First John

I think I managed to underline just about 1/2 of the book of 1 John this morning. Right now I'm reading a book called The Hole in Our Gospel (fabulous, by the way) by Richard Sterns, the president of World Vision. A few of the verses that he highlighted in the chapter I read last night came from 1 John. So this morning, I hopped off the several-year-long road I've been taking to read through the Bible "in one year" :). 1 John is an excellent book, and if you have not read the whole thing through, do it. It's basically a call to love, and a call away from darkness and into God's light, of which He is Himself, so in other words, a call to and into God. Much like the rest of the Bible. "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (2:3-6) Wow. Quite the command. Scary to think that this is the call and the responsibility of Christians everywhere. But at the same time, it's oddly humbling. "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."

"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God." (3:8-9) "God's seed remains in him," and because of this humbling picture of God planting in us his call to love, we cannot go on sinning. And because we are to walk as Jesus did, if in fact we claim to live in him, we are to also destroy the devil's work. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our heats at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything... And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us." (3:16-23) And if the devil's work is, in fact, the pain of the hurting, the distress of the weak, and the poverty of the hopeless, then are we not called to destroy the devil's work, to live in God, and to act in love, as Jesus did? And to go on doing this without sinning. In any area of our lives.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." (5:14-15)

Losing sight

This blog starts with a little bit of [completely justifiable] shallowness. I was on Facebook, thinking about what status could possibly accurately describe my current state of mind. My first thought: it's funny how my struggles are immediate consequences of losing sight of the basic truths of the Relationship. I feel like lately, I've let the Relationship go. Whether it's a platonic or romantic relationship, when there is a lack of communication, there really isn't much of a relationship (boy, have I learned that in the past!). I've been on edge lately. And though I fill in my reasoning with lots of good excuses, the truth is I haven't taken time with my God. Earlier today (a portion of my on-edgeness), I talked with a friend of mine, and she made a request of me. I honestly had too much to do today to even think about leaving the house, but then I thought (and I know it was the devil - he's attacked our friendship before), "Why do I feel like it's always me giving in this friendship?" And then once I got over my selfishness, I started thinking about my relationship with God, and how He probably feels that way with me, about, eh, say... 97.5% of the time. I feel like God is giving so freely and mercifully, and I'm not taking. Or I accept what He does for me as amazing, but then I move on, forgetting that in order to be in a 2-way relationship, I must do my part. And in order to ever pursue a relationship with anyone in the physical realm, I must first have a relationship with the creator, molder, and perfecter of all good things. And stop making excuses.

"My thoughts are not your thoughts"

The Lord says, "My thoughts are not like
your thoughts.
Your ways are not like my ways.
Just as the heavens are higher than the
earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your
thoughts.
Rain and snow fall from the sky
and don't return without watering the
ground.
They cause the plants to sprout and grow,
making seeds for the farmer
and bread for the people.
The same thing is true of the words I
speak.
They will not return to me empty.
They make the things happen that I want
to happen,
and they succeed in doing what I send
them to do.
So you will go out with joy
and be led out in peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into
song before you, and all the trees in the fields will clap
their hands.
Large cypress trees will grow where thornbushes were.
Myrtle trees will grow where weeds
were.
These things will be a reminder of the
Lord's promise,
and this reminder will never be
destroyed."

Isaiah 55:8-13

Wow. His Word will not return void. And when we go out with peace and with joy, hearts that were once shriveled and hard will be revived.
Sometimes I wonder if what I'm doing or would like to do is truly what God would have for me to do. And truthfully, I probably spend more time thinking about that than just doing.

Cliff's message at Lighthouse this week, entitled "Are You Ready" (http://lighthousecollective.com/category/podcast/series) just blew me away. Sidenote: he is such a vessel for what God wants to speak to His people. Cliff spoke on Acts 20-parts of 21, right after Paul's journey through Ephesus, and through Macedonia and Greece, and he's on his way to Jerusalem. He was warned by the Holy Spirit of the suffering of this journey (as he was on every previous journey), yet he still went. How many times would we still go ahead with something even after being warned by the Holy Spirit that, frankly, it is dangerous! ? Paul's life was worth nothing to him. "... through the Spirit," Paul is told he shouldn't go to Jerusalem. Paul was bound and determined, and he was ready. The thing here is that there is a difference between a warning and a prohibition, or putting a complete stop to Paul's journey. Others were getting warnings too, and were pleading with Paul not to go. But these warnings were warnings, and they were being interpreted as a message of "don't go!"
We have a choice of either taking the advice of those that are trying to protect us, versus seeing what God wants for us. My life is God's life that He has graciously given to me. Sometimes the voices of reason, protection, and logic might not be the voice of God. I am to say, "God, how can you use this life to advance your grace and Gospel?" We've all heard the saying, "The safest place in the world to be is in the center of the will of God."... it might not be the safest place, but it is the best place to be. God sees the eternity in situations, when we see the here and now. At some point, heat needs to be added to the clay that He has molded. Sometimes we go through the fire only to bring out the best of God's glory. If we hear something that is consistent with who He is and is consistent with advancing the Gospel, we are to take into account what others are saying, but we are not to put limits on God. My life is worth nothing in comparison to how God can use it to advance His kingdom.

Ugh. After listening to that message, I felt so heavy, yet so compelled and inspired by Paul's example of unconditional faithfulness. I often let my own selfish thoughts and the opinions of others get in the way. The whole previously mentioned World Vision/Seattle thing, for example. It's really amazing when you mix this message with the one about being stretched by God, in prayer and in service, to your utmost limits.
I'm a planner. A big planner. I like to make lists and think about what my life story will be. But it's funny when I stop and think about how God has changed pretty much every plan I've made for myself. I need to be aware and concerned, yes, but I also need to let God have the reigns (as we always say, don't we? Yet we take the end of the reigns anyways, and still try to have some control) and just do instead of think.


(sorry that this was so scattered... it's a combination of Cliff's and my thoughts)