t exist.  Craig proposed that if we’ve really encountered God and given our hearts to Him, we would be living transformed lives.  Things would be different.  We wouldn’t be thinking we can just say or do whatever we want and still be God’s child, still be saved.  It’s as if we say of our faith, “I’ll take what I want but give back the rest.”  Craig said we don’t fully surrender to or obey God because we don’t fear Him and we don’t fear Him because we don’t really know Him.

I think back to elementary school days.  If a little friend of mine tried to tell me what to do, I might put my hands on my hips, look them square in the eye and say “you’re not the boss of me.”  However, if my teacher called my name, or worse called me to her desk, and told me to do something, I would go do it right away.  I didn’t want to get in trouble!   I appropriately “feared” or respected my teachers because I knew that they were in charge and I wasn’t.

Jesus said even the demons believe in God and tremble.  How many of us who say we believe in God tremble in His presence or have a reverent awe-filled fear of who He is?  Do we know/realize who He is?

Pastor Craig asserted that when we truly encounter God we are ruined.  Our values change completely – what was once so important to us is not important anymore.  Instead, we are transformed by passion from God’s own heart and pursue what He values – which in turn leads us to a rich, full, forgiven and free life.

In the Old Testament you can read the story of Isaiah, a man who had a very personal, life-changing, mind-blowing encounter with God Almighty.  Aside from being overwhelmed visually by the immense majesty and presence of His Creator, there were the resounding songs of praise by angels who hovered near.  Their thunderous voices singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!” were so powerful the very floor shook where Isaiah stood and the room filled with smoke.  He fell to his face shouting, “I’m ruined!  I’m so sinful. I could not be more unworthy!  I’m a man of unclean lips and yet my eyes have actually seen the Lord!”  An angel came to him with a burning coal to purge his lips and make him clean.  Instead of death or chastisement, he was forgiven.   Then when Isaiah heard God asking for volunteers to go and do his will, Isaiah jumped up, probably waving his hands and answering, “Me!  Here I am, Lord!  I will do whatever you say.  I’ll go.”  (Isaiah 6)

One of the definitions of the word “ruin” above that I particularly relate to talks of the downfall or undoing of a person.   There are moments when I come face to face with God’s holiness and I realize again, falling face down in my heart, that my flimsy cardboard will is no match for the gale-force wind of God’s majesty and presence.  In surrender, I come undone.  The things my heart has treasured begin to fall away and I mourn.  I watch the downfall of my human understanding, the loss of every earthly thing, the wreck of my efforts to save myself, the destruction of all my plans and expectations.  It all sweeps away as great, roaring breakers of God’s love crash down.  They wash over me and I find myself lifted out of the rubble, buoyed up by love so deep my feet can’t touch the bottom.  I float helplessly and thankfully straight to Jesus’ arms, where I find salvation and hope.   Now that I know Him, no other love will ever be enough.  Nothing I’ve treasured before matters or compares.   I am ruined.

Day 13 – Flow

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During my lunch break I read another chapter of my book, “The Me I Want to Be” by John Ortberg.  It’s so good!  You need to read it.  Everyone should read it.  Seriously.  Go get it right now.  The author’s conversational style and humor make it actually fun to read.  I am learning so much and gaining such encouragement. I might actually finish this one!

Here are a few tidbits that struck me today from chapter 3:

  • My main job in life is to remain connected to God.  When I focus on that, things seem to fall into place.  When I lose that focus, I stop thriving and can’t fully be the me God made me to be.
  • How do I bridge the gap between the “me” God made to me be and the one I really am right now?  I can’t – and that’s a very important point.  “Self-improvement” is a misnomer as we actually can’t really improve ourselves anymore than we can save ourselves.  God wants to energize me, nurture, guide and enliven me with His grace and that’s something that can only be given by Him – through His Holy Spirit.
  • If only I can learn to live from one moment to the next in the flow of God’s Spirit – not by working harder at it or following rules.  That’s a big “if” that I want to learn really badly!
  • The flow of the Holy Spirit is what makes us alive – like a river in the middle of a desert.  Without the flow of the life-giving river the desert is dry and dead.
  • If I want life, I want God.
  • God’s Spirit doesn’t just flow in us, but through us to help others thrive as well.  Like John says, it’s a “so that” arrangement.  God flows through us so that we can bless others…
  • We don’t have to convince God’s Spirit to work in our lives, He is already at work.  We just have to stay out-of-the-way and not stop the flow, or “quench the Spirit.”  I need to keep my heart open to His influence in my life and not close myself off from Him – i.e. by choosing to not listen to Him, choosing to not follow a prompting from Him, etc.
  • Obedience to God helps me to stand right in the middle of the life-giving flow of His Spirit and grace.
  • When I mess up or cause a momentary block by disobedience, God allows U-turns and recalculates my route.  He does it without saying, “I told you so.”
  • If God’s Spirit is flowing freely in my life, fruit will grow and be evident to people around me:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)  If these aren’t growing or if some sour fruit is showing, that might be an indicator that I’m not open to the flow, stunting my own growth.

I have to put in this little illustration that made me laugh,

“A woman sees a father shopping with a fussy two-year-old in his grocery cart.  ‘Be patient, Billy’, he whispers.  ‘You can handle this, Billy.  It’s okay, Billy.’

The woman said to him, ‘I don’t mean to interrupt your shopping, but I just had to tell you how wonderfully loving and patient you are with little Billy.’

The man replied, ‘Actually, my son’s name is Patrick.  MY name is Billy.'”1

Lord, help me jump into the river of your grace and wade up to my chin in the flow of your Holy Spirit.  Don’t let me obstruct Your influence on my heart.  Help me to focus on staying there, staying connected to You.  I’m trusting You to grow good fruit from my life.

1 The Me I Want to Be, by John Ortberg, copyright 2010.   Chapter 3, page 42

For all of us losers

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Loser.  What comes to mind when you hear that label?  Nerd.  Dork.  Failure.  Outcast.  Someone to make fun of.   It’s not a title anyone relishes or wants.

Have you ever been the loser at any one point in your life?   Or have you been on the other end, the one giving the loser a hard time?

Jesus met lots of losers when he walked the roads of Jerusalem, Galilee, Nazareth…Samaria.  One time He and his disciples were going through Samaria while heading somewhere else and stopped for a break.  Jesus told the disciples to go on into town to get food while he waited just outside of town by a well.  It was midday and hot.  As he looked out across the stony ground he saw the waves of heat shimmering low and felt the sun baking his already browned arms and hands.  He heard the shuffling of feet drawing nearer and turned to see a woman, all alone, coming to the well for water.  She came in the heat of the day all by herself because she was a loser.  Continue reading →