Thank You for Praying

"Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to His holy Name... Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He Who made us, and we are His." Psalm 97:12, 100:3.

Thank you all for praying Jake. Please continue to pray that my sister and our families would rejoice in the will of God, praise the Name of God, and trust in the perfect character of God.

Even when we don't understand His will, we must remember His worth and act accordingly. His plans have been firmly established since the beginning of time and there is nothing that can happen apart from Him. And He is GOOD all the time; all the time, He is good! Let us practice what we just sang at church and continuously rejoice in the sovereignty we so vigorously defend, in the hard times as we do in the happy times (I almost said "good" but He has declared His will to be good and He has accomplished it).

My brother-in-law, Jacob, has attained the prize for which he was running and seen the face of the Lord he was serving. Jake has seen God as He is and been transformed into the likeness of His Son (1 John 3:2). In life, he was being guarded by God's power for an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading that he has now, by the grace of God, obtained (1 Peter 1).

Praise the sovereign, wise, matchless, worthy, loving Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Thank you for your prayers, fellow Body and Bride of Him Who is worthy of all praise in the midst of all things!

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace!"

"Carried by Your constant grace, held within Your perfect peace... we know every victory is Your power in us... Every step we are breathing in Your grace, evermore we'll be breathing out Your praise. You are faithful, God, You are faithful."

Doing All This in Your Name

Yesterday one of the girls on the cheerleading team I coach closed her prayer with, "...doing all this in Your Name." As I thought back over the past hour, I was ashamed and terrified for us. Disrespecting, shouting, gossiping, anger, frustration, impatience, pride... all in His Name?

We hear it all the time-- doing all things for the glory of God, doing things in His Name-- but for some reason it really struck me yesterday.

All things.

As a follower of Christ, I am also an "ambassador for Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:20). In all that I do, I am a witness for or against Him. I draw people to or away from Him.

My actions are supposed to be a representation of Who God is, "as though God were making His appeal through us." The lives of those who have "been brought near" are to be the testimony of a God Who is Creator and Sustainer and Redeemer and Sanctifier (Ephesians 2:12-13).

Instead, so many times, our actions and words and thoughts tell a different story, and we excuse  it with our humanity and other people's actions. But God did not choose us, Jesus did not die for us, and the Holy Spirit did not regenerate and seal us, just so we could continue to live according to our flesh; we were doing a perfectly good job of that without the intervention of His atoning blood and sacrifice. We were not made new so we could continue to "conform to the pattern of this world", but to be like Christ (Romans 12:2)!

All things for His Name.

Everything we do is taken into account by the world, shaping their thoughts of God. Are we really living for the glory of the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Sanctifier God or are we living for our false gods? gods that don't save-- delusions that "turn [His] glory into shame" because we attach His Name to lives that bow to much different ideals (Psalm 4:2)?

If we instead "walk by the Spirit, [we] will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). Even further, "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh" (Romans 13:14).

So often we live for ourselves, selfishly, pridefully blaming others for our sin. "For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?" (1 Corinthians 3:3). Do we really suppose that any person will be held more accountable for our actions than we are for our reactions? We must learn, "in whatever situation [we are], to be content"  and to "outdo one another in showing honor" (Philippians 4:11, Romans 12:10). To "make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification" (Romans 14:19).

All things for His glory, because He's the only One worthy of glory. He's the only One that has glory. And He has enough glory to fill the entire world as the waters cover the seas (Habakkuk 2:14, Isaiah 6:3, 40:5)!

God help me to praise Yoy and serve You with all I am, because all I am has been redeemed by and for You. Your Name be praised!

"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" Revelation 7:12.

8 Things I Believe as a Christian

When explaining anything, it is crucial to define your terms. The word "Christianity" is no exception, with hundreds of very different connotations. Because many of my posts will be about my beliefs and how they shape my life, I figured I should first define that foundational term. Here is a short summary (John 21:25): 

1. God is the Most High (Genesis 14:18, 22, Psalm 78:35, Mark 5:7) and the only true, living God (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; Psalm 86:10, 115:2-8, Isaiah 44:8). There is no one before Him (Colossians 1:17) or above Him (Revelation 19:6) and He is never-ending (Isaiah 57:15, 1 Timothy 1:17, Revelation 1:8).

He is the God who blessed Israel (Deuteronomy 7:7, 1 Samuel 12:22, Jeremiah 3:14 13:11; Isaiah 49:3) because of His promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3, Exodus 2:24, Deuteronomy 7:8, 9:5, Psalm 105:42, Luke 1:69-75, Hebrews 6:13-15), for the sake of His Name throughout the nations (Ezekiel 20:9, 14, 36:21-22; Isaiah 43:25, 48:11, 63:14).

He is the God Who chose to send His Son (John 3:16, Acts 2:23, 4:28; Romans 3:2-26, 8:32) at a fore-ordained time (Romans 5:6-8, Galatians 4:4) to live a perfect life (Isaiah 53:9, Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 3:5), to die (Romans 3:25, 1 Corinthians 5:7, 1 John 4:10), to be resurrected back to life (Acts 2:32, Romans 4:25, 6:4-9; 1 Corinthians 15: 4-8, 2 Corinthians 5:15), and to return to heaven (Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9, Ephesians 1:20, 2:6) to intercede on our behalf as our Most High Priest (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 4:14, 6:20, 8:1, 1 Timothy 2:5-6). To be seated as King and Judge on His heavenly throne at the right hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1, Matthew 26:64, Mark 16:19; Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 3:1).

He is the God Who chose to extend that blessing (Galatians 3:28-29) to the Gentiles (Isaiah 56:6-8, Romans 11:11-26) through His Son (Galatians 3:8-14); Jew and Gentile joined together in Him (Romans 10:12, Ephesians 2:11-22) for His glory, making the two into one Body, with Him as Head (Colossians 1:18), by His Son's death on the cross (Ephesians 2:14-16), without showing favoritism to any gender, race, or economic status (Acts 10:34-35, Galatians 3:28) .

2. The Father has begotten the Son (John 3:16, Romans 8:32, 1 John 4:9-10), Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:21, Luke 2:11), Who is fully God and was made fully man (John 1, 1 John 5:6, Colossians 2:9).

Jesus is the Jewish (Psalm 132:11, Matthew 1, Acts 13:23, Romans 1:3, 9:5) Messiah (Matthew 26:63-64, 27:11; Luke 22:70, 23:3) prophesied about in the Old Testament (there's about 300, so look here for some of them). He lived according to the Law of the Torah (Luke 2:21-22, 39- 47; John 2:13, Galatians 4:4) and never sinned (Isaiah 53:9, Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 3:5), so that He could be (John 17:19, Romans 8:3-4, Galatians 4:4-5, Hebrews 2:16-18) the complete and eternal (Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 28, 10:12-14; 1 Peter 3:18) sacrifice for our sins. He became the curse of death (Galatians 3:13, 1 Corinthians 5:21)-- the debt we deserved to pay according to the Law (Romans 1:32, 3:23, 6:21-23, 8:13; James 1:15)-- that we may instead live holy lives through Him (John 17:19, Romans 8:3-4, Hebrews 9:14, 10:10, 13:12; 1 Corinthians 15:45) and join Him in Heaven after our physical death (John 11:25).

He died on the cross as a sacrifice (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19) and rose again 3 days later (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, 1 Corinthians 15:4-6) for the glory and praise of His Father (John 7:18, 8:50, 12:27-28, 14:3, 17:1). Through His death (Isaiah 53:5, Romans 4:25, 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 1 Peter 2:24), those who put their faith in Him (John 11:25, 14:6; Romans 5:1-2, Ephesians 2:18) have been granted access into the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 10:19-22), into the very presence of God (Ephesians 3:12, Hebrews 9:1-28).

Jesus was spoken of since the beginning (again: here) and His redemption of the world (Genesis 3:15) was proclaimed in the Torah, through the feasts, sacrifices, traditions, and prophecies (Luke 18:31, 24:27, 44, Romans 15:8, 2 Corinthians 1:20; see also: this book). He will return once again to the earth (Matthew 24:30, Acts 1:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 1:7), in all His glory and God-likeness (Revelation 19:11-16) leading the army of believers in triumph (Joel 2:11, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, Revelation 19:11-21) over Satan and setting up His eternal Kingdom on the earth (Matthew 25:31, Revelation 21:1-22:6).

3. The Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in (John 14:17, Romans 8:9, Ephesians 2:22, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17) those who have been saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), by grace (Acts 15:11, Romans 3:24, 2 Timothy 1:9-10), through the blood sacrifice of Christ (Isaiah 53:4-5, Hebrews 2:14, 10:1-18; Ephesians 5:2, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 1 Peter 2:24), for the purposes of God (Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9), as a Teacher and Guide (John 14:26. 16:13). The Holy Spirit sanctifies us and shapes us into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Peter 1:2).

The Father regenerates our hearts (Ezekiel 37:1-14, John 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:15-17, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:3, 23, 2 Thessalonians 2:13), drawing us to the Son (1 Peter 1:2) removing our heart of stone and giving us a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19, 2 Corinthians 3:6-4:18). By doing so, He empowers us to do the will of God (Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 2:12, Galatians 5:16, 2 Timothy 1:7), while creating in us the desire to do it (Philippians 2:13).

The Spirit will always glorify the Son (John 16:14, 1 John 4:2).

The Spirit is the seal of God on our hearts until our death or Jesus's return (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 5:5).

4. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equal parts of one Being (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30, 17:20-21), each with different roles. Regarding their roles in salvation: "God's elect, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood" (1 Peter 1:2).

5. Jesus will come again at the end of the earth to judge the world (Matthew 16:27, Romans 2:5, 2 Corinthians 5:10) and to set up His Kingdom (2 Timothy 4:1, Revelation 20:4-6). He will bind Satan for 1000 years (Revelation 20:2), let him roam the earth once again (Revelation 20:3, 7-8), before banishing him to the lake of burning sulfur forever (Revelation 20:10) along with those who rejected Jesus as the Son of God (John 3:36, Romans 2:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12) and are therefore not found in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:11-15). This hell is God's justice (Romans 2:2-11) and is under His authority (Revelation 1:18). Imagine: trying to slap the President in the face versus slapping your friend in the face; both slaps have consequences, but because of the elevated rank of the President versus that of your friend, the consequences are rightly more severe for the one than the other.

6. Every word in the Bible, though transcribed by men, is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). His Word is perfect (Psalm 19:7-11) and consistent, despite being written over many centuries, by multiple writers, and through several cultural zeitgeists. His Word is timeless and therefore relevant to all people at any time (2 Timothy 3:17). His Word doesn't change (Romans 15:4, 8), because the Author doesn't change (Numbers 23:19, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8).

7. God betrothes Himself (Isaiah 54:5, Ephesians 5:22-32) in faithfulness and holiness (Hosea 2:19-20) to those who repent and believe that through Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:25-27)-- through faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Timothy 1:9) as the satisfying sacrifice (Romans 3:25-26, Ephesians 1:7, 2:13, 5:2; 1 John 2:2)-- that we can be in a personal relationship with such a holy God (John 14:6, Romans 5:2, Hebrews 10:19-22). We are not perfect, but He is faithful (Hebrews 10:23, 1 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Timothy 2:13) and His promises are sure (2 Corinthians 1:20, and feel free to look at this list again...).

8. God is not centered around our happiness, but His glory (1 Samuel 12:22, Isaiah 48:11, Ezekiel 20:22, Jeremiah 14:7, Malachi 1:11). He exists not to gratify us (Luke 9:23), but to be glorify Himself, for He alone is worthy (Psalm 86:9-10, Revelation 4:11, 15:4). Without Him, we cease to exist (Genesis 1:1, Acts 17:28, Hebrews 1:3). He is the purpose of life (Ephesians 4:22-24) and He is worthy of all glory and honor and praise that could ever be expressed (Jeremiah 10:7, Revelation 5:12, 7:12). Salvation is for His purpose (Acts 13:48, Ephesians 1:4-5, 11-12; Romans 8:29-30, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 1:9). 

What are some (I could never list them all-- Job 9: 10-12, 11:7, 36:26; Romans 11:33) characteristics of God?

He is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24, Deuteronomy 7:9, 1 Corinthians 1:9)

He is loving (Psalm 145:17, 1 John 4:8)

He is all-powerful (Matthew 19:26, Isaiah 14:27, 2 Chronicles 20:6)

He is good (Psalm 34:8, Mark 10:18, 1 Peter 2:2-3)

He is perfect (Matthew 5:48, Hebrews 4:15) and everything He does is perfect (2 Samuel 22:31, Deuteronomy 32:4)

He is matchless (Isaiah 46:9, 1 Samuel 2:2, 1 Chronicles 17:20)

He is King (2 Chronicles 20:6, Matthew 6:10, Revelation 19-21)

He is just (Nahum 1:3, Habakkuk 1:13, Psalm 9:4, 18:26)

I may or may not add some more characteristics later, but you can also read the Bible-- it's all about Him.