This past Saturday I was in church (Commonwealth Chapel) and heard the Matt Redman song "Worthy, You Are Worthy" for the first time and really enjoyed it! It truly made me think, though... Yes, Our God is WORTHY and worthy to be praised, but how do we show this to the world?
Jesus said in Matthew 10:37-39: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
The Psalmist writes (145:3) "Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom." (96:4) "For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods."
In my opinion, when we sing "God You are worthy of praise!" we should really be living it out, as well, so that the world can see (1 Peter 2:11-12)! So how can we show the world that God is worth it? In Matthew 14, Jesus deliberately sends his disciples and a crowd away so that he can pray to His Father. Jesus was showing His disciples that the Father is worth it to Him. Spending time with God is that important. Another great example is a good friend of mine, Kaitlyn Eimer, who is serving the Lord in Ethiopia. Although she spends a good amount of time in Bible Studies and reading spiritual books throughout the day, and although she's in Ethiopia with some free time at nights, she is committed to getting up at 6 am each morning so she can run and have her devotionals. She is proving to the people around her that God is worth it to her. God is worth losing some sleep in the morning so she can start her day off right. No one would know nor would people probably care if she just slept in until breakfast each morning, but she's going out of the norm and glorifying God by following Jesus' example (Mark 1:35). There's also the story of a former JMU IV student who, when JMU Basketball was really good (we're on the uphill climb!), would not go to basketball games because that was his time with Jesus. He loved basketball and already had quiet times in the morning, but he was showing his friends that God is worth it to him- He chooses God over basketball games. So a common element in these stories is sacrifice. Sacrifice of sleep, of exciting basketball games... also, just being joyful in these sacrifices! Jesus LOVED His time alone with God, as I know Kaitlyn does and I'm sure the other student did, as well. When the people around us see that we're sacrificing something not-normal and being JOYFUL through it all, that's when they will truly discover how worth it God is to us.
Hillsong United, in their song "Came to My Rescue", says "In my life, be lifted high; in my world, be lifted high; in my love, be lifted high!" It's a beautiful picture of total surrender: in our day-to-day activities (life), in how we interact with everything that happens around us (world), and in our relationships (love)... Jesus should be #1. So He says in Matthew 10:37-39.
I am seeking to glorify God through getting up early in the morning to pray, as well, though I am FAR from even being just really good at it. There are also other ways to prove it to the people around you that God is worth it! I challenge you to pray and ask God how He would have you impact the world around you (what you can sacrifice?) for His greatest glory by proving to the world that He is worth it in your life.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Ya Regreso! (I return!)
Praise the Lord for His glorious grace in our safe return to the States. What a fantastic week! It is definitely bittersweet coming home- great to be with the family, but my heart is already overseas in many ways...
The most common question asked after a break or a trip is "How was it?", and while there are plenty of good intentions with that question, to ask only that just doesn't cut it in my book. A question needed in addition is "what did you learn/how did God grow you?" during the trip, and the best one: "how did you become more like Christ because of this trip?" So, after a brief summary of the trip, I'll write a response to the week in light of the latter questions.
The DR Trip, "By the Numbers":
1 - Number of passports lost between customs in Miami and Richmond, VA. That would be my passport. Please pray that God's will be done in this situation- that either I'd know to just purchase a new one or someone would be moved to contact me and send me the found passport. May God be glorified!
2 - Number of airport/airplane employees that got a bit mad at me on the flight home.
3 - I had three grabs and/or catches as center-fielder in our baseball game with the Dominican kids. I also dropped one fly ball. It was a blast, though!
4 - The "showers" taken in the river, usually with a dog swimming beside us. We were oh-so-clean and fresh-smelling by the end of the week!
5 - The number of mornings we had eggs and salami for breakfast. Needless to say, we had our fill and were ready for a different morning food by the end of the trip...
6 - We found 6, count 'em: 6, tarantulas on the property of the camp. I only had the privilege of seeing two (and aiding in the death of one) of them, but we found and killed 6 in all.
7 - The days spent in the beautiful country of the Dominican Republic.
8 - The guys who had thrown up by the end of the trip. I had a stomach ache for half a day but, by God's grace, never hurled. We had plenty of other little illnesses, but God was faithful through it all and many were just for 24 hours...
9 - The hours spent (including lunch break) working each day- from 9 am to 6 pm.
10 - The sought-after number that victoriously ended a game of corn-hole (bean bag toss). This was one of the activities we'd indulge in after dinner each night...
...13 - The number of students that used their spring break to serve the Lord through constructing a sports camp for children of all backgrounds in the Dominican Republic. It was a phenomenal privilege to get to know the guys and I'm very thankful for how God allowed us to unify in our purpose and grow in relationship with each other.
We ended up clearing ground and constructing (minus the tarp and sand) a new volleyball court by the end of the week. The other, more prominent, project was continuing to build the dining hall. We mixed mortar and used blocks to build up the pantry and kitchen areas. See the video below for a guided tour of the camp...
What did I learn?
I was wonderfully reminded at how important a small word of encouragement can be. So I haven’t played baseball in a long time- I played t-ball and coach pitch but haven't even played a pick-up game since then (you can count the number of times I've played "catch" on one hand). I was cautious at the start of our game with the kids (because all of them are 100x better than me), but then the first pop-fly (a ball hit probably 50-60 feet in the air) came my way…… and I caught it! Praise the Lord! Wow! It was SUCH a rush! Haha… a very normal play for most baseball players, but for hardly playing at all, this was a fantastic feeling! I’m not seeking to boast in this (except in the Lord- praise Him for this blessing!), but building up the story to the climax: after that catch, one of my new friends from Penn State, JP, said “Great catch, Luke!” This is a guy I came to respect a ton because he worked very hard day-in and day-out and didn’t really join in with the other guys joking. So this is a solid guy, overall, and this small encouragement REALLY blessed me!
I say this because, amongst all of the wonderful moments on the trip, this small word of encouragement sticks out to me more than most (if not all) of my memories! So a word of encouragement can have a HUGE impact on someone’s day, week, trip, or even life! 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:29.
How did I grow to become more like Christ?
The first few days of the trip, due to a phone without a charger and no alarm clock, I was not waking up early and because of always being around people (a semi-lame excuse), I didn't spend a lot of time with the Lord. This manifested itself in my going along with the "borderline" conversation and joking (the very thing I'm trying to avoid) and also just not being as encouraging as usual. I grew very sick and tired of this by the third day and discovered that some of the guys (Kent and Dan) were waking up early in the morning. Kent began waking me up before the sun came out and it was a night and day difference (literally) from how my other days were going (mindset-wise as well as verbally). I was reminded and encouraged that the time with the Lord in the morning (for me) is not just important, but necessary. Jesus set the example and we need to realize that His time with the Lord is what allowed Him to keep persevering day in and day out! I rediscovered my dependence upon the Lord- a true answer to prayer! Mark 1:35
I am forever grateful for your prayer and financial support on this trip. The last day we were able to play with the kids and to see the fruit of our labor really put into action. Many of the guys said "it really tied the week together" in the best way possible. Thank you all so very much.
I encourage you all to do your best to encourage all around you! You have no idea how much a small word can impact a person. Also- never forget that the time you spend with Jesus, whatever time of day it happens, is vital to your walk. We can never live this life the way we're called to on our own.
Please continue to keep the camp, school and kids in your prayers, as well as Jon and Alison Mittelman, the missionary couple that is serving at the camp. Enjoy the pictures and video!
In His strength alone...
Luke
PS The church service previously mentioned consisted of a baby dedication, 13 baptisms, a wedding reenactment (that included wedding cake), a time of worship, a sermon, and an intermission. All in all, a 3 1/2 hour church service! T'was a wonderful experience... worshiping the Lord with the Domincans. I can't WAIT for Heaven!
The most common question asked after a break or a trip is "How was it?", and while there are plenty of good intentions with that question, to ask only that just doesn't cut it in my book. A question needed in addition is "what did you learn/how did God grow you?" during the trip, and the best one: "how did you become more like Christ because of this trip?" So, after a brief summary of the trip, I'll write a response to the week in light of the latter questions.
The DR Trip, "By the Numbers":
1 - Number of passports lost between customs in Miami and Richmond, VA. That would be my passport. Please pray that God's will be done in this situation- that either I'd know to just purchase a new one or someone would be moved to contact me and send me the found passport. May God be glorified!
2 - Number of airport/airplane employees that got a bit mad at me on the flight home.
3 - I had three grabs and/or catches as center-fielder in our baseball game with the Dominican kids. I also dropped one fly ball. It was a blast, though!
4 - The "showers" taken in the river, usually with a dog swimming beside us. We were oh-so-clean and fresh-smelling by the end of the week!
5 - The number of mornings we had eggs and salami for breakfast. Needless to say, we had our fill and were ready for a different morning food by the end of the trip...
6 - We found 6, count 'em: 6, tarantulas on the property of the camp. I only had the privilege of seeing two (and aiding in the death of one) of them, but we found and killed 6 in all.
7 - The days spent in the beautiful country of the Dominican Republic.
8 - The guys who had thrown up by the end of the trip. I had a stomach ache for half a day but, by God's grace, never hurled. We had plenty of other little illnesses, but God was faithful through it all and many were just for 24 hours...
9 - The hours spent (including lunch break) working each day- from 9 am to 6 pm.
10 - The sought-after number that victoriously ended a game of corn-hole (bean bag toss). This was one of the activities we'd indulge in after dinner each night...
...13 - The number of students that used their spring break to serve the Lord through constructing a sports camp for children of all backgrounds in the Dominican Republic. It was a phenomenal privilege to get to know the guys and I'm very thankful for how God allowed us to unify in our purpose and grow in relationship with each other.
We ended up clearing ground and constructing (minus the tarp and sand) a new volleyball court by the end of the week. The other, more prominent, project was continuing to build the dining hall. We mixed mortar and used blocks to build up the pantry and kitchen areas. See the video below for a guided tour of the camp...
What did I learn?
I was wonderfully reminded at how important a small word of encouragement can be. So I haven’t played baseball in a long time- I played t-ball and coach pitch but haven't even played a pick-up game since then (you can count the number of times I've played "catch" on one hand). I was cautious at the start of our game with the kids (because all of them are 100x better than me), but then the first pop-fly (a ball hit probably 50-60 feet in the air) came my way…… and I caught it! Praise the Lord! Wow! It was SUCH a rush! Haha… a very normal play for most baseball players, but for hardly playing at all, this was a fantastic feeling! I’m not seeking to boast in this (except in the Lord- praise Him for this blessing!), but building up the story to the climax: after that catch, one of my new friends from Penn State, JP, said “Great catch, Luke!” This is a guy I came to respect a ton because he worked very hard day-in and day-out and didn’t really join in with the other guys joking. So this is a solid guy, overall, and this small encouragement REALLY blessed me!
I say this because, amongst all of the wonderful moments on the trip, this small word of encouragement sticks out to me more than most (if not all) of my memories! So a word of encouragement can have a HUGE impact on someone’s day, week, trip, or even life! 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:29.
How did I grow to become more like Christ?
The first few days of the trip, due to a phone without a charger and no alarm clock, I was not waking up early and because of always being around people (a semi-lame excuse), I didn't spend a lot of time with the Lord. This manifested itself in my going along with the "borderline" conversation and joking (the very thing I'm trying to avoid) and also just not being as encouraging as usual. I grew very sick and tired of this by the third day and discovered that some of the guys (Kent and Dan) were waking up early in the morning. Kent began waking me up before the sun came out and it was a night and day difference (literally) from how my other days were going (mindset-wise as well as verbally). I was reminded and encouraged that the time with the Lord in the morning (for me) is not just important, but necessary. Jesus set the example and we need to realize that His time with the Lord is what allowed Him to keep persevering day in and day out! I rediscovered my dependence upon the Lord- a true answer to prayer! Mark 1:35
I am forever grateful for your prayer and financial support on this trip. The last day we were able to play with the kids and to see the fruit of our labor really put into action. Many of the guys said "it really tied the week together" in the best way possible. Thank you all so very much.
I encourage you all to do your best to encourage all around you! You have no idea how much a small word can impact a person. Also- never forget that the time you spend with Jesus, whatever time of day it happens, is vital to your walk. We can never live this life the way we're called to on our own.
Please continue to keep the camp, school and kids in your prayers, as well as Jon and Alison Mittelman, the missionary couple that is serving at the camp. Enjoy the pictures and video!
In His strength alone...
Luke
PS The church service previously mentioned consisted of a baby dedication, 13 baptisms, a wedding reenactment (that included wedding cake), a time of worship, a sermon, and an intermission. All in all, a 3 1/2 hour church service! T'was a wonderful experience... worshiping the Lord with the Domincans. I can't WAIT for Heaven!
Our work in progress- the new dining hall.
Andrew Elgert, Evan Balaber, Will McAuliffe- JMU Dukes on a mission.
The basketball court and present-dining area.
The Uruk-Hai of the DR: Me, Joe, Dan, and Jeremy.(Video Coming Soon, Lord Willing)
Guided Tour of the SB2W Dominican Republic Sports Camp!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Safe!
Many thanks to everyone who has been in prayer... please continue!
We have arrived safely and on time, by the glorious grace of God, and have already put in a solid day's work and had the church experience of a lifetime! I'll be sure to post more about it later...
Please continue to pray that God is glorified through us... things have gone VERY well so far. All glory be to God!
Abounding love in Christ (Philippians 1:7-9)...
Luke
We have arrived safely and on time, by the glorious grace of God, and have already put in a solid day's work and had the church experience of a lifetime! I'll be sure to post more about it later...
Please continue to pray that God is glorified through us... things have gone VERY well so far. All glory be to God!
Abounding love in Christ (Philippians 1:7-9)...
Luke
Thursday, March 5, 2009
¡Oración! (Prayer!)
Dear family and friends, brothers and sisters in Christ...
We are leaving in around 13 hours to fly to the Dominican Republic! We are all SO excited at the opportunity the Lord has provided us to serve the orphan children of the DR as we continue to construct a Sports Camp for the kids to enjoy themselves in their difficult lives. At this camp, which is modeled after Summer's Best Two Weeks in Pennsylvania (www.sb2w.org), the kids will be able to try out just about every kind of sport while hearing the Gospel! It's a fantastic ministry and it's been a privilege for me to be involved the last few Spring Breaks. We're still trying to raise money for construction costs (around $300), so if you feel led, please send a check made out to Summer's Best Two Weeks and put DR Trip in the subject line. You can send it to my school address:
Luke Sjogren
805 S High Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Thanks for everyone who has already supported this trip! We're also going to need a great amount of prayer. Here are some prayer requests for the trip (in no particular order):
Team Unity- 6 of us from JMU are meeting 7 other college students from around the East Coast (including 4 from Penn State) and then Kent Biery, the SB2W representative (and a good friend of mine) and Ryan Koptish, a JMU Alum. So it's quite a mixture of guys, but we all have the same heart (passionate after Jesus Christ) and purpose (glorifying Him in all of our thoughts, words, and actions wherever we are- for the next week, in the DR!). I'm looking forward to building relationships with these new guys! Please pray that Jesus is at the center of everything we think, say, and do...
Health- I'm still suffering from *possible* bronchitis (suffering is a loose term- more coughing a bunch but feeling pretty well overall) and Evan B has a healing wrist (he broke it three weeks ago), so please pray that God's will be done with our health as we travel and while we're down there. May His will be done!
Encouragement- reflecting Christ is something I'd love to see happen not only from us to the natives, but from us to each other. I'm looking forward to seeing how Jesus grows us all closer to Him! Please pray for joyful hearts and for the inspiration to encourage each other! Hebrews 10:24- "and let us spur one another on towards love and good deeds"! Amen!
Dependence upon the Lord- I have a bad tendency of trying to do things on my own, especially when I *think* I can do it easily (why would God bother with something so small as this?). But that's not good- please pray that I'm fully dependent on the Lord for strength, joy, love and everything else.
Rest- physically, we'll be working in the sun (yes!) and getting a good amount of exercise, but more mentally and spiritually. At school, it's easy to get so caught up in all of the responsibilities of classes and ministry, so I, personally, am looking forward to resting in my Savior. Please pray that my soul will truly rest in Jesus this week and I'll be refreshed and ready to go at all the wonderful opportunities I have to serve here at JMU when I return! Praise Him!
And finally- just God's will to be done so that He is glorified to the max in everything. The last two years we've had problems with planes, but I'm confident that even if it happens again, it's all a part of God's perfect, timely plan. So pray for patience as we rest in Him!
Thanks for each and every one of your prayers... I can't WAIT to see and share with you all of the Amazing things God is going to do on this trip!
In His strength alone... by His grace... and for His greatest glory...
Luke
PS Names of the guys:
Luke Sjogren (that's me!)
Evan Balaber
Ben Blackmer
Andrew Elgert
Will McAuliffe
Luke Blackburn
PSU
Dan Saxton
JP Peno
Jeremy Buyer
Joe Buyer
Other schools
Ben McGeever
Jon Sabol
David St. Cyr
Kent Biery
Ryan Koptish
For the glory of God alone...
We are leaving in around 13 hours to fly to the Dominican Republic! We are all SO excited at the opportunity the Lord has provided us to serve the orphan children of the DR as we continue to construct a Sports Camp for the kids to enjoy themselves in their difficult lives. At this camp, which is modeled after Summer's Best Two Weeks in Pennsylvania (www.sb2w.org), the kids will be able to try out just about every kind of sport while hearing the Gospel! It's a fantastic ministry and it's been a privilege for me to be involved the last few Spring Breaks. We're still trying to raise money for construction costs (around $300), so if you feel led, please send a check made out to Summer's Best Two Weeks and put DR Trip in the subject line. You can send it to my school address:
Luke Sjogren
805 S High Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Thanks for everyone who has already supported this trip! We're also going to need a great amount of prayer. Here are some prayer requests for the trip (in no particular order):
Team Unity- 6 of us from JMU are meeting 7 other college students from around the East Coast (including 4 from Penn State) and then Kent Biery, the SB2W representative (and a good friend of mine) and Ryan Koptish, a JMU Alum. So it's quite a mixture of guys, but we all have the same heart (passionate after Jesus Christ) and purpose (glorifying Him in all of our thoughts, words, and actions wherever we are- for the next week, in the DR!). I'm looking forward to building relationships with these new guys! Please pray that Jesus is at the center of everything we think, say, and do...
Health- I'm still suffering from *possible* bronchitis (suffering is a loose term- more coughing a bunch but feeling pretty well overall) and Evan B has a healing wrist (he broke it three weeks ago), so please pray that God's will be done with our health as we travel and while we're down there. May His will be done!
Encouragement- reflecting Christ is something I'd love to see happen not only from us to the natives, but from us to each other. I'm looking forward to seeing how Jesus grows us all closer to Him! Please pray for joyful hearts and for the inspiration to encourage each other! Hebrews 10:24- "and let us spur one another on towards love and good deeds"! Amen!
Dependence upon the Lord- I have a bad tendency of trying to do things on my own, especially when I *think* I can do it easily (why would God bother with something so small as this?). But that's not good- please pray that I'm fully dependent on the Lord for strength, joy, love and everything else.
Rest- physically, we'll be working in the sun (yes!) and getting a good amount of exercise, but more mentally and spiritually. At school, it's easy to get so caught up in all of the responsibilities of classes and ministry, so I, personally, am looking forward to resting in my Savior. Please pray that my soul will truly rest in Jesus this week and I'll be refreshed and ready to go at all the wonderful opportunities I have to serve here at JMU when I return! Praise Him!
And finally- just God's will to be done so that He is glorified to the max in everything. The last two years we've had problems with planes, but I'm confident that even if it happens again, it's all a part of God's perfect, timely plan. So pray for patience as we rest in Him!
Thanks for each and every one of your prayers... I can't WAIT to see and share with you all of the Amazing things God is going to do on this trip!
In His strength alone... by His grace... and for His greatest glory...
Luke
PS Names of the guys:
Luke Sjogren (that's me!)
Evan Balaber
Ben Blackmer
Andrew Elgert
Will McAuliffe
Luke Blackburn
PSU
Dan Saxton
JP Peno
Jeremy Buyer
Joe Buyer
Other schools
Ben McGeever
Jon Sabol
David St. Cyr
Kent Biery
Ryan Koptish
For the glory of God alone...
Monday, March 2, 2009
Joy in the Clean
I was cleaning my bathroom today for the first time in a long time (and by long, I mean too long. WAY too long), and the Lord blessed me with two thoughts. I share:
1) When King David says in Psalm 51: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me", he is asking quite a big thing! Many times we look at this Psalm as simply a "confessional" Psalm, one that we should pray when we have sinned. While that is true, this captures the essence of the word "repentance", which means to not just confess, but to turn from your ways! To do a complete 180 from the direction you were headed (in your sin) and turn towards the Lord, walking the straight and narrow! Wow!
When David asks the Lord to create in him a pure heart, he's asking the Lord to take away ANYTHING that would not be pure in his heart. Still not grasping it? Check it out: think of all the "fun" things in life that are kinda borderline worshiping the Lord/not worshiping the Lord. David is asking them to be taken away. David wants to live an active pure life, not just passively trying to avoid dirtying his heart. What a request. A good friend of mine recently said, in response to a Jonathon Edwards quote: "Resolved, never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.", that a part of her doesn't want to get to the point Edwards did because of the selfish nature vying for ownership in her life. I completely concur when looking at David's request to the Lord, for in asking this I'll be asking Him to remove all impurity in my life, and that would involve things that I find "borderline", for God's not at all about the borderline. No, He spits out "lukewarm" water (Revelations 3:16). This is where we have to take that leap of faith and say "God, I am COMPLETELY Yours. Create in me a pure heart and renew a spirit that is steadfast for living a pure life..." There are no eternal downsides to taking this step. Let's do it.
2) When I first looked at my bathroom and saw the gross dirt and grime everywhere, I was not looking forward to the job.
To be perfectly honest, the previous occupant had clogged the toilet, unbeknownst to me, so when I flushed the toilet a tidal wave of disgusting water invaded our already terrifyingly repulsive bathroom floor. As I rushed around, grabbing what I could (while preserving the "purity" of my bathroom towels) to stop the onslaught of horrifying wave, I came to the realization that I would have to clean the floor finally.
I began the task with a heavy spirit, for I was about to leave to work on a project and wasn't planning on using my time in this way. But as the task was being completed, I had a growing excitement at the beauty of the (significantly more) clean bathroom. What a difference a half-hour of time can make in a bathroom's cleanliness!
All of this I'm paralleling to our lives and the way Jesus cleans us "whiter than snow" (Psalm 51). What a joy I found the clean bathroom to be! I believe that Jesus has the same joy whenever we repent of our sin and He cleanses us "whiter than snow". Sure, the task looks tough in the beginning and we may not particularly want to (His prayer before His arrest: Luke 22:42), also, we see that the bathroom will get dirty again, probably very soon (we sin even after we're cleaned). But when Jesus cleans us of the "dirt" and "grime" in our hearts, what joy He must have knowing that we are now ready to serve Him in purity and holiness, with a clean heart.
Be encouraged! And pass it on.
1) When King David says in Psalm 51: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me", he is asking quite a big thing! Many times we look at this Psalm as simply a "confessional" Psalm, one that we should pray when we have sinned. While that is true, this captures the essence of the word "repentance", which means to not just confess, but to turn from your ways! To do a complete 180 from the direction you were headed (in your sin) and turn towards the Lord, walking the straight and narrow! Wow!
When David asks the Lord to create in him a pure heart, he's asking the Lord to take away ANYTHING that would not be pure in his heart. Still not grasping it? Check it out: think of all the "fun" things in life that are kinda borderline worshiping the Lord/not worshiping the Lord. David is asking them to be taken away. David wants to live an active pure life, not just passively trying to avoid dirtying his heart. What a request. A good friend of mine recently said, in response to a Jonathon Edwards quote: "Resolved, never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.", that a part of her doesn't want to get to the point Edwards did because of the selfish nature vying for ownership in her life. I completely concur when looking at David's request to the Lord, for in asking this I'll be asking Him to remove all impurity in my life, and that would involve things that I find "borderline", for God's not at all about the borderline. No, He spits out "lukewarm" water (Revelations 3:16). This is where we have to take that leap of faith and say "God, I am COMPLETELY Yours. Create in me a pure heart and renew a spirit that is steadfast for living a pure life..." There are no eternal downsides to taking this step. Let's do it.
2) When I first looked at my bathroom and saw the gross dirt and grime everywhere, I was not looking forward to the job.
To be perfectly honest, the previous occupant had clogged the toilet, unbeknownst to me, so when I flushed the toilet a tidal wave of disgusting water invaded our already terrifyingly repulsive bathroom floor. As I rushed around, grabbing what I could (while preserving the "purity" of my bathroom towels) to stop the onslaught of horrifying wave, I came to the realization that I would have to clean the floor finally.
I began the task with a heavy spirit, for I was about to leave to work on a project and wasn't planning on using my time in this way. But as the task was being completed, I had a growing excitement at the beauty of the (significantly more) clean bathroom. What a difference a half-hour of time can make in a bathroom's cleanliness!
All of this I'm paralleling to our lives and the way Jesus cleans us "whiter than snow" (Psalm 51). What a joy I found the clean bathroom to be! I believe that Jesus has the same joy whenever we repent of our sin and He cleanses us "whiter than snow". Sure, the task looks tough in the beginning and we may not particularly want to (His prayer before His arrest: Luke 22:42), also, we see that the bathroom will get dirty again, probably very soon (we sin even after we're cleaned). But when Jesus cleans us of the "dirt" and "grime" in our hearts, what joy He must have knowing that we are now ready to serve Him in purity and holiness, with a clean heart.
Be encouraged! And pass it on.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Mindgames
I've been dealing with thoughts that are clearly not of the Lord lately (well, lately being the last decade or so), and I've come to the point where I've had enough. For real.
The Bible says we are "set free from sin", yet I accepted that my thought-life is just something that happens. Certainly, because as Jesus was tempted yet never sinned (Hebrews 4:15) I have found comfort in the fact that although the temptation to lust, covet, etc. may come, I am able to call upon Jesus to help me in my temptation (Hebrews 2:18). But I have had these tempting thoughts and never given a second thought as to why they may be entering my thought life. Yes, I do have the human flesh that will tempt me in many ways, but why does my mind still drift to these things that are not at all of the Lord?
One of the things that has impacted me most in my strive for holiness in the last year came via my boy Heiden Ratner of the JMU Men's Basketball team. He and I are both on FCA Leadership here at James Madison and one night before FCA we were talking about something and when I said "yeah, I'm gonna try to do better in the future" he challenged me by saying (paraphrased) "why not now? When you learn that you're doing something wrong, don't wait in changing, start changing now!" The way I have been impacted is that when the Holy Spirit convicts me of something wrong in my life, instead of waiting around to see how bad it really is or how much in my life I need to change, I now just start changing.
Clarification: of course I'm not perfect in this by any means- whatever good I am doing is Jesus Christ in me. But it's a whole different mindset from how I had been thinking previously. Don't just talk about changing- do it. Back to the thought-life...
In my pure disgust of how my mind has been filled "lately", I began to think of why it has become this way. Yes, the fall of Adam and Eve had something to do with it, but on a more present-day, practical level, why am I thinking the way I am? Does it have anything to do with what I put into my mind?
Luke 11 talks about the eye being the "lamp of the body", and if your eyes are good your body will be good. But if your eyes are bad, your body will be bad, as well. So question #1 I asked myself: how beneficial are those "funny" videos I find on the internet? And the movies and TV shows I watch (in the little bit of free time I have)? How do they affect my thought life?
Question #2: yeah, it's a "grand" time when all my friends and I are making those jokes that I KNOW don't fall in line with Ephesians 5:3-4 (no sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking), but how are they affecting my thought life?
Have you ever stepped back and thought to yourself "why are the top rated comedies these days filled with obscenities, sexual immorality, and coarse (dirty) joking?" Well I have. We've been on a downward slope especially over the last few centuries and will just continue to go in that direction unless WE, the body of Christ, dig in our heels and cry out "I choose eternal life over temporary enjoyment", for Ephesians 5:5 says "No immoral, impure, or greedy person- such a man is an idolator- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God".
So enough is enough. I'm through with these crude, immature, immoral thoughts and, in the Lord's strength, am seeking to cut them out. Would Jesus enjoy those top rated movies or "funny" videos on youtube? As the Psalmist said:
"Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
The Bible says we are "set free from sin", yet I accepted that my thought-life is just something that happens. Certainly, because as Jesus was tempted yet never sinned (Hebrews 4:15) I have found comfort in the fact that although the temptation to lust, covet, etc. may come, I am able to call upon Jesus to help me in my temptation (Hebrews 2:18). But I have had these tempting thoughts and never given a second thought as to why they may be entering my thought life. Yes, I do have the human flesh that will tempt me in many ways, but why does my mind still drift to these things that are not at all of the Lord?
One of the things that has impacted me most in my strive for holiness in the last year came via my boy Heiden Ratner of the JMU Men's Basketball team. He and I are both on FCA Leadership here at James Madison and one night before FCA we were talking about something and when I said "yeah, I'm gonna try to do better in the future" he challenged me by saying (paraphrased) "why not now? When you learn that you're doing something wrong, don't wait in changing, start changing now!" The way I have been impacted is that when the Holy Spirit convicts me of something wrong in my life, instead of waiting around to see how bad it really is or how much in my life I need to change, I now just start changing.
Clarification: of course I'm not perfect in this by any means- whatever good I am doing is Jesus Christ in me. But it's a whole different mindset from how I had been thinking previously. Don't just talk about changing- do it. Back to the thought-life...
In my pure disgust of how my mind has been filled "lately", I began to think of why it has become this way. Yes, the fall of Adam and Eve had something to do with it, but on a more present-day, practical level, why am I thinking the way I am? Does it have anything to do with what I put into my mind?
Luke 11 talks about the eye being the "lamp of the body", and if your eyes are good your body will be good. But if your eyes are bad, your body will be bad, as well. So question #1 I asked myself: how beneficial are those "funny" videos I find on the internet? And the movies and TV shows I watch (in the little bit of free time I have)? How do they affect my thought life?
Question #2: yeah, it's a "grand" time when all my friends and I are making those jokes that I KNOW don't fall in line with Ephesians 5:3-4 (no sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking), but how are they affecting my thought life?
Have you ever stepped back and thought to yourself "why are the top rated comedies these days filled with obscenities, sexual immorality, and coarse (dirty) joking?" Well I have. We've been on a downward slope especially over the last few centuries and will just continue to go in that direction unless WE, the body of Christ, dig in our heels and cry out "I choose eternal life over temporary enjoyment", for Ephesians 5:5 says "No immoral, impure, or greedy person- such a man is an idolator- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God".
So enough is enough. I'm through with these crude, immature, immoral thoughts and, in the Lord's strength, am seeking to cut them out. Would Jesus enjoy those top rated movies or "funny" videos on youtube? As the Psalmist said:
"Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:21-24)
The Lord has seen the offensive way in me, and now I'm learning the way everlasting. It's a narrow gate, but a glorious one, for sure. So this, friends and family, is an encouragement to check your own thought life and, if you find "any offensive way", to repent without delay and "learn to do right". But even moreso, it's a call to hold me accountable- if you hear "unwholesome talk" (Eph 4:29) come out of my mouth, you'll know I haven't been thinking about "whatever is true... noble... right... pure... lovely... admirable... excellent... praiseworthy" (Philippians 4:8). Please immediately pull me aside and call me out. I desire to hate what Jesus hates, but I cannot fight this battle alone. With the body of Christ at my side and Jesus Christ as my Lord, I know "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers... Amen." (Galatians 6:18)
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