To preface this: I am not angry at all about this. I guess it's just a point of frustration knowing that most people I come into contact with find it uncomfortable to label themselves as a Christian.
Religion |riˈlijən| (Noun)
The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.
ORIGIN Middle English (originally in the sense [life under monastic vows] ): from Old French, or from Latin religio(n-) ‘obligation, bond, reverence,’ perhaps based on Latin religare ‘to bind.’
Religion. n. relij'on. [L. religio, from religo, to bind anew
1. Religion, in its most comprehensive sense, includes a belief in the being and perfections of God, in the revelation of his will to man, in man's obligation to obey his commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and in man's accountableness to God; and also true godliness or piety of life, with the practice of all moral duties. It therefore comprehends theology, as a system of doctrines or principles, as well as practical piety; for the practice of moral duties without a belief in a divine lawgiver, and without reference to his will or commands, is not religion.
2. Religion, as distinct from theology, is godliness or real piety in practice, consisting in the performance of all known duties to God and our fellow men, in obedience to divine command, or from love to God and his law. James 1.
3. Religion, as distinct from virtue, or morality, consists in the performance of the duties we owe directly to God, from a principle of obedience to his will. Hence we often speak of religion and virtue, as different branches of one system, or the duties of the first and second tables of the law.Let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.
4. Any system of faith and worship. In this sense, religion comprehends the belief and worship of pagans and Mohammedans, as well as of christians; any religion consisting in the belief of a superior power or powers governing the world, and in the worship of such power or powers. Thus we speak of the religion of the Turks, of the Hindus, of the Indians, &c. as well as of the christian religion. We speak of false religion, as well as of true religion.
Christian or Christ Follower?
Most of my friend, and myself included, have at one point been asked the question: are you a Christian? Most of my friends, and I included, have most likely answered with some overly long, drawn out explanation that we love Jesus Christ and His teachings.
We avoid, at all cost, the use of the phrase Christian when we come into contact with people. Even if it's something as simple as a submitting a “religious view” on our Facebook.
We make statements like “it's not a religion, it's a relationship”.
Has the trend of not associating ourselves with anything popular already planted itself into our spiritual lives as well?
I'm not a hipster. I'm just not conforming to social standards.
I'm not a Christian. I'm in a relationship, not a religion.
The fact of the matter is, however, that following Christ involves a lot of what both my MacBooks' dictionary states as religion, and Noah Webster states as religion. It is following a set of ideals esteemed as holy.
It is acting in the likeness of God.It involves praying. Praying is the practice of maintaining intimacy with the
LORD. It is an act. It is something you do. People make the argument that following Christ isn't something you do, it's something you are.
I'd argue that it is both.
We cannot just sit by and deny that we're part of a religion when we've been going through ceremonial rituals of baptism, communion, and worship with the LORD.
Those are all very religious things.
I'm not saying that I understand all of this quite yet. But, I do understand that it's starting to become popular to not accept the label of Christian, and instead, make up our own label as to not offend anyone or to make ourselves as unique as possible.
The thing is, I'm guilty of it too.
For so long I've been running from the term Christian and it has gotten me no where. I thought of religion as being legalistic and unspiritual. Truth is, sometimes there are people who make Christianity look legalistic and unspiritual.
I think we've begun to equate religion with legalism. But just because I/we have a skewed vision of what religion is, it doesn't change the definition of religion, and it doesn't change the definition of what a Christian is.
A Christian is a person who follows the teachings of Christ, believes God is the LORD of lords, and who desires to seek out Gods heart (among other things).
I guess what I'm getting at is this: religion merely means that you subscribe to a set of ideals and that you act in accordance with those ideals: you walk the walk and talk the talk.
A Christian is a person who follows and believes the ideals of Christ, who was sent by His Father, God and Creator of the Universe, to the earth to pay the penalty for our sins, and are guided by the Holy Spirit, who also led Christ.
I guess by that overly-simple definition, I am a Christian.
Christianity is a religion. This shouldn't be debated. And if we're tired of the label of Christianity being associated with hippocrit, we should start changing ourselves, so people no longer view us as being just that: liars
There's a lot of room for fine tuning in this argument, but, I just thought I should point out that following Christ does involve doing a lot of religious things and we should own up to and be proud of our faith. Not run away from it and call it something differen
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
I am wheat.
Luke 22:31-32; "31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
I was talking with my good friend, Stephen, today.
We talked about how beat up we were.
It feels like our hearts were trampled on by "one too many buffalo" as he put it.
I remembered this verse from Luke, chapter 22.
Satan demanded to sift Peter like wheat.
The process for sifting wheat was this: throw the wheat against the cement and beat the hell out of it with a flail.
During times, it feels like my heart is being sifted- like wheat.
Its hurt by myself: my failures.
Its hurt by others: their actions and words.
Its hurt because of what I've done: breaking other peoples hearts- breaking my Gods heart.
Every failure I've made.
Every rude comment given to me.
Every despicable act of aggression against me.
Every time I've hurt someone else has been a blow to my heart from the flail.
Often times this heart begins to be too much.
It hurts too often.
I've cried more times than I care to remember.
I've felt the burning fire of anger towards situations that I would normally find acceptable or tolerable.
I've felt the anguish of a loss of a friends fire for God because of lukewarmness.
I've been kicked in the stomach emotionally and balled my eyes out for the body of Christ.
I've never felt the depths of emotion as much as I have while being in this relationship with God.
I've asked prayed Jesus' prayer from the garden on more than one occasion.
Its so hard to deal with this kind of heart: the kind of heart that's made of paper and bleeds like a anemic.
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Through it all, however, I have always prayed to have Gods heart. I realize, now, that He's taken me very literally. My heart is so softened by this process of threshing. I'm beginning to feel what God feels.
I am beginning to love what He loves. I'm beginning to understand.
I understand that by this softening, my heart is growing stronger.
I'm being refined.
Refinement is never comfortable.
Never.
After Jesus finished that prayer to his Father, it says: "an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground".
He strengthens us when we ask Him.
But why does He strengthen us?
To help us pray more fervently.
I love Batman.
In the movie, Bruce Wayne's father asks Bruce a question: why do we fall?
He answers: so we can learn to pick ourselves back up.
I think I'm starting to hear God ask me a similar question: when you are weak, why should you pray for strength?
It is so you can learn to pray more fervently.
Satan demanded to sift us like wheat- but Jesus prayed for me.
His offer was better.
His offer wins.
His offer strengthens me.
I know this heart is problematic at times.
I know my heart gets lonely.
I know my heart gets pounded.
I know my heart is a mess.
But I know my heart reflects a lot of what Gods heart does.
If being pounded into the dust is part of being built up, then I think its worth it.
I just want to see His face.
I was talking with my good friend, Stephen, today.
We talked about how beat up we were.
It feels like our hearts were trampled on by "one too many buffalo" as he put it.
I remembered this verse from Luke, chapter 22.
Satan demanded to sift Peter like wheat.
The process for sifting wheat was this: throw the wheat against the cement and beat the hell out of it with a flail.
During times, it feels like my heart is being sifted- like wheat.
Its hurt by myself: my failures.
Its hurt by others: their actions and words.
Its hurt because of what I've done: breaking other peoples hearts- breaking my Gods heart.
Every failure I've made.
Every rude comment given to me.
Every despicable act of aggression against me.
Every time I've hurt someone else has been a blow to my heart from the flail.
Often times this heart begins to be too much.
It hurts too often.
I've cried more times than I care to remember.
I've felt the burning fire of anger towards situations that I would normally find acceptable or tolerable.
I've felt the anguish of a loss of a friends fire for God because of lukewarmness.
I've been kicked in the stomach emotionally and balled my eyes out for the body of Christ.
I've never felt the depths of emotion as much as I have while being in this relationship with God.
I've asked prayed Jesus' prayer from the garden on more than one occasion.
Its so hard to deal with this kind of heart: the kind of heart that's made of paper and bleeds like a anemic.
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Through it all, however, I have always prayed to have Gods heart. I realize, now, that He's taken me very literally. My heart is so softened by this process of threshing. I'm beginning to feel what God feels.
I am beginning to love what He loves. I'm beginning to understand.
I understand that by this softening, my heart is growing stronger.
I'm being refined.
Refinement is never comfortable.
Never.
After Jesus finished that prayer to his Father, it says: "an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground".
He strengthens us when we ask Him.
But why does He strengthen us?
To help us pray more fervently.
I love Batman.
In the movie, Bruce Wayne's father asks Bruce a question: why do we fall?
He answers: so we can learn to pick ourselves back up.
I think I'm starting to hear God ask me a similar question: when you are weak, why should you pray for strength?
It is so you can learn to pray more fervently.
Satan demanded to sift us like wheat- but Jesus prayed for me.
His offer was better.
His offer wins.
His offer strengthens me.
I know this heart is problematic at times.
I know my heart gets lonely.
I know my heart gets pounded.
I know my heart is a mess.
But I know my heart reflects a lot of what Gods heart does.
If being pounded into the dust is part of being built up, then I think its worth it.
I just want to see His face.
Friday, July 2, 2010
50th post: Grace. Love. Friends. V Necks.
Earlier this week I was spending time with my friends.
(I think its important to note, before I ramble, that I love them dearly).
We talked about grace and what it meant to us.
We discussed songs about grace- how beautiful it is and how amazing it feels when it is extended to us.
We prayed and laughed and were captivated by the awe of it all.
We were all agreed, at the end of it all, that Grace is a free gift, we don't deserve it, but, its extended to us- there is nothing we can do to earn it.
When I was younger I used to think of grace as this big cover up.
Grace was white out.
Because of it, sin was no longer visible; therefore, it wasn't there anymore.
Grace was an everlasting game of "peek-a-boo".
I definitely know grace to be part of something larger now.
It doesn't just give the illusion of purity, it cleanses us, making us the embodiment of purity.
It is a bath.
It is a shower.
It is a pressure washer.
It is a hurricane.
Not only does grace wash our sin away, it empowers us to live lives holy and pleasing to the Lord.
It fills us with a strength.
Grace isn't weak.
It is power.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness".
Grace.
Power.
Ravi Zacharias stated that purity isn't just the absence of something, it is the presence of another.
Purity isn't only the absence of sin, its the presence of the Lords grace in our lives.
"For by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift from God. Not a result of works so no one can boast".
My friends and I were discussing grace, we talked about how, at times, we find ourselves working ourselves to death to try to earn grace.
By no means was this a conscious effort on our parts- it was just something we observed in retrospect.
We justify working 70 work weeks, going to two bible studies, mentoring people, and getting little no sleep, all for the sake of not "feeling lazy".
We somehow think that by exhausting and overextending ourselves that we are bringing God glory.
We get this sick idea that neglecting our basic needs for adequate food and rest we are making God happy.
A parent doesn't delight in the suffering of their child, nor does a parent like it when a child feels they have to repay every act of kindness as if they are indebted to them.
It can turn into a giant, "who can give more" competition. All the parent wanted to do in the first place was to bless their child because they love them.
God loved us so much, that He sent His son to die for us so He could dwell in us and LOVE us.
When we work for grace, we're putting a price on Christs crucifixion, and cheapening the cross.
I found something equally disgusting in my own life.
I found that, at times, I feel entitled to Gods grace.
I justify not working hard at all.
I justify being lazy.
I justify failure by saying: "God will forgive me"; "God is good".
I wanted to vomit when I realized that my heart of hearts thinks this way.
How sick of me to think that I don't have to work out my salvation with "fear and trembling".
By not working, I cheapen the cross as well.
I take the cross for granted.
I don't value it as something to be treated with reverence.
I treat His grace as common.
I think I deserve His grace.
I deserve the grave.
But He still died for me.
He Loves me.
Both of these issues- entitlement, and enslavement, are sinful.
They are prideful.
One says: I can earn it.
One says: He owes it to me.
A lot of the Christian walk, I'm finding, is a balance between two extremes: foolishness, and cowardice.
Foolishness is taking the cross for granted because we think its owed to us.
Cowardice is avoiding it by thinking we don't deserve it.
I think Paul puts it beautifully.
"I die daily".
Christ says it as well.
"Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me".
It is just that.
Die to yourself.
Live as Christ.
The yoke is not too much to bear.
It is not easy though.
It is shared.
It isn't about us anymore.
We failed.
The wages of sin is death.
But.
The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Accept it.
Work out our salvation with fear and trembling while walking with the comfort of the Holy Ghost.
Please, don't forget though. He gave us grace because He loved us so.
I think of "Where the Wild Things Are".
In the movie, regardless of what you thought of it, one of the monsters hugs Max with Love and says "I'll eat you up I love you so".
I think that's beautiful.
I just feel the warmth of those words.
Its just me, I'm sure.
But,
God gave us grace because He loved us so.
"I'll forgive you of your sins because I love you".
"I died for you, I love you so".
That's just beautiful to me.
Don't think I have it figured out, please.
I just thought you should know whats on my heart.
I don't know an awful lot at all.
But I do write a lot.
I also wear tons of V necks.
But you probably already knew that.
"Philipians 3:12-14: 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus".
Hope you're encouraged.
I love you tons.
-Josh
(I think its important to note, before I ramble, that I love them dearly).
We talked about grace and what it meant to us.
We discussed songs about grace- how beautiful it is and how amazing it feels when it is extended to us.
We prayed and laughed and were captivated by the awe of it all.
We were all agreed, at the end of it all, that Grace is a free gift, we don't deserve it, but, its extended to us- there is nothing we can do to earn it.
When I was younger I used to think of grace as this big cover up.
Grace was white out.
Because of it, sin was no longer visible; therefore, it wasn't there anymore.
Grace was an everlasting game of "peek-a-boo".
I definitely know grace to be part of something larger now.
It doesn't just give the illusion of purity, it cleanses us, making us the embodiment of purity.
It is a bath.
It is a shower.
It is a pressure washer.
It is a hurricane.
Not only does grace wash our sin away, it empowers us to live lives holy and pleasing to the Lord.
It fills us with a strength.
Grace isn't weak.
It is power.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness".
Grace.
Power.
Ravi Zacharias stated that purity isn't just the absence of something, it is the presence of another.
Purity isn't only the absence of sin, its the presence of the Lords grace in our lives.
"For by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift from God. Not a result of works so no one can boast".
My friends and I were discussing grace, we talked about how, at times, we find ourselves working ourselves to death to try to earn grace.
By no means was this a conscious effort on our parts- it was just something we observed in retrospect.
We justify working 70 work weeks, going to two bible studies, mentoring people, and getting little no sleep, all for the sake of not "feeling lazy".
We somehow think that by exhausting and overextending ourselves that we are bringing God glory.
We get this sick idea that neglecting our basic needs for adequate food and rest we are making God happy.
A parent doesn't delight in the suffering of their child, nor does a parent like it when a child feels they have to repay every act of kindness as if they are indebted to them.
It can turn into a giant, "who can give more" competition. All the parent wanted to do in the first place was to bless their child because they love them.
God loved us so much, that He sent His son to die for us so He could dwell in us and LOVE us.
When we work for grace, we're putting a price on Christs crucifixion, and cheapening the cross.
I found something equally disgusting in my own life.
I found that, at times, I feel entitled to Gods grace.
I justify not working hard at all.
I justify being lazy.
I justify failure by saying: "God will forgive me"; "God is good".
I wanted to vomit when I realized that my heart of hearts thinks this way.
How sick of me to think that I don't have to work out my salvation with "fear and trembling".
By not working, I cheapen the cross as well.
I take the cross for granted.
I don't value it as something to be treated with reverence.
I treat His grace as common.
I think I deserve His grace.
I deserve the grave.
But He still died for me.
He Loves me.
Both of these issues- entitlement, and enslavement, are sinful.
They are prideful.
One says: I can earn it.
One says: He owes it to me.
A lot of the Christian walk, I'm finding, is a balance between two extremes: foolishness, and cowardice.
Foolishness is taking the cross for granted because we think its owed to us.
Cowardice is avoiding it by thinking we don't deserve it.
I think Paul puts it beautifully.
"I die daily".
Christ says it as well.
"Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me".
It is just that.
Die to yourself.
Live as Christ.
The yoke is not too much to bear.
It is not easy though.
It is shared.
It isn't about us anymore.
We failed.
The wages of sin is death.
But.
The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Accept it.
Work out our salvation with fear and trembling while walking with the comfort of the Holy Ghost.
Please, don't forget though. He gave us grace because He loved us so.
I think of "Where the Wild Things Are".
In the movie, regardless of what you thought of it, one of the monsters hugs Max with Love and says "I'll eat you up I love you so".
I think that's beautiful.
I just feel the warmth of those words.
Its just me, I'm sure.
But,
God gave us grace because He loved us so.
"I'll forgive you of your sins because I love you".
"I died for you, I love you so".
That's just beautiful to me.
Don't think I have it figured out, please.
I just thought you should know whats on my heart.
I don't know an awful lot at all.
But I do write a lot.
I also wear tons of V necks.
But you probably already knew that.
"Philipians 3:12-14: 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus".
Hope you're encouraged.
I love you tons.
-Josh
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
With Everything
What good is a hero to a person who doesn’t need to be saved?
If we choose to reject our savior, why do we need to worship?
What is our purpose in life? Is it not to worship our savior and creator: the One who loves us so?
I remember when I decided to follow Jesus’ ways; to be in a relationship with Him.
I remember He spoke to me; He said: Josh, I’ve created you for bigger things- great things. Amazing works. What are you doing?
Those are the words of a loving Father to His son.
I broke down.
I said “use me; I’ll move where You move. I want to love what You love and hate what You hate”.
It says as Samuel grew with the Lord, the Lord never let Samuels words fall to the ground.
Samuel dwelled in constant intimacy with the Love of his life.
How many times have I failed?
How many words have I let hit the floor?
How many times have I taken the Love of the Lord for granted?
I used to dwell in despair for days at a time when I stumbled. I’d fall on my face and weep for breaking the heart of my God. Then I remembered His grace.
You see, His grace washed our sin away a long time ago.
That’s why Jesus came.
He lived to die.
He didn’t come to make bad people good; He came to make dead people live.
He didn’t come to set an impossible bar for us to strive for; He came to make sure we could obtain intimacy with the One who loves us so.
“He to rescue me from danger interposed His precious blood”.
“Because a sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free”.
“I don’t have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way that He loves us”.
I remember I struggled with worship for a while.
I used to think that I didn’t get a whole lot out of it.
I realize now that when I had that egocentric mindset, God didn’t get a whole lot out of my worship.
What good is worship if we don’t know what we’re doing?
Why do we need to worship someone we don’t really think we need in the first place?
I’m sorry God, that I was so arrogant and selfish.
Forgive me.
I know now that the worship I do, isn’t because I want to get something out of it.
Worship is necessary because I’m so thankful for what You’ve done in my life.
Sometimes I think we make worship about us.
I think when we do that we let our words fall to the floor.
We need a savior.
We have one.
When we realize what He’s done for us, that’s when worshiping in spirit and truth happens.
We realize where we could have been, where we could have ended up: eternal separation from Love.
We are thankful for our Hero.
We praise the One who paid our debt and raised our lives up from the dead.
He is worthy of our praise.
With everything we will shout for Your glory.
With everything we will shout forth Your praise.
We have reason to worship, brothers and sisters.
We have reason to worship, Always.
I hope you’re encouraged.
I love you all.
-Josh
If we choose to reject our savior, why do we need to worship?
What is our purpose in life? Is it not to worship our savior and creator: the One who loves us so?
I remember when I decided to follow Jesus’ ways; to be in a relationship with Him.
I remember He spoke to me; He said: Josh, I’ve created you for bigger things- great things. Amazing works. What are you doing?
Those are the words of a loving Father to His son.
I broke down.
I said “use me; I’ll move where You move. I want to love what You love and hate what You hate”.
It says as Samuel grew with the Lord, the Lord never let Samuels words fall to the ground.
Samuel dwelled in constant intimacy with the Love of his life.
How many times have I failed?
How many words have I let hit the floor?
How many times have I taken the Love of the Lord for granted?
I used to dwell in despair for days at a time when I stumbled. I’d fall on my face and weep for breaking the heart of my God. Then I remembered His grace.
You see, His grace washed our sin away a long time ago.
That’s why Jesus came.
He lived to die.
He didn’t come to make bad people good; He came to make dead people live.
He didn’t come to set an impossible bar for us to strive for; He came to make sure we could obtain intimacy with the One who loves us so.
“He to rescue me from danger interposed His precious blood”.
“Because a sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free”.
“I don’t have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way that He loves us”.
I remember I struggled with worship for a while.
I used to think that I didn’t get a whole lot out of it.
I realize now that when I had that egocentric mindset, God didn’t get a whole lot out of my worship.
What good is worship if we don’t know what we’re doing?
Why do we need to worship someone we don’t really think we need in the first place?
I’m sorry God, that I was so arrogant and selfish.
Forgive me.
I know now that the worship I do, isn’t because I want to get something out of it.
Worship is necessary because I’m so thankful for what You’ve done in my life.
Sometimes I think we make worship about us.
I think when we do that we let our words fall to the floor.
We need a savior.
We have one.
When we realize what He’s done for us, that’s when worshiping in spirit and truth happens.
We realize where we could have been, where we could have ended up: eternal separation from Love.
We are thankful for our Hero.
We praise the One who paid our debt and raised our lives up from the dead.
He is worthy of our praise.
With everything we will shout for Your glory.
With everything we will shout forth Your praise.
We have reason to worship, brothers and sisters.
We have reason to worship, Always.
I hope you’re encouraged.
I love you all.
-Josh
10,000
This morning I woke up and felt like I was not fit to call myself a Christian.
I felt woke up feeling downcast and as a failure.
I was freaking out.
I was freaking out because the night before I had been in Love with God and when I rose from my bed, the Love was gone.
I was reminded of everything that I had done in my past.
I was reminded of my failures.
I was reminded of how unfaithful I have been to Him in the past.
Then I was set straight.
I was reminded that I've overcome that.
By the blood of a Son.
God Loves me, and will ALWAYS love me, because my Jesus died, and is not sitting right next to His Father in Heaven telling His Father that I'm His.
Last night I heard this song, called Ten Thousand.
The entire song is gold, but the chorus is extremely profound.
I shouted this out loud on my knees this morning, in my truck, in the parking lot outside the place I work.
World, I've overcome you. I've overcome you, satan. I've overcome you, with the blood of a Son, who ever lives and pleads for me.
I realized, and was reminded of how much my God loves me. He loves me enough to humble, to dwell with me in intimacy. To lift me up and be with me, despite what I've done.
He's forgotten.
He overcame the world with the blood of His Son.
I'm reminded of "Before the Throne":
When satan tries to tempt me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within
upward I look and see Him there
who made an end of all my
Because a sinless Savior died
my sinful soul, is counted free
for God the Just is satisfied
to look on Him and pardon me...
To quote Jesus: It is FINISHED
My sin has come to an end.
I am no longer a slave to the flesh.
I am a slave to righteousness.
I do not belong to satan.
I am my Beloveds,
my Beloved is mine.
His banner over me is love.
I've overcome you world.
I've overcome you...
Amen.
(here's the song)
Then Thousand.
Ten thousand glimmering like coals in our chest
Ball bearings drawn to the magnetic breath
Of ten thousand weeping with wings on their tears
Amidst ten thousand voices for ten thousand years
For ten thousand graves yawning unlocked and unlatched
Now ten thousand holes with rocks on their backs
Ten thousand tombs gaping wide singing the praise
Of ten thousand bodies unlaced and unlaid
As the ten thousand highways unfold their doors
For the ten thousand standing on Nineveh's shores
Where the blood of a husband silences wars
For the girl who rises to meet him
And she sings
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome
By my song and the blood of a son
Ten thousand rivers
Run red like my veins
Where the bones of men hum
Like a rattling cage
For sinew to cling to
For wind to remain
In ten thousand lungs
For ten thousand days
Breathing like a choir
Of holes in the ground
Where the cynical have lain
Where the cynical go down
Save the gravity of time
Lets go of her drowned
Like ten thousand sparrows
Unlocked and unwound
As the ten thousand highways unfold their doors
For the ten thousand standing on Nineveh's shores
Where the blood of a husband silences wars
For the girl who rises to meet him
And she sings
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome
By my song and the blood of a son
I felt woke up feeling downcast and as a failure.
I was freaking out.
I was freaking out because the night before I had been in Love with God and when I rose from my bed, the Love was gone.
I was reminded of everything that I had done in my past.
I was reminded of my failures.
I was reminded of how unfaithful I have been to Him in the past.
Then I was set straight.
I was reminded that I've overcome that.
By the blood of a Son.
God Loves me, and will ALWAYS love me, because my Jesus died, and is not sitting right next to His Father in Heaven telling His Father that I'm His.
Last night I heard this song, called Ten Thousand.
The entire song is gold, but the chorus is extremely profound.
I shouted this out loud on my knees this morning, in my truck, in the parking lot outside the place I work.
World, I've overcome you. I've overcome you, satan. I've overcome you, with the blood of a Son, who ever lives and pleads for me.
I realized, and was reminded of how much my God loves me. He loves me enough to humble, to dwell with me in intimacy. To lift me up and be with me, despite what I've done.
He's forgotten.
He overcame the world with the blood of His Son.
I'm reminded of "Before the Throne":
When satan tries to tempt me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within
upward I look and see Him there
who made an end of all my
Because a sinless Savior died
my sinful soul, is counted free
for God the Just is satisfied
to look on Him and pardon me...
To quote Jesus: It is FINISHED
My sin has come to an end.
I am no longer a slave to the flesh.
I am a slave to righteousness.
I do not belong to satan.
I am my Beloveds,
my Beloved is mine.
His banner over me is love.
I've overcome you world.
I've overcome you...
Amen.
(here's the song)
Then Thousand.
Ten thousand glimmering like coals in our chest
Ball bearings drawn to the magnetic breath
Of ten thousand weeping with wings on their tears
Amidst ten thousand voices for ten thousand years
For ten thousand graves yawning unlocked and unlatched
Now ten thousand holes with rocks on their backs
Ten thousand tombs gaping wide singing the praise
Of ten thousand bodies unlaced and unlaid
As the ten thousand highways unfold their doors
For the ten thousand standing on Nineveh's shores
Where the blood of a husband silences wars
For the girl who rises to meet him
And she sings
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome
By my song and the blood of a son
Ten thousand rivers
Run red like my veins
Where the bones of men hum
Like a rattling cage
For sinew to cling to
For wind to remain
In ten thousand lungs
For ten thousand days
Breathing like a choir
Of holes in the ground
Where the cynical have lain
Where the cynical go down
Save the gravity of time
Lets go of her drowned
Like ten thousand sparrows
Unlocked and unwound
As the ten thousand highways unfold their doors
For the ten thousand standing on Nineveh's shores
Where the blood of a husband silences wars
For the girl who rises to meet him
And she sings
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome you
World, I have overcome
By my song and the blood of a son
Humility
In the last four months God's taken a sledgehammer to my pride; I sure hope He keeps swinging- I hated that monumental failure anyways.
We are what we sing.
The words that we say, the sentences that pass through our minds, and pictures that run past our eyes.
The thoughts that race across our mind and the way we hold ourselves.
What is the song of our life and what does it sound like?
We kid ourselves when we say that the music we listen to, the clothes we wear, the people we hang out with, and the environments we find ourselves don't affect who we are and our walk with God.
If I was married and told my wife that it didn't matter if I was hanging out with other women all the time and devoting my time to them rather than her, she'd be devastated (at least).
This is what I've learned: our pride gets in the way, and God out of jealous love, destroys all that gets in between Himself and His beloved.
That is, if His beloved asks for it.
I asked for Him- He pulled out a sledgehammer.
Our pride gets in the way of humility, if fact, they are the antithesis of each other.
When pride is erased, or destroyed, humility can have its rightful place and intimacy can ensue.
Thank God for being jealous. I'm so happy our God loves us enough to destroy the competition.
He could just eat us up He loves us so...
Here are some lyrics to ponder on, these have been soaking in my brain.
We are what we sing:
"So, in this hour, let everything I do, all for this moment, everything's for You; my heart is open- it will end...so please take my life and use it- I'm ready"
"World, I've overcome you by my song and the blood of a Son"
"Here I am Dear Lord tasting hints of fame, I don't want it anymore if its not You that I gain; I want to fall at Your feet, I don't want to fall out of Your peace. I understand"
"Oh let us adore the Son of Glory dressed in Love; open up your gates before Him: crown Him, stand Him up"
"Open our Open our hearts, To see the things That make Your heart cry, To be the church The You would desire. A light to be seen"
"Break down our pride and the walls we've built up inside; our earthly crowns and all our desires- we lay down at Your feet"
"With everything we will shout for Your glory; with everything we will shout forth Your praise"
"Oh to grace how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be and let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee; prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart Lord take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above".
A lot of these deal with intimacy and love that only comes after a lot of honesty and pride demolishing.
I do not claim to have laid hold of humility yet, but I promise you, that God is hitting hard.
I love Him so much though.
Be in prayer for me as I keep going through this humbling phase, and I hope this forces some of us to be more honest with ourselves and our pride...
I love you all.
-Josh
We are what we sing.
The words that we say, the sentences that pass through our minds, and pictures that run past our eyes.
The thoughts that race across our mind and the way we hold ourselves.
What is the song of our life and what does it sound like?
We kid ourselves when we say that the music we listen to, the clothes we wear, the people we hang out with, and the environments we find ourselves don't affect who we are and our walk with God.
If I was married and told my wife that it didn't matter if I was hanging out with other women all the time and devoting my time to them rather than her, she'd be devastated (at least).
This is what I've learned: our pride gets in the way, and God out of jealous love, destroys all that gets in between Himself and His beloved.
That is, if His beloved asks for it.
I asked for Him- He pulled out a sledgehammer.
Our pride gets in the way of humility, if fact, they are the antithesis of each other.
When pride is erased, or destroyed, humility can have its rightful place and intimacy can ensue.
Thank God for being jealous. I'm so happy our God loves us enough to destroy the competition.
He could just eat us up He loves us so...
Here are some lyrics to ponder on, these have been soaking in my brain.
We are what we sing:
"So, in this hour, let everything I do, all for this moment, everything's for You; my heart is open- it will end...so please take my life and use it- I'm ready"
"World, I've overcome you by my song and the blood of a Son"
"Here I am Dear Lord tasting hints of fame, I don't want it anymore if its not You that I gain; I want to fall at Your feet, I don't want to fall out of Your peace. I understand"
"Oh let us adore the Son of Glory dressed in Love; open up your gates before Him: crown Him, stand Him up"
"Open our Open our hearts, To see the things That make Your heart cry, To be the church The You would desire. A light to be seen"
"Break down our pride and the walls we've built up inside; our earthly crowns and all our desires- we lay down at Your feet"
"With everything we will shout for Your glory; with everything we will shout forth Your praise"
"Oh to grace how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be and let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee; prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart Lord take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above".
A lot of these deal with intimacy and love that only comes after a lot of honesty and pride demolishing.
I do not claim to have laid hold of humility yet, but I promise you, that God is hitting hard.
I love Him so much though.
Be in prayer for me as I keep going through this humbling phase, and I hope this forces some of us to be more honest with ourselves and our pride...
I love you all.
-Josh
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Son of David, don't pass me by
I find it hard to comprehend the Love that God has for us.
I'm so very rocked by it all.
Why would God send His son. His only son, to die for us?
How can anyone, or anything love so much?
He is patient, kind; not arrogant, rude, boastful, envious or stubborn.
He is not irritable, resentful, or happy when crap happens.
He loves truth.
He bears, believes, hopes, and endures everything.
He sacrificed everything He had for us.
He sacrificed His son.
We were a treasure in a field that He gave His most prized possession for.
He sold it all, to be alone with us.
To have intimacy with us.
We wonder if He loves us.
Ya.
He loves us.
But we treat Him like crap.
We treat Him like hes not a destination.
We treat Him like Hes a stop along the way in our life.
We sin.
We blaspheme the name of God.
We slap God in the face with our words, and our actions.
We question if the kingdom is really worth sacrificing the comfort of our money, our jobs, our friendships, our lust, our material possessions, our sin.
We wonder if its even worth it.
It is the Kingdom of Heaven that we are buying.
That is the treasure that we seek.
Intimacy with the Creator of the Universe.
Its not Lakers season tickets versus a Porsche.
Its not an iPod versus a cell phone.
Its not money versus fame.
Its us giving our ashes for the God of the Universe.
We are comparing sacrificing mortal life for eternal intimacy.
How stupid.
We are so stupid.
To think.
He was complete in and of Himself.
Father, Spirit, Son.
He, out of the kindness of His heart because He wanted to LOVE.
HE LOVED US ENOUGH TO CREATE US.
Then we sinned.
He created the mosaic law to give people a chance to be in eternity with Him.
We turned the law into a joke.
He sent His son to die for us in our place.
Just.
to.
be.
with.
us.
We are treating that like its common.
We are lukewarm.
We don't care about God.
We don't care about His son.
We are the branches correct?
If He is Love, and we act unloving, aren't we a living contradiction?
We are blaspheming the name of God by not being loving.
All He asked is that we deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him.
We sell all that we have, and pursue relentlessly after the treasure that is God.
Along the way, we'll store up treasures in heaven.
But God.
I don't care if its a penny in heaven.
As long as I'm with you, God, I'm happy.
I'm satisfied.
Oh God forgive us.
Forgive me.
I've forgotten what you did for me.
I've been rotten.
I'm so undeserving of this great love You have for me.
Thank you for Your love.
Teach me how to love.
Romans 8:20-39
Hebrews 12
1 Corinthians 13
I'm so very rocked by it all.
Why would God send His son. His only son, to die for us?
How can anyone, or anything love so much?
He is patient, kind; not arrogant, rude, boastful, envious or stubborn.
He is not irritable, resentful, or happy when crap happens.
He loves truth.
He bears, believes, hopes, and endures everything.
He sacrificed everything He had for us.
He sacrificed His son.
We were a treasure in a field that He gave His most prized possession for.
He sold it all, to be alone with us.
To have intimacy with us.
We wonder if He loves us.
Ya.
He loves us.
But we treat Him like crap.
We treat Him like hes not a destination.
We treat Him like Hes a stop along the way in our life.
We sin.
We blaspheme the name of God.
We slap God in the face with our words, and our actions.
We question if the kingdom is really worth sacrificing the comfort of our money, our jobs, our friendships, our lust, our material possessions, our sin.
We wonder if its even worth it.
It is the Kingdom of Heaven that we are buying.
That is the treasure that we seek.
Intimacy with the Creator of the Universe.
Its not Lakers season tickets versus a Porsche.
Its not an iPod versus a cell phone.
Its not money versus fame.
Its us giving our ashes for the God of the Universe.
We are comparing sacrificing mortal life for eternal intimacy.
How stupid.
We are so stupid.
To think.
He was complete in and of Himself.
Father, Spirit, Son.
He, out of the kindness of His heart because He wanted to LOVE.
HE LOVED US ENOUGH TO CREATE US.
Then we sinned.
He created the mosaic law to give people a chance to be in eternity with Him.
We turned the law into a joke.
He sent His son to die for us in our place.
Just.
to.
be.
with.
us.
We are treating that like its common.
We are lukewarm.
We don't care about God.
We don't care about His son.
We are the branches correct?
If He is Love, and we act unloving, aren't we a living contradiction?
We are blaspheming the name of God by not being loving.
All He asked is that we deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him.
We sell all that we have, and pursue relentlessly after the treasure that is God.
Along the way, we'll store up treasures in heaven.
But God.
I don't care if its a penny in heaven.
As long as I'm with you, God, I'm happy.
I'm satisfied.
Oh God forgive us.
Forgive me.
I've forgotten what you did for me.
I've been rotten.
I'm so undeserving of this great love You have for me.
Thank you for Your love.
Teach me how to love.
Romans 8:20-39
Hebrews 12
1 Corinthians 13
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