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Friday, January 30, 2009

He's Baack!


This is a picture of my husband, Kristian, on New Year's Eve. He is making his Elvis face (he is a huge Elvis fan).

After a crazy season, Kristian's work schedule is finally settling down some. He was even able to blog today after a long absence from the blog that he and my cousin Emmanuel have together: http://gloriousjoyblog.blogspot.com/

Please join me in praying for my sweet husband. We are seeking God's direction as far as work, ministry, family, etc. Kristian is planning to do some more teaching this year, and he is working on writing a book called, "Glorious Joy," which is based on a class he taught at Mars Hill Church. (This class had a huge impact on my faith, as Kristian walked us through Scriptures pertaining to authentic faith as characterized by real joy and the other fruit of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. He showed us from Scripture how we quench the Spirit and how we pursue it.) If it is the Lord's will, we are praying this book will get published someday and that it would bless the Body of Christ. The future is full of the unknown, but our Gracious, Loving, God teaches us daily that He is more than worthy of all our trust and hope in all things!

Thank you for your prayers!

Elyse Fitzpatrick


Along with some lovely gals, I am currently attending the Elyse Fitzpatrick conference, "Women Discipling Women: Am I my Sister's Keeper?". Tonight was the first session. Elyse is a very gifted and wise teacher. (Check out her books here: http://elysefitzpatrick.com/Elyse_s_Books.html)

Tonight, Elyse led us in examining the Biblical concept of being a "keeper". "Shamar" is a Hebrew word that means keeping, guarding, hedging in, protecting, caring for, attending to, preserving, or watching over. This concept was used by Cain in Genesis 4 when God confronted Cain for killing his brother Abel. In that account, Cain defiantly answered God, "Am I my brother's keeper"? While Cain's use of the word "keeper" was mocking and sarcastic, Elyse pointed out to us tonight that God Himself is called our keeper (the concept of shamar) in several places throughout Scripture:

1 Samuel 2:9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.

Job 10:12 " You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit."

Psalm 25:20 "Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you"

Psalm 145:20 "The Lord preserves all who love him,but all the wicked he will destroy."

Psalm 146:9 "The Lord watches over the sojourners;he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin."

Psalm 121 "I lift up my eyes to the hills.From where does my help come?2 My help comes from the Lord,who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.4 Behold, he who keeps Israelwill neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.6 The sun shall not strike you by day,nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming infrom this time forth and forevermore."

John 17 "When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth."

How refreshing, inspiring, and humbling to look at these Scriptures that speak about God's tremendous love, fierce protection, and unwaivering care for us! After having rooted us in this foundational teaching, Elyse is transitioning us into what that means in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are we are sister's keeper? I love this quote she mentioned tonight from Matthew Henry's commentary on Genesis 4:

"A charitable concern for our brethren, as their keepers, is a great duty, which is strictly required of us, but is generally neglected by us. Those who are unconcerned in the affairs of their brethren, and take no care, when they have opportunity, to prevent their hurt in their bodies, goods, or good name, especially in their souls, do, in effect, speak Cain's language."

Wow, what a rich and profound quote with extremely weighty implications! I'm praising God for saints like Matthew Henry and Elyse Fitzpatrick, whom God has gifted and through whom He is edifying His Body. I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow's teaching.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Jesus’ Heart for His Bride Part 1 (John 13)

Lately, I have been meditating on John 13-17. These are Jesus’ last moments with His beloved disciples before going to the cross. These sweet and sacred moments reflect Jesus’ deepest desire for His twelve disciples and for us. Here is John 13:

Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet
13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

One of You Will Betray Me
21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

A New Commandment
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Here are a few observations from Chapter 13:

1) Jesus wants us to know His love for us. Christ deeply loves His bride, and He went to great lengths to demonstrate His love for us. I am so moved by His love for my brothers and sisters in Christ and for me.

2) The legacy we ought to pursue is love. As He was nearing the end of His life, Jesus looked back on his legacy as loving His own to the end. Love glorifies Christ.

3) We ought to be rooted in Christ’s love. Christ’s love is our comfort and strength, and it is our inspiration and example in loving others. Our love for others must be an overflow from His love for us.

4) In love, we ought to consider the interests of others even in the middle of our own trials. Rather than fretting anxiously about the horrific suffering He knew He was about to endure, Jesus’ focus was not on Himself but on lavishly loving those around Him.

5) We ought to love without partiality. Jesus, who is God our Savior, willingly came to earth as a man. That is scandalous! If that wasn’t scandalous enough, He came as a servant! He could have come as a mighty king. He could have chosen disciples who were influential, wealthy, wise, charismatic, powerful, popular, and beautiful. Instead He came as a simple carpenter. He sought out and invested in simple, blue collar, averagely gifted disciples through whom He built His church.

6) We ought to love with humility and with a servant heart. This Jesus, through whom the world was created, was entitled to be worshipped as God Almighty, yet He kneeled down to perform the lowly task of washing His disciples’ dirty calloused feet. We too ought to humble ourselves in sacrificial servant love.

7) We ought to love in the face of betrayal, abandonment, and pain. Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him to the death and that Peter, one of His closest friends, was going to deny Him three times. With this knowledge, Jesus still lovingly washed their feet.

8) We ought to love with no agenda. Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him to death and was doomed to destruction, and yet Jesus still lovingly washed Judas’ feet, knowing Judas would never turn.

9) We ought to go to Jesus to be clean. We can have no part in Him if we do not allow Him to make us clean. He cleansed us at salvation when we first gave Him our sin (in utter dependence on Him) in return for His righteousness. He also continually cleanses and sanctifies us as we continually go to Him, confess our ongoing struggles with sin, and receive His forgiveness and grace for each day. (See, Matt 6:12 & 1 John 1:9.)

10) We are not above Jesus. If it was fitting for Jesus, Our Perfect God, to love sacrificially, humbly, impartially, with no agenda, and even in the face of betrayal and abandonment, we ought to do the same.

11) The way we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ is the way we treat Christ Himself (see verse 20). If we love, serve, honor, and bless our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are loving, serving, honoring, and blessing Christ Himself! If we abuse, reject, abandon, dismiss, and ignore our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are abusing, rejecting, abandoning, dismissing and ignoring Christ Himself! This applies equally in how we treat the most prestigious of our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as the most humble of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

12) The way Christian brothers and sisters love one another will be a witness to the world of our belonging to Christ. In this, Jesus is talking about the kind of love that He demonstrated to us, not the kind of love that comes naturally to us or the kind of love that we see in the world around us. Worldly love tells us to love those who love us. Worldly love tells us to love those who can do something for us. Worldly love tells us to seek prestige, honor, fame, and glory for ourselves and it is okay to use or abandon people to get there. Wordly love tells us we need to be ruthless to win. Worldly love tells us to look out for #1 (ourselves). Worldly love tells us to seek out associations with the influential, wealthy, wise, charismatic, powerful, popular, and beautiful. Worldly love tells us to protect ourselves from being vulnerable or wounded at all costs, even if that means holding back in our love and sacrificial service. Worldly love tells us to give up on those who hurt or betray us. Worldly love tells us to get revenge. Worldly love is sappy, fleeting, defensive, and wavering. Jesus’ love is affectionate, yet courageous, fierce, bold, risk-taking, sacrificial, persevering, and enduring. Jesus tells us to love even those who don’t love us. Jesus tells us to love without an agenda. Jesus tells us to love without partiality. Jesus tells us to love humbly, sacrificially, and lavishly. Jesus tells us to love those who hurt and betray us, even if it breaks our hearts. (Matt 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”)

What do you see in John 13 about Jesus’ heart for His Bride? Is there anything that He has revealed to you through this section of Scripture?

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Ooops I did it again

I cut my own bangs. Why do I ever think that is a good idea? Try not to laugh when you see me. :)

Served by Royalty

photo by Christopher Toothman/NPR
I heard an interesting story on NPR the other day. It was an interview of Lynwood Westray, an African American man who served faithfully for 32 years as a butler in the White House.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99418917#email

The story was about how up until recently, the only African Americans who lived in the White House were men and women who were servers, cooks, maids, and even sometimes (appallingly) “property” of U.S. presidents. Westray was reflecting back on his history of service and expressing his elation over finally seeing the first African American elected as President of the United States.

One part of the story that moved me in particular was Westray’s account of his fondest memory in the White House:

When reflecting on his fondest memory, Westray talks about a time in 1979 when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the White House. After dinner, Prince Philip went into the Red Room, next to the state dining room. Westray and his buddy were serving liquor. Westray says he was carrying the tray and glasses.

“The prince was in there by himself, which was odd, because everybody else had gone down to the other end of the building," Westray says. "I said, 'Your Majesty, would you care for a cordial?' He says, 'I'll take one if you let me serve it.' What do you do? I didn't do all that because I had the stuff in my hand. And he says, 'If you let me pour it, I'll have one with you.'
"... So he poured it, the one he wanted, and we took the same thing that he had. And we had our drink there together and had a little talk while we were there. He told us if we were ever over there in London to stop at Buckingham Palace and see him.
Can you imagine the prince serving you? I enjoyed it. You know, we're not supposed to drink and carry on at that time. We're not guests. It was just the three of us in the room, so nobody knew what happened. And I drank my little cordial, we all drank, and had a little conversation. But that was one thing I'll never forget, having been served by royalty.”

Wow, I cannot imagine what it would be like to be served by Prince Philip and casually invited to stop by to see him at Buckingham Palace!

In our world, it is scandalous to think of a prince serving a butler. Yet really, it is still just one man serving another man; it is just one sinner serving another sinner. As I was thinking about it, I realized that I too have been served by royalty, but in an infinitely greater way. How incredible it is to think of our Perfect Creator God serving His own creation after we willfully rebelled against His goodness! The God of the Universe left His throne and stepped into the messiness of this fallen and broken world. He came and washed the feet of 12 humble Jewish blue collar men. Not only did He defy the hierarchy of the cosmos, but He crossed enemy lines to do it. He died a criminal’s death, tortured and punished for the sins of those who betrayed (yes betrayed!) Him. He came into my world of pride, selfishness, hopelessness, sin and death, and revealed Himself to be my Glorious Savior. He engages me everyday even though I still stumble in sin and struggle to have faith. How great is our Heavenly Father for sending His Precious Son in love for us who were once His enemies! How great is Our Precious Savior for leaving His Glorious Father for us who were once His enemies! How blessed are we to be called the children of God the Father and co-heirs with God the Son and a dwelling place for God the Spirit!

While I do think it would have been amazing to be served by Prince Philip, I am infinitely more amazed that the God of the Universe stooped down to cleanse me and make me His own!

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Philippians 2:1-11 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 4:8-111 “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,who was and is and is to come!” 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Peacemaker

I have another book to add to my top 10 most highly recommended books. It’s called “The Peacemaker” by Ken Sande. I cannot describe how much God is ministering to me in it right now. The book is for anyone who is in any kind of a relationship (in case you missed the implications of that sentence, I mean that this book is for everyone.) The book contains a wealth of Scripture references relating to peacemaking. I am learning to see the glory of God in conflict as I see His character (Slow to Anger, Abounding in Love, Merciful, Just, True, Righteous, Mighty, Peace-loving, Compassionate, Sacrificial, etc.) I am learning to see the gospel of peace—that the Father sent His Precious Son Jesus to resolve the conflict that rose between us and the Father through our sin against His Holiness. I am learning to see how we image God and His gospel in reconciliation, peace, unity, forgiveness, mercy, and costly love. I am learning that these things are not optional for a Christian. I am learning what my weaknesses are in conflict and what my tendencies toward sin are in conflicts in which I have sinned against others and/or they have sinned against me. Here are just a few great quotes from the book:

“Internal peace comes only from being reconciled to God through His Son, receiving His righteousness and the power to resist sin, and then obeying what God commands. “And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us” 1 John 3:23). By God’s design, the three dimensions of peace are inseparably joined. As one author (Tim Hansel) expressed it, “Peace with God, peace with each other and peace with ourselves come in the same package.” Therefore, if you want to experience internal peace, you must be reconciled to God by trusting in His Son and seek harmonious relationships with those around you.” P. 47
******

“When peace and unity characterize your relationships with other people, you show that you are God’s child and He is present and working in your life (Matt 5:9).” P. 47
******

"John 17:1-19 “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Jesus prayed these words during the final hours of His life. As death drew near, the Lord focused on a single concept He know to be of paramount importance for all those who would believe in Him. He did not pray that His followers would always be happy, that they would never suffer, or that their rights would always be defended. Jesus prayed that His followers would get along with one another. This was so important to Him that He tied His reputation and the credibility of His message to how well His followers would display unity and oneness. Read His prayer once more and think about how important unity is to Him. Is it equally important to you?

Similar words are recorded in John 13:34-35, where Jesus tells His disciples that their public witness could be closely related to the way they treated one another:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The love Jesus commands us to show to one another has little to do with warm feelings; in fact, He commands us to show love even when it is the last thing int eh worlds we feel like doing (Luke 6:27-28). The love that Jesus wants us to show for one another leaves no room for unresolved conflict:

1 Cor 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. "
P. 47-8
******

"Jesus gave this command, ‘So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift’ (Matt 5:23-24)

Peace and unity are so important that Jesus commands us to seek reconciliation with a brother even ahead of worship! He teaches that we cannot love and worship God properly if we are at odds with another person and have not done everything in our power to be reconciled (1 Jn 4:19-21). He also reminds us that our Christian witness depends greatly on our commitment to seek peace and reconciliation with others.” P. 49
*******

“unity does not mean uniformity” p. 53

In addition to laying out a Biblical framework for why peacemaking is central to being a Christian, Sande offers practical tips for navigating conflict and includes several lists of heart-piercing questions designed to get at our motives, desires, demands, and idols in conflicts. Whether you are too quick to speak or too timid, whether you are too sensitive or too insensitive, whether you are too obsessed with people or tend to throw them away, this book will be convicting. Sande examines difficult Biblical concepts such as speaking truth and overlooking minor offenses, while drawing us to the point of each—loving God and loving others with Biblical, sacrificial, scandalous gospel love.

If you do start reading this book (or have read it already), I would love to hear your thoughts on what God is revealing to you in it.

Friday, January 23, 2009

ESPN and Lavish Love

For anyone who knows me, you might be surprised to see me posting an article from ESPN on my blog since I know virtually nothing about sports. I heard this story on the radio and it really touched me. It is keeping with a theme that has been on my heart lately--Biblical love is scandalously lavish love. Enjoy….


Photo by Melinda Wright "Gainsesville State players douse head coach Mark Williams in celebration."

Life of Reilly
"There are some games in which cheering for the other side feels better than winning."
by Rick Reilly


They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas. It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down. For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through.
Did you hear that? The other team's fans?
They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.

It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.

"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah. "I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids. But they wanted us to!"

And even though Faith walloped them 33-14, the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath in history for an 0-9 coach.

But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting the 14 Gainesville players off the field and two and two started to make four. They lined the players up in groups of five—handcuffs ready in their back pockets—and marched them to the team bus. That's because Gainesville is a maximum-security correctional facility 75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.

This all started when Faith's head coach, Kris Hogan, wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville team. Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score. After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game, Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year. Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment and involved parents. Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery—many of whose families had disowned them—wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.

So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans—for one night only—cheered for the other team? He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that. "Here's the message I want you to send:" Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."
Some people were naturally confused. One Faith player walked into Hogan's office and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?"

And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you."

Next thing you know, the Gainesville Tornadoes were turning around on their bench to see something they never had before. Hundreds of fans. And actual cheerleaders!

"I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville lineman (only first names are released by the prison). "They started yelling 'DEE-fense!' when their team had the ball. I said, 'What? Why they cheerin' for us?'"

It was a strange experience for boys who most people cross the street to avoid. "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games," says Gerald, a lineman who will wind up doing more than three years. "You can see it in their eyes. They're lookin' at us like we're criminals. But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!"

Maybe it figures that Gainesville played better than it had all season, scoring the game's last two touchdowns. Of course, this might be because Hogan put his third-string nose guard at safety and his third-string cornerback at defensive end. Still.

After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."

And it was a good thing everybody's heads were bowed because they might've seen Hogan wiping away tears.

As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard, they each were handed a bag for the ride home—a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from a Faith player.

The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."

And as the bus pulled away, all the Gainesville players crammed to one side and pressed their hands to the window, staring at these people they'd never met before, watching their waves and smiles disappearing into the night.

Anyway, with the economy six feet under and Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer, it's nice to know that one of the best presents you can give is still absolutely free.

Hope.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Tyrone Wells in Seattle on February 6th


If you get a chance, check out Tyrone Wells in concert at Nuemos (a great Seattle venue) on February 6th. You can get tickets here. http://www.tyronewells.com/tour.aspx I have been listening to his new album “Remain” a lot, and I just love it. You can listen to some songs from it here: www.myspace.com/tyronewells or you can buy his CD on iTunes. I went to his concert back in November and had a really great time. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go his concert this time (for a good reason-- my cousin Joey, who is basically my little brother, is getting married…so exciting!). I might try to catch Tyrone in another city though. A friend recently described his music like a mix between Coldplay and One Republic. Good stuff!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Prayer of Rick Warren and Seeing the Glory of God Our Redeemer in the Inauguration of President Obama


2 Timothy 2:1-6 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

What a powerful experience it was to join Pastor Rick Warren and God’s children around the world in praying for our new president and his beautiful family today! This is not about political affiliation. This is about 1 Timothy 1:1-6, which directs us to pray for our leaders in such a way that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way, giving honor to our Merciful God who desires that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth! What a glorious and good God we serve! I also see the glory of His redeeming power at work in raising up an African American leader in a country with a history of abhorrent treatment toward African Americans. While we are not yet what we should be, God is moving and has moved. Today is a small reminder that our God is in the business of redemption, and it is a tiny taste of the glorious redemption that our Lord will bring us into fully one day! Praise be to our God!

Here is the text of Rick Warren’s inaugural prayer that I prayed with him with tears on this historic day, January 20, 2009:

Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us, ‘Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one’ and you are the compassionate and merciful one and you are loving to everyone you have made.
Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African American President of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African Immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or by blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us.

When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day, all nations, all people will stand accountable before You. We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the One who changed my life—Yeshua, Esa, Jesus, Jesus—who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be they name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

(John 13) Lavishly Loving those who Betray, Abandon, and Reject Us


I am currently reading an excellent book called “The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict” by Ken Sande. So far, I am having a hard time putting it down. I love the way it is focused on glorifying God in conflict, particularly through loving and serving those who have hurt and sinned against us. This is precisely what it means to imitate Christ and glorify God!


Ephesians 5:1-2 says “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” This is no easy thing, and it often hurts deeply, particularly when our efforts to extend ourselves in love are not reciprocated or are even despised. I am beginning to believe that following Christ means having your heart broken over and over. In many ways, this should be no surprise to us, as our Savior was called a “man of sorrows” (see, Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and rejected by men;a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”) Jesus is our prime example of what it means to extend lavish, scandalous, costly love and grace in the face of betrayal, abandonment, and rejection, and as hard as it is to practice, this is precisely what it means to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” The cross Jesus bore was the ultimate act of grace and love extended on behalf of those who betrayed Him in the deepest way—you and me, who rejected, betrayed, and spat on His lovingkindness by sinning against His Holy Name. Still, Jesus pursued us at great cost to Himself—leaving His Beloved Father’s side, leaving His throne and demeaning Himself to be born a feeble man in the humblest of circumstances, investing in loved ones who would betray Him, and dying a shameful painful death as punishment for the sins of the world, though He Himself never committed a single sin. Jesus blessed those who hurt and betrayed Him. He humbly washed Judas’ feet even though He knew Judas was going to betray Him unto death. He lovingly restored Peter, even though Peter demonstrated his shame in associating with Jesus at the first sign of pressure when Peter denied Jesus three times. He graciously adopted me into His family even though I have sinned against Him countless times and continue to do so, spitting upon His Holiness, Righteousness, Beauty, Love, Majesty, Sovereign Rule, and Love. Jesus is characterized by loving those who betray, abandon, and reject Him. It is this very scandalous love that melts our harden hearts in surrender to Him when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see it. (Romans 2:4)

I read John 13 and I want to learn to love like Jesus does, even if it breaks my heart over and over! I want the Holy Spirit to empower me to show such love that is not natural and is not intuitive—the kind of love that takes great risks to self and that is willing to pursue and extend grace and mercy and lavish blessing in the face of betrayal and rejection…the kind of love that blesses those who persecute me and that blesses my enemies. I can only do this by studying God’s Word (especially the example of Jesus) and by asking the Holy Spirit to fill me and empower me to obey God’s Word and to follow Jesus’ example of lavish love in my everyday life situations. Because this is entirely counter-intuitive to my natural desires and flesh, I must plead with God in utter dependence on Him so that I would not be a slave to my own pain in betrayal, rejection, and abandonment, but rather that I would be consumed instead by Jesus and His love for the Father, for me, and for others.

The opportunity to imitate Christ’s love arises particularly in conflict (I am defining conflict as situations where unresolved sin has separated two or more people). Indeed, Christ’s purpose in coming to earth was to mediate the conflict we had with God because of our rebellion and sin. In his book, Ken Sande reminds us that conflict gives us the opportunity to glorify God by: 1) trusting Him, obeying Him, imitating Him, and acknowledging Him; and 2) by serving others, showing mercy and blessing to others, by working together against a common problem, by carrying our opponent’s burdens, and by helping others learn where they need to change, and 3) by growing in Christlikeness by being more Spirit-led in utter dependence on God, by exposing our sin, and by learning Christlike habits, attitudes, and behaviors. Sande urges us to pursue these principles in our conflicts: 1) Glorify God; 2) Get the log out of our own eye; 3) Gently restore; and 4) Go and be reconciled to our brother or sister (pg. 38).

Here are some gems from Chapter 1 of Ken Sande’s book:

“…the Bible teaches that we should see conflict neither as an inconvenience nor as an occasion to force our will on others, but rather as an opportunity to demonstrate the love and power of God in our lives.” P. 31

“Conflict always provides an opportunity to glorify God, that is, to bring him praise and honor by showing who he is, what he is like, and what he is doing. The best way to glorify God in the midst of conflict is to depend on and draw attention to His grace, that is, the undeserved love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom He gives to us through Jesus Christ.” P. 31

“Instead of relying on your own ideas and abilities as you respond to people who oppose you, ask God to give you grace to depend on him and follow his ways, even if they are completely opposite to what you feel like doing (Prov. 3:5-7). Above all, hold on tightly to the liberating promises of the gospel. Trust that Jesus has forgiven your sins, and confess them freely. Believe that He is using the pressures of conflict to help you to grow and cooperate with Him. Depend on His assurance that He is always watching over you, and stop fearing what others might do to you. Know that He delights to display His sanctifying power in your life and attempt to do things that you could never accomplish in your own strength, such as forgiving someone who has hurt you deeply. As you trust the Lord in these “unnatural” ways, people will have the opportunity to see that God is real and Him for His works in your life (see Acts 16:22-31). P. 31-32

“One of the most powerful ways to glorify God is to do what He commands ( Matt 5:16; John 17:4; Phil. 1:9-10). As Jesus said, ‘This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples’ (John 15:8). Obeying God’s commands without compromise honors Him by showing that His ways are absolutely good, wise, and dependable. Our obedience also demonstrates that He is worthy of our deepest love and devotion.” P. 32

“As Paul knew, imitating Jesus in the midst of conflict is the surest path to restoring peace and unity with those who oppose us (see Eph. 4:1-3). More importantly, when we live out the gospel in our lives, we mirror Jesus’ humility, mercy, forgiveness, and loving correction, we surprise the world and give concrete evidence of the Lord’s presence and power in our lives (see Phil. 1:9-11; 1 Peter 2:12). P. 32

“Every time you encounter a conflict, you will inevitably show what you really think of God. If you want to show that you love Him ‘with all your heart and with all yoru soul and with all your mind’ (Matt 22:37), then ask Him to help you trust, obey, imitate, and acknowledge Him, especially when it is difficult to do so. This behavior honors God and shows others how worthy He is of your devotion and praise.” P. 33

“Many disputes begin or grow worse because one or both sides give into their emotions and say or do things they later regret. When you focus on trusting, obeying, imitating, and acknowledging God, you will be less inclined to stumble in these ways. As Psalm 37:31 says, ‘The law of God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. The other benefit of a God-centered approach to conflict resolution is that it makes you less dependent on results. Even if others refuse to respond positively to your efforts to make peace, you can find comfort in the knowledge that God is pleased with your obedience. That knowledge can help you persevere in difficult situations.” P. 33-34

“Clearly, we are not released from the command to love our neighbor as ourselves, even when that neighbor is hating, cursing, and mistreating us. Instead of reacting harshly or seeking revenge, God calls us to be merciful to those who offend us, just as He is merciful to us (Luke 6:36). We cannot serve others in this way in our own strength. We must continually breathe in God’s grace (through the study of His Word, prayer, worship, and Christian fellowship), and then breathe out His love, mercy, forgiveness, and wisdom to others through our words and actions.” P. 35

“The concept of stewardship is especially relevant to peacemaking. Whenever you are involved in a conflict, God has given you a management opportunity. He has empowered you through the gospel and entrusted you with abilities and spiritual resources. His Word clearly explains how He wants you to manage the situation. The more faithfully you draw on His grace and follow his instructions, the more likely you are to see a constructive solution and genuine reconciliation. Faithful stewarding will also leave you with a clear conscience before God, regardless of the actions of those opposing you.” P. 39

“Faithfulness is not a matter of results; it is a matter of dependent obedience. P. 40

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for making peace with us through your one and only Beloved Son. Thank you, Jesus, for paying the painful and costly price of making peace with us. Thank you for your tremendous example of love, mercy, and grace. Thank you, Spirit, for opening our eyes to God-glorifying scandalous love, and please produce this love in us! Give us the power to lavishly love those who deeply wound us. Show us every opportunity to do so, and enable us to take these opportunities in your power. Please enable us to learn more about you and more about how to glorify you in conflict. We pray that you would restore those relationships in which we are experiencing conflict. May you bring about reconciliation among us!! Even when those who oppose us do not want reconciliation, give us hearts of lavish love and enable us to do all that we can to live in peace with our brothers and sisters. Teach us how to bless those who oppose us in ways that honor you and show others your surpassing worth. Keep us humble before you, and show us our sin and weaknesses. Help us to remove the log from our eye before removing the speck from our brother’s eye. Where we are deficient in grasping your profound love, mercy, grace, and scandalous love, please open our eyes to the beauty of these things. May we imitate them by the Spirit in our relationships with others. We ask all of this in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Friday, January 16, 2009

John 13-17

Jesus washes the Disciples feet
John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

One of You Will Betray Me
21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

A New Commandment
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial 36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life
14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another. The Hatred of the World 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. 16:1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy 16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

I Have Overcome the World
25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” 29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world

17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Jesus’ Heart for His Bride (Introduction)

Some of my favorite passages of Scripture are in John 13-17, during the time Jesus spends with His disciples after the last supper. In these sections, we get an intimate glimpse into the heart of Jesus for His disciples and for His Bride (His Bride is His Church--in other words, all who belong to Him by faith and who love and worship Him as God and King). In John 13-17, Jesus speaks openly to His disciples about who He is, His relationship with the Father, the point of His life and death, His heart for His Church, and the love of God.

To me, this section of Scripture speaks volumes about the Glory of God. In these passages, I see that our God is most glorified in love. I see the glorious, beautiful, magnificent love between God the Father and God the Son. (Jonathan Edwards would say the love between God the Father and God the Son is the person of the Holy Spirit. See his unpublished essay on the trinity: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/trinity/files/trinity.html ).

This love is nothing like the diluted, self-interested, sappy, inconsistent, wavering, mortal state we so often pathetically call “love”. In fact, the love I see in John 13-15 is out of this world. We will talk more of its incredible characteristics in upcoming posts. This love is like a river that originates between the Father and the Son and overflows to us and back to Him and from us to others and back to Him. This river is the power source of the Christian life. I see this in Ephesians 3:14-21:

“14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

This love is the very fuel required to live the Christian life depicted in the rest of Ephesians. Without being rooted and established in God’s love, we cannot live the life He intends for us. This is where Jesus’ vision for His Bride begins.

I have never learned so much about Biblical love as I have in this past year. God is opening my eyes in increasing measure to show me the nature of the love between the Father and the Son and the nature of His love for me and what that means as far as how He wants me to love Him and others. God is opening my eyes to how flawed my conception of love is when it is rooted in my fleshly desires and in the values of this world. His Word contains the true definition of love. I need to be in His Word to renew my mind and to discern what flesh and world induced lies have corrupted the way I view love, give love, and receive love. In His Word, I read about His desires, motivations, and actions and they reveal to me how He wants me to understand love and live out love for Him and for others in my desires, motivations, and actions. As I read His Word, He is gradually transforming my concept of love into His. I know this will be a life-long process.

God’s love is the major theme I see in John 13-17 (and really in all of Scripture). I want to grow in my understanding of it. It astounds me how much His love is so deep (as in profound) and deep (as without measure) and yet so real and practical in the largest and smallest details of my life. I see His love in the scandal of substitutionary atonement,[1] knowing that Jesus underwent the death penalty for my sin so that I could have a relationship with my Triune God! I see His love in the incarnation--where Jesus left the highest of thrones with the Father and came on a rescue mission for humanity, being born to an unwed teenager in a barn in the middle of nowhere. Yet, I also see His love in the way the other day I cried out to God the Father with tears of despair and loneliness only to get a phone call moments later from my husband (who had no idea how badly I was doing) who told me that God burdened his heart suddenly to end his long workday to come home and take care of me. I see God's love in the way that Kristian prayed specifically to be reminded of God's love today in the weariness of his schedule these days (14 plus hour work days, 7 days per week for the past month), and shortly afterward received an e-mail from a dear family member who wrote to him out of the blue to tell him that she was praying for him and proud of the sacrificial love he is demonstrating to provide for his family. These acts are meaningful and practical extensions of God's love to us!

Come with me as we look at John 13-17 in some upcoming posts, examining how God is glorified in love. Let us behold the Glory of God in love and see how it relates to Jesus’ heart for us.

Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to behold you glory in increasing measure. We know that the light of the knowledge of your glory is in Jesus Christ. Help us through the Spirit to see Jesus more clearly in John 13-17. May it cause us to marvel and wonder at your character. May it produce joyful and grateful worship in our hearts for Your Name! May our beholding beget transformation in our lives, from one degree of glory to another. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

[1] Here’s a mini definition of “substitutionary atonement” from Wikipedia: “Substitutionary atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology which states that Jesus of Nazareth died – intentionally and willingly – on the cross as a propitiation, or substitute, for sinners. This doctrine presents Jesus' death as a supreme act of love for mankind, in order to bring people into a relationship with God. It stresses the vicarious nature of the crucifixion as being "instead of us". This vicarious and substitutionary nature of the atonement is expressed in Scripture verses such as "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness," (1 Pet. 2:24) and "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God," (1 Peter 3:18).”

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Transformed by Beholding the Glory of God

I recently finished reading “This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence” by John Piper. Wow, I have to say it is the best book on marriage I have ever read outside of the Bible. It is a book that is valuable for men and women, married, single, parents, and those who aren't parents. Indeed, Piper actually addresses all of these categories of people in this book. The book has universal appeal because it gets at the very purpose of human existence for everyone—to glorify God by imaging the gospel. As you can guess by the title, the primary focus of the book is how we image the gospel in marriage. This book does not contain 50 steps toward a better marriage, nor does it expound on the numerous societal benefits of marriage. Rather, it gives us something much deeper by giving us a glimpse into the wonder of God’s design for marriage in the greater scheme of His glory and our joy in knowing Him for all eternity. I love this quote from it:

“Focusing on the pragmatic effects of marriage undermines the very power of marriage to achieve the effects we desire. In other words, for the sake of all these beneficial practical effects, we should not focus on them. This is the way life is designed by God to work. Make him and the glory of His Son central, and you get the practical effects thrown in. Make the practical effects central, and you lose both.” P. 177

Isn’t that true for all things in life? “Make Him and the glory of His Son central, and you get the practical effects thrown in. Make the practical effects central and you lose both.”

Knowing and beholding the glory of God in the face of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, through the Word in worship is how we see practical fruit in our marriages, in our friendships, in our churches, and in all aspects of our lives. Here it is in Scripture:

2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”


For a more on this topic, check out this post by Kristian:

http://thereligiousaffections.blogspot.com/2008/02/oh-taste-and-see-that-lord-is-good.html

Dear Heavenly Father, You are glorious! Please show us your glory everyday through Jesus, through the Word, and by the power of your Spirit, . Show us what it means to worship you, God. Show us the beauty of your character and the gospel of your amazing grace and radical love. Transform us through worship. Show us the unforced rhythms of grace--that our transformation flows from beholding and worshipping you rather than by our efforts and plans. In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen

Monday, January 12, 2009

Jesus' Heart for His Church

We are still having a good discussion on Biblical community/friendships in the comment section of my last post. This is a theme that has come up a lot in the teaching at our church and God is doing something in my heart about it. (I highly recommend Pastor Scott Golike’s sermon from this past Sunday Jan 11 on Spiritual Gifts and the Edification of the Body of Christ.) http://www.gracepugetsound.com/sermons/

I am meditating on John 17 right now and what it shows about Jesus’ heart for His Church:

John 17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Friendship Audio

I listened to this talk while on the treadmill this morning. http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/ladies-night/friendship It had a lot of great scriptures and good food for thought for those of us who are mediating on what it means to be a Biblical friend in loving, sincere, transparent, and sacrificial Christian community (for more on friendship, click on the "friendship" label on my sidebar).

I'd love to hear more on what God is teaching you about Biblical friendship and how that differs from worldly friendship. Feel free to post under comments.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Spirit-filled


Kristian taught an amazing class last year called “Glorious Joy” at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. He and my cousin Emmi have a blog with the same name (see my sidebar for the link). The class hugely impacted my faith. Last Sunday, our pastor, Pastor Scott Golike, preached a wonderful sermon that discussed some of the themes that came up in Kristian’s Glorious Joy class (the Holy Spirit, our need to be filled with the Spirit continually, the concept of being an authentic Spirit-filled Biblical community, etc.).

It is definitely worth listening to:
(If you do get a chance to listen, feel free to post your thoughts about it in the comments section of this post.)
Kristian missed the sermon on Sunday because of all the craziness at work, but I know he’ll be on the edge of his seat when he listens to the mp3! Really good stuff.

Fun Recipes


I was at Central Market the other day and they were doing a cooking demonstration with grilled pork and Pineapple Papaya Relish. It tasted yum, so I thought I would try making it. Generally, I rarely cook or eat pork, but I thought I would give it a try since it was so good. I just grilled the pork on a grill pan with some extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper and topped it with Pineapple Papaya Relish.

Here is the recipe for the Pineapple Papaya Relish. I never follow recipes exactly, so I added another clove of garlic and a few tablespoons of fresh cilantro:

2 cups finely diced fresh pineapple
1 cup finely diced fresh papaya
1 finely diced red bell pepper
½ cup finely diced sweet onion
1 garlic clove
1 small fresh hot green chili (Serrano or Thai), seeded and minced (wear gloves or Ziploc bag)
2 tablespoons mint leaves
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Serve at room temperature on top of the hot grilled pork.

Two nights later, I took the left over pineapple papaya relish and made up a chicken dish. I took boneless skinless chicken breast and cut it into thin strips. I sautéed it in a little bit of olive oil with salt and pepper for a couple minutes. Then, I poured the leftover relish into the pan. I added about 2 tablespoons of corn starch and whisked it into the liquid, fully dissolving it. (I added a little bit of water.) I drizzled sesame oil over it and added some sesame seeds to it. I added salt to taste. I then chopped a couple cloves of fresh garlic and threw it into the mix. I let it simmer for a bit and the sauce thickened. I served this dish over brown rice.

Kristian loved it after a very long day at work (He has been working 7 days per week at least 14 hours per day for the past three weeks! Please join me in praying for his spiritual, physical, and mental health to make it through one more week of this until the boats finally leave Seattle for Alaska! He is such a hard worker, and I am so proud of him and blessed to be his wife.)