Ok, so disclaimer up front: I haven't really thought this out, so this might be all over the place, or not make sense, or not even reach a conclusion at the end.
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul (an apostle of Christ Jesus) says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will."
In Romans 14, Paul talks about how, despite the fact that no food is unclean in and of itself, some brothers and sisters will still be distressed if they see you eating certain things. For example, munching a ham sandwich in a synagogue would be frowned upon by those around you. Back in the day, people who converted to Christianity had trouble fully letting go of their past lives...oh, wait, we still have that problem. So the Jewish people who converted to Christianity at the outset of the Christian church still adhered to some of the religious tenants of Judaism, including the eating restrictions.
So with these things in mind, here we go...
I've been thinking, maybe this whole "being in the world but not of the world" thing is bigger than I realized. It isn't just not sleeping around, not stumbling around slobbering drunk, not killing people, not lashing out at people, not not not...you get the idea. It's not just avoiding obviously mean or morally questionable things. Some examples I've encountered in the last couple weeks that I never thought of in this light before:
1. A friend of mine who has been a cherished Christian brother in my life for years has developed the habit of cussing when he is mad or when it makes an effective punch line. If you ask him why he lets himself do this, he makes a convincing and effective argument about the fact that they are just words, that the disciples and people in the Bible probably didn't have the "cleanest" mouths (they were a bunch of working class guys, after all), and that it makes him more approachable to those who don't know the Lord.
But here's the thing: a lot of people, Christians and non-Christians alike, will judge him unfairly because of that. Many Christians will question his devotion to the Lord, or in the extreme, even his salvation. Is that fair? No, of course it isn't. Many non-Christians will fail to see the difference between him and themselves. Is that accurate? No, he is very different. But many people will perceive him badly because of it.
"I don't care what people think," might be what my friend would say to me. Well, good for you, but God does. We are vessels of his Son, and even if you have a valid argument for allowing yourself to cuss, ultimately it will cause your brothers and sisters in Christ (not all, but some) to stumble; they will judge you, and not be able to share in Christ with you as effectively as they would if you didn't cuss. The non-Christians will stumble as well, and unfortunately they'll be stumbling on their way to Jesus.
2. A couple weeks ago, I talked to a guy who said he looked forward to being married, not only because he wants to find a woman who he loves to be his wife, but also because then he can do child care at church or play with young kids without people questioning his motives. Somehow, when a guy has kids, he automatically becomes small-kid-safe. This guy loves kids, loves to play with them and love on them and show them the love of Jesus, but unfortunately he has encountered suspicion in the past about his intentions toward young kids. That is a sad and terrible thing, and a grim picture of the world we live in.
So what should he do? My first instinct was, "You love kids, you have nothing but the best intentions, so screw what people think, you're not doing anything wrong. Keep it up, kids need strong male figures in their lives." But I don't think that's right. It's not completely right, I should say. If the parents of the kid know and trust him, or he is a part of an organized effort like coaching baseball through the Boys and Girls Club, or something like that, then he can minister to kids within safe confines and a positive environment.
But he should be very cautious, because the last thing he wants is for people to know he is a Christian and then to subsequently think he is a pervert. Is it possible that he'll get screwed some day anyway, and someone will falsely accuse him? Sure, but he shouldn't invite that possibility. We have to do what we can in this world because when people perceive us, to some extent, they are also perceiving Christ.
3. Ok, time to get personal: I am an affectionate person, and for me, that often manifests in physical touch: hugs, squeezing someone's hand, touching a person's hand or leg or shoulder when I speak to him or her, even kisses on the cheek sometimes.
Unfortunately, in this day and age, people often misconstrue physical touch. And even if they aren't misunderstanding my intentions, they are still uncomfortable simply because it invades their personal space. In society today, especially in America, people don't like to be touched frequently. It puts them off, even if only for a second.
My natural reaction to this is, "Well, it's just the way I am, and I'm only loving on people, so what's the problem?" The problem is it makes others uncomfortable, or makes them think I mean more in my gestures then I do. So what should I do? Like the example in number 2, I have to be cautious and considerate. I should figure out what level of physical touch people appreciate, and it is different with everyone. That's part of my challenge: in my life, I've been around people who give me a big hug and a kiss when they see me, and other people who only greet with a smile. Neither is wrong, they're just different. What I need to learn is not to feel slighted when all I get is the latter, and to know when what people want or need is a big hug, and when all they want or need is a kind word and a reassuring look.
One last example...last night, I saw a production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Spoiler alert! The Nazis find them in the end, after the family has been hiding for over two years, and all but the father eventually die. When I got back to my dorm, I was discussing the show with a friend, and I commented simply, "Nazis suck."
I don't think there is anyone in the world who would dane to refute that point. It's a pretty universally felt sentiment. I've never actually heard a person say, "You're not a very good Christian because you hate Nazis." It just isn't a common arguement.
But the truth is hate is hate, and it's wrong. Jesus died for every single Nazi, and for Hitler, just as much as he did for me, and he loved them just as much as he does me, and repentance was as available and complete for them as it is for me.
My point is that there are things in this world that are justifiable or even purely good, but just because we know that doesn't mean everyone does, and if it is going to cause people to stumble, we should tread lightly (remember Romans 14). Just because we are not of this world doesn't mean we don't still have to live in this world, and sometimes we may have to be restrained because of the corruptness of this world so that the love of Jesus can be revealed in people's lives (remember Romans 12).
But also, sometimes bad things are going to be thought about people in the Body (particularly in cases like examples 2 and 3), and in those instances we just have to take heart that Jesus loves and understands us.
And like in example 4, sometimes we are going to do things that seem completely right to us and to the world, but as unconceivable as it might be, that's not what Jesus would have us do, and so we have to continually seek his heart.
I think that's the point of all of this: we need Jesus' heart for the world. Jesus wouldn't ever get up on a soapbox at the expense of people and their understanding of God's love (as was the tendency in examples 1, 2, and 3). Love is his goal. But he doesn't force his love on people, and he doesn't only express it in one way. And despite the temptation, Jesus avoided cussing or condemning even the worst of sinners (he had some harsh words for religious hypocrites, but that's another blog for another time), and why? Because those things would contradict who he is, and because he lives in us, they contradict who we are in Him.
Why did I write this? I don't know. Will anyone read it, or take anything away from it? I don't know that either. I don't know a lot of things, but what I do know is that I want Jesus' heart of love so that I can love Him and other people, and so I can have mercy and grace for everyone, including myself.
So my prayer today is simply this: "Jesus, give me more of your heart! Give me more of your mind! I want to know you! And I want to enter into your rest, trusting that you live in me, and that all that I am, all that is good in me, is from you. Help me to know you more, and to have your peace which surpasses understanding. In Jesus' name, amen."
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Grace so amazing!
So tonight as I went to sleep, I was crying out to Jesus to help me because I felt like I was failing to live in the freedom from sin that He died to provide me with. In other words, I felt like despite my freedom and new life and salvation in Jesus, I was still acting like a sinner who had not been redeemed. I do the same things wrong over and over again, even when I know they're wrong. "How can you possibly still forgive me, Lord? It's not like I'm a sinner who is continuing to sin. I understand your grace for them. But I'm already saved! How can you still love me when I am in a relationship with you, but I keep ignoring this gift of salvation and freedom that you sacrificed yourself so I could have. How selfish and cruel!"
Then when I woke up, I read Hebrews 9 and 10. Hebrews 10:19-23 says, "Therefore, brother, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
This brought me comfort and hope! I reminded me that I am free from a guilty conscience, and this coupled with Romans 7, where Paul discusses his struggle with sin even after salvation, made me confident that I am still firmly in Jesus and have nothing to worry about. Until I continued reading in Hebrews, that is.
Hebrews 10:26-31: "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins in left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Uh oh. Do I not fall into the category of people who "deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth"? I sat there for a long time, not praying really, except to tell the Lord that I was staying available for Him to speak. I believe during this half and hour or so of sitting, God directed my attention to the phrase "deliberately keep on sinning." Ok, what does that mean? It doesn't say, "people who deliberately sin" after receiving knowledge of the the truth, because that could be an isolated occurrence, or sever isolated occurrences, but rather people who "keep on sinning." The latter implies that the person never repents, but is continually rejecting the truth. The former could be a person like me, who is saved, who has repented and accepted forgiveness, but still sins. However, I am always brought back to repentance, sometimes even in the midst of sinning I know I am going to end up before the Lord in repentance. Ah ha!
The passage is speaking of those who never repent of their sins. God gives you your whole life to repent, and if you don't, then you are subject to the punishment described in the passage. The next thing I thought was, "Oy, that sounds harsh." But then I thought about it: let's say you're walking down the street, and someone starting shooting at you. Before the bullets reach you, someone jumps in front of the bullets and dies instead. The shooter, defeated, runs off. The person who saved you writhes there on the ground, dying slowing, but all the while smiling up at you with love. Eventually, he dies. You wait, and after some times has passed, the person stands up again, miraculously alive and free of bullets, although the holes are still visible--clearly this is the same person who just got peppered with gun fire for you. He says to you, "I have a miraculous new life, and I want you to share that life with me. Let's be friends." Your reply? "No thanks, I'd prefer we never speak. I don't want to see you, I'm just going to pretend you don't exist."
Most people would call you an ungrateful jerk. Actually, most people would call you something a lot worse than that. Now add this in: for whatever reason, you deserved to get shot. I know what you're thinking, "Moi?" Yeah, you. Let's say you absolutely, 100% had it coming. You might be saying, "But I don't think anyone ever deserves to die, no matter how despicable." Well, the Bible says that the wages of sin is death. God is holy and perfect, and can't be in the presence of sin. It is contrary to His nature. You might think that is narrow-minded or overly-conservative, but the fact is, it doesn't matter what you think. You're not God. God says sin is punishable by death, and that's that.
However, he is not only a just God, he is a loving God. Jesus was fully God, but he actually humbled himself and became obedient unto death so that you and I could have forgiveness and new life with him. The creator of the universe did that for you and me. Think about hurricanes and earthquakes and volcanoes: these are things that we as humans cannot conquer, we can just run away to try to avoid the damage. These are things God created, and he alone is the master of, and that's only on the Earth. So think about how huge the whole universe is. He created all of that, he was master of it all, but he made himself the lowest of human beings, subject to temptation and hardship and cold and hunger and ultimately a gruesome death that every single person on earth deserved except him. And he did it all, so that when he was resurrected, he could offer us new life, and have a relationship with him.
So when you say no to that, it will be a "dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
I am not perfect. No Christian is, no matter how we may act sometimes. But even as I stumble, and even as often as I do, I am still made perfect through Christ. Hebrews 10:13 says, "...by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." The work of Jesus' death is both an instantaneous one and a continual one. I have received the forgiveness that is instant, and now I am undergoing the continuous process of being made holy by his sacrifice. Thank you, Jesus, for being willing to work in me every day the reality of freedom and life that your death and resurrection secured for me! You are a merciful, wonderful Savior and Friend, and I love you!
If you're reading this and you have yet to accept Jesus' free gift of forgiveness and life, now is the time. At the end of your life, if you have not received his forgiveness, there is nothing you can do for yourself anymore. I know I risk sounding like the nay-saying Bible thumpers that shout down students at the public universities who we all avoid or mock, but this is the truth: without accepting Jesus' forgiveness, you doom yourself to eternal damnation. Eternity apart from God is the penalty for not accepting his opportunity for purification.
But beyond that, life in Jesus on earth means freedom and joy and life and love and community that you cannot possibly get elsewhere. I know it may seem like it, and sadly for some it is, but the reality of being a Christian is not a grim, rigid, religious existence. I have had more fun than I can express with my Christian family, and sometimes that's just sitting over a meal joking or watching a movie together. But the familial bond that exists between Christians who have never even met speaks to the truth and reality of the lives we live in Jesus. We are knit together in Him! And he is our comfort and hope when life is hard, and our joy and song every day.
I've had a rough last year and a half. Often I've cried out to God saying I feel like a hypocrite because I don't feel the hope or comfort that I profess can be had in Jesus, and when I say often, I mean as recently as last night. But honestly, the reality is that the worst place I can be in Jesus is still better than the best place I could be without him. And I know that to be true. He is comforting me and protecting me and loving me, even if I don't feel it. If I don't feel it, it is only because he has been doing it for so long that I can't fathom what life would be without it. He is there, and He is wonderful, and I trust Him.
If you haven't accepted Jesus into your life as your Savior, or you're not sure, you can do it where you are right now. Jesus is waiting. The beautiful thing about Jesus is, even after he jumped in front of those bullets and we rejected him anyway, he is not hurt or angry. He loves you the same! And the moment you decide to come to him, you will be welcomed in love. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." In other words, all you have to do is believe in him, and say so. He is waiting to receive you.
If you have questions, or comments, or anything therein, feel free to ask. Far from having all the answers, I probably have more questions than anything, but it is ok not to have all the answers (in fact it is inevitable), as long as you trust in Jesus.
He loves you, and he wants you. I am praying for you, whoever you are, whether or not you are in Jesus already. Be blessed in Jesus. Take comfort and rest in Him, and I'll do the same.
Love in Him,
Lindsey
Then when I woke up, I read Hebrews 9 and 10. Hebrews 10:19-23 says, "Therefore, brother, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
This brought me comfort and hope! I reminded me that I am free from a guilty conscience, and this coupled with Romans 7, where Paul discusses his struggle with sin even after salvation, made me confident that I am still firmly in Jesus and have nothing to worry about. Until I continued reading in Hebrews, that is.
Hebrews 10:26-31: "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins in left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Uh oh. Do I not fall into the category of people who "deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth"? I sat there for a long time, not praying really, except to tell the Lord that I was staying available for Him to speak. I believe during this half and hour or so of sitting, God directed my attention to the phrase "deliberately keep on sinning." Ok, what does that mean? It doesn't say, "people who deliberately sin" after receiving knowledge of the the truth, because that could be an isolated occurrence, or sever isolated occurrences, but rather people who "keep on sinning." The latter implies that the person never repents, but is continually rejecting the truth. The former could be a person like me, who is saved, who has repented and accepted forgiveness, but still sins. However, I am always brought back to repentance, sometimes even in the midst of sinning I know I am going to end up before the Lord in repentance. Ah ha!
The passage is speaking of those who never repent of their sins. God gives you your whole life to repent, and if you don't, then you are subject to the punishment described in the passage. The next thing I thought was, "Oy, that sounds harsh." But then I thought about it: let's say you're walking down the street, and someone starting shooting at you. Before the bullets reach you, someone jumps in front of the bullets and dies instead. The shooter, defeated, runs off. The person who saved you writhes there on the ground, dying slowing, but all the while smiling up at you with love. Eventually, he dies. You wait, and after some times has passed, the person stands up again, miraculously alive and free of bullets, although the holes are still visible--clearly this is the same person who just got peppered with gun fire for you. He says to you, "I have a miraculous new life, and I want you to share that life with me. Let's be friends." Your reply? "No thanks, I'd prefer we never speak. I don't want to see you, I'm just going to pretend you don't exist."
Most people would call you an ungrateful jerk. Actually, most people would call you something a lot worse than that. Now add this in: for whatever reason, you deserved to get shot. I know what you're thinking, "Moi?" Yeah, you. Let's say you absolutely, 100% had it coming. You might be saying, "But I don't think anyone ever deserves to die, no matter how despicable." Well, the Bible says that the wages of sin is death. God is holy and perfect, and can't be in the presence of sin. It is contrary to His nature. You might think that is narrow-minded or overly-conservative, but the fact is, it doesn't matter what you think. You're not God. God says sin is punishable by death, and that's that.
However, he is not only a just God, he is a loving God. Jesus was fully God, but he actually humbled himself and became obedient unto death so that you and I could have forgiveness and new life with him. The creator of the universe did that for you and me. Think about hurricanes and earthquakes and volcanoes: these are things that we as humans cannot conquer, we can just run away to try to avoid the damage. These are things God created, and he alone is the master of, and that's only on the Earth. So think about how huge the whole universe is. He created all of that, he was master of it all, but he made himself the lowest of human beings, subject to temptation and hardship and cold and hunger and ultimately a gruesome death that every single person on earth deserved except him. And he did it all, so that when he was resurrected, he could offer us new life, and have a relationship with him.
So when you say no to that, it will be a "dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
I am not perfect. No Christian is, no matter how we may act sometimes. But even as I stumble, and even as often as I do, I am still made perfect through Christ. Hebrews 10:13 says, "...by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." The work of Jesus' death is both an instantaneous one and a continual one. I have received the forgiveness that is instant, and now I am undergoing the continuous process of being made holy by his sacrifice. Thank you, Jesus, for being willing to work in me every day the reality of freedom and life that your death and resurrection secured for me! You are a merciful, wonderful Savior and Friend, and I love you!
If you're reading this and you have yet to accept Jesus' free gift of forgiveness and life, now is the time. At the end of your life, if you have not received his forgiveness, there is nothing you can do for yourself anymore. I know I risk sounding like the nay-saying Bible thumpers that shout down students at the public universities who we all avoid or mock, but this is the truth: without accepting Jesus' forgiveness, you doom yourself to eternal damnation. Eternity apart from God is the penalty for not accepting his opportunity for purification.
But beyond that, life in Jesus on earth means freedom and joy and life and love and community that you cannot possibly get elsewhere. I know it may seem like it, and sadly for some it is, but the reality of being a Christian is not a grim, rigid, religious existence. I have had more fun than I can express with my Christian family, and sometimes that's just sitting over a meal joking or watching a movie together. But the familial bond that exists between Christians who have never even met speaks to the truth and reality of the lives we live in Jesus. We are knit together in Him! And he is our comfort and hope when life is hard, and our joy and song every day.
I've had a rough last year and a half. Often I've cried out to God saying I feel like a hypocrite because I don't feel the hope or comfort that I profess can be had in Jesus, and when I say often, I mean as recently as last night. But honestly, the reality is that the worst place I can be in Jesus is still better than the best place I could be without him. And I know that to be true. He is comforting me and protecting me and loving me, even if I don't feel it. If I don't feel it, it is only because he has been doing it for so long that I can't fathom what life would be without it. He is there, and He is wonderful, and I trust Him.
If you haven't accepted Jesus into your life as your Savior, or you're not sure, you can do it where you are right now. Jesus is waiting. The beautiful thing about Jesus is, even after he jumped in front of those bullets and we rejected him anyway, he is not hurt or angry. He loves you the same! And the moment you decide to come to him, you will be welcomed in love. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." In other words, all you have to do is believe in him, and say so. He is waiting to receive you.
If you have questions, or comments, or anything therein, feel free to ask. Far from having all the answers, I probably have more questions than anything, but it is ok not to have all the answers (in fact it is inevitable), as long as you trust in Jesus.
He loves you, and he wants you. I am praying for you, whoever you are, whether or not you are in Jesus already. Be blessed in Jesus. Take comfort and rest in Him, and I'll do the same.
Love in Him,
Lindsey
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
What love is this?
I said this in the facebook group description, but I'll say it again: if you want to post your prayer requests, comments, questions, musings, or whatever else concerning Jesus on the facebook Wall or as a comment on the facebook thread (I'll post all of these entries on facebook as well), then that is fine. Posting through the blogspot allows you to be anonymous, so if that is something you desire, this is here for you. Also, if you simply prefer one over the other, you have options.
Also, please feel free to pray yourself! If you have something that you want to pray, please do so. This is not a one man show. Actually, it is, and that one man is Jesus. So pray, and we'll pray with you!
With that being said, let's dive into Jesus.
Lord Jesus, I come before you now, asking first that I would not pray out of my own understanding or out of my own strength. I need you, Jesus. My faith is so often so small, I have such trouble putting my trust and hope in you. I've glorified friendships and ambitions and my own future above knowing you, Jesus. Thank you that you see me as I am, and you love me the same. Thank you Jesus that when you look at me, your heart swells with love, and you say, "You are worth everything to me, and nothing you do or don't do will change that." Jesus, I want to know you more! I want to know this love that surpasses understanding, that is so beyond my love! I want to love people the way you love them, and Jesus I pray that you would reveal to our hearts daily how powerful and complete and unchanging your love is for us. For those who don't know you, I pray that their hearts would be softened, and that they would be moved to repentance because of this great love, that while we were still sinners, you died for us! Reveal yourself to hearts that don't know you, and reveal yourself even more to hearts that do know you! We just want to be with you Jesus, and to know you as you desire to be known by us -- a deep, wonderful relationship with you. Help us to trust you, help us to rest in you, and help us to know you in our hearts more and more each day. Thank you for all you have blessed us with, and thank you that you use all things for our good according to your perfect will. Thank you that we can trust you, and thank you that we can return to you after every time we don't. Blessed be your name, Jesus! All honor and glory unto you! You are worthy, you are awesome, and we love you! In your mighty Name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God." --Ephesians 3:16-21
Also, please feel free to pray yourself! If you have something that you want to pray, please do so. This is not a one man show. Actually, it is, and that one man is Jesus. So pray, and we'll pray with you!
With that being said, let's dive into Jesus.
Lord Jesus, I come before you now, asking first that I would not pray out of my own understanding or out of my own strength. I need you, Jesus. My faith is so often so small, I have such trouble putting my trust and hope in you. I've glorified friendships and ambitions and my own future above knowing you, Jesus. Thank you that you see me as I am, and you love me the same. Thank you Jesus that when you look at me, your heart swells with love, and you say, "You are worth everything to me, and nothing you do or don't do will change that." Jesus, I want to know you more! I want to know this love that surpasses understanding, that is so beyond my love! I want to love people the way you love them, and Jesus I pray that you would reveal to our hearts daily how powerful and complete and unchanging your love is for us. For those who don't know you, I pray that their hearts would be softened, and that they would be moved to repentance because of this great love, that while we were still sinners, you died for us! Reveal yourself to hearts that don't know you, and reveal yourself even more to hearts that do know you! We just want to be with you Jesus, and to know you as you desire to be known by us -- a deep, wonderful relationship with you. Help us to trust you, help us to rest in you, and help us to know you in our hearts more and more each day. Thank you for all you have blessed us with, and thank you that you use all things for our good according to your perfect will. Thank you that we can trust you, and thank you that we can return to you after every time we don't. Blessed be your name, Jesus! All honor and glory unto you! You are worthy, you are awesome, and we love you! In your mighty Name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God." --Ephesians 3:16-21
A NEW PURPOSE for this blog: prayer and study
Hey there! So previously this blog was essentially my personal online journal, but no longer. Now if you want to see what I'm up to or what I'm writing, check out my other blog, Pura Vida.
This blog, however, is where I'll post my thoughts/questions/musings on the Bible and other teachings.
Additionally, I'll post prayers for my own life and for the lives of those God puts on my heart.
I encourage you to post comments with your prayer requests, with or without your name and the names of people involved, and I'll pray for those situations in the next post.
For those who are followers of Jesus, we are all members of the Body, and praying for one another is the best way to build each other up.
Later today, I'll start off with my own prayer requests. Whether or not you believe in God, whether or not you ever pray, everyone has things in life that are hard, and I would be blessed to lift you up in prayer.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." --1st Thessalonians 5:28
In Him,
Lindsey
This blog, however, is where I'll post my thoughts/questions/musings on the Bible and other teachings.
Additionally, I'll post prayers for my own life and for the lives of those God puts on my heart.
I encourage you to post comments with your prayer requests, with or without your name and the names of people involved, and I'll pray for those situations in the next post.
For those who are followers of Jesus, we are all members of the Body, and praying for one another is the best way to build each other up.
Later today, I'll start off with my own prayer requests. Whether or not you believe in God, whether or not you ever pray, everyone has things in life that are hard, and I would be blessed to lift you up in prayer.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." --1st Thessalonians 5:28
In Him,
Lindsey
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