Who Am I in Christ? Pt. 1

It has been a long time since I've written on my blog...years, in fact. I've thought about getting back to writing many times, but have simply ignored the idea...until now. I am in a season of change. God is stirring something within me. I don't even know what it is exactly that He's stirring...or what He's about to do. All I know is that I am willing. I am learning. I am being stretched. I am excited.

Today I began a study on who I am in Christ. I started by reading from 1 Corinthians:

     "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building...Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple are you." ~1 Corinthians 3:9,16-17

What does it mean to be God's fellow worker? His field? His building? Filled with curiosity, I used Google to help me find an answer.  At first, the search seemed hopeless. I found many commentaries on the topic; it wasn't that. Everything I found though was so complex and confusing- breaking apart, comparing, contrasting, refuting, and vying for every tiny syllable in Greek. It seemed as though everything was written for intense seminary students and theologians. 

Just as I was about to give up, I found something! A Christian, Chinese pastor wrote an intriguing piece on being a "co-worker of God." He describes God's fellow workers, or co-workers of God, as "bound together with God." He compares it to being in a 3-legged race, where each person has one leg bound to the other so that the two bound legs move and function as one. He says, "You have to lose something of yourself into Him." It is not easy. 

     "A co-worker of God is one who is bound together with God. When God works, he works. When God walks, he walks. When God stops, he stops. You may be a diligent person who wants to do more work for God, but God may say, “I do not want you to do more work for Me right now; I want you to rest with Me. I am resting, so you have to rest with Me.” So many so-called servants of the Lord simply cannot suffer resting together with the Lord. What the church needs is not a group of able workers but a group of people who are bound together with God, who are co-workers with God. When God works, you work. When God rests, you have to rest. When God withdraws, you withdraw. When God goes on, you go on. You do this because you are bound with Him as one."

Now, what about being God's field? Well, when I think of a field, I tend to think of a farm, a farmer, crops, and a harvest. What if we are the field, purchased by our Farmer (aka God), prepared by our Farmer (plowed and planted with specific seeds to bring forth a specific crop), nurtured by our Farmer (irrigated and perhaps weeded), and finally harvested (in due season) by our Farmer??? Pastor Rodney Mason says, "To be a fruitful and productive field for God, we must continually go through the stages [Preparation, Planting, Producing (Growth/Harvest)] in our spiritual life. Just as a physical field must repeat the process every season, we must repeat it for every season of our life."

That brings us to being God's building...what does that mean? My initial thoughts are that a building is owned by someone. In this case, that owner is God. God bought the lot, built the building to His perfect specifications, and owns the building. Just because we are God's building does not mean that we are completed yet. As I imagine it, I see an incomplete building-one that is being carefully constructed over time to serve the exact and very specific purpose that it was designed for. 

Stefan Miseras explains it this way: 

     "The divine building is a matter of IN - Christ in us and we in  Him. God wants to be a God in man and He wants man to be in God. We need to abide in Him and He abides in us (John 15). Without this mutual abiding there is no building. Just because you meet with the saints, are well coordinated together, and each one does his part doesn't mean that God has a building. 

     The degree to which God has a building is the degree to which God was able to get into you and saturate you, and the degree to which you have been brought into God. In all our activities in our family life and church life we need to allow the Lord to enter in and be involved, saturating us and mingling Himself more with us."

This study has left me with much to ponder. I am excited to continue on this journey of rediscovering who I am in Christ. :)

Learning to Love Our Stories

Learning to Love Your Story

Story. We all love a good story - whatever form it may take (i.e. movie, book, gossip, etc.). Many of us look to other stories as a way of escaping our own. We don't like our story - or at least parts of it. We wish we could change our story. We wish our story was like the one on TV or in the novel or the one our friend leads. We are not satisfied with our story. Perhaps there is too much pain in our story or not enough love. Maybe there is regret or guilt. Maybe our story is tainted by fear or betrayal. Whatever the reason, there are few of us who truly love our story for what it is.  "Love our story? Why on earth would we want to do that?! What makes my story so special?" you ask. Well, each of us has a story - unique and individual. There are no two stories exactly the same. Genesis 1:27 says this, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." If we are created in God's image and are a reflection of His nature and character, we can deduct that God must have a story too. Does He? Absolutely! The Bible shares His Story with us - all the way from Creation to the foretelling of Jesus' Second Coming - we see His Story played out. God's story is one of love and offers His plan of salvation.  It is the greatest story of all time. It offers hope and everlasting life to those who choose to accept His gift and believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Is God's story full of only happy, make-you-feel-good elements? No. Over and over again, God's chosen people walked away from Him. Time and time again, God's servants disobeyed Him. Peter, one of Jesus' twelve disciples betrayed Him...not just once, but THREE times (in one night I might add). The religious leaders sought to kill Him. God's only Son was whipped, tortured, and sent to the cross to die. No, God's story is not just a make-you-feel-good story. Yet, His story made it possible for us to commune with God and live in heaven with Him if we choose to follow Him. It is a story of redemption. "So, I have a story. God has a story. What's the big deal?" Here is the beautiful thing about it: as we are a reflection of Christ - made in the image of God - our stories point to the greatest story of all time, in one way or another. For those of us who have chosen to accept the grace given to us by the Father, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to confess our sins - acknowledging our need for a Savior, our stories are also ones of redemption and hope. Our stories can point others to Christ. In a dark land, the good and the bad in our stories can be a beacon of light to those around us. Whatever the element of our story, it has the ability to give God glory. Aside from that, our stories shape and mold our character. Each and every part of our story affects the person we are and the person we will become. Often people mistake easy, seemingly-perfect lives with happiness and meaning. However, it is rarely those who sail through life smoothly that end up being characters of depth and meaning. Rather, it is the bumps in the road, the inconveniences in life, the hurts, the hardships, and the struggles that produce character and meaning in our stories. Each bump can better prepare us to face the next. Each struggle can strengthen us for the next. Each inconvenience can help us prioritize.  Whatever Disney may entice us to believe, life is not a fairy tale. It is not simply about reaching a happily-ever-after. Life...well, life is about the journey. While it isn't wrong to dream of a happily-ever-after, we cannot focus on that. We must focus on life as it comes - day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Yet, our story is full of daily choices. Are we going to whine and complain about this mess, or thank God that in spite of the mess He is always there beside us? Are we going to react in anger when someone hurts us, or will we return hurt with love? Will we worry when it doesn't look like the paycheck will stretch, or will we trust that God will provide?  I think perhaps one of the most important things to remember is to be thankful for our story. God has given each of us a different story - one specifically designed for us because he loves us. He has a plan for our story. Will we complain about our story or envy the story of another? Or will we be thankful for the story that we have been given - knowing it has a purpose far greater than we might imagine...a Kingdom purpose? "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11) That goes for our stories too. Will we trust that He speaks truth? "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You." (Psalm 139:13-18) "In every thing, give thanks." (I Thessalonians 5:18a) Learn to love YOUR story: Thank God. Praise God. Seek God. Love God.  MAY 29, 2014 Learn to Love Your Storyby Lysa Terkeurst "I thank my God every time I remember you." (Philippians 1:3) This past winter, I stood in my kitchen laughing with one of my kids while picking hard macaroni out of the melted cheese in the crockpot. Apparently, noodles like to be boiled beforehand when making a slow cooker recipe for macaroni and cheese.About the time I posted an Instagram picture of the dinner fiasco, I heard another daughter upstairs yelling for towels.It took a minute for it to register why she was panicked. Then I saw the water leaking through my kitchen ceiling. Toilet water.I ran. No, I flew upstairs yelling, "Turn that silver knob thing behind the toilet. Quick! Turn it so the water will shut off!"Later that night, our couch-turned-dancing-springboard decided it would no longer tolerate overly energetic, snowed-in teens. RIP, dear couch.I'd laughed about the noodles. I'd dealt with the toilet water. I'd gotten quite miffed with the couch situation.Another day.Another page in what makes this life ... my life ... a story.Not so much like the stories of books and big screens.Those stories are a little shinier and seemingly perfect.Those moms probably don't have cellulite because they don't eat mac and cheese. Their kitchen ceilings don't have stains because ... well because their kids don't use too much two-ply toilet paper. And their couches don't sag beyond repair.But I love my story. I love my story most of all.Why? How?Because I pre-decided that I would.I decided I would look at it all through the lens of noticing the rich evidence of life through each mess and mishap.Did I do it all perfectly? Nope. Not at all.But even if we choose to be noticers with thankful hearts just once today, we'll start to look at our stories in a different way.A more beautiful way.While carrying the wet towels downstairs, I saw a pile of my kids' shoes by the front door.I remembered our key verse, Philippians 1:3 where Paul says "I thank my God every time I remember you." I have plenty of reminders each day to thank God for the people in my life. To rejoice over every piece of my story. Starting with those shoes.So I whispered, "Notice. Be a noticer. See all the fun represented here and thank God for these moments."Noticers see the lovely in front of them and learn to love their story.What might happen if you pre-determined to look through the lens of lovely today? Dear Lord, thank You for this message today. Help me be a noticer with a thankful heart no matter how messy my life (or house!) may appear to be. I'm choosing to rejoice in the imperfect beauty of all of it. In Jesus' Name, Amen. My Thoughts: All of life - every detail, both good and bad - is a part of our story. All of life is a part of who we are and who God has made us to be. Even the things that are seemingly bad can mold and shape us in a good way - if we let them. It's easy to see others' lives and think they have everything together or everything just seems to work out for them. It's easy to be envious of someone else's life, but God gave us THIS life for a reason. Sometimes we don't understand why, but we can trust that God does. I know we often want to do something else and we often feel like there is nothing of purpose in our lives, but we must remember to thank God for all of life and the here and now situations. All of it is shaping our character. All of it is preparing us for the next thing God has for us. So, while we're waiting for God to show us the next step, we must thank God for what we are doing now - even if we think it is meaningless. Because nothing is truly meaningless - because ALL of life is a part of our unique story.

Interpretations of Scripture, Part 3

When interpreting Scripture, we must be thorough and use the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There are many ways in which Scripture can be misinterpreted. Being human, we obviously do not know everything. Even though we often think we know everything, all we have to do is take a step back to realize how little we truly do know. Take a walk in the woods - how much do you really know about each individual organism and how it functions or what its purposes are? Step through the doors of hospital - how much do you really know about your own body (its bones and organs and tissues...the way each cell works to make your body function...)? Take a history book off the shelf - how many details, intents, and influences do you really know about people and events that happened many, many, many years before you were even born? Travel into outer space - how much do you know about the billions of stars in our own galaxy, the planets of our own solar system, or the numerous other galaxies within the universe? Journey to the center of the earth - how much do you know about the inner layers of the earth, how they function, or what purpose they serve our planet? Step into the life of a psychologist - what do you really know about what other human beings are thinking or feeling, and what do you know about giving them the right prescription (medicinal or otherwise)? You see, even if we know a little something about everything, there is no way that any of us could possibly know everything there is to know about even one of these topics! Even if we studied that one subject our whole lives! 

In the same way, none of us can know everything about God. If we studied Him our entire lives, we would merely scratch the surface of who He is. Yet, God gave us the gift of His Word and the Holy Spirit to help us understand and discern meaning. Rather than leave us in the dark, God gave us many opportunities to know Him. Creation is filled with His fingerprints, and the Bible is His inspired Word to us. The Bible helps us to see who God was in history, and that helps us to see who God is today and will be in the future. How does it do that? Well, remember that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So, everything we read in Scripture reveals to us more of God's character, personality, and desires. 

It can be difficult, however, to understand even a little who God is if we are not careful in interpreting the Scriptures correctly. It is important to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, and be praying for God to give us insight and understanding. 

One thing to be careful of is compartmentalizing Scripture. No one verse or passage can be separated from the whole of Scripture. As Andy Deane writes, "Never divorce one part of Scriptures from another. The interpretation of every text must be consistent and coherent with the Bible as a whole...When we read the Bible, we must do so with great discernment and test every teaching by the whole of Scripture. This is called correlation: the process of relating one passage to another. Weighing the Scriptures in this manner will help prevent unbalanced and erroneous interpretations." It is the same idea as eating one ingredient, flour for example, of a cake batter. If you judge the taste of the cake as a whole by tasting just the flour, you will have made a judgment based on partial views. Or, if you decide that the theme of a certain song is love simply by listening to one line, you will never know that the song's actual theme is hopelessness without Christ because you chose to listen to a part and not the whole of the song. Whenever a judgment or interpretation is made based on a part rather than the whole of any thing, it will always be a partial or incomplete (and often incorrect) judgment or interpretation. So, be careful not to judge a book by its cover, or a person by their appearance, or a ride by someone else's experience of it. In the same way, take great care in reading Scripture as a whole so that nothing is lacking in the interpretation of it.

Interpretations of Scripture, Part 2

I can't tell you how many times I have been told by other Christians that everyone is free to have their own interpretation of Scripture or that God intended His Word to be interpreted differently by Christians depending on their individual circumstances and beliefs. Yet, all I have to do to know many Christians hold to this belief that there is more than one interpretation of the Bible is to look around. The Church has changed. Look at the churches across America, and you will find a great number of them believing (and preaching) various heresies that have come out of this belief that God's Word means different things for different people:

Homosexuality is not wrong for everyone - God made some people that way... Divorce is acceptable, and even condoned in many churches - God wouldn't make them stay with that horrible person (that they don't get along with anymore or don't have chemistry with anymore) forever... Abortion is not always wrong - God wouldn't make them have a baby that was a result of rape or incest, and He certainly wouldn't make them have the baby if it put their life in any danger... Women shouldn't be forbidden to do anything - God made them equal and that gives them the right to take on whatever task or position they like, be it head of a home or a church... Sin is not something to spend much time thinking about - grace is there, so it doesn't matter how we live... Everyone is loved by God - we must never say anything about the way people choose to live because it's their choice and ultimately, God loves them and grace will cover them... The gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues are no longer applicable - God only allowed those things during Bible times because he wouldn't want anyone today to be embarrassed or viewed as a "freak"... Jesus is not the only way to heaven - that is just the way some people think, but Allah and Buddha can get you there too... 

In reading this morning, I was struck by the simple truth of God's Word and our interpretation of it as believers. Following is an excerpt from my reading. It is taken from Andy Deane's book entitled Learn to Study the Bible.

Chapter 3 - Interpretation: What Does It Mean?

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. - 1 Corinthians 2:14

Every good Bible study method has as one of its main objectives, the correct interpretation of the Scriptures. However, Dr. Roy B. Zuck, of Dallas Theological Seminary says, "Most of the time when many people approach the Bible, they jump from observation to application, skipping the essential step of interpretation. This is wring because interpretation logically follows observation. In observing what the Bible says, you probe; in interpretation, you mull. Observation is discovery; interpretation is digesting. Observation means looking at what is there, and interpretation is deciding what it means. The one is to explore, the other is to explain." ...

"KNOW IT" - Interpretation Helps Us Discover the Meaning
A correct interpretation of Scripture will never be discerned strictly by human logic. We cannot simply apply our intellect to the text; we must be willing to allow the revealed wisdom of God to speak to us through the pages of Scripture. Many Christians miss the truth of God's Word because they are trying to mold its precepts to fit their own personal ideologies. They read meaning into the text rather than drawing understanding from it. However, when we come to the Bible prepared to have our thoughts and ideas conformed to its authority (rather than the other way around) then whether we are seasoned biblical scholars or the youngest Sunday school students we will be able to come away with a correct understanding. The best assurance we have of arriving at the right interpretation of any biblical passage always begins with laying aside our own preconceived notions, gut feelings, long-held beliefs, and persuasive arguments, and allowing the Word of God and the Spirit of God to impart understanding to us.

The Bible is the ultimate authority int he church and in the lives of individual believers. However, people often discredit the Bible with comments such as, "Well, everyone has their own understanding of what the Bible means," or "there are as many interpretations of the Bible as there are Christians." But statements such as these are simply untrue. 2 Peter 1:20-21 reminds us that the Word of God has only one correct interpretation: "No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

We should never approach the Bible in the same subjective way in which we would view a painting by Picasso. the Bible is not an abstract piece of art that invites everyone to weigh in with his or her own opinion of its meaning. Every passage of Scripture has an intended and discoverable truth - one correct interpretation. 

...

Prayer is also a key factor in assuring that we always come to a correct understanding of the Scriptures. In fact, when it comes to God's word I believe prayer is even more valuable than seminary. The richness of every biblical passage will be revealed to those who read the Bible on their knees. 

Interpretations of Scripture, Part 1

I can't tell you how many times I have been told by other Christians that everyone is free to have their own interpretation of Scripture or that God intended His Word to be interpreted differently by Christians depending on their individual circumstances and beliefs. Yet, all I have to do to know many Christians hold to this belief that there is more than one interpretation of the Bible is to look around. The Church has changed. Look at the churches across America, and you will find a great number of them believing (and preaching) various heresies that have come out of this belief that God's Word means different things for different people:

Homosexuality is not wrong for everyone - God made some people that way... Divorce is acceptable, and even condoned in many churches - God wouldn't make them stay with that horrible person (that they don't get along with anymore or don't have chemistry with anymore) forever... Abortion is not always wrong - God wouldn't make them have a baby that was a result of rape or incest, and He certainly wouldn't make them have the baby if it put their life in any danger... Women shouldn't be forbidden to do anything - God made them equal and that gives them the right to take on whatever task or position they like, be it head of a home or a church... Sin is not something to spend much time thinking about - grace is there, so it doesn't matter how we live... Everyone is loved by God - we must never say anything about the way people choose to live because it's their choice and ultimately, God loves them and grace will cover them... The gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues are no longer applicable - God only allowed those things during Bible times because he wouldn't want anyone today to be embarrassed or viewed as a "freak"... Jesus is not the only way to heaven - that is just the way some people think, but Allah and Buddha can get you there too... 

 I wonder, though, who is this God they serve? If it is the same God I serve, I must be wasting my time because apparently truth is relative. How can they claim to know and serve God when they do not even believe that what He says is true. Does God lie? Or, does God change? Is He one thing for one person, and something entirely different for another? And, what is truth if there is no absolute? How is it possible for truth to be relative or circumstantial? 

I wonder because it clearly states in Scripture that God cannot lie: "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:20, NKJV). In Hebrews 6:18 it  states: "to which it is impossible for God to lie". As to God changing, Malachi 3:6 refutes that possibility: "'For I am the Lord, I do not change.'" Again, in Hebrews 1:10-12 (a quote of Psalm 102:25-27) we see that God does not change: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail." We read in Hebrews 13: 8 that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." How then, would it be possible for Him to change? In regards to truth being relative, Scripture clearly tells us it is not so. If God is unchanging and the same for all time, then truth is also absolute and unchanging. In John 14:6 Jesus tells Thomas - one of his disciples, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." As to the Bible being reliable as it is written, we read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." Notice that it is for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction! It is not something to follow if you feel like it or agree with it. It is the Word of God given to man that he may be complete and equipped.

He Calls Me By Name!

:-) Today I was reading in Isaiah and I came across a couple of verses that really encouraged me. What a great reminder of God's love for each of us individually and of His wonderful plans for each of our lives!

"I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me."                       

                                                                                                      ~Isaiah 45:2-5

For some reason, it just really struck me today that the LORD has named me! He knows my name and He calls me by my name. It is said that a person's name is very important to them. In fact, a man named Dale Carnegie said this: "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language." There are even psychological studies that have been done trying to prove why hearing one's own name means so much to them and looking at the effects of being called by name.

I don't know about you, but I can attest to the fact that nothing gets my attention quite like hearing my name. Growing up, if I heard my mother calling me by my full name, I always knew I was in trouble or that I was needed ASAP. Nowadays, I don't hear my full name all that often anymore, but that's because I might have grown up a bit and don't get in trouble as often. :-) I still enjoy hearing my name called though! I know when I'm working at Culvers and a customer uses my name as they talk to me, it makes me feel less like a robot taking orders and more like an individual human being - someone unique and special. Even more so do I feel special when people I know (aka. friends and family) call me by name! Hearing my name when the people I love most in the world are talking to me gives me great joy and reminds me that I am loved and cared for because of who I am. How much more wonderful to think about God, my Heavenly Father, calling me by name! I am reminded that I am His and that He has a plan and a purpose for my life unique to the strengths, character, and personality that He has given me.  How blessed I am to have a God who calls me by name!

I challenge you to remember how special you are today! God has given you a name and is calling you by that name! He has a plan and a purpose for your life! He loves you! He wants you to draw near to Him! He longs for a deeper relationship with you! Shhhh....take a moment to quiet your heart and listen for the Savior's call. He has something He wants to say to you today! :-)

The Fear of the Lord

Have you ever wondered what it means to fear the Lord? I know I have. The concept seems so strange, although that is probably due in part to the definition of fear that usually comes to mind first. When I think about fearing God, it is difficult for me to grasp the type of fear that is being discussed. I guess I've always struggled to understand how to fear God. 

In my devotions today I was reading in Proverbs and I came across a portion of Scripture that seemed to leap out of the pages at me. I love when that happens! Interestingly enough, this portion of the Word dealt with fearing the Lord. I was amazed to discover how many times I'd read the passage without realizing that it tells believers exactly how to understand fearing God! I wondered how many others had simply read over the same instructions I had. So, I thought I would share the passage with you today. 

"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasure; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God."                                                                              

                                                                                        ~Proverbs 2:1-5