Letter From Christ

Chronicles from this Week

2012-01-27T22:58:00.001-06:00

It’s been an exciting week!

Monday - Wednesday I was away from home watching the three youngest children of some church friends while they went out of state. I stayed at their home, had the opportunity to homeschool the kids, do piano lessons and play with them. It was the first time I had watched anyone but my siblings overnight, so it was a new experience. Time flew by rapidly, and the children did excellently. Their youngest, a five year old girl, is very sweet and loves to do things with me. She is so funny, from the names she'd create for pretend play, to the conversations we had, like this one:

H: I live in Texas!
Me: I do too!
H: You do?

Thursday I spent catching up on things at home—practicing piano, doing chores and those sorts of things. Friday morning I had to be up bright and early and head downtown for my first jury summons. After sitting for 3 hours, doing some reading, and talking to the lady next to me, the court let us all go because the cases had finished. I admit I was a bit relieved, because while there I learned that if chosen for a jury, a case could last from 3-5 days, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to that (even though it technically wouldn’t be a choice).

So thus concludes my adventures of the week, including my first experience with jury duty!

(This is probably pretty boring for most of you, especially those who don't know me personally, but please bear with my ramblings.)

Loving When It's Difficult (part 2)

2012-01-25T08:36:00.000-06:00

Romans 12:9 says we are to hold fast to what is good. Here comes the application of what we are to do! What would this look like in terms of our conversations and actions towards others?

Hold Fast

love (Romans 12:10) “Every relationship for a Christian is an opportunity to love another person as God has loved us.” Joshua Harris
edify with your words (1 Thess. 5:11)
encourage (1 Thess. 5:11)
outdo (Romans 12:10)
contribute (Romans 12:13)
overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17, 21)
bless (Romans 12:14)
pursue peace (Romans 12:16, 18)

If we don’t love, we are not living out the gospel. We demonstrate you can love God and not love others. "We cannot choose whom we will love if we claim to be Christians." (Unknown)

Some of the most powerful testimonies of love are those of Christians who have been severely persecuted in other countries, and how God gave them the power to show love to those persecuting them. In the United States, persecution is far less severe, yet we tend to make a huge deal out of someone hurting our feelings or rejecting us.

"If our goal is to bring others to Christ we must be willing, as He was, to risk rejection. People may disappoint us, misunderstand our motives, even despise and persecute us. Our Savior did not let suffering prevent Him from being used by God to bring salvation to those He loved. Love for His Father provided all the motivation that was necessary." Henry BlackabyOur love is not dependent on how others treat us or how they will respond to us, but it is solely because God has loved us first (1 John 4:19). Our love to others is a reflection of that love.

"God created us for a love relationship with Him. When you are not living your life in the overflow of God’s love for you and your love for Him, then you cannot live the Christian life as it is intended."

Henry Blackaby

Loving When It's Difficult

2012-01-17T10:49:00.000-06:00

We can’t just say we love others. It must be genuine.

It’s interesting to read the second sentence in Romans 12:9 while thinking in light of the first sentence.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good.” I used to think of the second part of the verse as hating apparent evil, but I had never thought of it in light of the fact of the previous sentence about genuine love. I’d like to consider how we can hate evil and hold fast to what is good in light of loving genuinely.

Abhor What is Evil

Avoid speaking or listening to gossip. “Proverbs says that if you're wise, you willavoid gossips. And you will do what you can to shut it down--graciously,kindly, lovingly. But you will not be a part of destroying the Body of Christfor which He gave His life.” Nancy DeMoss (emphasis mine)

Avoid slander. (Col. 3:8) "The spiritually proud person shows it in his finding fault with other saints... [he is] quick to discern and take notice of theirdeficiencies." Jonathan Edwards

Turn away from anger. (Eph. 4:31, Col. 3:8, James 1:19-20) “By identifying biblically thekind of sin that is associated with your anger, you can correct your anger not simply externally (i.e., tempertantrums, sarcasm, vengeance, etc.), but also internally (idolatry: love of pleasure, love of money, love ofpraise, etc.) in your heart where the anger resides.” Lou Priolo

Guard against bitterness. (Heb. 12:15, Eph. 4:31) “Most of our bitterness and anger towards others is rooted in an inability to be profoundly amazed at Christ'slove for us in our sin.” John Piper

Avoid making rash judgments about others. “Very often judgment is passed against others in such a manner that shows the individual is well pleased in passing it. He is so forward in judging evil, and judges on such slight evidence, and carries his judgment to such extremes, as shows that his inclination is in it, and that he loves to think the worst about others.” Jonathan Edwards

If we are going to hate evil, we must be careful to avoid participating in the evil that would prevent us from loving others.

Love

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Loving others isn’t always easy.
It isn’t easy to love when your sibling messes up something of yours.
It isn’t easy to love when someone rejects you.
It isn’t easy to love when someone speaks unkindly of you.

But God commands it. Why would He command something that can be so difficult?

Because when things are too hard for us, it forces us to turn to Him. It reminds us that we must cry out for His help, His mercy. It requires His power.

That’s the beauty of difficulty. When we are weak, He shows Himself strong, and we can turn to Him for real power and strength.

There’s no exception to who we can love. We are even to love our enemies! (Matthew 5:44) Christ showed love to us sinners who hated Him and hung Him on a cross. That's the glory of the gospel--Christ dying for those who hated Him. Christ displaying perfect love for us. How could we then refuse to love those who treat us unfairly or who don't love us in return? “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.” 1 John 2:9-10

Christ tells us that people will know us by our love (John 13:35). How are you showing love to those around you? Are you calling on God’s strength to love even when it’s difficult?

“In our responding to evil, we should not do evil ourselves. But when we get defensive or bent out of shape, we start to take on the characteristics of those that we’re angry at, then we have sinned. We have become evildoers, and we forfeit the opportunity to influence evildoers in godly ways. We forfeit the opportunity to be redemptive.” Nancy DeMoss

Of First Importance

2012-01-08T22:56:00.000-06:00

Our church celebrated it's 6th anniversary today. We have experienced God's faithfulness in so many ways! As we look toward the future, our desire is to be a God-exalting, Christ-centered, Gospel-saturated church. This is of first importance.

Yes, we've been thinking a lot about the gospel. The significance of it, the necessity of not deviating from it, adding to it or twisting it in any form. As a family integrated church, it's easy to "define" our church by our structure. But that's not of first importance. God sending Christ to die for our sins is.

"Do our choices -whether it be to homeschool our children, "court" instead of date, pursue alternative options for higher education, or {fill in the blank} -define what we believe more than the gospel of Christ does?

I think they do. In fact, I know they do. We preach about this conservative choice or that conservative choice, about this decision that changed our life or that decision that turned our family upside down... forgetting all the while that our choices are important and should flow from gospel conviction, but they are not to be confused with the radical power of the gospel of Christ Jesus, the only conviction that saves.

And when we confuse the two, we are not proclaiming the gospel that truly transforms lives for the glory of God, but the behavior modification that turns virtue into an idol and whitewashes open tombs for the glory of man. (Matthew 23:27)" Jasmine Baucham

I hope and desire that my blog would become more gospel centered this year!

2012

2011-12-31T18:00:00.000-06:00

What is your mindset going into this new year?

If we neglect God’s Word and prayer, we are saying with our hearts and actions: “I can do it all by myself.”

Jesus has a different perspective: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” He says in John 15:5.

When we sit at Jesus’ feet, we are saying: “I need you! I can’t obey you without your help. I can’t serve you in my own strength. I can’t walk in a manner worthy of the gospel by myself. I need your grace.”

Girltalk-Sitting in the New Year

We can't do anything on our own. We must learn to sit before the Lord this upcoming year, acknowledging our great dependence on Him and seeking Him with our whole heart.

End of 2011

2011-12-31T12:05:00.000-06:00

The year ends today. Have you took time to evaluate 2011 and plan for 2012? Some questions to consider...

What has God taught you this year?
What has He miraculously worked in your life?
How do you plan to seek Him next year?
How will you use your time wisely, to honor and glorify Him?
What have you accomplished this year?
What was your biggest waste of time and how can you seek to improve next year?

"Have I pursued [God] with all my heart and soul or am I starting to begin to coast? Am I just getting lazy? Am I starting to enjoy stuff to the degree that Jesus is being diminished?"

John Piper

The Glorious Gospel as Proclaimed in the Old Testament

2011-12-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

Once recent morning, as I was pondering on the wonder of Jesus Christ coming to earth as a baby, I was directed to the power of the gospel, and how the very fact that Jesus humbled Himself and was born in the lowliest of places is such a marvelous thing. Then I thought about the prophets who prophesied Christ’s coming hundreds of years before, and I wondered how the gospel was proclaimed throughout those prophesies. I turned to Isaiah and Jeremiah and began searching, and this is what I found.

Man's Dilemma:

“For they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 5:24b

God's Promise:

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' Jer. 33:14-16

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jer. 31:31-34

Prophesy of the Messiah:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel Isaiah 7:14

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. Isaiah 11:1-4

Death of Christ:

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. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:3-6

Author of Salvation:

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25

You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, Your anger turned away, that You might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:1-2

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. Isaiah 9:2

The gospel certainly is a glorious picture. Even in the Old Testament it is declared with power and wonder! How could we not rejoice this Christmas season, because we’re celebrating the coming of Christ, who alone is our salvation! I believe our response should be like Mary's, who exclaimed:

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior"

Luke 1:46-47

My Car

2011-12-22T19:57:00.003-06:00

When we visited our relatives in November, my uncle asked me what car I drive. So I thought I’d show all of you, in case you were interested in seeing it.

It’s a cool car.

Bright red.

Old-fashioned.

Doesn't fit that many people though.

But my parents bought it for me. It was a Christmas present.

It’s in perfect condition.

I take wonderful care of it and don’t take it out much.

It even has my name on it!

It’s amazing.

Spectacular.

Fantastic.

So without further adieu…my beautiful car.

Yes, that is it. That’s the closest I get to having my own car. ;)

For those who use Reader....

2011-12-20T19:58:00.000-06:00

I posted a movie review, but it didn't show up in Google Reader. Check out my blog (and my sister's) to read our reviews of War Horse. You'll see some differences within our reviews, and my sister's is much more thorough. :)