This won't be long.
The regular accompanist for Cantabile (a community choir in town) felt sick tonight and was unable to attend. The conductor came in and announced that he had no conductor, so he would have to try and play. Once his coat was off and he stood in front of the choir, I asked, "Do you want someone to play?" Much to my great surprise and delight, he said, "Yes."
I can only thank the Lord for such a great opportunity. His mercies are so precious and unique that He even allows me to enjoy opportunities like this. It was probably one chance, but I'm thankful many times over!
26 February 2007
22 February 2007
Faith.
I'm delighted to tell all of you that Lynn and I have a new car and a new home!
Okay... We don't actually have them yet...
Today I have renewed faith in the God who owns a thousand cattle on a thousand hills. Who is our God anyway? Did I forget that He's the God who doesn't just love me, but SO loves me!? that He doesn't do just abundantly more, but exceedingly abundantly more than I could ever think or imagine!? He doesn't even reprimand me for making foolish decisions with our money. But as he did with the prodigal, He places a ring on my finger and a robe around me, and throws an expensive party on my behalf - because He loves me! What Father doesn't delight in giving good gifts to His children?
As I was sharing and praying with a dear friend who is like a spiritual mother to me, I was reminded of my little faith and how that grieves our Father's heart. We talked about how we often assume God's heart is broken over our sin and weaknesses; when in reality, He has always known about those things. Don't you think sometimes He thinks, "But I already knew about that. It's okay!"
I think what really breaks the Father's heart is when we don't believe in Him. When we get stuck focusing on those sins or weaknesses and forget that we are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus our Lord! His desire for us to be holy goes so much further than our sins and weaknesses... In Isaiah 43, He says, "I have chosen you that you might know me and believe me and understand that I am He." In that chapter, God is speaking to th Israelites while they are in sin and He's saying, "Stop focusing on the past and pondering the things you've done wrong! Put Me into remembrance and realize that I am your Creator and I have redeemed you!!!" (Natasha's paraphrase, with some exact wording).
I am so guilty of sometimes forgetting just who it is exactly that I am serving. God's heart is for me to know Him and believe Him and understand just how big and full of love He really is! That truth really has nothing to do with a car or a house; but I do have renewed faith in the Lord's provision. He is a good God of abundant blessings and I intend to hold Him to it!
Okay... We don't actually have them yet...
Today I have renewed faith in the God who owns a thousand cattle on a thousand hills. Who is our God anyway? Did I forget that He's the God who doesn't just love me, but SO loves me!? that He doesn't do just abundantly more, but exceedingly abundantly more than I could ever think or imagine!? He doesn't even reprimand me for making foolish decisions with our money. But as he did with the prodigal, He places a ring on my finger and a robe around me, and throws an expensive party on my behalf - because He loves me! What Father doesn't delight in giving good gifts to His children?
As I was sharing and praying with a dear friend who is like a spiritual mother to me, I was reminded of my little faith and how that grieves our Father's heart. We talked about how we often assume God's heart is broken over our sin and weaknesses; when in reality, He has always known about those things. Don't you think sometimes He thinks, "But I already knew about that. It's okay!"
I think what really breaks the Father's heart is when we don't believe in Him. When we get stuck focusing on those sins or weaknesses and forget that we are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus our Lord! His desire for us to be holy goes so much further than our sins and weaknesses... In Isaiah 43, He says, "I have chosen you that you might know me and believe me and understand that I am He." In that chapter, God is speaking to th Israelites while they are in sin and He's saying, "Stop focusing on the past and pondering the things you've done wrong! Put Me into remembrance and realize that I am your Creator and I have redeemed you!!!" (Natasha's paraphrase, with some exact wording).
I am so guilty of sometimes forgetting just who it is exactly that I am serving. God's heart is for me to know Him and believe Him and understand just how big and full of love He really is! That truth really has nothing to do with a car or a house; but I do have renewed faith in the Lord's provision. He is a good God of abundant blessings and I intend to hold Him to it!
21 February 2007
Second Post of the Day
You can read the other post below, but I need to follow through with my intent to fill you in on Isaiah. Basically, the passage hit me like a bolt out of the blue last week. I was meditating on Scripture, hoping to find the right one to communicate God's heart to the church. Isaiah 54:11-55:5 wouldn't be found on its own in many scholarly works, but it is a passage that discusses God's endowment. We in North America are generally interested in endowments or anything that sounds like a promise for our good. Often, our interests are shallow; we tend to think God's endowment rests in money, health, prosperity, and the like.
To read the passage, one might think that we had it right all along. After all, God promises to rebuild His people's lives with many precious stones (54:11-12) and to endow them with splendor (55:5). He promises children with connections to God and wisdom (54:13). There are also connections to nations, a new generation that the people do not yet know (55:3-4). There's even the promise that God's people will no longer have to fear the people around them (54:14-17) and the reminder that spending one's labor on foreign connections and delicacies (as Judah was doing at the time of the prophecy) is futile. It sounds like prosperity, success, money, and future to me.
Or does it? What about the people to whom it was originally written? What about how the prophet addresses the people in 54:11? They are afflicted, wracked by storms, disconsolate. They were homeless, city-less, protection-less, military-less, family-less, and status-less. They were slaves. They were mocked, beaten, tortured, threatened, raped, and pillaged. For a good idea about the emotions of the people in Babylon, read Psalm 137. People with that outlook on life don't care about prosperity, success, money, and future. If they had money, their captors would spend it. If they had health, they would only endure torture longer. As for prosperity, the Hebrew ideal was that of shalom, a deep sense of inner well-being and infiltrating peace. (That's a whole other post or blog or something.)
God's promise in the original passage was that of security. The promise of rebuilding with precious stones was one to make the people feel secure that they would be rebuilt; they would again have a place of their own. The home would be strong (note use of words like "walls," "stones," "pinnacles" or "battlements," and "foundation") and beautiful (hence, the precious stones). They would also receive the security of a future. Not the kind of future provided by money or health, but the kind of future provided by children (the rebirth of a nation) who would know the Lord (unlike their ancestors whose inattention to God put them in exile) and a shalom peace. Finally, God would give them the security of stability. They would no longer fear any attacker. To prove it, God reminded them that He created the attackers, implying that He could take care of them. Even, "No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed."
We might think that's the point, but did you notice the build there? The security promises are all well and good, but why the build? Why the promises? Why the security? Look at 55:1-2, the climax. "Come." Yes, that's it. That's the point. "Come." God will rebuild the city, give them a future, and even fight for them just so that they could come. It didn't matter if someone was in Forbes magazine or if they were penniless; God's invitation echoes through the corridors of time. "Come." Spending money and labor on things that don't satisfy (for Judah it was treaties, foreign friends, foreign gods, etc.; for us, you name it - nothing satisfies but Jesus) is ridiculous. Come to the Lord, who requires absolutely no money. After all, He made provision for the cost to be paid. How much truer is that for us in the Last Days (New Testament era) who don't have to have that provision made annually in Jerusalem? God took care of that in Jesus and now invites us to come. He says something interesting in 55:2 "Pay attention to me. Listen to me so you can live" (or something like that). Come to Jesus and live. Think Chris Rice's "Untitled Hymn." Everything we receive is intended to inspire us to come to Jesus, to free us up to come to Jesus, to empower us to come to Jesus.
This is the message of Isaiah 54:11-55:5: Come to Jesus and live life to the full.
To read the passage, one might think that we had it right all along. After all, God promises to rebuild His people's lives with many precious stones (54:11-12) and to endow them with splendor (55:5). He promises children with connections to God and wisdom (54:13). There are also connections to nations, a new generation that the people do not yet know (55:3-4). There's even the promise that God's people will no longer have to fear the people around them (54:14-17) and the reminder that spending one's labor on foreign connections and delicacies (as Judah was doing at the time of the prophecy) is futile. It sounds like prosperity, success, money, and future to me.
Or does it? What about the people to whom it was originally written? What about how the prophet addresses the people in 54:11? They are afflicted, wracked by storms, disconsolate. They were homeless, city-less, protection-less, military-less, family-less, and status-less. They were slaves. They were mocked, beaten, tortured, threatened, raped, and pillaged. For a good idea about the emotions of the people in Babylon, read Psalm 137. People with that outlook on life don't care about prosperity, success, money, and future. If they had money, their captors would spend it. If they had health, they would only endure torture longer. As for prosperity, the Hebrew ideal was that of shalom, a deep sense of inner well-being and infiltrating peace. (That's a whole other post or blog or something.)
God's promise in the original passage was that of security. The promise of rebuilding with precious stones was one to make the people feel secure that they would be rebuilt; they would again have a place of their own. The home would be strong (note use of words like "walls," "stones," "pinnacles" or "battlements," and "foundation") and beautiful (hence, the precious stones). They would also receive the security of a future. Not the kind of future provided by money or health, but the kind of future provided by children (the rebirth of a nation) who would know the Lord (unlike their ancestors whose inattention to God put them in exile) and a shalom peace. Finally, God would give them the security of stability. They would no longer fear any attacker. To prove it, God reminded them that He created the attackers, implying that He could take care of them. Even, "No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed."
We might think that's the point, but did you notice the build there? The security promises are all well and good, but why the build? Why the promises? Why the security? Look at 55:1-2, the climax. "Come." Yes, that's it. That's the point. "Come." God will rebuild the city, give them a future, and even fight for them just so that they could come. It didn't matter if someone was in Forbes magazine or if they were penniless; God's invitation echoes through the corridors of time. "Come." Spending money and labor on things that don't satisfy (for Judah it was treaties, foreign friends, foreign gods, etc.; for us, you name it - nothing satisfies but Jesus) is ridiculous. Come to the Lord, who requires absolutely no money. After all, He made provision for the cost to be paid. How much truer is that for us in the Last Days (New Testament era) who don't have to have that provision made annually in Jerusalem? God took care of that in Jesus and now invites us to come. He says something interesting in 55:2 "Pay attention to me. Listen to me so you can live" (or something like that). Come to Jesus and live. Think Chris Rice's "Untitled Hymn." Everything we receive is intended to inspire us to come to Jesus, to free us up to come to Jesus, to empower us to come to Jesus.
This is the message of Isaiah 54:11-55:5: Come to Jesus and live life to the full.
Ever changing...
I (Natasha) have have been meaning to post this for a while...
Lynn preached this past Sunday for the first time at IBC (Immanuel Baptist Church). It was incredible. It was another one of those experiences when I sit back in awe of the man I fall asleep beside every night.
Lynn is constantly growing and changing. But sometimes, I miss the change taking place. It's subtle and deep within him - not easily noticed on the outside. Suddenly, he'll say or do something that is totally different from something he would have said or done before! He thinks, "What? I've always been that way!" But I know the truth. The truth is that Lynn has mastered something that few people can claim. He keeps looking at Jesus; as he looks, he's slowly but surely being changed into His likeness.
Being the "godly" woman that I am (sarcasm noted), I sometimes wish Lynn would spend more time looking at himself :) - you know, when I want him to change something on demand :). My pushiness often encourages his stubbornness, and for a time he might refuse.
But in all his stubbornness, he keeps looking at Jesus. So before we both know it, it happened anyway!!! Isn't that amazing?
I've observed that usually the things I want Lynn to change about himself are areas that need to be strengthened in my own life. For example, I am much too often focused on the areas in myself that need to be changed rather than accepting them as part of my journey and just looking at Jesus. When we trust Him with our salvation (from justification to glorification), the changes will always occur. And instead of being done out of a fear of not being good enough or something like that, the changes will take place out of love and gratitude in response to His love and salvation.
I guess we are ever changing.
Lynn preached this past Sunday for the first time at IBC (Immanuel Baptist Church). It was incredible. It was another one of those experiences when I sit back in awe of the man I fall asleep beside every night.
Lynn is constantly growing and changing. But sometimes, I miss the change taking place. It's subtle and deep within him - not easily noticed on the outside. Suddenly, he'll say or do something that is totally different from something he would have said or done before! He thinks, "What? I've always been that way!" But I know the truth. The truth is that Lynn has mastered something that few people can claim. He keeps looking at Jesus; as he looks, he's slowly but surely being changed into His likeness.
Being the "godly" woman that I am (sarcasm noted), I sometimes wish Lynn would spend more time looking at himself :) - you know, when I want him to change something on demand :). My pushiness often encourages his stubbornness, and for a time he might refuse.
But in all his stubbornness, he keeps looking at Jesus. So before we both know it, it happened anyway!!! Isn't that amazing?
I've observed that usually the things I want Lynn to change about himself are areas that need to be strengthened in my own life. For example, I am much too often focused on the areas in myself that need to be changed rather than accepting them as part of my journey and just looking at Jesus. When we trust Him with our salvation (from justification to glorification), the changes will always occur. And instead of being done out of a fear of not being good enough or something like that, the changes will take place out of love and gratitude in response to His love and salvation.
I guess we are ever changing.
15 February 2007
Try It
It is much too late to be awake, let alone online. Nevertheless, you need to try something.
Open your Bible and read it without considering chapter and verse divisions. You'll find several sections of Scripture that make more sense when taken holistically. For example, I've been studying Isaiah 54:11-55:5 for a sermon on Sunday. I never would have selected that passage for a graded assignment or personal study. I just read the passage as part of a larger reading when I was hit with the impact of the prophecy. Since I know a few people from the church spy on me here occasionally, I won't steal the Lord's thunder. See you there!
(If you're not nearby, don't despair. I may blog about this next week. It's incredibly powerful!)
Open your Bible and read it without considering chapter and verse divisions. You'll find several sections of Scripture that make more sense when taken holistically. For example, I've been studying Isaiah 54:11-55:5 for a sermon on Sunday. I never would have selected that passage for a graded assignment or personal study. I just read the passage as part of a larger reading when I was hit with the impact of the prophecy. Since I know a few people from the church spy on me here occasionally, I won't steal the Lord's thunder. See you there!
(If you're not nearby, don't despair. I may blog about this next week. It's incredibly powerful!)
13 February 2007
Availability
Natasha has gone again. It's for a very good reason, and I'm extremely proud of her. She is in a position right now to be available for many good things the Lord may bring across her path. She's able to help a good friend in a time of serious need right now. She's mentioned different opportunities for involvement in the church and community when she returns. She sits at home so often, but when I come home she often has stories about calls with people or Bible study time. There's something to be said for availability. She's quickly becoming one of the busiest people I know, but she's available for the Lord. She says, "No," appropriately, but she's available.
Why all this wife-praise? It's not fundamentally about Natasha, is it? It's a question that burns in our hearts at times: Why am I not more available for the little things the Lord prompts me to do? I suggest that we allow our circumstances to dictate our priorities, regardless of how we verbally list our priorities. To few of us (meaning me) place ourselves before the Lord with open availability for His service. We think of that needy person down the street who could use groceries. Then we justify our inactivity by listing our bills. We think of the widow at church who just wants to tell someone her story. Then we remember our own story and say, "Some day." We feel that little prompting somewhere in the middle of our torso that tells us there's more, but we sit back and take another Tums. Our jobs won't allow us to leave in the middle of the day to minister to someone. Our schedules won't allow us to take a few minutes and build community. Too few people have reached out to us, so it's better just to go home and think about the community we wish we had. We list our actions, call ourselves available, then go to bed at night feeling okay. While Natasha is human and doesn't do everything right, I'm challenged by her availability. She made herself available, and everything she's doing within a nine day span fell into place. She'll be here this weekend, having accomplished more eternally than many of us do in a month. Again, this isn't about her; it's about our availability to God. It's like Scott always says, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).
Why all this wife-praise? It's not fundamentally about Natasha, is it? It's a question that burns in our hearts at times: Why am I not more available for the little things the Lord prompts me to do? I suggest that we allow our circumstances to dictate our priorities, regardless of how we verbally list our priorities. To few of us (meaning me) place ourselves before the Lord with open availability for His service. We think of that needy person down the street who could use groceries. Then we justify our inactivity by listing our bills. We think of the widow at church who just wants to tell someone her story. Then we remember our own story and say, "Some day." We feel that little prompting somewhere in the middle of our torso that tells us there's more, but we sit back and take another Tums. Our jobs won't allow us to leave in the middle of the day to minister to someone. Our schedules won't allow us to take a few minutes and build community. Too few people have reached out to us, so it's better just to go home and think about the community we wish we had. We list our actions, call ourselves available, then go to bed at night feeling okay. While Natasha is human and doesn't do everything right, I'm challenged by her availability. She made herself available, and everything she's doing within a nine day span fell into place. She'll be here this weekend, having accomplished more eternally than many of us do in a month. Again, this isn't about her; it's about our availability to God. It's like Scott always says, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).
Early Retirement
(Natasha writing...)
Well, who'd have thought I'd be retired at age 23!? Okay, so I'm not really retired. I'm just not working or going to school or doing anything involving any idea of a career!
The point of saying that, though, is to say that I have been so blessed to have opportunities like the one I am currently experiencing because of this season I am in (that much resembles eary retirement!). Lynn calls me a "free agent of the Lord". I am able to just walk with Him every day, not knowing what we're going to encounter together. This week I am in Fredericton with our dear friends, the Brewers. I am supposedly here to be helpful, but we all know I am being doubly blessed by these nigh angelic beings...
Anyway, last week I was in Wolfville, NS at Acadia University visiting my cousin Rebecca. This week, I am in Fredericton experiencing the bliss of my early retirement...
What a blessed life! ...and what a gracious Husband!
Well, who'd have thought I'd be retired at age 23!? Okay, so I'm not really retired. I'm just not working or going to school or doing anything involving any idea of a career!
The point of saying that, though, is to say that I have been so blessed to have opportunities like the one I am currently experiencing because of this season I am in (that much resembles eary retirement!). Lynn calls me a "free agent of the Lord". I am able to just walk with Him every day, not knowing what we're going to encounter together. This week I am in Fredericton with our dear friends, the Brewers. I am supposedly here to be helpful, but we all know I am being doubly blessed by these nigh angelic beings...
Anyway, last week I was in Wolfville, NS at Acadia University visiting my cousin Rebecca. This week, I am in Fredericton experiencing the bliss of my early retirement...
What a blessed life! ...and what a gracious Husband!
09 February 2007
08 February 2007
Enmeshed
So, Natasha is away. It's just been since this morning, and she'll come back tomorrow evening. This sucks. While I'm glad for her, my selfish side is thinking, "You are way too enmeshed for this."
05 February 2007
Two Parts
This post has two sections. I thought about doing two posts, but we can all handle a long one, right?
1) Where did we ever get the idea that any one experience typifies "true" faith? Why is it that some people look for a certain prayer, others look for a particular crisis, and still others look for provable actions? I admit that it's difficult to deny someone's faith after a dramatic crisis conversion. Yet Jesus Himself indicated that those whose faith is in Him would be those who would join Him in glory. I think of the thief on the cross next to Jesus's cross who acknowledged Jesus's lordship without the breakdown of "saved, healed, delivered." I also think of Matthew, who followed the Lord simply because he trusted Him when He said, "Follow me." Our theologies and doctrines are important, but when did they give us the right to judge a person's eternal soul? Any authority we have was given to us only by God and does not give us the right to shun and shame people.
2) One of the first things that made me stop and look at Natasha differently is her love. I've never seen anyone who really loves people like she does. Of course, we've learned a lot about love since we've been married, and particularly in the last year. We've seen a lot of what love is and even more of what love is not. There are many people whom we love around the world (mostly North America), many of whom exemplify love for us. The Scriptures say that love bears all things. That love never fails. That love covers a multitude of sins. What a joy it is when we see people who love freely with God's love in a way that bears with us, that does not fail, that keeps no record of wrongs, that is patient, that is kind, that covers a multitude of sins! At the same time, how hurtful it has been when we have faced people who did not bear with us, who keep a record of our wrongs, who are impatient, who focus on sin rather than the soul, who are unkind, and who seemingly failed us! (We've been dealing with a lot of that and have sought healing in our new surroundings.) In a time when I have been tempted many times to speak out boldly against those who do not love, the Lord has reminded me, "But for the grace of God, there go I." I am tempted to find fault among friends who aren't true, to be impatient with loved ones who are hurtful, to be unkind to those who seemingly don't care, to choose to stop bearing with people, and even to shift my circle of friends. I assume that the Lord's revelation precludes His warning not to be a hypocrite, reacting out of hurt and confusion for Natasha and me. Instead, I choose to love, to be real, to embrace the goodness and peace of the Lord, and to dive in headfirst to the imperfect, often frustrating congregation of the Church. After all, if we look through the screen of human imperfections, we begin to see that 1 Corinthians 12 is real when it says we are all the body of Christ. Why would I want to hurt the body of Christ? If I'm the foot, why would I want to kick my own shin? Why do so many members of the body do it?
1) Where did we ever get the idea that any one experience typifies "true" faith? Why is it that some people look for a certain prayer, others look for a particular crisis, and still others look for provable actions? I admit that it's difficult to deny someone's faith after a dramatic crisis conversion. Yet Jesus Himself indicated that those whose faith is in Him would be those who would join Him in glory. I think of the thief on the cross next to Jesus's cross who acknowledged Jesus's lordship without the breakdown of "saved, healed, delivered." I also think of Matthew, who followed the Lord simply because he trusted Him when He said, "Follow me." Our theologies and doctrines are important, but when did they give us the right to judge a person's eternal soul? Any authority we have was given to us only by God and does not give us the right to shun and shame people.
2) One of the first things that made me stop and look at Natasha differently is her love. I've never seen anyone who really loves people like she does. Of course, we've learned a lot about love since we've been married, and particularly in the last year. We've seen a lot of what love is and even more of what love is not. There are many people whom we love around the world (mostly North America), many of whom exemplify love for us. The Scriptures say that love bears all things. That love never fails. That love covers a multitude of sins. What a joy it is when we see people who love freely with God's love in a way that bears with us, that does not fail, that keeps no record of wrongs, that is patient, that is kind, that covers a multitude of sins! At the same time, how hurtful it has been when we have faced people who did not bear with us, who keep a record of our wrongs, who are impatient, who focus on sin rather than the soul, who are unkind, and who seemingly failed us! (We've been dealing with a lot of that and have sought healing in our new surroundings.) In a time when I have been tempted many times to speak out boldly against those who do not love, the Lord has reminded me, "But for the grace of God, there go I." I am tempted to find fault among friends who aren't true, to be impatient with loved ones who are hurtful, to be unkind to those who seemingly don't care, to choose to stop bearing with people, and even to shift my circle of friends. I assume that the Lord's revelation precludes His warning not to be a hypocrite, reacting out of hurt and confusion for Natasha and me. Instead, I choose to love, to be real, to embrace the goodness and peace of the Lord, and to dive in headfirst to the imperfect, often frustrating congregation of the Church. After all, if we look through the screen of human imperfections, we begin to see that 1 Corinthians 12 is real when it says we are all the body of Christ. Why would I want to hurt the body of Christ? If I'm the foot, why would I want to kick my own shin? Why do so many members of the body do it?
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