To Come Away with Him

Monday, September 10, 2012

College Campus

The Stadium

The cute little "meditation" chapel that is such a blessing!

The chapel

My village :)

My corner of our room

My beautiful room mate and I at the Luau during Welcome Week

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Intercession

Matthew Arnold wrote, “Let the victors when they come, find thy body near the wall.”

The wall is where the hottest part of the battle is.

Then, Charles Spurgeon, the great prince of preachers, said, “Jesus did not pray that you should be taken out of the world, and what He did not pray for you need not desire… Where is honor to be won by the soldier but in the hottest fire of the battle?”

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of this Spurgeon quote. Hebrews 2: 14 describes how He went into the hottest part of the battle. “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

According to Philippians 2, Jesus was in the form of God (this word ‘form’ means ‘the whole nature and essence of deity’ and is inseparable from it. It does not include anything accidental in it.). However, Jesus completely emptied Himself of His reputation, willing to forego being ‘known’ as God by those around Him. He took upon Himself the form (same word) of a servant, the lowest place of servitude and wholly gave Himself up to another’s will. He bound Himself to do only the Father’s will. He was made in the likeness of men (this word has an added notion of weakness). Jesus didn’t just stop at being a man, though. He humbled Himself even further and died for these weak, sinful, men who completely scorned Him. And not only did He die for them, He died the worst death ever.

This is what it means to enter the hottest part of the battle. Philippians 2 commands that we take on this same attitude that Jesus took on. How do we enter the hottest part of the battle? We die to ourselves. We pick up our crosses. We follow Jesus. We take on the lowest form of a servant and put others’ needs before our own.

We, as Christians are made strong, not to spend our strength on ourselves. We are made strong that we might spend our strength for those that are weak. This is the principle of intercession.

Our battle is not against flesh and flood. Our battle is against the powers behind flesh and blood, controlling people, and we enter the hottest part of the battle against those powers by interceding on behalf of those who are weaker. Jesus, the most mighty man, interceded for us, when we were weak and loaded down with our sin. Now, we are called to spend the strength He has given us.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Bravehearted Suffering: The Joy and Proof of a Christian

Philippians 1: 27-29 says, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel, 28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which to them is a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 29 For to you it has been granted on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

When I first read “striving together for the faith of the Gospel” in this passage, I thought that it meant simply that Christians should work together to further the Gospel around the world. However, that’s not primarily what this passage means. “Striving together” actually means to endure or suffer.

So, how is our conduct worthy of the Gospel of Christ?

When we endure suffering, trial, and tribulation well, to His glory. Enduring suffering well and counting it as the greatest privilege proves to the world around us that we truly have the greatest Comforter and the greatest joy. It also proves to the unsaved world the futileness of their temporary pleasures and ‘joys.’

Luke 6: 22-23 says, “Blessed (supremely happy) are you, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy.”

The word “terrified” in Philippians one comes from a word meaning, “to spit upon.” We, as Christians, are not to be moved by reproaches, sufferings, or afflictions for the sake of Christ. In fact, we find great joy and delight in the fact that we have the opportunity to suffer for Him! We leap for joy!

In verse 29, the word ‘granted,’ means to grant as a favor, in kindness, pardon, or rescue. How amazing is that! Suffering and trials are God’s gift to us. We can rejoice in the midst of them, knowing that they are His will for us (I Thessalonians 5: 18) and are ultimately bringing Him glory. We can also rejoice in them because sufferings and trials bring us closer to Christ, as chapter two goes on to say.

“Therefore, is there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy…”

The word ‘consolation’ means to draw near or to summon. It’s very close to the word in John 16: 7, 13. Suffering brings us deeper into Jesus and enables us to be guided deeper into His truth.

So how do we serve and spend ourselves for those around us, as the next section in the passage commands? By knowing what it means to suffer well for His glory.

Leslie Ludy said, “Even trials are exciting God-given opportunities to gain greater victory, patience, faith, strength, and dependence upon Him.”

Then the book Rees Howells: Intercessor says, “God always shows you all the difficulties before He will do anything through you.”

Let us, then, be known as leapers for joy! J

Monday, August 20, 2012

More of HIM, Less of me

I was studying Psalm 34 tonight, and the second part of verse two says, “the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.” This cross – referenced me to Psalm 119: 74, which really struck me in a new way.

“They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in Thy Word.”

This verse just blew me away. People aren't supposed to be attracted to my personality, my wit, my determination, my love, my affirmation, my encouragement, my strength, my vigor, or my anything. I am supposed to point people to Him! It reminds me of John 3: 30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” I am to be so completely and utterly consumed with Jesus, that He is all that is seen within me.

The first part of verse two talks about making your boast in the Lord. That word ‘boast’ literally means ‘to make shine.’ Our goal as Christians is not to make ourselves shine or to make ourselves be noticed. It is to make HIM be noticed, to make HIM be exalted, to make HIM be high and lifted up.

Therefore, if people are attracted to or drawn to us at all, it is supposed to be because they see Jesus in us. They want more of Jesus. We truly have nothing worthwhile to offer to people in our own strength. He alone is the true Solution. He alone is what they need. Therefore, we must allow ourselves to become His flow through channel of grace to those around us. This also means that if people are disgusted with us, hate us, or revile us, it is because they see Christ in us. Either way, we are to be so consumed with Jesus, that HE is all that is seen.

How does this happen? How do we become so obsessed with Jesus that people see Him and Him alone in us, that we diminish so that His glory would be seen? The next part of the verse gives the answer. We hope in HIS Word. We don’t seek to do it in our own strength. We don’t seek to live the impossible Christian life by our own grit and determination. We yield ourselves to the Word (aka Jesus) and allow Him to do the impossible in us. We become completely and totally given to Him. We bow before it, heed its every utterance, and obey its every command. Thus, we bow before HIM, heed HIS every command, and obey HIS every utterance.

And this is my prayer: May I decrease that YOU might increase in and through this yielded, weak vessel!

How I love Thee! How I’ve proved Thee over and over.