The Overarching Theme, Our Good and His Glory

Sharing some thoughts from my quiet time reading today, and being reminded that God requires a few things from me. They take my mind back to yesterday's post and what God wants to be navigating my heart.

And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? (Deut.10:12-13)

My Beloved asked me last evening what my day was going to look like today, so that we sync our activities. What did I have planned for the day? Well, besides the routine responsibilities, returning an item to Walmart and picking up an item that I keep forgetting about until I need to use it, wrapping my sister's birthday gift and taking it to her so she can enjoy the anticipation of what might be inside for her birthday tomorrow, possibly a haircut (I surely need it!), continuing preparation for a Sunday School opportunity. All to be viewed as positive action items.

As I plan out my day and plot my journey through it, though, I'm reminded that my overarching theme is to be my relationship with God. Jesus reiterated this Himself, as we're reminded in the gospel of Matthew, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind...You shall love your neighbor as yourself (22:37-39). I've had this reminder in my kitchen for several years, to be cognizant of where I let my mind wander, to put a guard over my heart as to what I allow to influence it.

It takes practice to know what does.

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).

None of my action items for today are required of me, except through the filter of loving God with all my heart, my mind, my soul. Will I journey through the day with this objective in mind? Walmart will be where I meet my challenge. Practice, I tell myself. Practice.

Painting ~ The Artist's Wife Reading, Henry Bouvet

1859-1945, public domain

Quiet Time Thoughts On Trials

I took my mother to the doctor today...and last week..and she goes again next week.... Her medication had been changed and now increased. She was feeling tired and weary, but she came away from the doctor today cheerful and encouraged. Why? Because he said that although the new medication is making her feel bad for awhile, that when it has its full effect she will feel much better--so please endure it and press on.

We have friends in our small group on Wednesdays who have also had serious health complications, who also must endure and press on, and are themselves rejoicing in how they're coming along. Trials in life are inevitable. How we respond is up to us and our faith.

As I thought back to Mom's visit with her doctor today, my mind went to James 1:2-5--

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

We're better able to tolerate trials when we know there's going to be a positive outcome. Mom is looking forward to feeling better and having the medication do its job, so she's willing to endure. When we don't know what the outcome of our trial might be, though, we tend to be beaten down beneath it. If you're like me, we tend to focus on the trial and not its outcome. Or, that the outcome will be the worst possible.

James tells us that the trials we go through test our faith. Is our faith real? If it is, then the trial will produce endurance, that inner quality of strength. Over the years, I've seen my mother go through various trials--caring for my handicapped sister, having blood clots throughout her life, colon cancer, a house fire that destroyed most of what they had, and I'm sure many other trials that I know little or nothing about.

Endurance also carries with it a sense of expectancy, of knowing there will be relief or reward. The perfect result of endurance is that we realize that we really lack nothing. Which is how we can consider it joy when we encounter our trials, knowing that God is at work.

We can struggle against trials, and thus despair, or we can let God do His work, knowing that all things work together for good to those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose...to be conformed to the image of His Son....(Romans 8:28-29).

Trials are an essential part of building our faith. The strengthening of our faith produces in us Christlikeness. As I heard someone say who was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer--"If this is to strengthen my faith, bring it on!"

I'm not there yet, and may never be, but I do want to view my trials as faith-builders. I know it's an ongoing process. It's only through God's grace and mercy, though, that I can.

Painting ~ Evening At Home, Edward John Poynter 1888

Where Mulling It Over Led Me

I've been mulling over the phrase "the fullness of God" after coming across it a few days ago. I was reading in Ephesians, chapter 3, verses 14-21. The phrase itself is found in verse 19.

"and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."

In our Sunday School class, we've been talking about the power of the gospel, how it changes our hearts and minds and influences how we choose to live our lives. As I was reading, the phrase 'the fullness of God' caught my attention. What is the fullness of God? And is there a connection with that and 'the power of the gospel'? That thought struck me since I desire for the gospel to permeate my whole being, and I also desire to be "filled up to all the fullness of God," whatever that might be, especially since the scripture says so. I know about being filled with the Spirit, but is being "filled up to all the fullness of God" a bit different?

As I read the brief passage over and again, I began to see the connection with that and the power of the gospel. It was easier for me to see by starting with the phrase there in the latter part of verse 19 and working backwards, sort of like this....

Being filled up to all the fullness of God (v19b) is a result of being able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (v. 18-19a). So the question begs itself... how do I "comprehend and know the love of Christ"? Surely that is incomprehensible, for his love is beyond understanding. Well, I may not be able to reason it out or explain it, but verse 17 tells me that it's "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." It isn't through any reasoning, but an outgrowth of faith in Jesus Christ. And as I keep moving backward in this passage to gain an understanding, I find in verse 16 that Christ's dwelling in my heart is through His own strengthening.

Coming full circle, I realize that the fullness of God is found in Christ's strengthening of my heart. He exercises my faith. The power of the gospel! Nothing that I have to do to get more of God. Simple faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and satisfies God's justice in his death, burial, and resurrection. He reconnects us to God. Sweet contemplation.

He wants us all to comprehend that. I do hope you do. He wants you to.

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,

that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.

Ephesians 3:14-21

Painting ~ Woman Reading, Pierre Auguste Renoir 1841-1919

Not the Dark Side

For my meditations this month, I've been reading all of 1 John at each sitting of my devotional time. As I read and re-read, I see that the book is rich in certainties of the faith. The Apostle John repeatedly uses the term know--we know, you know, this is how you know. He wants us to grasp the truth of Jesus' incarnation. He builds on that theological theme.

As I read, I  want to understand how to live my life in light of God's Word, how to think, how to change, how to worship Him in spirit and in truth. As I read verse 5 of chapter 1, my thoughts go to worship. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Whatever I offer Him in worship must be nothing on the dark side. There is no darkness in Him, and He does not and cannot receive darkness as worship. 

So I ask myself, what is darkness? It must be anything that God is not, because God is light. God is not sinful, He does no sin. He is holy. He wants us to be holy. He wants us to do no sin. This is why I'm confused as to how some congregations bring rock music into their church and offer it to God as worship. 

Rock music in the church is very troubling to my spirit. Some people tell me that it's just not my taste, but I believe that it's more than that. The 1812 Overture is not my taste, but it doesn't war against my spirit. So I've asked myself over and over, why does rock music disturb the spirit within me?

I did a little research to find out the origins of the genre. Briefly, here is what I found:

(from the http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rock%20and%20roll)

rock and roll: A term used to describe the new emergence of rhythm and blues fusion type music in the 1950's. Often the music is referred to simply as rock in modern times. "Rock and rolling" originally was a term frequently used in predominantly black neighborhoods to mean "having sexual intercourse". The term was however first derived as a musical term by disk jockey Alan Freed. Alan Freed first played a collection of rhythm and blues albums in his show under the name "The Moondog Show". However, upon relocating to New York he changed the name to "The Rock and Roll Show". He had full knowledge of the term and it's racy implications, but probably found great satisfaction in the spread of the term among mainstream America with little knowledge of the term's true meaning. 

I think, probably, that America's mainstream churches have little knowledge of the term's true meaning, either. Rock music doesn't celebrate sex between husband and wife. It celebrates immorality. How can I offer music to God in worship that celebrates sin? He will not accept it. He desires that we abstain from sexual immorality. 

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;  ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness, and so I cannot bring Him darkness as worship. I cannot worship Him with music that celebrates immorality.

And, so, I keep looking upward and homeward, to the day when I will not see through a glass dimly, but face to face I will see Him, the author and finisher of my faith.

And, you, dear one, keep looking upward as well. I do hope you know Him and anticipate His coming. 

Painting ~ The Missal, 1902 , John William Waterhouse 1849-1917

On Forgiveness

I'm continuing to read The Incomparable Christ by J. Oswald Sanders and following along as Nancy Leigh DeMoss discusses the chapter topics at Revive Our Hearts. It's a 40-day study as we prepare for the resurrection of Christ, and a few days beyond.

Sharing a brief statement from the book today about this verse.

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." ~ Luke 23:34

“It may be objected that not all who participated in the crucifixion were forgiven. The answer is that in every act of forgiveness, two persons are involved. Forgiveness must be accepted as well as bestowed. The prayer of Christ made forgiveness available to every sinful man, but not all availed themselves of it.”

~J. Oswald Sanders, The Incomparable Christ

I do hope that  you have availed yourself of the forgiveness offered you. You can learn a lot more about Christ and why He died and was resurrected, proving His deity, at ReviveOurHeartscom.

What Does He Call Me?

Continuing to read through the New Testament chronologically. Coming today to the Good Shepherd passage and sharing a thought.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep beholds the wolf coming and leaves the sheep, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd and I know My own, and My own know Me. ~ John 10:11-14

I've often wondered why pastors sometimes refer to themselves as shepherds/under-shepherds of the flock. Most pastors move on for one reason or another, and the sheep are left to find themselves a new shepherd. The analogy of a pastor/shepherd fails at this point. Sheep don't do that.

The sheep are of Jesus' flock, not a man's flock. The Good Shepherd never leaves us nor forsakes us. Jesus isn't a hireling. He doesn't take a more prestigious position. He doesn't go to more spiritual greener grass. He doesn't go where the pay is better.  He doesn't flee the wolves. He laid down his life. Only He did that. Only He could do that.

I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

Jesus knows each of His sheep and calls us by name. Some pastors can't do that.

... the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name...
                                               ~ John 10:3

In the Bible, names had more meaning than they do today. Some names were changed at conversion to reflect some characteristic of the person. I wonder if Jesus is calling me "Vickie," or if He's calling me by a name that relates some meaning to me? I don't really need to know the name He calls me, because I answer to His voice. He speaks through the Word, the Scriptures.

But it would be awesome to know what name He has chosen, and why. I wonder what name He has written down for me in the Lamb's Book of Life? Anticipating knowing!

If you're unfamiliar with Jesus and have just a few minutes, you can listen in at True Woman to learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I hope you know His voice. Would love to see you over there.

Painting ~ Girl Reading in a Sunlit Room, Carl Vilhelm Holsoe
Wiki Gallery public domain