Overwhelmed!

Well, Lynn and I have had quite a week.

I'm not even sure I can count all the exciting or devastating things that have happened in the last week or so, but they have all led up to a physical and emotional breakdown for me today :). I wish I could learn to catch these dives into the pit of exhaustion before they come; I have yet to master it. Thankfully, though, by the grace of God and the encouragement of my husband, I am much quicker at recovering and getting back to my normal self.

We will have an update soon that explains some of the week's events.


Those who go down to the see in ships, who do business on great waters, they sea the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end...

Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven.

Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders.

Psalm 107: 23-32

(Natasha)

Our new car!

Before...















...and after!

Update.

Lynn and I have been experiencing the joys of a busy life in ministry! Here a few key points of interest:

1a. The fourth pastor has officially joined the IBC staff. Kaj Binderup is retiring from the ministry to Truro to be near kids and grandkids. So, as all good retiring ministers do, he has joined the IBC staff as part-time visitation/seniors pastor. We are just getting to know him, but are quickly becoming infatuated :).

1b. His wife Joan is my new favorite person on the whole earth! She's blunt, spunky, hysterical, and cute :). She and I will be ministering together in May at the women's retreat for our Baptist Association (sort of like a district). I will be leading worship and teaching on worship, while Joan is the guest speaker. I greatly look forward to this ministry opportunity!

2. Lynn conquered his first major event at IBC a couple of weeks ago. It was our 117th Anniversary service!! :) The whole day was filled with music from our choir and guest choirs, mostly from the black-Canadian churches in our area. It was awesome. A little crazy, too; but awesome :).

3. Non-ministry related - by tomorrow evening, Lynn and I will be driving a brand new Corolla! We are very thankful to our dear old car who has done so well these past three years and protected us from any serious danger... But there is a season for everything and the season of our '95, teal, Grand Prix has come to an end. God has come through once again. Isn't it the craziest thing to go from a 12 year old car to an brand new one!? Praise the Lord!

4. A quote from last week:
Lynn: "You are the most patient wife on the face of the earth."
Natasha: "Was that sarcasm?"
Lynn: "No, just blatant lying."

Have wonderful day dear friends!
Natasha

One Chance

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!)

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).

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!

Tasha just pulled in the driveway!!

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."

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?

Readership

I'm (Lynn) sitting in a practice with Worship Team B right now. They're doing a nice job practicing, but two great things just happened.

1) We stopped and prayed for our sister who needed to sit back on the Lord for a moment. For that sister I have the following lyrics from a praise song written by someone at Christ for the Nations. (The speaker is a worshiper, speaking to Jesus.)

The more I seek You, the more I find You. The more I find You, the more I love You, Jesus. I want to sit at Your feet, drink from the cup in Your hand, lean back against You, and breathe, and feel Your heartbeat. This love is so deep; it's more than I can bear. I melt in Your peace; it's overwhelming.

2) We just had a conversation in which I found out that a few of the worship team members read this blog. Not the worship blog I set up for the church - this one. I love that! :)

Mac

I want everyone to know that I am typing on a Mac. I was afraid to post until the Mac actually came, but the new MacBook is the tool the Lord provided me to do my work through the church. Yes, a Mac. I'm sure I'll get the usual comments from Windows lovers and people who resist change. I'll choose not to defend this transition I've been dying to make for a long time. If you want responses to compatability myths, etc., please visit apple.com. (I still love you all.)

Once Upon a Snowy Afternoon

It's Lynn writing this time. It's a snowy afternoon, and I'm sitting in the home office the Lord provided for us. None of that matters to most anyone reading this, particularly since we've gone on about that a lot. Still, it feels good finally to be here. Natasha rightly observed that it's been almost a month since we last had a place to let our collective hair down. We sat and watched "Two Weeks Notice" last night, after which I fell asleep in record time. That's how I do it. Sleep. Natasha and I had that conversation yesterday. She remarked how she tends to get worked up and feels as though she doesn't handle change very well. She thinks I handle it very well. The only reason she thinks that is because I'm social. It doesn't really matter whether we're in change; I just like to be around people. I get tired, though. She didn't sleep many nights last week prior to settling; I sleep more every night that goes by. I slept in past 10:00 a.m. twice in the past week! (Half the day was gone!!) We have been invited out so many times, but we're often with strong personalities - a good thing, since I tend to get with people and sink into a tired speechlessness. You know, the kind of peaceful speechlessness that feels best with a warm cup of Stash wild blackcurrant tea in my hands with the sounds of my wife's voice in my ears, gratitude to Jesus in my heart, and the jazzy music of someone like Bing in my head - all on a snowy afternoon.

A word from Francis.

The God Whose Name Is Jealous

…True salvation is a betrothal….

…Whatever challenges Jesus' right to our hearts becomes His enemy, which He will confront. Because of His jealousy toward us as His bride, in regard to these false gods, the Lord demands we destroy these idols ourselves.

…The spirit of antichrist [that spirit which exalts self as deity] is resident in much of the church today, opposing the move of God, displaying itself as being God.

…Is there something in your soul which opposes and exalts itself above God, taking its seat in the human temple of God , displaying itself as being God? The resistance in you against God is an idol. It is the most powerful idol in the human heart.

…What mankind has done is move the pagan temples from the high places of the countryside to the hidden places of the human heart.

Every time we inwardly submit to the strongholds of fear, bitterness, and pride, we are bowing to the rulers of darkness.

Would you be holy? Then remove the idols of self and sin from within you. For holiness exists in a soul purified by love; it exudes like incense from a heart without idols.

Francis Frangapane

Random thoughts from the sick wife :)

Yes, I am very unfortunately sick and using this post of random thoughts as a distraction from my misery.

Isn't it interesting that I decided to stop blogging and then asked Lynn if I could post sometimes on his blog, which he then re-designed for us to share, and suddenly he's disappeared and only I remain?

Just to inform anyone who might be wondering, I have not besieged my husband's blog. It's just that for right now, I'm awaiting our final move into our more permanent home, while being miserably sick and lazying around our hosts home; meanwhile Lynn is hard at work at the church, but without a computer as of yet! So I have all the time in the world to sit at the computer and blog, while Lynn is still in the process of ordering his new laptop for the church.

I promise you, he will return!

I would also like to comment about the picture Lynn chose for the new design. A dear feind had innocently commented that it seems "erotic" :). I apologize if we've made anyone uncomfortable for it is not meant to be an "erotic" picture, but rather a soft, gentle, romantic kiss - perfectly appropriate for blogdom :).

This picture was actually taken by Ryan Wiedmaier in downtown St. John. It was a scheme against me for a surprise Lynn was conjuring up.

We do seem to be outward with our affection, more than some... or maybe most. When we first started dating I was terribly shy! I tried to keep Lynn from making his random outbursts across the cafeteria or from the car window as he passed me going down the hill (at BBC)... but my efforts to control his random outbursts were completely fruitless. So I eventually learned to work with it :)

More seriously, though, when Lynn and I were falling in love, both sets of parents were experiencing extreme marriage difficulties. Two completely different situations that also had completely different outcomes led us to question love and its ability to last a lifetime. The outcome of these difficulties as they've shaped our relationship (along with the combination of our ridiculous personalities) led us to operate in our marriage out of a certain "philosphy". As Christians living in a world depraved of love, why not shout out from the rooftops that the enemy has been defeated and the love of Christ reigns in our marriage forever!? Why not reflect the love of Christ through our love for one another to people who have long since stopped believing that they could ever know a love that never fails...

This "philosphy" (for lack of a better word, and as tribute to Rev. Starks) is most certainly influenced by the innocent and unashamed love that exherts from my husband's pure heart. He is so precious and we couldn't be different even if we tried because he cannot contain his joy and love for the Lord which overflows onto his abundantly blessed wife.

So without shame, we will keep our "erotic" picture on our blog, proclaiming to all the world that love prevails!

How's that for a dramatic ending? :)

One "first" down.

I just have to say, though none of us are surprised, that my husband is the best worship pastor ever!

We had our first Sunday yesterday and Lynn did an exceptional job. He is obviously very capable musicaly, but also walks with the anointing and favor of a son - a son who knows His Father, is like His Father in image and character, and trusts in His Father's faithfulness.

I am so proud of you, Husband :).

(From Natasha)

A Blessed Life.

I (Natasha) am taking this opportunity to post about our current situation. Some of it will likely be redundant; but hopefully it will make more sense all compliled into one neat summary :).

Okay, here's the gist. We (meaning Lynn) accepted the position of pastor of worship arts and small groups at Immanuel Baptist Church in Truro, NS, Canada. We finished up my internship in Presque Isle, ME, moved our stuff into a very kind man's basement, celebrated our anniversary, then left for the holidays. We had a wonderful time with Lynn's family in DE over Christmas and mine over New Years. We arrived back in Truro just in time for Lynn's first day on January 2nd. Needless to say it has been a busy few weeks!

We had announced earlier that we were going to buy a house in Truro. We loved the house for a starter home and were in the middle of drawing up a formal offer with our lawyer when we felt a very strong need to pull back. We stalled for a little bit, but ultimately had to face the fact that we did not have peace about buying this house. Lynn had to make the difficult phone calls, informing those involved that we were pulling out. We found oursleves homeless once again.

Just around that time, however, we received an e-mail from the senior pastor of our new church, mentioning a possible house sitting option. Both of us immediately felt peace and a release of tension at this suggestion! Since then it has been blessing after blessing! The Lord has provided a more than perfect solution to an impossble situation (without getting into the details...) and has also used us to be that very same thing for another member of the body of Christ! Somehow, He took two impossible situations and molded them together creating an abundance of blessing, warmth, and peace.

Lynn and I will be house sitting through the spring and possibly until August. A bigger, better home awaits us on the other end :).

It is surely a blessed life to be in the hands of a loving father who promises to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever think or imagine!

Drake

Happy New Year! Baby Emmerson now has a name: Drake John Emmerson. He is my favorite nephew, mostly because he's beautiful. Is this superficial? Absolutely, but I haven't held him, talked to him on the phone, or taken him to a basketball game yet, so we don't really have much history. Drake and I only go back about a week, to be honest. It looks like we have a lot of ground to cover. In the meantime, I'm going to live vicariously through my in-laws, who have wonderful children worth a lot of love!

In other news, Natasha says "Hi!" and "Happy New Year!" We're going to be lazy and watch a movie before the big "Christmas" dinner this afternoon (with my in-laws, who weren't with us at Christmas) and the trip home. We hope 2007 is a big one for all of you. The Lord is literally standing in front of us, waiting for us to run after Him. He has a new world to unfold, should we actually challenge Him to prove it.

One More Thing

Natasha may or may not be joining me on this blog. We're a good united team, so if you see her around here anytime soon, don't be surprised. Also, don't be surprised if the property value of this blog jumps by at least 1,000%!

A Home

We have a home. At least till August anyway. We met with the Jaspersons, hoping all the way that they were the answer to our prayers. As usual, it turns out that none of this was about us. We showed up at their home, only to discover that we were the answer to their prayers. She had been praying for months, believing that the Lord would somehow work out a way for her to spend the next year with her husband out west. Their house hadn't sold, they took it off the market, and they assumed that they would have to spend a second year apart. Until us. We thought we had found some generous people who were the answer to our housing need. They certainly were that. However, after the visit and a brief Holy Ghost party, we realized that God told us not to buy a house right now because He was working in a marriage. Two people who love each other and love Christ really needed to be together in the next year for the sake of their marriage and God's Kingdom. We were just the right sort of people to come in until August, after which their daughter will take over the house. They needed transient people who had nowhere to go but who would have nowhere they needed to be for almost a year. Here we are!

Lord, thank you for being so much bigger than us! Thanks for loving, caring, and blessing Your children, even though none of us merits it. We are weak people caught up in our own concerns, struggling between Your control and ours. Nevertheless, You have moved mightily! You powerfully brought the Jaspersons together, caused them to anoint their house for ministry, and granted them the patience and faith to believe that You really would bring their desires to pass. You graciously prevented us from taking steps too soon, not for us, but for our brother and sister. Ultimately, it's not even about them. We look to You for this miracle to continue. We celebrate You, whose love is so masterfully full that these details aren't even worth figuring out. You're a blessing, and we honor Your name forever! May You continue to mark out the path for the Jaspersons and for us as we all seek to know You more.

My Favorite Time

This has been an incredible Christmas so far, and I anticipate more great things to come. Melissa called to let us know that my new favorite nephew has arrived! He is yet to be named (sound familiar?), but his first name will be John. Unfortunately, he's going by his middle name to avoid John confusion with other Johns in the Emmerson family. At this point I'm just happy that Johnny and Melissa keep birthing children according to my schedule. Destiny was born on my birthday; John was born on my favorite holiday (actually, Christmas Eve, but close enough).

The whole family was here at Dad's for Christmas today. I have beaucoup pictures, but I can't post them from here. (Thumbs down on leaving the sync and charging cables at home.)

Christmas is green this year. Ahh, the bliss! When so many people are seeing the White Death, I am reminded of life with grass, shrubs, and some trees that still have green foliage.

Finally, I'm blessed by Natasha. She has my heart right in the palm of her hand. And she's taking care of it. She cherishes my heart and loves me tenderly, boldly, shamelessly, and welcomingly. Her smile fans a spark inside me that causes me to look forward to the next 72 years (minimum) of our marriage. Our anniversary last week was more fun than we've had in awhile. It's good to be married to someone who is loving, imaginative, and less selfish than me. I LOVE HER!!!!

Okay, really finally, I miss the Lord. He's with me, and I know it. I'm just longing for Him right now. I'm so grateful to be head-over-heels for a Lord who never leaves me, who always teaches me, who is the one who gives both my existence and its meaning. Praise Him forever!

Merry Christmas, for the few of you who will look at this today!

Packed Up

FYI, our things are in a U-Haul (more on this in a later post). We're trucking out as soon as possible tomorrow morning. We're celebrating our anniversary Tuesday. Then we're flying to see my fam. Then we're going back to our new home. We have no address or phone number, but we'll try to keep updated as much as possible. "See" you all online!

Thinking About God

Why is it that sometimes I can think about God forever, exploring many thoughts about what makes Him who He is? Why is it that other times I seem to feel a resolve inside that God just is without thinking about Him at all? These questions aren't really questions. I'm not troubled by them. I'm just reflecting on how fleeting my thoughts are. God has spoken to me through my thoughts. He has revealed Himself to me through them on many occasions. The more I know Him, though, the less I have to mull Him over. There comes a point in our journeys in which we realize we can just trust Him - just accept Him for who He is. The mental struggles are still there, but they seem considerably less important than His overwhelming glory. When was the last time you had that moment?

the 26th

Today is my half birthday. I don't feel any older. In fact I didn't realize it until right now, minutes before I go to bed. Still, it's my half birthday. Six months and I'll have my year birthday. I used to claim I was my age and a half as a child, constantly seeking to be older. Four and a half. Eight and a half. Ten and a half. Twenty-five and a half. So good.

Hysterical

When was the last time you saw a good lawn ornament? When was the last time you thought about one? I laughed almost the entire ride home last night after a conversation about them. While describing a colorful man I know, I began to talk about his property. I explained how the man's home and garage look much like a Foxworthy routine. I said, "In the front yard," when Elizabeth inserted the question, "Lawn ornaments...?" The look on her face and questioning voice were stuck in my head. I was going to reference tools, car parts, and, yes, lawn ornaments. But the timing of her joke was perfect! So, Elizabeth, this one's for you. I found these lawn ornaments and thought of you. (That's probably the first and last time anyone has ever said that of you.)

Rebel

If you haven't read through Isaiah in awhile, I strongly encourage you to do that. It's part of my devotions right now, and I'm also taking an exegesis class on the book. For my devotional reading I've chosen to read in the New Living Translation. Check out 53:12b with me:

"He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels."

The prophet was referring to the Suffering Servant here. It's commonly accepted that this Servant is the Messiah. We know Him as Jesus in 2006 CE.

Following a beautiful prophetic poem of how Jesus suffered on our behalf, the prophet includes this verse. Jesus Himself was counted among the rebels. I've heard this translated "transgressors" before. I like "rebels" better this morning because I was one. I was a transgressor, too. In other words, I did things wrong. But I was a rebel. I didn't just do things wrong; I did them deliberately. I deliberately chose to follow paths of which I knew God did not approve. I sinned, and I did it boldly. I was literally against Jesus, even though He was counted along with me among the rebels when He took the sins of the world.

Here's what strikes me. Jesus bore my sins and interceded for me, a rebel! He interceded for me! He still does! I am no longer a rebel. Sure, I still have to submit my mind, will, emotions, and spirit to Him daily, but I am not against Him. That's only because He interceded for me. He took my sins, I rebelled, and He interceded for me. I deliberately chose sin, and He interceded for me. I took His name in vain, and He interceded for me. I spat in His face, and He interceded for me. I struck Him, and He interceded for me. I turned my back on Him, sinning right in front of His face, and He interceded for me. I spread bad reports about Him, and He interceded for me. I incited other people against Him, and He interceded for me. I chose to run from Him, I didn't want to be found by Him, and He interceded for me. I worked in cooperation with the darkness inside and around me, and He interceded for me.

He stood between the Father and me, praying, "Father, forgive him. He doesn't know what he's doing." I did know what I was doing when I spoke against Him, hurt Him, and chose to sin. I did not know what I was doing when I purposefully joined the constant, fruitless search of what would satisfy, what would remove the darkness that kept me awake at night, what would take away the fears that plagued me. Just like the Roman soldiers at Jesus's crucifixion, I stood over Christ in full knowledge of my outward actions, but Jesus saw my desperate need for His salvation and interceded for me. He stood in Heaven interceding for me for a long time. He stands now in Heaven interceding for millions of other souls who don't know what they're doing.

I meditate on Christ this morning as one who was saved from rebellion. I no longer work against Jesus. Darkness does not rule inside me because Jesus's light has flooded my soul! I no longer partner with the darkness around me; instead I intercede with Jesus to conquer the darkness. Jesus was as bruised and scorned as Isaiah and the Gospel accounts record. Now, however, He is the bright and conquering Savior who leads us in intercession for the rebels. He doesn't hate rebels choosing rebellion. He loves them so much that He humbly prays for them. He loves them so much that He valiantly fights the darkness for them. He loves them so much that their sin, their curse, their humiliation is all His, should they trust that He is who He says He is. The rebels fight against Him, but Jesus leads with a powerful peace, a forceful love, a striking mercy. He is good - infinitely good. Good.

He is good. He received our 39 lashes. He was led through the streets in mockery. He stood before councils, governors, and kings in condemnation. He wore our crown of jagged thorns. He accepted our bruises, cuts, jabs, gashes, insults, punches, pushes, and curses. He carried our cross. He accepted our nails through His hands and His feet. He accepted abject humiliation by hanging on our cross and carrying the weight of our sin. He was placed in our tomb. He laid in our tomb and descended to the place of the dead. All the while He interceded for us.

It wasn't over. He defeated our death in a powerful blow! He rose from our grave! He initiated our new life! He appeared to many people like us who assumed He was dead. He blessed them, He taught them, He commissioned them. He went to Heaven for us, but He sent His Spirit to continue blessing us, teaching us, commissioning us. All the while He intercedes for us. By the power of His Spirit our trust that He is who He says He is results in the defeat of death in our lives. We raise from the graves! We receive new life! We bless, teach, and commission. Then we go to Heaven to be with Him - forever!

So, Jesus interceded for me. I am not a rebel. He still intercedes for me. He still intercedes for us. He loves us. He pursues us. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us - will hunt us down as in war, like the Hebrew word for "follow" says there - all the days of our lives. All the days. He hunts us rebels down with His love, His goodness, His mercy. We don't have to rebel. I am not a rebel. All because of His intercession. I am redeemed. All because of His intercession. I can sing the song of the redeemed that even the angels in heaven cannot sing. All because of His intercession. I see Jesus, high and exalted, and bow down to worship Him forever! PRAISE HIM FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER!!

House

Okay, so I'm not having any luck posting the picture. I've done this before, but I'm not cluing into the problem yet.... Anyway, it has three bedrooms (good for hosting...), two bathrooms, a big kitchen and living room, dining area, den, office/fourth bedroom, deck, woodstove, etc. There's a walk-in closet in the master bedroom that has a window in it! It's only four years old, one owner, so it's in great shape. Anyway, if you don't see the picture, just click on the area where the picture should be. It will show up.

Where We Are

Most of you don't know that we're missing, but some of you who live close to us realize we're AWOL. We're at our in-laws' house right now. We were supposed to be home from house shopping on Wednesday, but we ran into a snag. Yes, our car broke down. As in, broke down, unable to run, smoke coming from various points of the car. The Lord, being the Lord, provided a ride to our in-laws within ten minutes, with a man who needed to hear about Jesus. :) (He thought we needed the same; what fun JWs are!) So, we rode for two hours with a new friend who has a lot to think about. Before the breakdown our in-laws already planned on giving us their car for our house hunt, while they arranged to have ours fixed. They got more than they bargained for, since they were the ones who went up to get the car, bring it back here, and oversee the repairs. Basically, the car needs a new engine. Entirely new engine. It was supposed to be done yesterday, but there were complications. Now we're on day 2, not knowing when the car will be done, not knowing when we're going home. (We're counting on today.) I'm glad the Lord doesn't need me at work to provide for us. I'm also glad we have understanding supervisors back home.

In other news, we think we found a house. I'll try to post a picture of it in a minute.

Monument

May last night be a monument in my life! This is a powerful testimony that I'm blessed and encouraged to write. Please read it and rejoice with me in the power of Christ!

Last night we met with some good friends at the church. The topic wasn't necessarily clear, nor was there immediate resolve. However, my sister in Christ looked at me right before we dismissed and said, "There's something welling up in you. You have some bitterness, and the Lord wants to deal with it." I agreed because we had prayed before the meeting, believing that God would bring out what needed to be brought out. It felt hard to hear, but I assumed the Lord must have given her that impression. I reflected on it prayerfully on the way home.

Earlier in the day I felt the Lord telling me I had some bitterness, so what happened last night only confirmed it. I confessed my bitterness over the phone to a pastor and agreed to spend some time in prayer with Natasha about it. I prayed by myself and also found some written prayers. The Lord led me into a long prayer of confession, followed by a prayer of forgiveness and release for my immediate bitterness. This was all good.

Then the Lord showed me a prayer for forgiveness of my parents in the prayer book. I decided to go through it. It became very emotional for me, but it was spiritually freeing, to say the least! I never imagined that halfway through the prayer I would end up being delivered of some major bitterness toward my family, but that's how God works. He is so good to uncover things that would otherwise threaten relationships among our family and between God and me! His faithfulness is a huge blessing! I'm sure the Lord has more work to do, but I want to establish what happened last night as a memorial in my spiritual journey. Regardless of what else the Lord brings me through, even with my family, I stand firmly in the strong freedom of Christ, released from bitterness and having released my family (and friend) from my control. Praise the Lord!

Some Things

1) Psalm 22 changed my outlook on the Lord this week. I want to post my entire exegesis on it, but that would be too long. Let's just say that Jesus makes a lot more sense, as do David and the Father. Praise Him!! His answers are so perfect and beyond us, even when we think He's answering our immediate need.

2) Our car needs replaced. Lord, let it happen soon! (This will be a miracle, but I assume that's on its way.)

3) You must check this out. Heather sent it to me, and I'm very happy she did. It's a great symposium of much of my life. (Note: For those who are used to my piety, please know that this is extremely lighthearted.)

4) Alex wants me to register to vote. I'm all about that. But he wants me to register Republican. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that. If I'm Republican, that means letting go of a lot of things. So would being Democrat. Since few people take Independents seriously, I'm in a bit of a quandary. If you have intelligent things to offer (not ignorance, slander, libel, or spiritual judgmentalism), I'd welcome the wisdom.

5) Did you check this out yet? I wasn't kidding. Very good.

International

Sometimes it's strange to think about international families. Natasha and I will most likely have to move before Christmas so that we have time with the Erskines/Bennetts in Delaware before we're officially on at IBC for January 2. We've been looking into flights and whatnot for that, realizing that a flight from Halifax to Baltimore really is international. We've also been dealing with Natasha's financial aid and have to drive to Perth-Andover or Woodstock tomorrow as a result. The US and Canada don't usually feel international. If it weren't for the customs station, the road in front of our house would continue east and drop us in Perth-Andover after awhile. When we fly down at Christmas, we're going to follow the same coast. The political boundaries aren't visible in the air. It all looks like one piece of land. You don't even realize you're not looking at Canada anymore until Boston comes into view from the air. Is it strange that it doesn't feel international? What does this communicate, if anything, about the identities of our countries?

(Note: There will be something new on our food blog soon. We're not home enough to cook, which is sad. However, breakfast this morning was startlingly good.)

Marriage Free from Self-Defense

Our lives don't leave much blogging time lately, but I would say I'm MUCH more of a Blogger than a MySpacer. I've appreciated MySpace for its quick and easy connection to friends I haven't seen or heard from in YEARS. However, I could never get over the ads that I find on everyone's sites. I have told few people about my MySpace because I'm not proud of the ads. (In fact, I joined just to stay in moderate contact with my brother.) I e-mailed the imfamous "Tom" about the singles ads, but I never heard back. I could find no way to block them. Then it happened.

One night when I had just submitted a message, a confirmation page came up, on which was displayed a singles ad. Natasha walked in the room and asked, "What in the world are you looking at?" I told her I was on MySpace and explained the advertisement situation. She said she trusted me, and we were fine.

That really ate at me. My wife trusts me a lot. A whole lot. She loves me unconditionally. Yet, she came in the room when an ad from my own website was showing, and she wondered if that were about to unravel. Why do I want to give my wife any reason to suspect me, even if that comes through a seemingly innocent site? How innocent is a site that allures people to looking at covered women, only to tempt them to go the next step, then the next, then the next? Why am I hosting a website with images I don't condone and won't send people to see? Why do I want to remain part of a site that is likely to reproduce the scenario above the next time Natasha walks in the room and sees an ad she's not seen before? I have a marriage free of self-defense. We are, in a sense, naked and unashamed before each other. I have no desire to see that destroyed.

Moral: I'm leaving MySpace as soon as the bulletin I just sent reaches all of my friends (or within 72 hours, whichever I feel like doing at the time).

Catching Up

If you haven't caught up with us in awhile (or maybe even if you have), here's something new for you: Natasha and I are moving to Truro, Nova Scotia. We have been in contact with Immanuel Baptist for several weeks, feeling the obvious hand of God on us for most of that time. The Lord is leading us back into worship ministry, as we wondered if He was doing back when Moe came to town (see post from last March). There are so many unknowns here, but the One we know overcomes all that. Please pray with us for that transition; we are meant to begin on January 2, 2007. These are EXTREMELY exciting times!!

Testimonies

There are way too many testimonies to write in one blog when I'm already too tired to be awake. It's just that I'm too humbly blessed not to blog right now! I miss blogging, and I miss the blogging community, but there is so much going on right now! I'll put a few things:

1) In addition to receiving occasional songs from the Lord, I've had a lot of opportunity to do prophetic worship lately. It's been a blessing I never expected to receive!

2) The men's prayer summit was earth-shattering for me. Among other things, I spilled my entire life story to several men (even the dark, dirty stuff), believed someone for the first time when they said they loved me, prayed over many men, was prayed over by many men, received more rhema word from the Lord than ever before, etc., etc., etc.

3) The Lord has given me a new glimpse of His plan for me. More on that when I've actually communicated personally with some people close to me who don't blog. (You know, I just don't want my blogging friends to tell my family or close friends about the biggest things in my life.) No, we're not pregnant.

4) I'm just different. I know it. I mean, I'm the same, but I'm really not. It's incredible. Please, with everything in you, chase after Jesus with everything in you. Don't give up because you're tired. Don't give up because you hear the enemy of your soul roaring. Jesus is so powerful, loving, caring, challenging, and perfect. He's transparent and humble. He's welcoming and personal. He's great and mighty. He's more than all these things, and you know you want to know Him. Don't judge Him by me or by any other person who says they know Him. Get to know Him very well and go from there.

Giving Glory

(If you hate moose, don't read the first paragraph.)

First, I have seen three moose in the past 48 hours. I told the Lord I'd give Him glory if I saw one back in July. Now I've seen three. Three! THREE!!! Two of them were bulls, both of whom were running across the road in front of me when I saw them. Those two were during the day. The one I saw in Bridgewater this morning actually stopped and stayed just off the side of the road so I could watch him as I drove by. He wasn't as big as the first bull. The other moose was actually the first one I saw. We were driving home the other night when we passed Myrtle Tree (see flower pics in my flickr thing). Standing off the side of the road eating leaves was a cow moose. She was gone when I turned around to show Natasha. Still, it was a moose!

Second, the Lord is amazing to speak His Word to us faithfully! I was having one of those flesh-vs-spirit times earlier today while listening to CFNI's most recent CD. ("Unto the Lamb" is just as good on the CD, in my opinion, as on the DVD.) The worship leader said, "Whomever the Son has set free is free indeed." The rhema Word of God rushed into my spirit like a whirlwind. I thought, "Yes. Free indeed." Then I spoke it out loud. My disappointment fled, and I knew the Word had been spoken so I could revel in God's freedom. I'm growing in that freedom every day. Sometimes I'm tempted to think I'm not free because I don't look like Pastor X or church-goer Y. Then the Lord reminds me that our salvation isn't about levels and lines to cross. To the contrary, it's about knowing Him more everyday. Do I know Him as completely as I can right now? I think so. Do I know Him as completely as I "should?" Probably not. Yet, somehow, He's okay with me. He loves me still. He's still faithful to speak His rhema Word to me, the kind of Word that is used in Ephesians 6 in the spiritual armor passage (thanks, Beth Moore, for pointing that out to me). We don't have to ask, "Lord, I'm not far enough or good enough, am I?" because He is enough. We don't have to be. He is the level of holiness. We don't have to reach one. He is our portion. We don't have to claim any. He is our riches. We don't have to gain any. He is our beauty. We don't have to achieve any. He is our strength. We don't have to grasp for it. He is our wisdom. We don't have to study for more. He is our everything. We don't have to look for anything else.

Gold

I found out today that gold refined to its absolute purest form is clear like glass. Aside from being a completely cool fact and something beautiful I'd like to see, I think I have a new life goal. The Bible prompts my prayer for the Lord to refine me like gold. My new life goal is that I would be so refined that I would be clear. That way when people look at me they would see through me to Christ!

Something About Marriage

This has been an insane week. I was prepared for my classes to start, but I was not prepared for heavy projects due in the first days of class. I was prepared for a heavy workweek, but I was not prepared for the effect of the long hours on my body. Nor was I prepared for the effect that both things would have on my marriage this week. Don't get me wrong; Natasha is being extremely gracious. My complaint is really with myself. Sometimes when you're married you know you're doing things that aren't helpful to oneness (like working a night shift only to stay up studying afterward). Then you miss your spouse a lot. You don't say anything, though, because your longing just for a brief conversation is your own fault, and you don't need to dump on your spouse.

That's the thing about marriage, though. Communicating what you think and feel is much better than holding it in because you're hurt or your spouse is hurt. Sometimes you have to feel, even embrace, the hurt to get anywhere. When you've married someone you can trust, you can hurt with them without fear of what may happen when you share your wounded heart. It is a great feeling! (And, for what it's worth, this is another reason why a good marriage is a good analogy for the God - human relationship.)

Tenth

We recently had to translate Isaiah 6 from Hebrew into English for our "Exegesis of Isaiah" class. The assignment was my first big translating effort since I took Hebrew last fall. In 6:13 we read about a tenth of the people returning to the land. The Hebrew word was literally translated "tenth." I haven't done much translation of the whole Old Testament (yet), but the "tenth" stuck out to me. The other place the Hebrews talked about a "tenth" was in their tithing system. Could there be any connection between the "tenth" of the people who would return to the land and the "tenth" that would be offered to the Lord?

Rising to the Challenge

The Lord will rise to any challenge. I've seen it many times in other people, but I was blown away when He did it with me yesterday.

Natasha and I talked about my vision for ministry the other day, when she remarked that I should have a very clear vision of God's plan for me before I embark on any intensive ministry. At the time I told her I was resolute that God was behind my motivation for ministry. I told her that He was forming my vision. I also told her I'd give it a lot of thought. That "thought" quickly turned to prayer.

I couldn't imagine why the Lord would birth something so deeply in my heart without giving me something tangible to express. It was as if I had dreams and visions for ministry, but they were somehow obscured. Thus, I challenged the Lord. I asked Him to renew my mind, to help me verbalize a vision this week before my vision had the opportunity to be defined by other people's practices and ideals. It happened as I was e-mailing a pastor friend of mine. Suddenly everything I had seen in my heart and mind since the Lord dramatically revived my heart of worship last March (see the archives) flowed out of me into a three-tiered vision of worship ministry. Puzzle pieces came into place. The storyline flowed. And all this without me "thinking." (That's for you, Natasha and Scott.) :)

Why is this such a big deal? If you know my testimony, then you know I've struggled for years with worship/music ministry. I've had little interest in promoting myself or my vision because of 2 Cor 10:18: "When people commend themselves, it doesn't count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them." Why should my ministry be about me, my talents, or my anointing? It should be about the Lord, so I refused to move ahead until He moved me. That started last spring and has continued ever since. Now I'm in a spiritual crucible in which He's refining what He started years ago - visions, dreams, anointing, call, etc. And I am blessed!

"Praise unto the Lamb who sits on the throne! Honor and power, dominion and praise unto the Lamb who was and is and is to come!" (From "Unto the Lamb," Christ for the Nations)

Fall

There's something about the fall that just feels right. It may be how the breeze blows more softly after the humidity snaps out of the air. It may be the way you can sit tacitly with a cup of green tea, staring out your picture window, watching the green world become a canvas of color. It may be the way everyone returns from their vacations, kids are back in school, and life retains a semblance of normality. Whatever it is, I love the fall.

Woman

Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. Men tend to think in their caves, while women tend to feel in their wells.

These are gross generalizations that I'm going to rail against so that I feel less like a woman with the picture I'm about to post.

Yes, I love the movie "Pride and Prejudice." I do. It's well done. It's the quintessential "chick flick," except that it's a cultural experience rather than a teeny-bopper B-film. The music is tops, as is the acting. The story is beautiful, and I love the characters. Reason 1) Piano music. I totally bought the soundtrack today. 2) Natasha and I are a lot like Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. (Pride and stubbornness run rampant in our home, all under the guise of doing the right thing.) :) 3) Natasha and I are deeply in love, whether we admit it or whether we fight. No matter what, we are deeply, madly in love. In those times when we "fight" we still love one another deeply enough that the passion in the fight is actually a passion of love. In those times when we enjoy one another, it's as if the entire world fades away (think the dancing scene). With our families we think only about one another. And it was the realization of both our prides that brought us together in the end (November for me, for example. Elizabeth hip-checked me into Natasha on the way back from Grand Manan because I wouldn't talk to her otherwise. Thanks, Elizabeth!) I feel overwhelmingly happy, delightfully romantic, perfectly happy ever time I think about my Mrs. Erskine. Mrs. Erskine. Mrs. Erskine.

The Clincher

Job 42:5: "I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes."

Until we see Him with our own eyes there is something missing in our experience with God. We can hear about Him, think about Him, understand our thoughts about Him, compartmentalize our experiences, and claim our innocence as good people just like Job did. Job, who was considered one of the wisest and best godly men on earth, had only heard of God to that point. He had all the answers, which he gave throughout the book. When confronted with God, however, he realized he knew nothing. God is so much more than we can think up, dream up, conceive, understand, or feel. What are you doing to seek Him - to see Him?

I Think He Gets It

A lot is communicated when Job 32 says Elihu did not speak until everyone older than him finished speaking. It communicates value to those with more life experience. It communicates listening skills that wait for everyone to finish speaking. It communicates a desire to understand Job and his three friends. It communicates great wisdom on Elihu's part. It communicates that age is no necessary indicator of wisdom, knowledge, or godliness.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Elihu is the closest to understanding God in the book to this point. Job understands God, but he definitely accuses God of many things. He genuinely thinks God made Job an enemy. The three friends obviously do not get it because, like Job, they take the sowing and reaping principle to an extreme. Elihu begins angrily because none of the older, would-be wiser gentlemen are giving God His due honor. Elihu reminds us that sowing and reaping are part of life, while God seeks to rescue from much of what we've sown! Elihu rightly observes that God isn't happy about Job's condition; He wants to rescue Job from it. However, Job didn't wait. Job complained from day one. Though he never turned against God, his complaints and mutterings accused God unwisely.

I thought the book of Job was about suffering at one point in my life. If Elihu is as wise as he seems so far, that isn't the case. The book is about grace. God let Satan wreak havoc around Job and eventually to Job. Nevertheless, God preserved Job's life. God had the rescue for Job, even when Job complained and demanded God's justice on his own terms (as Elihu pointed out). Our just God listened to the complaints and preserved Job's life anyway. (After all, if Satan sought to get Job while he was righteous, I imagine he sought to kick Job while he was down and end that life. God said, "No." That conversation in the throne room is just not recorded.) God not only had a just plan; He would use it. That would come after Job learned some valuable lessons that should teach us a thing or two. In suffering what is our response? Do we complain? If so, we're being honest. But are we demanding justice on our own terms? Are we questioning God's ability to hold us in His hands? Are we accusing Him of turning against us? In suffering are we open conduits for God's grace?

What a Day!

1) I had an extremely long shift at Sears today: 10:00 a.m. till 7:30 p.m. Ordinarily this would have been great. No opening, no closing. Just prime selling hours. Unfortunately, I've seen more action in an art museum. Fortunately, the Lord is providing for us and not my job. :) Who needs a big sales day?

2) The real reason for this post and the reason I wanted to blog tonight is because the superiority of the Canadian banking system to the American banking system was proven again today. Prior to our most recent trip to Nova Scotia, Natasha and I juggled numbers and set ourselves up with an emergency (tiny) line of credit (more for when we got back than for the trip itself). This was intended to protect us in case our balance dropped below "$0." (It was like overdraft protection.) I was approved on the 25th, so I signed the documents at the branch in town as we left for Canada. We were blessed with an amazing weekend (more to follow on this weekend on another day - or on MySpace). We spent money normally. We came back. I paid beaucoups bills! Natasha went to Subway with Rebeckah and had to bum money because our card was suddenly no good. You know, the card with which I withdrew $20 this morning (indicating my low balance). I was picked up from work and tried my card at the nearest branch of our US bank. "Invalid card," read the screen. So I called Jacqueline at our bank call center.

Jacqueline was very helpful. She said that the card was invalid because we would have a negative balance. She helped me realize that the bank that approved my emergency line of credit had no record of it anywhere else. After 15 minutes of my trying to explain that I really know what's going on in my banking world (and being on hold), her supervisor said that they could detect some traces of my banking history over the weekend. Still, they couldn't find an account number with my name on it anywhere - four days later! So, Jacqueline and I sat on the phone as she told me that she had no record that I had been approved, signed for, and spent into a line of credit. Yet I did all weekend up till today, from the moment I signed the papers in person at a branch less than 20 minutes away.

Here's the kicker. After further investigation Jacqueline told me the whole trouble started with my HOME branch. They put a hold on my account because they have no idea why we have spent so much money in the last several days. My home branch that literally said on the phone that I would have to go to town to sign because their branch would close too early for me to get there. My home branch that sent my information to the other branch so that I could complete the approval. My home branch that regularly calls and exchanges business with their sister branch in town. My home branch with whom I communicated that we would be traveling. Yes, my home branch. They put a hold on the card so that it will ring up "invalid" until I go personally and see them to explain why I think it's okay to spend beyond "$0." I think I'll remind them that they sent my information and approved me. (Oh, and I work days this week, so I can't go see them because they're open from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. daily.)

Believe me, this is more funny than it sounds. Even Jacqueline asked me why I wasn't angry. I'm not angry because the Holy Spirit is in control of my life. I'm also not angry because until now the American banking experience has been too smooth. :) I miss RBC!!!!

3) Natasha was blatantly hit on today. Bigtime. More on that on her blog....

What Took Him So Long?

It should be clear by now that I think Job had reason to complain. I've only posted a few times about this, but Job was up against a LOT! I, frankly, would have complained more than Job. I would have had much more to say to my friends. One thing I wonder tonight: why did it take so long for Job to address God personally? He said on many occasions, "I question God," or, "I call to God," but it wasn't until 30:20 that the cries became personal. He says, "I cry out to You, O God." He referenced God. He complained about God. He accused God. Yet it wasn't until the conversation was almost over that Job finally addressed God. And God was the One who would listen! Before I get to hard on Job I should admit that I often think about turning to God long before I do it aloud. Here, everyone, is the key to honesty with the Lord in prayer. It's not only turning to God; it's turning quickly to God aloud. Even if you're alone. Aloud. Try it and let us all know how it goes.

What Bildad Missed

Job was ticked. There's no point in fantasizing; he was upset about his condition. I would have been, too. Having seven children, my livelihood, and my health completely taken away, only to be left with a nagging, impious wife, would be trying. So Job complained. Job's friends, who approached him originally to comfort him, began chastising him. Chastisement is unnecessary, especially when someone really needs God's comfort communicated.

Bildad was one of the chastising friends. I was reading Bildad's remarks earlier and I realized something. Bildad was partially correct. In his first address to Job, Bildad told Job that he had nothing to say to God because humans life on earth is a breath compared to God's eternal reality. True. He also said that Job needs to remember that God knows our every deed. True again. What did he miss?

Bildad missed something very important that would have put some needed truth into the chastisement. He didn't miss the fact that God knew about Job - what Job did. He missed the fact that God knew Job - who Job was. And Job knew God. They were friends. If Bildad would have delivered his opening argument and turned to remind Job that God knew him, both gentlemen may have had revival. (Isn't it powerful? God, who is infinitely more than anything we conceive knows us intimately!) But Bildad missed the boat. He forgot that even in the Old Testament God knew people.

He walked with Adam in the cool of the day. He bickered with Abram over the fate of Sodom. He gently whispered to Elijah. Were Job to stop his complaining and speak with a positive mental attitude, he would have been like a white-washed tomb: dead with his complaints on the inside, bright with his words on the outside. Instead Job was honest with God. Job felt the complaints, and he said them. He treated God like a friend, even he didn't feel like God's friend. He felt beaten up by God, but he didn't cut God off. Who among us is courageous enough to be completely honest with God? If we do that, doesn't that open us up to God's response?

Under Attack

For those spiritual fanatics (like myself) out there, this is actually not about spiritual warfare. Natasha and I actually had a very relaxing walk earlier today. We both had the day "off," so the walk was part of our plan to do nothing. Ordinarily the railroad path made ATV trail behind our home makes for an uneventful walk aside from the occasional loon or bald eagle. Today was another story....

Today Natasha and I had a showdown with a skunk. A real skunk. The kind of skunk that had enough power in its tail to make up for its size disadvantage. There we were, walking back toward the house when we noticed him. He was no bigger than a small cat, except his tail. I might not have noticed him, but Natasha said, "Uh-oh," and his tail went up in warning. Now we all know that animals react like that when they are scared. Or at least that's what our mothers told us. This one may have been scared, but that tail up was a warning. We stopped dead in our tracks, but our pursuer pushed forward.

I began planning our not-too-hasty retreat when I noticed something. Our skunk friend was looking for a way off the path. He didn't want to cross paths any more than we did. The trouble was, we were in a heavily planted area. He couldn't find an escape! So there we were - us and Saul the Skunk. Saul, nosing along for an escape, moving closer and closer to us with his ominous tail. We, standing still as if we weren't 30 times this animal's size, knowing that anything we did to defend ourselves would result in a tomato soup bath.

I took a step back when Saul came within ten feet of us. Saul, however, had found his exit! He went into the brush to the side of the trail. Natasha and I looked at one another and I asked, "Should we run?" Natasha, who had by this time stepped behind me in bravery, agreed. With all the courage of two brave warriors under attack, we ran past Saul's exit, lest he lay in ambush. We were not sprayed today.

Maintaining the Image

This goes out to my small group, though I doubt any of you really know I have a blog, let alone read it. :)

We talked the other night about the difference between King Saul and young David. Saul was all about protecting his reputation. He had an image to maintain after all! David, on the other hand, did not allow his drive for a good reputation to drive him. There is a psalm of David that I think lets us into David's heart: Psalm 37. These two verses give a unique insight:

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun" (Psalm 37:5-6).

David didn't worry about protecting himself because he committed everything he did to the Lord. Everything. Even his physical life!

So what about us? How do we maintain our image? No one wants a damaged reputation. You never know when someone might tell you that you've failed as a friend, a family member, a Christian, a minister, or whatever! You will be tempted in those times to protect yourself, to defend your cause. Like David, commit everything you do to the Lord. TRUST HIM. TRUST HIM. TRUST HIM. It is HE who will make your innocence radiate, HE who will make your just heart shine. (And if you're not innocent or just, it is HE who can work that in you before you get defensive, proving you're not innocent or just.)

Back to the Bible

1) Even if you don't like the Bible, do yourself a favor and read Esther. The story is extremely well-written.

2) How can we read passages like 1 Corinthians 12 without reevaluating how we operate as a church? The passage clearly indicates a variety of spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit, according to the Spirit's own unction (my favorite Scott word that fits perfectly here). The passage indicates that we all have the Spirit's gifts so that we can exercise them for the Spirit's use in the Spirit's church. The passage compares all of us with our various gifts to our bodies, which have various parts all used together to operate as one body. It asks what good our bodies would be without some of those smaller, less dignified parts. Two thoughts...

2a) How can we ever separate ourselves from ANYONE in our churches? Even those people who require extra grace are given the Spirit's gifts and grace for the good of us all. Spiritual gifts are not given based on maturity, age, income, experience, intelligence, or physical attributes. They are given as the Spirit sees fit. As the Spirit sees fit. However the Spirit sees fit.

2b) Who are we to decide what is and what is not a spiritual gift for our church and time? Who are we to decide whether a gift is helpful for the faith? If gifts are given as the Spirit sees fit, then any gifts we experience are a benefit (whether or not we understand that). It should be said that gifts exercised in ecstasy under our own unction have led many of us to question the inexplicable gifts. Some even think that prophecy, healing, tongues, and interpretation are not for us at all. They are for us now. They are not to be abused, nor are they to be surpressed. Nor will they be surpressed among Spirit-filled people in Spirit-filled churches. We have yet to see what a Spirit-filled people in a Spirit-filled church really looks like. (Perhaps we should put as much time into seeking the Lord as we put into our attempts to understand the mysteries of the Holy Spirit, explaining Him away.)

Indescribable

The Lord is leading me through something indescribable right now. Indescribable is quite something for me, one who talks a lot and uses words fairly well. This isn't just a phase of being speechless; it's a phase of knowing something is going on without being able to articulate it. I wonder if I even recognize it completely. There seems to be a fullness inside me. A peace. A firmness.

Yet, my emotions and mind are in a whirlwind lately. How am I ever going to minister in a church if Natasha can't minister, too? (Her anointing is clearer by the day!) How are we going to pay for college and minimize our debts? What happens if my sales at work are really low in a pay period? What if the Lord is really leading us somewhere unfamiliar in January? I feel excited, anxious, happy, sad, connected, lonely, etc., etc., etc.

What gives? What am I sharing all this? It's to say that the Lord is supremely good. The Rhynos heard me emoting the other night, asking why I feel settled and unsettled at the same time. They said, "You're relying on the Lord." Right. My eyes are fixed on Jesus. I've been this way before, but it seems as though I'm really fixed on Him anew. It feels like something I haven't done before. (I've always had a plan "B" before, too!) It feels safe, even though I shouldn't feel safe logically. If I were reading this instead of writing it, I'd say that the writer might be insane. I'm not. The Lord is just good. Very good. He's keeping me steady, drawing me to Him, while things around me make little sense and don't fit together well. I love HIM!!

He Heard Me

I am overwhelmed with humility and gratitude as I write this very brief post. I feel like David when he wrote, "I waited patiently for the Lord and He heard my cry."

Today I came across a dear friend who asked me directly, "I was praying for you yesterday, and the Lord revealed something to me." My friend told me a heart cry Natasha and I have shared for a little while. I've only recently recognized that my heart has been crying to the Lord, so it's understandable how shocked I was to hear that my friend knew what was on my heart. I choked up for a second or two and thanked God. He really did hear my heart cry. I wasn't even uttering the words, "Lord, we need You," but He heard my heart crying anyway. He loves us. We waited patiently for Him, and He heard us. He listened to us. He reminded us through a friend, "Hey, you two. I'm here. Right here beside you. Loving you." He's good. Unfailingly good. I'm in love with my God, my Rock, my Treasure, my Friend, my Beloved, my Faithful One, my God Who Listens, my God Who Understands, my God Who Doesn't Need My Verbal Words to Love Me.

A Big Difference

There's a big difference between affirmation from the Lord and affirmation from the world. The world measures affirmation against things like performance and achievement. For example, I received some very positive affirmation from some coworkers recently regarding the sales God has provided and my transition into that job. For most people that would seem very good - at first. At the risk of walking a very fine line with cynicism here, I didn't really appreciate the positive affirmation I received at work. I was affirmed for high sales because I was making the company more money. I was affirmed for my credit performance because I was making the company more money. I was encouraged to increase my PA (work term) percentage so that I could make the company more money. One coworker has been friendly to me since I've taken people through the end of a sale that he started because I'm making him more money. Another coworker pulled me aside to provide some coaching because he wanted to be sure that the money distribution was fair. Understand me; big numbers and making money aren't the issue here. The issue is that affirmation based on money, numbers, performance, and achievement is empty. VERY empty. (It's one thing I'll never miss about the admissions world, though BBC was good about affirming spiritual development on most occasions.) When the Lord affirms He does it in a way that makes you feel full. He reminds you that He's right there, that He's the one behind the performance, that He's the one driving you to achieve. The things we achieve with the Lord have eternal value. The Lord isn't as fleeting as business, numbers, and "obvious" achievement. He is eternal; His is our yesterday, our today, our forever; He is perfectly consistent (though very unpredictable). I LOVE HIM!!!!!

Songs of Victory

In Psalm 32:7 David writes, "You surround me with songs of victory." That phrase really stuck out to me this morning because of its profound truth. From the moment we begin trusting in Christ, we have victory. Being "born again" (obtaining new life in Jesus Christ) gives victory over death, for starters. What does our baptism represent, if not burial in the likeness of His death and resurrection in the likeness of His eternal life? That's victory!

But it doesn't stop there; we continue in victory all the time. Think about the physical victory so many of us have. Lor, for example, was just healed. I caught her running eleven miles on my way to work last week! Many of us also experience emotional victory because God is more powerful than our past hurt! We continually experience spiritual victory, too, as the Holy Spirit changes us from someone walking around in filthy rags of past sin, pain, and emotional scars (Zech 3) into someone who is characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23)! Or someone who can be characterized by gifts of prophecy, teaching, healing, tongues, interpretation, hospitality, exhortation, wisdom, love, or whatever! It's just like Jesus said; we walk in victory doing even greater things than we saw recorded in His Word (by Him, of course).

What about those times when we don't really feel victorious or when we don't have a victorious testimony to share? No problem. "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Yes, the Lord surrounds us with songs of victory that HE sings over us. The Lord of the universe, singing over us. That's victory!

Back at Ezra

Ezra was almost a humbling priest. Here's a man who, in Ezra 8, follows through with his plans to leave the king's court in Persia, where he had a LOT of favor. He left there without added protection, confident that the Lord would come through for them all. He arrived in Jerusalem full of praise. Yet, when it is apparent that the remnant had become enmeshed with their ungodly neighbors, Ezra began to pray. He didn't pray against "them" or about "them"; instead he prayed, "our sins are piled high" (Ezra 9:8). "Our." He hadn't done anything wrong, but he remained in mourning because the nation had sinned. He took responsibility and brought everything before the Lord. He followed Paul's example in 1 Cor 5, when he told the church to judge the Christians inside it. In his judgment, Ezra realized the unity of those in the faith. "Their" sin was his. Isn't it the same for us? Shouldn't we look around our Christian communities to identify with the other believers? Isn't "their" sin ours because we're all one in the body of Christ? What about "their" joy? Ours. What about "their" emotions, "their" thoughts, "their" illnesses? All ours. Lord, may we love you and our brothers and sisters like Ezra must have - because you are good!

Ezra Must Have Felt This Way

God's Temple

The Jews spent so much time rebuilding the Temple after they returned from exile in ancient Babylon. Even after they were instructed to stop the building by the Persian king Artaxerxes, the group continued the project under king Darius (as originally intended by king Cyrus). Four kings ruled Persia in the time it took the group to finish the project! Nevertheless, their commitment did not wane, and their excitement to dedicate the Temple was high.

What can we say about our commitment to the Lord's Temple? Paul tells us that 1) our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), and 2) all of us together are the Temple of God (1 Cor3:16). Most of us are at least conscious of the need to serve God with our physical bodies. Yet, few of us take care to build up God's Temple in terms of unity in the Christian community. "Christian" is becoming more a political agenda in some hearts than it is an opportunity to live together as one. If we, together, are all God's Temple, made up of the various parts, how can the Temple be complete without each part? How can we remain content with the handful of church friends we have and go on living our lives as normal? How can we remain content with a Church (universal believers, not a particular sect) that experiences hurt, unhealed wounds, even persecution in some areas of the world? How can we remain content with a theology that centers around our experience in church and what God does for us, when there are literally millions of us around the world who, together, can point the lot of us to the Father? How can we remain content with building up others with positive words without challenging one another with God's truth (rather than opinions)? How can we be content with a Temple that has a few bricks (people) missing along the way instead of sharing the Good News with people who should be part of God's glorious Temple?

Good

Good, so good, the theme of my heart in You.
Good, so good, the theme of Your love for me.

Every time I look I see Your goodness, nothing but goodness.
You're good in so many ways, more ways than I can count.

Your goodness flows from You like a waterfall.
Your goodness surges forth like a rishing wind.
Your goodness plays through my life like a young child in the tall grass.

It's good to see You, to feel Your peace, to share Your love.
It's good to hear You, to know Your mind, to follow Your plans.
It's good to taste You, to speak Your name, to drink Your Spirit.
It's good to smell You, to abide in Your presence, to breathe Your life.
It's good to touch You, to sense You near, to serve only You.

You're my good Creator, my good King, my good Master, my good Brother, my good Father, my good Savior, my good Judge, my good Defender, my good Guide, my good Enabler, my good Empowerer, my good Thoughts, my good Speech, my good Word, my good Protector, my good Author, my good Finisher, my good Humility, my good Love, my good Faithfulness, my good Gentleness, my good Joy, my good Peace, my good Self-Control, my good Patience, my good Kindness, my good Mountaintop, my good Resting Place, my good Shelter, my good Light, my good Provider, my good Musician, my good Everything.

A rainbow of Your goodness colors my life.
Your blood to cover my sin and embarrassment.
Your Holy Spirit fire to ignite my new life in You.
Your sining light that reveals all truth.
Your peaceful pastures in which I feed on You.
Your crystal sea on which I have eternal lakefront property.
Your royal robes to declare a welcome eternal reign.

Your good healing means I am whole in mind, body, emotions, spirit, and will.
Your good mercy means You let me come to You.
Your good grace means You call me good, too.

You are good. Good.

Good.

Two Verses Worth Meditation

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me."
And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."
(Psalm 27:8)

Yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
(Psalm 27:13)

The Lord Will Choose

King David had many enemies in his rise to power and during his kingship. On many occasions one could find the good king praying that God would choose between himself and his enemies. Even on the two occasions in which David could have killed Saul easily, he always told the people with him, "No. God will choose who is faithful between us." I recently prayed something similar when confronted with a spiritual battle at work. Someone with whom I got along relatively well was becoming an enemy below the surface. We still worked together, but I could sense his spirit battling mine, sometimes manifesting itself in outward strife. On the most severe of these occasions I left for the day praying, "Lord, I don't know if I can handle this, but I'm not going to act yet. Please humble me, as I know you're going to honor those of us who are faithful." Suddenly the coworker doesn't work with me anymore. I don't know what happened, but he's gone. I immediately thought of David, realizing that the Lord brought something to light in this situation just like He did in David's situations so many years ago. I'll never know what was brought to light, but I praise the Lord in humility that He has resolved that particular tension!

Peaceful

Being peaceful does not always mean being passive. It is rarely a sign of weakness. People who are truly peaceful have the peace of Christ, characterized by self-control and diligence to the pursuit of the mind of Christ. It inrigues me that God's presence can almost always be characterized by peace, though He never shows up without the full breadth of His power. This morning He communicated His peace to me through an incredible sunrise over the hill between here and Canada. Silver light dancing through the clouds and reflecting off the still river; bright summer green beneath an early morning mist; the occasional song of a bird who is, no doubt, exalting the Creator. Just peace. Then I read something so beautiful and powerful, a familiar verse that seemed different this morning as I rested in the peace of our Savior. "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Rom 16:20). The small glimpse of peace I saw this morning is the very power that will vanquish the enemy of our souls forever!

Hunger

I had the rare privilege of spending a LOT of time with the Lord today. I'vwe been restless all day. I woke up feeling unsatisfied. Even though everything went well, I still felt unsettled. I just couldn't put my finger on it. It was my day off, so I went to the church. I spent about five hours on the piano (some classical, some worship). There was time in the Beth Moore study, not to mention some good prayer time. Then we had small group tonight. I left small group with that same familiar unsettling feeling. Like something was amok.

Then I figured it out; the Lord is pulling away from me a little bit. He's allowed me to draw near to Him a lot lately, always being right there so I can climb up into His lap. He's taught me about drawing close to Him, and He's made me reflect on how wonderful He is! His forgiveness is fathomless; His wisdom is boundless; His love is deep; His faithfulness is unquestionable; His integrity is perfect; His righteousness is bright; His patience is enduring; His joy is contagious; His presence is intoxicating. Every day lately I've seen that glimpse. Even today I caught it. But He's drawing me somewhere. He's backing a little away from me, and I hunger for Him. I mean long. It's as if nothing is going to be exactly right until I track Him down again. I couldn't wait to get home and read the Bible and pray tonight. Even still, I know I have a little way to go. It's almost frustrating; it reminds me of when Natasha and I were engaged. We were so close, but we just couldn't wait to be together forever. That's me right now with God. I just want to be sealed with Him forever, never to have to be away from Him again! In this time of hunger, I'm remembering one thing with anticipation and thanksgiving: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

Bless Him!

Bending the Rules

Many of us (myself included) often thing the concept living in fulfillment of the Law is only a New Testament idea. To some extent this is true. Yet, King Hezekiah gives a fabulous example of someone who understood what the Law was really all about in 2 Chr 30. I've read the passage before but obviously forgot about it, given how surprised I was to read it this morning.

Essentially, the king decided he was going to hold the Passover celebration. However, there weren't enough priests who had purified themselves to handle a national feast of that magnitude. He had to decide, apparently, whether to cancel the celebration or to postpone it. He postponed it, despite the time appointed in God's Law (30:2-3). He even chose to send invitations to the unfaithful people of Israel many who laughed at the messengers (30:10). Nevertheless, people came from both Israel and Judah. When the day arrived, some people had to slaughter one of the Passover lambs themselves because some priests still had not purified themselves (30:15), again breaking the Law. Most of the Israelites had not purified themselves either (30:18), but Hezekiah prayed, realizing that God may pardon them (30:19). God heeded Hezekiah's prayer (30:20).

Did we get that? God, the one who seemingly flared up in anger at any breach of the Law, heeded Hezekiah's prayer. Why? God is much more interested in intimacy with His people than He is in upholding the "rules." The law of sowing and reaping meant that the people who celebrated the Law incorrectly could have reaped many dire consequences. (Perhaps they did because 30:20 indicates that God actually healed the people.) Instead, those who humbled themselves before the Lord and asked for a pardon so that they could truly worship were granted that pardon.

That smacks of Pauls sentiment in Romans 14-15. He is more concerned that we help others do what is right, building them up in the Lord (15:2), than he is about upholding any sort of Chrsitian "standard of rules." The fact is that there is no standard of rules for the Christian faith, aside from doing everything we do to glorify the Lord. Some people will take each letter of both testaments literally, practicing as much as they can. Others follow principles that follow Kingdom living (Matt 5-7). Regardless, God's principle for Christians as recorded in Romans 15:5-7 is clear in Old and New Testaments: "May God, who gives...patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory."