Sin and the Spirit

Romans 8:10-11 15 "But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. ...For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave a gain to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship."

We should be bold in our pursuit of righteousness and the desires of God. "Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Romans 8:8

The scriptures tell us things that are true about ourselves. God gives us directions, yes, we are to "put off our old selves,"(Ephesians 4:22) and "set our minds on the desires of the spirit," but in those statements, there is a sense of reasonable expectation. These are things we are to do, and things that we can do. God, Christ, the Holy Spirit helps us to do these things, we are able to do them because of God. These scriptures are prescriptive and descriptive, and there is power in that. God has given us everything we need to live for him. We are "new creations" with the God given ability to seek after his heart and to walk in faith and righteousness. Nothing is too big for God, and nothing is too big for us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come! all this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ."

All NIV

Death, life, and victory. A highlight reel.

Romans 6: 2, 5-6, 11-12 "May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?!...For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this that our old self was crucified with him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. ... Even so consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in you mortal body so that you obey its lusts." NASB, emphasis mine

Colossians 3:2-3 " Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature." NIV, emphasis mine

1 Corinthians 15:54-58

"'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you." NIV, emphasis mine

"I may be down, but I will rise./ It may be dark, but God is light./ Sin has lost its power./ Death has lost its sting./ From the grave you've risen victoriously!/ Into marvelous light I'm running..." - Charlie Hall

Christ has already fought the fight against sin and death and won on our behalf! We can have confidence in our ability to put sin to death, because Christ is right behind us holding the bloody dagger. Our sinful nature will be conquered on the day of Christ! We do not struggle in vain! We can stand tall and push forward knowing we are victors, knowing that "we are more than conquerers." (Romans 8:37) There should be no sense of defeat in us because we are not defeated! Christ has made us ROCKSTARS!

Just People

Acts 9:1-9 "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem."

Sometimes I place the people in the Bible on a pedestal. But these verses remind me of just how human, how real these events were. I love, first of all, the idea that Saul was "breathing out murderous threats." This was what was giving him purpose. It was a constant mode of operation, it was natural to him. Every second of everyday. This passage also reflects the political situation for the Jews. He went to the high priest, who gave him permission to persecute believers, despite the recommendations of his teacher, a very respected member of the spiritual elite, Gamaliel, who had argued that God was in control, and if Jesus was from God they could do nothing about him and if he wasn't the movement would die. The Jewish leaders were scared. They were mad. They were on a mission, not only to protect their faith, but also to protect themselves from the Romans. Finally, "any there that belonged to the Way." The Way might as well be HCBCUT, Craft Group, the Subalterns, a group of people with a common goal, a common passion, working together, connected to one another, friends and family.

Renovations

Ephesians 2:19-22 "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (NIV, my emphasis)

We are being renovated. God has moved us to a new foundation in Christ, and he is adding rooms and wings here and there, and tearing out old appliances and fixtures and rotting boards. We are a dwelling. We are his dwelling. Which means he gets to redecorate, reorganize, and get comfy. Houses can't resist their owners. Houses don't talk back and say nope that plant looks great right were it is. Houses just chill. They reflect the care of their owner. Some houses are falling down because they are neglected and abandoned. Others are shiny and welcoming and wonderfully cozy. God will never "leave us or forsake us." He is at home. He is working around the house keeping it clean and making it better. We are God's domestic to do list. :)

Power and Gifts of Grace

Ephesians 3:20-21, 4:7 "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, amen. ... grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift."

Ephesians 1:19-22 "That you may know... his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."

The same power that raised Christ from the dead, works in us still, works in us as individuals! God is not weakened by use or by exponential growth in the numbers of the faithful. God cares just as much about us as individuals as he cares about defeating sin wholly, once and for all. There is no favoritism here, there is only a God that sees his creation, all, each and every one of his children, being destroyed and dying, and knowing that he is the only one that can bring them home, he moves, he acts, he saves them. Whenever God moves, he moves big, he moves awesomely. I can't even begin to imagine that strength. God is GREAT and he loves us.

"Two things you told me/That you are strong/And you love me" - Jon Foreman, Your Love is Strong

Fear and Loathing

John 16: 13-14 "When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you."

When the spirit of truth comes, he will... he will not... he will... he will... he will... he will...

These are promises. Promises made by Jesus, by God. By the creator of the universe. By the one who made it possible for my mind to doubt. I have been terrified of listening to the Lord. That I might misinterpret what he is telling me, that I might not do something he wanted me to do, that I might fail him. Which, of course, I have already done, and he has already forgiven. The last two days I have not been very excited. I lapsed into old habits of wasting time and ignoring more pressing decisions that I have put off for fear of making the wrong decision. There is, however, a point at which you have to walk by faith. A point at which we all have to trust to God and believe that "he will guide" us. I have put too much and too little emphasis on listening to God. I have belittled myself and God, by assuming that I would not be able to follow any directions he might send me. There are lots of different ways to listen to God. Some times he speaks audibly and sometimes, we are moved by the spirit and there are no words. I need to stop freaking out about my role as a listener and start living in the freedom that Christ has purchased for me. The holy spirit will declare to me whatever it is God would have me to do. The holy spirit will teach me to "be still, and wait." God will give me the strength to do what he asks. I simply have to trust him.

Active, Risky Listening

"But he who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does." James 1:25

Listening and Mediators

"Once [the Isrealites] learned a little about God, they realized that being in his presence was risky business and told Moses so: 'You speak to us, and we will hear; but let not God speak to us lest we die.' (Exod. 20:19)"

"The history of religion is the story of an almost desperate scramble to have a king, a mediator, a priest, a pastor, a go-between. In this way we do not need to go to God ourselves. Such an approach saves us from the need to change, for to be in the presence of God is to change."

-Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

Mr. Foster's words struck a cord with me the moment I read them. This is something I do. I seek out people, mentors, my mother, before turning to God. I assume that he will not answer me, or perhaps that I will not understand his answer, or hear him speaking, so I turn to people. People that I have placed on a pedestal, or respect, or see as a spiritual authority in my life. Jesus says "Seek and ye shall find." It is as simple as that - a promise that he is available to us if we seek him. Listening doesn't seem like seeking, but it is. It is placing yourself in a position to receive advice, to receive knowledge, to receive direction, instruction, and insight. It is a sign of respect. It is a sign of honor. It proves that you find someone worthy. Foster also quotes 1 Samuel 8:7 "They have rejected me from being King over them." This is the Lord speaking! We reject him so often by not listening, by not being available either in body or spirit to follow after him. I don't want to reject anyone even people I don't necessarily like, and yet I have wounded Christ, the most important person in my life, many many times, as I have chosen to impatiently barge ahead instead of asking and then listening to his words. In so doing I have also unknowingly wounded myself. So I will seek and I will find. I will listen, and I will wait.

He "loves like a hurricane" - David Crowder Band

I have been thinking a lot about listening to God lately, and so of course the sermon on Sunday was about listening and the study we are doing tomorrow night is about listening. I don't often try or practice listening. Thinking, pondering, mulling is easy. But listening, being still? Being quiet? I think this is a huge thing. I think this is what God really wants, and He is pursuing it for me. I haven't been sleeping, hence the posting at one in the morning, and I can't help but think that He wants something. That this disquiet has some sort of purpose. Perhaps I am wrong. More prayer, more patience, more seeking. He will make Himself known or conquer the one that is pestering His sheep. I simply need to wait, to rest in His arms, to be close so that I can hear Him. Worry rears its ugly head. Rest. Jesus proved over and over again that He knows what we are thinking, He knows we fall asleep while praying, He knows our racing erratic thoughts that aren't tame enough to pray a straight line, and He knows our fears. Confession and praise. Waiting for the Lord to reveal His plan, waiting and learning to be still and listen.

Serving Others

"[Jesus] has placed people in your life that you are to serve, not because you are inherently less but because, by serving others, you come to be more like Him."

- Melissa Jarmel in The Depths, Hill Country Bible Church UT, 2010

VERGE Part II and III

One of the most important things I think I have taken away from this conference is the idea that while being missional may be painful, it will ultimately be good, and it is not something to be afraid of. This missional lifestyle is something God wants, and there is peace in His will. All of the speakers spoke with an urgency and with passion, but not in fear. I have often gone away from retreats in joy, but also with a deep sense of all of the things that I needed to do or change about my life. I have walked away burdened. This time I am more aware of the things I need to surrender on a daily, moment by moment, basis. The things I need to let God do in me. I have a list of things I think God wants me to do, but I know that if they are not of Him they won't go far. If one of my ideas is selfishly birthed, I need to let it die quickly. Nothing I can do, will do, or don't do can ultimately hinder God. God has already won this battle, and I need to be bold and step out in faith, even if it is scary.

God is taking away the fear that I won't do what He wants me to do, that I will ultimately fail Him. He is changing my heart. He has shown me through the conference, that if I seek Him, lean on the Holy Spirit, and listen to the Spirit, I will be right were He wants me. I will be able to see when He opens a door and when He closes it. I want to be the one, that as Francis Chan says, goes to the beach, looks for the waves of God, and catches them; if He's not moving, I don't want to move either. I need to rest in this truth, the truth that I have access to God and that He wants to share His will with me, I just have to be still enough to listen. I have to get away from the distractions of life and of my own head, and seek him. I need to confess my fear, and let him make a warrior out of me. There will be sacrifice and pain, we are after all trying to emulate Christ. Francis Chan spoke about the joy that Stephen experienced right before he was stoned. Talk about the ultimate in stressful situations! Yet Stephen knew where he was to be and upon whom his eyes were meant to be resting. Stephen was willing to do all things for Christ.

Hugh Halter also talked today about how this calling doesn't "add" anything to our lives. It just changes the way we think about and approach the people around us, the people we come into contact with every single day regardless of whether or not we are on mission. We need to see them, to see their needs, and love them and meet their needs.

Jesus rocked the boat!

One of the things that I was challenged by tonight was that Jesus and the members of the early church rocked the boat. They were radical, but it made sense. I have rarely been radical in my life. I have always been too afraid of breaking the rules and upsetting other people. Jesus broke the rules! He healed on the sabbath and did all of these things that "good" Jews didn't do. He hung out with sinners, women, and Samaritans. He made people mad. He made important people mad! He confronted people. I am supposed to be like Jesus. I am not supposed to have a cookie cutter life in the suburbs were everyone likes me and thinks I'm "so nice." I am supposed to live the truth! I am supposed to do what God calls me to even if it "isn't safe." Even if people think I am crazy.

I am guilty of "domesticating Jesus" to quote Alan Hirsch again. I have made Him fit my warm fuzzy needs, but have not thought seriously about the call he has placed on my life to share the gospel with others. The real gospel, the gospel of truth and love. I have been ashamed of the gospel. Especially when it would bring me under the microscopic gaze of academics. Father God, forgive me for living in fear and denying you, take away my fear and make me bold for you, let the only person I strive to please be you!

VERGE!

Verge was awesome! http://verge2010.org/ God is awesome!

Jesus is Lord!

"Jesus is good, but Jesus is not safe (pause) not if you want to live the middle class lifestyle. " ~ Alan Hirsch Jesus requires things of us. He is a ruler, he is a king! He asks us to step out of our comfort zones and LOVE people!

Francis Chan! God moved tonight! In the hearts of a group of people in Cedar Park, TX! Chan challenged us to think about what the bible says the group of believers should do and be. How does the bible describe the church? It is nothing like what we see today, in America! The early believers were excited, and they went forth and told everyone they came into contact with that Jesus was alive. They did not simply gather together behind closed doors for their own benefit! They went out they shared the news that we are eternal beings! That Jesus was the messiah! Chan challenged us to let God be God, not to be content with doing what we've always done, what we have been taught to do, but to follow God, follow the Holy Spirits leading to become the people and the churches God would have us to be. The Bible, God's word! Our User's Manual! Let it lead us to the heart of God, let it lead our relationships! Church is not about doing the right thing, attendance does not atone for sin, and we are not called to seclude ourselves from the world, but instead to be in it working and sharing and loving people! We are to act as avatars of the Holy Spirit and Jesus!

So excited!

Psalm 119 - one to memorize

Psalm 119: 35-37

"Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.

Incline my heart to your testimonies and not to selfish gain.

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways."

Grief

John 11:32-38 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews that had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said "where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "see how he loved him." But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. (ESV)

Jesus was troubled? What does that mean? Jesus responded to grief in a powerful way. He responded to their weeping with weeping. He felt their pain (don't you dare laugh). Really! ... One of the things I often think about and struggle with in regards to the Bible is understanding different people's moods when they are speaking. Are they mad, being sarcastic, being silly, judging, mocking? One would think that Mary and Martha might be mad at Jesus, but it doesn't appear so. They trust him implicitly, but they also miss their brother. They know that Jesus could have saved their brother, but instead of beating him up, they accept the death with the knowledge that whatever Jesus is doing and has done is right. Even though it feels horrible.

That is what I see in Mary. Is that what Jesus responds to? The sheer pain? The trust in spite of the pain? Does Jesus identify with that loss, because he feels that loss moment by moment for millions of his dead and dying brothers and sisters, and likewise God for his children? How bittersweet. Pain is part of life. Love comes with pain. Pain is a part of love. Grief is something we all share. It is not a failing, a weakness, or something to be hidden. It is part of living and loving and sharing yourself with others.