Friday, March 30, 2007
Feeding on Spiritual Meat (Tara's post)
I should clarify a couple things about this blog... I think where I am going with the theology topic pertains to a swing in the opposite direction from what I experienced growing up.
On one hand, you have those who think they are right about every theological detail, to the extent where the point of separation even includes dogmatic stances on "gray" issues. I have seen that over and over... pios splits over Bible versions, Tulip points, and whether one is a dichotomist or trichotomist (meaning, are our beings comprised of two components–body & soul, or three—body, soul, and spirit? All basically futile in argument.) I will say, while the study of the differing views can be healthy and lead to Christian growth (if in the right spirit), they are definitely NOT essentials to the Christian walk.
However, we are noticing the pendulum swing to the other extreme: individuals, churches, and even recent Christian movements that focus on relationship with Christ (which is good), but they, too, are unbalanced. The relationship remains sort of a mystical relationship because there is no substance. They don't know much about the God to whom they are praying because relationship is emphasized over in-depth study of His Word. And both are so crucial!
Now that I'm out of my Bible college bubble I realize that being a Christian isn't about legalistic rules. Yes, freedom in Christ is a beautiful thing! Yet that doesn't give us an excuse to remain ignorant about the character and working of God through what is called theology. Theology simply means the study of God. If we neglect that, our faith is going to be based on fluff. And even those of us who have received a foundation in theology, if the study of God is not emphasized, will raise children and grandchildren who run the risk of developing unbalanced Christian lives.
People "do" theology every day without even knowing it. We all stand for views we know little about. I am guilty of that all the time! We will not truly have an authentic relationship with God unless we know who He is. And we won't know who He is without diving into His Word. So I guess the purpose of this blog is, without bringing up the other end of the pendulum or rather, assuming it exists (theological arrogance and legalism, that is), I am just hoping for more of a balance. And that we as individual Christians can be instrumental in encouraging our churches toward this balace by our life example.
You can't have substance without relationship, and you can't have relationship without substance. I am simply focusing on the latter statement, which is a new trend I've experienced at this time and in this corner of the world. I'm not experiencing the former statement as much as I used to, though it still exists.
I was hoping the last few paragraphs would bring the balance aspect to light, but clarification can be a good thing. So please read the following with this tedious and unintentionally preachy disclaimer in mind. :)
Any takers to start the first ever perfect church??? j/k
**********
Jeromy and I have felt a huge need for the local church to offer classes/courses in theology. I think a lot of pew-sitting Christians hold to a blind faith, and that the biggest reason they fear sharing their faith is because they don't know what they believe or why, or at least can't explain it. I went to Bible college and still don't have answers to many, many questions! Maybe the church is comfortable with settling for this kind of shallow understanding of their faith. It's easier to be ignorant about tough questions and just simply follow a list of rules.
Christians today seem to want to appear spiritual/godly. We want to know we are ok, yet we don't want to check our innermost being that God knows all too well. We're afriad of what we'll find...that we're not as spiritual as we thought. We are afraid we will find complacency and arrogance.
But...a new heart will push past the tension and probe the depths. That's maturity. True faith will want to grasp concepts like "sola scriptura" and to be able to understand why the ESV version of the Bible is just as ok to read as the KJV, that the text is still inspired. A new heart will seek out and take advantage of opportunites to grow in knowledge and truth, so that we can accurately pave the way for a lost soul to know our Savior too. But for the very least, for our own growing experience!
Many doubt the sufficiency of Scripture, or even the relevance of learning theolgoy. The fact is, we can find answers to most of life's questions, at least with as much revelation as God has given us. We can't, however, accurately solve age-old debates such as God's sovereignty vs. man's free will nor explain the Trinity, which is not even a biblical term, etc. Because God is God, there will always be some element of mystery. But...I believe we can understand more than we think.
We shrink from the questions of others because they boggle our own minds. If only the church (I say the church because this should be the highest equipping priority) would do more than preach morality and allow their congregation--struggling saints like you and me--the chance to really know our faith, this wouldn't be as big an issue. But instead they resort to Sunday School lessons and potlucks. (Not as a rule, but a very real trend.) There is no excuse, with the wealth of resources out there from which to choose. And even then, what it really comes down to is individuals taking responsibility for their own sanctification. Go beyond sitting in the pew. Get involved. Start a home study. Learn how to read and apply the Bible. Purchase a Greek or Hebrew lexicon even!
Jeromy has been taking a couple of online theology classes, and I have been fascinated, going through the material and video sessions with him. I am learning things that I had forgotten or wasn't even taught in my own doctrine courses! These sessions are greatly helping me understand things like why I can trust Scripture is innerant as well as infallible, and things like why I believe one cannot lose their salvation. They are answering questions most believers hold in their hearts, including some who just don't care enough to pursue answers, or simply don't believe answers are out there. Or, perhaps they are afaid of what God might ask of them once they lose their ignorance by gaining insight. Do we want God to use our lives or don't we?
I'm just saying theology is good and needed and too often underrated among believers in general. There is maturity in wanting to know what you believe and why. It's sanctifying and God calls us to it. We can only feast on "milk" for so long before we are found out!
However, there is a crucial balance that becomes difficult when one begins to pursue theology. I have met too many seminary students and grads who speak of their simple faith and passion for God drying up because they have immersed themselves in words like efficatious, soteriology, and imputation. So we must be careful to keep perspective.
In sum, at times the church is often sub-par when it comes to equipping its saints in this way. Each generation of ignorant Christians is only going to produce the same. At the same time, teaching theology for the purpose of knowing God and desiring Him more is the objective that is probably most biblical. We study because we love God and want to emulate His Son, not because it will make us into prideful know-it-alls and great debators. We are to speak the truth in love, but we must first be thoroughly familiar with what that truth is.
And while we encourage our local churches to see and meet the need for deeper theological understanding of their members, each one of us must still take the initiative because we are adults.
On one hand, you have those who think they are right about every theological detail, to the extent where the point of separation even includes dogmatic stances on "gray" issues. I have seen that over and over... pios splits over Bible versions, Tulip points, and whether one is a dichotomist or trichotomist (meaning, are our beings comprised of two components–body & soul, or three—body, soul, and spirit? All basically futile in argument.) I will say, while the study of the differing views can be healthy and lead to Christian growth (if in the right spirit), they are definitely NOT essentials to the Christian walk.
However, we are noticing the pendulum swing to the other extreme: individuals, churches, and even recent Christian movements that focus on relationship with Christ (which is good), but they, too, are unbalanced. The relationship remains sort of a mystical relationship because there is no substance. They don't know much about the God to whom they are praying because relationship is emphasized over in-depth study of His Word. And both are so crucial!
Now that I'm out of my Bible college bubble I realize that being a Christian isn't about legalistic rules. Yes, freedom in Christ is a beautiful thing! Yet that doesn't give us an excuse to remain ignorant about the character and working of God through what is called theology. Theology simply means the study of God. If we neglect that, our faith is going to be based on fluff. And even those of us who have received a foundation in theology, if the study of God is not emphasized, will raise children and grandchildren who run the risk of developing unbalanced Christian lives.
People "do" theology every day without even knowing it. We all stand for views we know little about. I am guilty of that all the time! We will not truly have an authentic relationship with God unless we know who He is. And we won't know who He is without diving into His Word. So I guess the purpose of this blog is, without bringing up the other end of the pendulum or rather, assuming it exists (theological arrogance and legalism, that is), I am just hoping for more of a balance. And that we as individual Christians can be instrumental in encouraging our churches toward this balace by our life example.
You can't have substance without relationship, and you can't have relationship without substance. I am simply focusing on the latter statement, which is a new trend I've experienced at this time and in this corner of the world. I'm not experiencing the former statement as much as I used to, though it still exists.
I was hoping the last few paragraphs would bring the balance aspect to light, but clarification can be a good thing. So please read the following with this tedious and unintentionally preachy disclaimer in mind. :)
Any takers to start the first ever perfect church??? j/k
**********
Jeromy and I have felt a huge need for the local church to offer classes/courses in theology. I think a lot of pew-sitting Christians hold to a blind faith, and that the biggest reason they fear sharing their faith is because they don't know what they believe or why, or at least can't explain it. I went to Bible college and still don't have answers to many, many questions! Maybe the church is comfortable with settling for this kind of shallow understanding of their faith. It's easier to be ignorant about tough questions and just simply follow a list of rules.
Christians today seem to want to appear spiritual/godly. We want to know we are ok, yet we don't want to check our innermost being that God knows all too well. We're afriad of what we'll find...that we're not as spiritual as we thought. We are afraid we will find complacency and arrogance.
But...a new heart will push past the tension and probe the depths. That's maturity. True faith will want to grasp concepts like "sola scriptura" and to be able to understand why the ESV version of the Bible is just as ok to read as the KJV, that the text is still inspired. A new heart will seek out and take advantage of opportunites to grow in knowledge and truth, so that we can accurately pave the way for a lost soul to know our Savior too. But for the very least, for our own growing experience!
Many doubt the sufficiency of Scripture, or even the relevance of learning theolgoy. The fact is, we can find answers to most of life's questions, at least with as much revelation as God has given us. We can't, however, accurately solve age-old debates such as God's sovereignty vs. man's free will nor explain the Trinity, which is not even a biblical term, etc. Because God is God, there will always be some element of mystery. But...I believe we can understand more than we think.
We shrink from the questions of others because they boggle our own minds. If only the church (I say the church because this should be the highest equipping priority) would do more than preach morality and allow their congregation--struggling saints like you and me--the chance to really know our faith, this wouldn't be as big an issue. But instead they resort to Sunday School lessons and potlucks. (Not as a rule, but a very real trend.) There is no excuse, with the wealth of resources out there from which to choose. And even then, what it really comes down to is individuals taking responsibility for their own sanctification. Go beyond sitting in the pew. Get involved. Start a home study. Learn how to read and apply the Bible. Purchase a Greek or Hebrew lexicon even!
Jeromy has been taking a couple of online theology classes, and I have been fascinated, going through the material and video sessions with him. I am learning things that I had forgotten or wasn't even taught in my own doctrine courses! These sessions are greatly helping me understand things like why I can trust Scripture is innerant as well as infallible, and things like why I believe one cannot lose their salvation. They are answering questions most believers hold in their hearts, including some who just don't care enough to pursue answers, or simply don't believe answers are out there. Or, perhaps they are afaid of what God might ask of them once they lose their ignorance by gaining insight. Do we want God to use our lives or don't we?
I'm just saying theology is good and needed and too often underrated among believers in general. There is maturity in wanting to know what you believe and why. It's sanctifying and God calls us to it. We can only feast on "milk" for so long before we are found out!
However, there is a crucial balance that becomes difficult when one begins to pursue theology. I have met too many seminary students and grads who speak of their simple faith and passion for God drying up because they have immersed themselves in words like efficatious, soteriology, and imputation. So we must be careful to keep perspective.
In sum, at times the church is often sub-par when it comes to equipping its saints in this way. Each generation of ignorant Christians is only going to produce the same. At the same time, teaching theology for the purpose of knowing God and desiring Him more is the objective that is probably most biblical. We study because we love God and want to emulate His Son, not because it will make us into prideful know-it-alls and great debators. We are to speak the truth in love, but we must first be thoroughly familiar with what that truth is.
And while we encourage our local churches to see and meet the need for deeper theological understanding of their members, each one of us must still take the initiative because we are adults.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Wedding Recap
October 10, 2006
Dear Friends and Family,
The air has turned autumn cool, but these two hearts are still basking in the glow of the summer heat – August 12th, to be exact. This “collision” (love story), which initially took place this week least year, continues to keep us brimming with anticipation for what this journey holds for us.
We just wanted to take an opportunity to share how we are doing, and to thank you for generously being part of our beautiful wedding and all the events surrounding this exciting new chapter.
As a senior in high school, the BQ (Big Question) is always, “Where are you planning to go for college?” Just before college graduation, the typical BQ is, “Where will you work next year?” Fortunately, since Jeromy and I experienced a whirlwind romance with a relatively short engagement, we didn’t get too many of the, “So when are you guy stying the knot?” Thankfully, we haven’t even experienced the classic newlywed BQ, “When are you planning on having kids?” Bless you ALL for that! We’re not telling. However, the BQ we ARE getting lately, is, natch, “How’s married life?”
Where to start?!
When we told one man in our church we were getting married he said, "The sooner, the better. It frees you up." So we took his advice! He's wasn’t kidding. Being married has freed us up in so many ways. The best part is not having to go to separate houses at night, that was such a hassle! It’s nice to have everything we need in one location. We have our apartment organized as well as we can with what we’ve got. We haven't really decorated yet, as it’s difficult to come up with a “theme” in a 2-bedroom apartment. Plus it’s expensive. But we love our little home, even if all we have are picture frames and candles. What more does an American couple really need, anyway?! Our condo is set in a quiet, woodsy neighborhood and is a perfect place for starting a life together.
Lately we've been having wonderful Sunday School and Bible study groups, very challenging and great for fellowship. We couldn't wait to spend more time getting to know other Christian couples around here, now that we’re no longer hermit wedding planners! We've also gotten involved in the church's missions & evangelism ministry, and we’re veryexcited about that. We’d like to develop some life-long friendships, and I think we’re finding that at our church!
If we’re going to invite any of our friends and family into our home for dinner, I (Tara) better learn how to cook! Our good friend Joe gave us a Rachel Ray cookbook that we're beginning to wear out. We both like to eat fairly healthy and are having fun trying out new recipes. We usually cook together, which has been enjoyable quality time. I don't know a whole lot of husbands who actually like to spend time in the kitchen (unless it's to raid the fridge!). I'm more of a natural baker than a natural cook, which isn’t good in the fact that we both have a terrible sweet tooth, but I love making desserts for Jeromy. If you’d like to come over, though, we can now make some killer spanikopita turkey burgers, and the oriental chili we made the other day was amazing! So, if you’re up for a good dose of heartburn, come visit us!
For those of you who missed the actual wedding, here is an overview of the day:
The wedding in and of itself was perfect. 70 degrees and blue skies set the tone, and everybody was smiling! The music was amazing. Dan Harney wrote us a song that was us to a"T", and the congregation joined us in singing "In Christ Alone" and "How Great Is Our God". Jeromy and I wrote our own vows. The flowers and sanctuary decorations were beautiful. There were no glitches. By God's grace, we were relatively calm and able to enjoy all of the events!
We just want you to know that the most important thing to us was not the flowers or dresses or cake, but our sacred ceremony, our vows to one another. Also, the offer to all our friends, family, and even acquaintances an invitation to rejoice and celebrate alongwith us. A wedding and all the events that surround it only happen once in a lifetime, and we are so blessed and grateful to have received so much love and support of this union. God has been present in our relationship from day one, and we have found Him continuing to bless us as husband and wife. Married life is wonderful. I am still amazed at how naturally we fell into becoming husband and wife.
There was no "transition" of sorts; itwas as if we were always married and as if this is how it has always been - even though that was not the case! We are amazed at the growth in our sanctification even in the last two months, and that has evidenced to us that we were brought together, hugely in part, tolearn to more clearly reflect Christ. We both will freely admit that we each play an instrumental spiritual role in the life of the other. There is truly a sweetness in this love that is entirely God-breathed. It is a beautiful thing to follow God's plan.
Enclosed are a few pictures we thought you might enjoy. We especially wanted those who did not get to attend the wedding to see the joy on our faces and the beauty of the day. We skittered off to Seattle the next day after staying at a Victorian B&B in Annapolis. Seattle was Jeromy’s idea, and it was a good one! We spent half of our stay in the city, experiencing Pugit Sound and the Space Needle while enjoying a cup of joe at the first Starbucks. The last leg of our trip was spent at Mount Rainier! We stayed in a perfect, cozy little cabin at the base of the mountain and took hiking trips during the day! Thebest part of the whole week was that we didn’t get a drop of rain! In fact, we got a bit sunburned! God gave us amazing weather while we were out West. We would HIGHLY recommend adding Washington State to your list of places to visit.
To view our wedding and honeymoon photos, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tichners/sets/72157594338493464/detail/
Again, we thank you so much for embracing this marriage, for your prayers and tokens of love. They are all eternal investments.
Blessings,
Jeromy and Tara
Dear Friends and Family,
The air has turned autumn cool, but these two hearts are still basking in the glow of the summer heat – August 12th, to be exact. This “collision” (love story), which initially took place this week least year, continues to keep us brimming with anticipation for what this journey holds for us.
We just wanted to take an opportunity to share how we are doing, and to thank you for generously being part of our beautiful wedding and all the events surrounding this exciting new chapter.
As a senior in high school, the BQ (Big Question) is always, “Where are you planning to go for college?” Just before college graduation, the typical BQ is, “Where will you work next year?” Fortunately, since Jeromy and I experienced a whirlwind romance with a relatively short engagement, we didn’t get too many of the, “So when are you guy stying the knot?” Thankfully, we haven’t even experienced the classic newlywed BQ, “When are you planning on having kids?” Bless you ALL for that! We’re not telling. However, the BQ we ARE getting lately, is, natch, “How’s married life?”
Where to start?!
When we told one man in our church we were getting married he said, "The sooner, the better. It frees you up." So we took his advice! He's wasn’t kidding. Being married has freed us up in so many ways. The best part is not having to go to separate houses at night, that was such a hassle! It’s nice to have everything we need in one location. We have our apartment organized as well as we can with what we’ve got. We haven't really decorated yet, as it’s difficult to come up with a “theme” in a 2-bedroom apartment. Plus it’s expensive. But we love our little home, even if all we have are picture frames and candles. What more does an American couple really need, anyway?! Our condo is set in a quiet, woodsy neighborhood and is a perfect place for starting a life together.
Lately we've been having wonderful Sunday School and Bible study groups, very challenging and great for fellowship. We couldn't wait to spend more time getting to know other Christian couples around here, now that we’re no longer hermit wedding planners! We've also gotten involved in the church's missions & evangelism ministry, and we’re veryexcited about that. We’d like to develop some life-long friendships, and I think we’re finding that at our church!
If we’re going to invite any of our friends and family into our home for dinner, I (Tara) better learn how to cook! Our good friend Joe gave us a Rachel Ray cookbook that we're beginning to wear out. We both like to eat fairly healthy and are having fun trying out new recipes. We usually cook together, which has been enjoyable quality time. I don't know a whole lot of husbands who actually like to spend time in the kitchen (unless it's to raid the fridge!). I'm more of a natural baker than a natural cook, which isn’t good in the fact that we both have a terrible sweet tooth, but I love making desserts for Jeromy. If you’d like to come over, though, we can now make some killer spanikopita turkey burgers, and the oriental chili we made the other day was amazing! So, if you’re up for a good dose of heartburn, come visit us!
For those of you who missed the actual wedding, here is an overview of the day:
The wedding in and of itself was perfect. 70 degrees and blue skies set the tone, and everybody was smiling! The music was amazing. Dan Harney wrote us a song that was us to a"T", and the congregation joined us in singing "In Christ Alone" and "How Great Is Our God". Jeromy and I wrote our own vows. The flowers and sanctuary decorations were beautiful. There were no glitches. By God's grace, we were relatively calm and able to enjoy all of the events!
We just want you to know that the most important thing to us was not the flowers or dresses or cake, but our sacred ceremony, our vows to one another. Also, the offer to all our friends, family, and even acquaintances an invitation to rejoice and celebrate alongwith us. A wedding and all the events that surround it only happen once in a lifetime, and we are so blessed and grateful to have received so much love and support of this union. God has been present in our relationship from day one, and we have found Him continuing to bless us as husband and wife. Married life is wonderful. I am still amazed at how naturally we fell into becoming husband and wife.
There was no "transition" of sorts; itwas as if we were always married and as if this is how it has always been - even though that was not the case! We are amazed at the growth in our sanctification even in the last two months, and that has evidenced to us that we were brought together, hugely in part, tolearn to more clearly reflect Christ. We both will freely admit that we each play an instrumental spiritual role in the life of the other. There is truly a sweetness in this love that is entirely God-breathed. It is a beautiful thing to follow God's plan.
Enclosed are a few pictures we thought you might enjoy. We especially wanted those who did not get to attend the wedding to see the joy on our faces and the beauty of the day. We skittered off to Seattle the next day after staying at a Victorian B&B in Annapolis. Seattle was Jeromy’s idea, and it was a good one! We spent half of our stay in the city, experiencing Pugit Sound and the Space Needle while enjoying a cup of joe at the first Starbucks. The last leg of our trip was spent at Mount Rainier! We stayed in a perfect, cozy little cabin at the base of the mountain and took hiking trips during the day! Thebest part of the whole week was that we didn’t get a drop of rain! In fact, we got a bit sunburned! God gave us amazing weather while we were out West. We would HIGHLY recommend adding Washington State to your list of places to visit.
To view our wedding and honeymoon photos, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tichners/sets/72157594338493464/detail/
Again, we thank you so much for embracing this marriage, for your prayers and tokens of love. They are all eternal investments.
Blessings,
Jeromy and Tara
Our Wedding Vows
We thought it might be fun and meaningful to post the vows we wrote for each other on our wedding day (8/12/06). We want to get them printed up and framed someday....perhaps on our anniversary! We take these promises seriously. They are for life.
*****
Jeromy's vows to me:
Tara, God has been preparing us for His service from the beginning of time. It is both His gift and my joy to become your husband. I could not have prepared myself for the love God has poured out on me through you.
As your husband, I vow to submit to Christ, for doing His will is our source of life and joy. I commit my life to faithful leadership. As Christ did, I will pour myself out for you. My love, acceptance and encouraging companionship will cultivate your fellowship with God.
I will be your source of strength, unfailing love, and protection. I honor you as my beloved helper. With patience and transparency I will communicate with you. We will celebrate the peaks of life and overcome the struggles, together, as one.
As I am captivated by your love, I will find satisfaction in you alone. Forsaking all others, I will cleave to you alone. I will nourish and cherish you all the days of my life.
Tara, it is before my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and our friends and family that I commit these vows to you. May I bring you good, and not evil, all the days of my life.
*****
My vows to Jeromy:
Jeromy, it is by God's grace and love that I become your wife today, and it is my highest earthly delight! As the Spirit enables me, I will both internalize and live out the vows I commit to you this hour.
Jeromy, you are God's man and His best for me, and so I have chosen and will continually choose to love you. For the rest of my life I will stand by you. I will support, respect, and honor your person and position, submitting myself to your leadership as the head of our family.
I will be for you a source of joy, companionship, and refreshment as I work alongside you to make our life together and our home a Christ-centered haven. I will ever be a safe place where you will find grace, forgiveness, and unconditional acceptance. Preferring you above all others, I will display to you kindness, affection, admiration, and faithfulness. I will work toward a growing communion with God alongside a deepening communication with you, so that at all cost we will remain of like mind and spirit. I will offer my heart openly and honestly to you in all aspects of life and actively seek to meet your needs. It is by God's strength will I bring you good, not evil, all the days of my life, that I might magnify God's glory as your wife.
Jeromy, it is before my Lord and Savior, and before our friends and family that I commit these vows to you.
*****
Jeromy's vows to me:
Tara, God has been preparing us for His service from the beginning of time. It is both His gift and my joy to become your husband. I could not have prepared myself for the love God has poured out on me through you.
As your husband, I vow to submit to Christ, for doing His will is our source of life and joy. I commit my life to faithful leadership. As Christ did, I will pour myself out for you. My love, acceptance and encouraging companionship will cultivate your fellowship with God.
I will be your source of strength, unfailing love, and protection. I honor you as my beloved helper. With patience and transparency I will communicate with you. We will celebrate the peaks of life and overcome the struggles, together, as one.
As I am captivated by your love, I will find satisfaction in you alone. Forsaking all others, I will cleave to you alone. I will nourish and cherish you all the days of my life.
Tara, it is before my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and our friends and family that I commit these vows to you. May I bring you good, and not evil, all the days of my life.
*****
My vows to Jeromy:
Jeromy, it is by God's grace and love that I become your wife today, and it is my highest earthly delight! As the Spirit enables me, I will both internalize and live out the vows I commit to you this hour.
Jeromy, you are God's man and His best for me, and so I have chosen and will continually choose to love you. For the rest of my life I will stand by you. I will support, respect, and honor your person and position, submitting myself to your leadership as the head of our family.
I will be for you a source of joy, companionship, and refreshment as I work alongside you to make our life together and our home a Christ-centered haven. I will ever be a safe place where you will find grace, forgiveness, and unconditional acceptance. Preferring you above all others, I will display to you kindness, affection, admiration, and faithfulness. I will work toward a growing communion with God alongside a deepening communication with you, so that at all cost we will remain of like mind and spirit. I will offer my heart openly and honestly to you in all aspects of life and actively seek to meet your needs. It is by God's strength will I bring you good, not evil, all the days of my life, that I might magnify God's glory as your wife.
Jeromy, it is before my Lord and Savior, and before our friends and family that I commit these vows to you.
work, Waldorf, Thai, coffee, mornings, Bob Dole, and Valentine's Day (Tara's post)
Friday, February 23, 2007
I have restless fingers syndrome.
Not really, just need to type. The only time I really get to blog is at work. The official title of my position is LOCATE: Child Care Counselor. I work for a non-profit organization called the Southern Maryland Child Care Resource Center (mouthful!), an aspect of which is a referral service. I take calls from parents looking for child care, and I give them information on licensed family and center providers in the tri-county. There is also some counseling involved, such as how to screen providers and identify quality care. The process averages 30-50 minutes each. Some days it's crazy busy and I'm sick of talking by the end of the day. Other days, like today, the phone is s l o w ... On top of it, it's jeans Friday and I just want to go home and spend time with my sweetie! Although, that does give me BLOG TIME!
Life in Southern Maryland is what you make of it. St. Mary's County is a penninsula, so you can either go north, south, or....north or south. Waldorf is the closest "big city", but my former host father stated most accurately by calling Waldorf "one big store." Basically, that means there's just a bunch of malls and restaurants crammed together, which makes both shopping and eating a most difficult task on the weekend. And with a 45 minute drive, we never venture there except for weekends, so it's just not fun.
However, one of the two perks of Waldorf is Bed Bath & Beyond, which is where we used up most of our wedding gift cards to purchase all our house necessities. But even that got old. How is it we all seem to need so much junk?! Those cards are long gone, though, so now we never go there. :)
The other perk of Waldorf is Thai Flavor. Jeromy and I have a running joke because he called it "Thai Taste" by accident one time, and now we like that name better. :) They make the BEST satay in the world! Ok, so I've only had it at a couple other restaurants, but that's about the validity of most statistics anyway, right? I didn't really like Asian food before I met Jeromy. But then I met Jeromy, and now Asian; namely, Thai, is my obsession!
I think I grew to love Asian because it's healthier and fresher than a lot of other restaurant choices out there. (Especially Mexican!) At least you feel it's healthier because you're eating rice and broccoli. Sometimes I'd like to hold onto my blissful ignorance. Because if you don't want me to ruin you, don't look up the nutrition information for the majority of menu items at Panera Bread. Panera Bread!!! Trust me. You might as well eat at McDonalds.
And then there's coffee. This county needs more coffee shops! There are three that I know of. One is a tiny, highly over-commercialized Starbucks with uncomfortable and dirty seating, and is always cold. Then you have Brewing Grounds, which was half my weekly employment from November to January. I loved learning how to make espresso and interacting with people in the community. It's got the best ambiance in the county as far as I'm concerned. They just aren't open late, yet I can't complain because as a former employee, the hours were great!
On the other hand, the Coffee Quarter, which is where Jeromy and I met (besides here on Myspace!) is also nice, but the quality of the coffee-making isn't worth the price for a decent latte. That, and the only time we can really go there is Friday night. But after a few Friday night outings at the Coffee Quarter, we've about had it with the abnoxiously LOUD teenie bopper Emo groups. We'd rather sip coffee together somewhere that doesn't require yelling in order to hear one another!
So...what's a young, Christian, newlywed, coffee-drinking couple without children to do on a Friday night?
Actually, since Jeromy and I get up so during the work week, we tend to feel exhausted and spent by 9pm, even on weekends. How pathetic is that? Personally, I enjoy the early morning better than the late night because the day is fresh; full of light, energy, and mercy. The day's events are a mystery, with an element of anticipation that lingers only as long as my heart allows. Too quickly I find myself embracing the day through a lense of tasks and responsibilites that I make stressful or mundane, and that strip me of the day's initial wonder. Perhaps that's why I do love mornings so much. There's always a possibility that in all of God's prompting, He will actually get my attention; much greater a feat, and keep it. I long for that every day, but I'm usually too busy doing in order to be. Abundant life is what God offers, but sometimes I just grope for life at all. Maybe in the morning, things will be different...
Evenings are ok, if there is enough caffeine and liveliness to keep us going. However, we usually wait until in the moment before we finally ask the question, "So, what should we do tonight?" I don't recommend that because most everything spontaneous we can think of involve spending money.
Take Valentine's Day, for example. This year was acually our first Valentine's together because though we were a couple last year, I had to be in Charlotte that week. So then now we finally get to be together for the holiday, all thoughts and plans fail because we have a huge ice storm the night before and I hit my head and we spend 4 hours in the ER. So much for making that red velvet cake... But it didn't feel right not doing anything for Valentine's Day, but it's hard to be too sentimental when it's the day of and you have to rack your brain for something special. It's just not the same.
However, the evening ended in fireworks because we both suggested something stupid and fun, and just went with it. My suggestion was to order pizza (which we rarely do since we make our own most of the time). I know...it was Valentine's Day and all...but I just know Jeromy loves Papa Johns. So then Jeromy thought it would be fun to go to Target and purchase gifts for one another. That was that. A planned date night!
After calling in our order we drove over the bridge to pick up our order at Solomons. Since it was starting to get late, we decided to eat the pizza in the truck on the way to Target. In a strange way we felt like we were dating again because over the course of those nine single months we had spent more time in that Chevy S10 than any actual building. That piece of red metal is like family to us now.
By the time we pulled into the Target parking lot we had polished off the entire pizza! (That is, five pieces for Jeromy, three for me!) We turned the store outing into a sort-of game. We each were given a limit of $10, and couldn't let the other person see the gift until we got home. That wasn't all that easy, either! People gave us strange looks all throughout the store because we must have looked like we were about to rob the place, the way we were being all secretive. But it was so much fun!
I found Jeromy's gift almost right away. It was easy. Drum sticks. This is a long story, but I was going to give Jeromy drum or voice lessons for his birthday. I was given some names and numbers of instructors in the area, which I copied on a piece of scratch paper and stuffed down into my purse. On Christmas Day we visited some amputee soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital in D.C., and happened to run into some White House officials and others who had also come to encourage the soldiers. Also, my uncle introduced us to Bob Dole, a several times acquaintance of his. Former Senator Dole was looking very aged and thin, but was most pleasant to us. After our brief conversation I thought to give him a gospel tract, which he accepted. Well, I later found out that when I had shoved that piece of paper with all those numbers inside my purse, it had slid inside that same tract I gave to Bob Dole! I bet he'd make a rockin' drummer! Conservatively, of course...
Jeromy picked out a card game and cartons of Play Doh for me. How romantic! We spent the rest of the evening chilling on the couch and comparing our Play Doh creations. Did you know they make confetti Doh now? It's white with colorful sprinkles!
Papa Johns hawaiian pizza: $12
Silly gifts from Target: $20
Gasoline: $2
Funky, original, spontaneous Valentine's date with your husband, minus the overbaked red velvet cake and overpriced Hallmark card: PRICELESS
I have restless fingers syndrome.
Not really, just need to type. The only time I really get to blog is at work. The official title of my position is LOCATE: Child Care Counselor. I work for a non-profit organization called the Southern Maryland Child Care Resource Center (mouthful!), an aspect of which is a referral service. I take calls from parents looking for child care, and I give them information on licensed family and center providers in the tri-county. There is also some counseling involved, such as how to screen providers and identify quality care. The process averages 30-50 minutes each. Some days it's crazy busy and I'm sick of talking by the end of the day. Other days, like today, the phone is s l o w ... On top of it, it's jeans Friday and I just want to go home and spend time with my sweetie! Although, that does give me BLOG TIME!
Life in Southern Maryland is what you make of it. St. Mary's County is a penninsula, so you can either go north, south, or....north or south. Waldorf is the closest "big city", but my former host father stated most accurately by calling Waldorf "one big store." Basically, that means there's just a bunch of malls and restaurants crammed together, which makes both shopping and eating a most difficult task on the weekend. And with a 45 minute drive, we never venture there except for weekends, so it's just not fun.
However, one of the two perks of Waldorf is Bed Bath & Beyond, which is where we used up most of our wedding gift cards to purchase all our house necessities. But even that got old. How is it we all seem to need so much junk?! Those cards are long gone, though, so now we never go there. :)
The other perk of Waldorf is Thai Flavor. Jeromy and I have a running joke because he called it "Thai Taste" by accident one time, and now we like that name better. :) They make the BEST satay in the world! Ok, so I've only had it at a couple other restaurants, but that's about the validity of most statistics anyway, right? I didn't really like Asian food before I met Jeromy. But then I met Jeromy, and now Asian; namely, Thai, is my obsession!
I think I grew to love Asian because it's healthier and fresher than a lot of other restaurant choices out there. (Especially Mexican!) At least you feel it's healthier because you're eating rice and broccoli. Sometimes I'd like to hold onto my blissful ignorance. Because if you don't want me to ruin you, don't look up the nutrition information for the majority of menu items at Panera Bread. Panera Bread!!! Trust me. You might as well eat at McDonalds.
And then there's coffee. This county needs more coffee shops! There are three that I know of. One is a tiny, highly over-commercialized Starbucks with uncomfortable and dirty seating, and is always cold. Then you have Brewing Grounds, which was half my weekly employment from November to January. I loved learning how to make espresso and interacting with people in the community. It's got the best ambiance in the county as far as I'm concerned. They just aren't open late, yet I can't complain because as a former employee, the hours were great!
On the other hand, the Coffee Quarter, which is where Jeromy and I met (besides here on Myspace!) is also nice, but the quality of the coffee-making isn't worth the price for a decent latte. That, and the only time we can really go there is Friday night. But after a few Friday night outings at the Coffee Quarter, we've about had it with the abnoxiously LOUD teenie bopper Emo groups. We'd rather sip coffee together somewhere that doesn't require yelling in order to hear one another!
So...what's a young, Christian, newlywed, coffee-drinking couple without children to do on a Friday night?
Actually, since Jeromy and I get up so during the work week, we tend to feel exhausted and spent by 9pm, even on weekends. How pathetic is that? Personally, I enjoy the early morning better than the late night because the day is fresh; full of light, energy, and mercy. The day's events are a mystery, with an element of anticipation that lingers only as long as my heart allows. Too quickly I find myself embracing the day through a lense of tasks and responsibilites that I make stressful or mundane, and that strip me of the day's initial wonder. Perhaps that's why I do love mornings so much. There's always a possibility that in all of God's prompting, He will actually get my attention; much greater a feat, and keep it. I long for that every day, but I'm usually too busy doing in order to be. Abundant life is what God offers, but sometimes I just grope for life at all. Maybe in the morning, things will be different...
Evenings are ok, if there is enough caffeine and liveliness to keep us going. However, we usually wait until in the moment before we finally ask the question, "So, what should we do tonight?" I don't recommend that because most everything spontaneous we can think of involve spending money.
Take Valentine's Day, for example. This year was acually our first Valentine's together because though we were a couple last year, I had to be in Charlotte that week. So then now we finally get to be together for the holiday, all thoughts and plans fail because we have a huge ice storm the night before and I hit my head and we spend 4 hours in the ER. So much for making that red velvet cake... But it didn't feel right not doing anything for Valentine's Day, but it's hard to be too sentimental when it's the day of and you have to rack your brain for something special. It's just not the same.
However, the evening ended in fireworks because we both suggested something stupid and fun, and just went with it. My suggestion was to order pizza (which we rarely do since we make our own most of the time). I know...it was Valentine's Day and all...but I just know Jeromy loves Papa Johns. So then Jeromy thought it would be fun to go to Target and purchase gifts for one another. That was that. A planned date night!
After calling in our order we drove over the bridge to pick up our order at Solomons. Since it was starting to get late, we decided to eat the pizza in the truck on the way to Target. In a strange way we felt like we were dating again because over the course of those nine single months we had spent more time in that Chevy S10 than any actual building. That piece of red metal is like family to us now.
By the time we pulled into the Target parking lot we had polished off the entire pizza! (That is, five pieces for Jeromy, three for me!) We turned the store outing into a sort-of game. We each were given a limit of $10, and couldn't let the other person see the gift until we got home. That wasn't all that easy, either! People gave us strange looks all throughout the store because we must have looked like we were about to rob the place, the way we were being all secretive. But it was so much fun!
I found Jeromy's gift almost right away. It was easy. Drum sticks. This is a long story, but I was going to give Jeromy drum or voice lessons for his birthday. I was given some names and numbers of instructors in the area, which I copied on a piece of scratch paper and stuffed down into my purse. On Christmas Day we visited some amputee soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital in D.C., and happened to run into some White House officials and others who had also come to encourage the soldiers. Also, my uncle introduced us to Bob Dole, a several times acquaintance of his. Former Senator Dole was looking very aged and thin, but was most pleasant to us. After our brief conversation I thought to give him a gospel tract, which he accepted. Well, I later found out that when I had shoved that piece of paper with all those numbers inside my purse, it had slid inside that same tract I gave to Bob Dole! I bet he'd make a rockin' drummer! Conservatively, of course...
Jeromy picked out a card game and cartons of Play Doh for me. How romantic! We spent the rest of the evening chilling on the couch and comparing our Play Doh creations. Did you know they make confetti Doh now? It's white with colorful sprinkles!
Papa Johns hawaiian pizza: $12
Silly gifts from Target: $20
Gasoline: $2
Funky, original, spontaneous Valentine's date with your husband, minus the overbaked red velvet cake and overpriced Hallmark card: PRICELESS
American Idol contestant Christ Sligh...my kin??? (Tara's post)
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Jeromy and I don't have cable. We both grew up with the TV on in our homes non-stop, and now we've chosen not to create an entertainment center shrine in our living room. The main reasons are, first, that we don't want to waste our lives mindlessly clicking the remote. The other is to escape most of the trash that permeates the tube.
I do catch Food Network shows at the gym (Go Rachel Ray!), and on occasion we do watch movies on our actual TV set, but we just don't pay for further television reception. In fact, we recommend the two most recent flicks we rented: "The End of the Spear" and the 2006 version of "The Ten Commandments". Both are highly engaging as well as thought-provoking -- yes, and entertaining. Still, they both resulted in sanctifying conversations between Jeromy and I after viewing them. I like movies that do that.
However, there is a downside to forgoing TV, and that is because I just found out one of my relatives is on American Idol! No joke.
Now, I've only watched one season of that highly overrated show, which was the year of the infamous William Hung. I literally couldn't help it. At the time I was working as a nanny for a family enthralled with American Idol. I would be hiding in the basement typing up emails while upstairs they blasted the show on their plasma TV and surround sound. I simply could not NOT hear it. I would be typing away, occasionally snickering at the latest contestant flop. Then I heard for the first time that now-familiar Asian voice belting out those unforgettable lyrics, "She bangs." I shall go no further with that. However, it got me upstairs and I ended up watching the rest of the season. I am a sucker. Thank you, Sweeney family. :)
Today my mom sent me an email with pictures of this guy named Chris Sligh. Apparently he's married to my second cousin Sarah (formerly) Quebe. Years ago we used to play in barns and trees at family reunions. They live in South Carolina now, so I probably haven't seen this girl for 10 years or more. Now she's married to Chris Sligh, a presently advancing contestant on American Idol, 2007. Wow. Makes me want cable just to see that. However, I did find some videos on YouTube of Chris' initial performance. Check it out. Let me know how he does since, you know, we're losers by the world's standard and don't have TV.
Looks like Chris has got voice AND charisma. Plus hair Richard Simmons only dreams about.
Jeromy and I don't have cable. We both grew up with the TV on in our homes non-stop, and now we've chosen not to create an entertainment center shrine in our living room. The main reasons are, first, that we don't want to waste our lives mindlessly clicking the remote. The other is to escape most of the trash that permeates the tube.
I do catch Food Network shows at the gym (Go Rachel Ray!), and on occasion we do watch movies on our actual TV set, but we just don't pay for further television reception. In fact, we recommend the two most recent flicks we rented: "The End of the Spear" and the 2006 version of "The Ten Commandments". Both are highly engaging as well as thought-provoking -- yes, and entertaining. Still, they both resulted in sanctifying conversations between Jeromy and I after viewing them. I like movies that do that.
However, there is a downside to forgoing TV, and that is because I just found out one of my relatives is on American Idol! No joke.
Now, I've only watched one season of that highly overrated show, which was the year of the infamous William Hung. I literally couldn't help it. At the time I was working as a nanny for a family enthralled with American Idol. I would be hiding in the basement typing up emails while upstairs they blasted the show on their plasma TV and surround sound. I simply could not NOT hear it. I would be typing away, occasionally snickering at the latest contestant flop. Then I heard for the first time that now-familiar Asian voice belting out those unforgettable lyrics, "She bangs." I shall go no further with that. However, it got me upstairs and I ended up watching the rest of the season. I am a sucker. Thank you, Sweeney family. :)
Today my mom sent me an email with pictures of this guy named Chris Sligh. Apparently he's married to my second cousin Sarah (formerly) Quebe. Years ago we used to play in barns and trees at family reunions. They live in South Carolina now, so I probably haven't seen this girl for 10 years or more. Now she's married to Chris Sligh, a presently advancing contestant on American Idol, 2007. Wow. Makes me want cable just to see that. However, I did find some videos on YouTube of Chris' initial performance. Check it out. Let me know how he does since, you know, we're losers by the world's standard and don't have TV.
Looks like Chris has got voice AND charisma. Plus hair Richard Simmons only dreams about.
Don Miller and other musings... (Tara's post)
Monday, February 12, 2007
I finally finished my second Don Miller book. I zipped through Blue Like Jazz last spring. I mean I read that thing in less than a week, even amid all the busyness of traveling and planning for a wedding. I started Searching for God Knows What in July. The first couple chapters of this book went fairly quickly. Then I got married. After that whirlwind the pace through the second read slowed to a paragraph a sitting for a while, though I was as committed to reading the last page as I am to finishing the last drop of a latte. It's just not right to leave even a hint of sweet espresso goodness sitting in the bottom of the cup, destined for the trash. After all, it probably cost me 28 cents alone! It's the principle of good stewardship!
I don't know why it took me seven months to finish the book, other than a few distrations in my life such as, hmmm...a move, three job changes, addition of ministries, weekly meal planning, vacuuming, dusting, and extensive hand-holding sessions with my new husband. When does a girl have time to read?!
However, since I am not a quitter (exept for two jobs, but that's a separate issue...), I began carrying Don Miller's book with me, much as I do my red leather-bound Bible, hoping this would help me take a few minutes here and there to immerse myself in the highly anti-religious, relational vs. forumulaic discussion of Christian Spirituality. Yet one cannot read Miller's stuff "here and there". It's not like a novel. Perhaps this is why I kept feeling as though I were experiencing bouts of ADD every time I removed the bookmark and started to read. It was and is frustrating because I really like Don Miller's stuff!
At times I am so distracted by everything that I think I really do have ADD. It takes a lot, anymore, to slow down enough to quiet the heart while living in such a fast-paced culture. At least I find that true for me. Knowing this, I have to consciously make opportunities available, kind of force myself to sit still in order to gain some perspective. Scripture and authors like Don Miller help me keep that perspective. Reading is probably the biggest stress reliever for me, aside from writing, that is.
Whenever I read anything that makes me think, I get this sudden urge to write. (Thus, a new blog!) Writing is very theraputic for me, and sometimes I even feel guilty for putting off the journaling of my thoughts and inner struggles. I believe God made me this way, to process life through written word. It helps me to recognize and, in turn, remember what God is doing in my life. It's as if writing is a first-person conversation with God. And I believe He gets some sort of glory from that. It is when I neglect to make time to write that I don't get that sense of self-examination. Issues become easier to push back and pretend they don't exist when they are not thorougly processed. I feel like many of the lessons God intends me to "get" and apply become fragmented and optional, instead of essential to the well-being of my heart, essential as God Himself. That sounds heavy, but I just think Satan knows how spiritual it is for me to write, just like he knows prayer and Bible study leads to spiritual growth. Therefore, he does everything he can to keep me away from these most beneficial activities. I will even go as far as to say writing causes me to desire spending devotional time with God because, for some reason, I can't be fake when I write. Writing pulls out what's inside - both hearts, new and old; the smiles and the scars; the joy and the pain. For some reason the keyboard does not let me hide.
I would like to say I am turning over a new leaf this day, that I will from now on carve out a half hour every day to pour out raw thought in blog form. But I just finshed Don Miller's book. That practice would be formula, and you and I both know that such specific discipline turns into ritual, and ritual into hum drum. I am on a journey to find out what abundant life in Christ is all about, and I know from too many experiences that I will find only the opposite if I fix my spiritual life into a box like that. Since Christianity is relational, it is also personal. God made unique individuals, did He not? So within the realm God's character as well as the essentials of the faith, we are each free to desire Him and seek Him and grow in Him in the way that actually works for us. John Piper would say that a huge aspect of our obedience to God is the joy we pursue in Him. There must be both. And wouldn't you want both? Not in a way that works for someone else, but for you? So much of my Christian life has been an attempt to emulate the spiritual lives of others. So much of it has been trite and dry. Abundant life, eh? Well I know it is available because of all the ways it is sprinkled in the words of Jesus throughout the New Testament. (See Ephesians 3:20, John 10:10, and I Corinthians 2:9.) But how do I experience it? How do spiritual activities keep their luster and shine when life feels dull and I feel drained?
I think the gist is summed up in John 17:3, which gives us the object or source of our abundant life, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." My quest, then, is to know God. This quest is as unique to me as it is for you, although always stemming from Christ. Without Him we simply cannot know God. But since the way has been made, why not act upon it? He is within our grasp but so infrequantly do I reach for Him. I claw the air for something to fulfill me, but He is so big and so present that I sometimes miss Him!
When I tell people I used to live five minutes from the ever famous Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota (ok, so it's the only claim to fame we've got a leg to stand on...although there is the Mary Tyler Moore house...), they ask me how often I would venture there. I tell them I lived next door the "Mega Mall" for a whole year and I probably visited the place a total of three times. Most of those times were to entertain out-of-town guests with the roller coaster contained in the mall's indoor amusement park. People can't believe I could live so close to such an attraction and hardly take advantage of it! I'm sure people who live five minutes from Disneyland could resonate with me. Or perhaps individuals who live next door to a famous person but never ask them over for coffee.
Simply, we gravitate toward things which are unfamiliar. New places, events, experiences - those usually within at least a four-hour drive of our homes! In this way, I always marvel at the concept of vacation. Why is it that we would rather spend half our vacation leave sitting in stuffy airports or stuffy cars in order to experience beauty and excitment in some other place? Why don't we just drive across town and eat at the city's favorite restaurant? Why don't we take a picnic to the local nature center? Why do we like to visit every other state capitol exept ours? There is so much we can enjoy within a stone's throw that we rarely take advantage of. I lived in Minnesota most of my life, and never made it to the Boundary Waters. Even a jaunt into downtown St. Paul for a concert was "big doin's"!
As another example, my family used to take summer road trips all around the country to experience the "other". In fact, while I was growing up we took at least two trips to Washingtown D.C. That's a 20+ hour drive nonstop! We visited every monument, statue, and historical site within the vicinity, my mother envisioning the finished photo album every step of the way. Now I live just 90 minutes south of D.C. and have never gone site-seeing in the last year and a half I've been here! How pathetic. It's at least ten times cheaper a trip! Where did the excitment go?
The point is, we get used to things and they lose their interest. Unfortunately, it seems we have even grown used to (or perhaps distracted ourselves from) the omnipresence of the God of the universe, so much so that our desire to be with Him has greatly dimmed. Christ is no longer novel, just like the places and attractions that draw tourists to our area no longer appeal to us. Have we figured out God?! If we think of Him as old hat we don't really know Him! Or, at least, we forget how much we enjoy Him until we taste Him once again. Until we take that stroll around the neighborhood park and remember how fun it is to ride the swings!
We forget that the greatness of the experiences God allows us are so that in our enjoyment of them, we would magnify Him. Yet, too often we focus on the created, overlooking the Creator. These things are but hints of His greatness. If we would only look through the wonders of this world instead of at them, maybe then our wonder will turn to Him. Maybe then we would no longer be satisfied with what once caused us to shiver with excitment here on earth, because we would have caught a glimpse of something better. He is always there, which is different than all those other things in life we take for granted because they will pass away. God remains.
If we would only take time to pursue God like we pursue ski trips and exotic cruises, would we find that same phyched up feeling swell our hearts? I would say so. I think we start to pursue God, and then before we can blink we are back to pursuing ourselves. Our hearts deceive ourselves into thinking we are still pursuing God, but because the journey has left us bored, it has to mean God is no longer in the equasion. If we would stay on the God-quest, I believe we would discover new things about Him we never knew existed. Our understanding of God's character would become clearer than ever before and then, in turn, our love and desire for Him would grow to new heights. I would venture to guess that God would seem new to us every day! After all, God created novel.
I think if I get to that point in my Christian journey, I will have begun to understand abundant life. In fact, I'll bet the experience most likely precedes the revelation! The pursuit of God probably is the abundant life, just like writing for me is both a spiritual process and a great interest. At any rate, we'll see where this takes me.
Thanks, Don Miller, for getting me to write again. I wonder what I will read next...
btw...Happy 6-month, Jeromy!
I finally finished my second Don Miller book. I zipped through Blue Like Jazz last spring. I mean I read that thing in less than a week, even amid all the busyness of traveling and planning for a wedding. I started Searching for God Knows What in July. The first couple chapters of this book went fairly quickly. Then I got married. After that whirlwind the pace through the second read slowed to a paragraph a sitting for a while, though I was as committed to reading the last page as I am to finishing the last drop of a latte. It's just not right to leave even a hint of sweet espresso goodness sitting in the bottom of the cup, destined for the trash. After all, it probably cost me 28 cents alone! It's the principle of good stewardship!
I don't know why it took me seven months to finish the book, other than a few distrations in my life such as, hmmm...a move, three job changes, addition of ministries, weekly meal planning, vacuuming, dusting, and extensive hand-holding sessions with my new husband. When does a girl have time to read?!
However, since I am not a quitter (exept for two jobs, but that's a separate issue...), I began carrying Don Miller's book with me, much as I do my red leather-bound Bible, hoping this would help me take a few minutes here and there to immerse myself in the highly anti-religious, relational vs. forumulaic discussion of Christian Spirituality. Yet one cannot read Miller's stuff "here and there". It's not like a novel. Perhaps this is why I kept feeling as though I were experiencing bouts of ADD every time I removed the bookmark and started to read. It was and is frustrating because I really like Don Miller's stuff!
At times I am so distracted by everything that I think I really do have ADD. It takes a lot, anymore, to slow down enough to quiet the heart while living in such a fast-paced culture. At least I find that true for me. Knowing this, I have to consciously make opportunities available, kind of force myself to sit still in order to gain some perspective. Scripture and authors like Don Miller help me keep that perspective. Reading is probably the biggest stress reliever for me, aside from writing, that is.
Whenever I read anything that makes me think, I get this sudden urge to write. (Thus, a new blog!) Writing is very theraputic for me, and sometimes I even feel guilty for putting off the journaling of my thoughts and inner struggles. I believe God made me this way, to process life through written word. It helps me to recognize and, in turn, remember what God is doing in my life. It's as if writing is a first-person conversation with God. And I believe He gets some sort of glory from that. It is when I neglect to make time to write that I don't get that sense of self-examination. Issues become easier to push back and pretend they don't exist when they are not thorougly processed. I feel like many of the lessons God intends me to "get" and apply become fragmented and optional, instead of essential to the well-being of my heart, essential as God Himself. That sounds heavy, but I just think Satan knows how spiritual it is for me to write, just like he knows prayer and Bible study leads to spiritual growth. Therefore, he does everything he can to keep me away from these most beneficial activities. I will even go as far as to say writing causes me to desire spending devotional time with God because, for some reason, I can't be fake when I write. Writing pulls out what's inside - both hearts, new and old; the smiles and the scars; the joy and the pain. For some reason the keyboard does not let me hide.
I would like to say I am turning over a new leaf this day, that I will from now on carve out a half hour every day to pour out raw thought in blog form. But I just finshed Don Miller's book. That practice would be formula, and you and I both know that such specific discipline turns into ritual, and ritual into hum drum. I am on a journey to find out what abundant life in Christ is all about, and I know from too many experiences that I will find only the opposite if I fix my spiritual life into a box like that. Since Christianity is relational, it is also personal. God made unique individuals, did He not? So within the realm God's character as well as the essentials of the faith, we are each free to desire Him and seek Him and grow in Him in the way that actually works for us. John Piper would say that a huge aspect of our obedience to God is the joy we pursue in Him. There must be both. And wouldn't you want both? Not in a way that works for someone else, but for you? So much of my Christian life has been an attempt to emulate the spiritual lives of others. So much of it has been trite and dry. Abundant life, eh? Well I know it is available because of all the ways it is sprinkled in the words of Jesus throughout the New Testament. (See Ephesians 3:20, John 10:10, and I Corinthians 2:9.) But how do I experience it? How do spiritual activities keep their luster and shine when life feels dull and I feel drained?
I think the gist is summed up in John 17:3, which gives us the object or source of our abundant life, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." My quest, then, is to know God. This quest is as unique to me as it is for you, although always stemming from Christ. Without Him we simply cannot know God. But since the way has been made, why not act upon it? He is within our grasp but so infrequantly do I reach for Him. I claw the air for something to fulfill me, but He is so big and so present that I sometimes miss Him!
When I tell people I used to live five minutes from the ever famous Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota (ok, so it's the only claim to fame we've got a leg to stand on...although there is the Mary Tyler Moore house...), they ask me how often I would venture there. I tell them I lived next door the "Mega Mall" for a whole year and I probably visited the place a total of three times. Most of those times were to entertain out-of-town guests with the roller coaster contained in the mall's indoor amusement park. People can't believe I could live so close to such an attraction and hardly take advantage of it! I'm sure people who live five minutes from Disneyland could resonate with me. Or perhaps individuals who live next door to a famous person but never ask them over for coffee.
Simply, we gravitate toward things which are unfamiliar. New places, events, experiences - those usually within at least a four-hour drive of our homes! In this way, I always marvel at the concept of vacation. Why is it that we would rather spend half our vacation leave sitting in stuffy airports or stuffy cars in order to experience beauty and excitment in some other place? Why don't we just drive across town and eat at the city's favorite restaurant? Why don't we take a picnic to the local nature center? Why do we like to visit every other state capitol exept ours? There is so much we can enjoy within a stone's throw that we rarely take advantage of. I lived in Minnesota most of my life, and never made it to the Boundary Waters. Even a jaunt into downtown St. Paul for a concert was "big doin's"!
As another example, my family used to take summer road trips all around the country to experience the "other". In fact, while I was growing up we took at least two trips to Washingtown D.C. That's a 20+ hour drive nonstop! We visited every monument, statue, and historical site within the vicinity, my mother envisioning the finished photo album every step of the way. Now I live just 90 minutes south of D.C. and have never gone site-seeing in the last year and a half I've been here! How pathetic. It's at least ten times cheaper a trip! Where did the excitment go?
The point is, we get used to things and they lose their interest. Unfortunately, it seems we have even grown used to (or perhaps distracted ourselves from) the omnipresence of the God of the universe, so much so that our desire to be with Him has greatly dimmed. Christ is no longer novel, just like the places and attractions that draw tourists to our area no longer appeal to us. Have we figured out God?! If we think of Him as old hat we don't really know Him! Or, at least, we forget how much we enjoy Him until we taste Him once again. Until we take that stroll around the neighborhood park and remember how fun it is to ride the swings!
We forget that the greatness of the experiences God allows us are so that in our enjoyment of them, we would magnify Him. Yet, too often we focus on the created, overlooking the Creator. These things are but hints of His greatness. If we would only look through the wonders of this world instead of at them, maybe then our wonder will turn to Him. Maybe then we would no longer be satisfied with what once caused us to shiver with excitment here on earth, because we would have caught a glimpse of something better. He is always there, which is different than all those other things in life we take for granted because they will pass away. God remains.
If we would only take time to pursue God like we pursue ski trips and exotic cruises, would we find that same phyched up feeling swell our hearts? I would say so. I think we start to pursue God, and then before we can blink we are back to pursuing ourselves. Our hearts deceive ourselves into thinking we are still pursuing God, but because the journey has left us bored, it has to mean God is no longer in the equasion. If we would stay on the God-quest, I believe we would discover new things about Him we never knew existed. Our understanding of God's character would become clearer than ever before and then, in turn, our love and desire for Him would grow to new heights. I would venture to guess that God would seem new to us every day! After all, God created novel.
I think if I get to that point in my Christian journey, I will have begun to understand abundant life. In fact, I'll bet the experience most likely precedes the revelation! The pursuit of God probably is the abundant life, just like writing for me is both a spiritual process and a great interest. At any rate, we'll see where this takes me.
Thanks, Don Miller, for getting me to write again. I wonder what I will read next...
btw...Happy 6-month, Jeromy!
This Enemy (Jeromy's post)
This enemy will convince you that you're insane and shackle your mind to hopelessness.
This enemy will whisper in your ear things that are so evil, you never dreamed your heart could imagine them.
This enemy will reduce God's creation to a mere commodity for your exploitation.
This enemy will tell you that one sin is less worse than another.
This enemy will distract you from the treasure of Jesus, making the shiny things of this world a drug.
This enemy will tell you that the only way to relief is death so that he can take you down with him.
This enemy will whisper in your ear things that are so evil, you never dreamed your heart could imagine them.
This enemy will reduce God's creation to a mere commodity for your exploitation.
This enemy will tell you that one sin is less worse than another.
This enemy will distract you from the treasure of Jesus, making the shiny things of this world a drug.
This enemy will tell you that the only way to relief is death so that he can take you down with him.
Jeromy (Tara's post)
Monday, October 16, 2006
Well I just had to say that I am amazed by the man God has given to me. I never fathomed this kind of love, but I continue to discover new avenues of his love for me every day. It turns me to Christ ALWAYS, and I am constantly challenged to love God authentically, to choose to walk in obedience of His Word, and to keep looking outside myself to meet the needs of others before my own.
Jeromy provides a comfort that allows me to share my struggles and speak my heart, without being judged or criticized. He lets me talk through things, even if my words start out selfish or prideful, or fearful. A lot of times I can say the right things, do the right things, think the right things, but when it gets real...when it's time to apply what I know, down to my desires and motives, it's hard. It's not easy to trust God most of the time. Jeromy is encouraging me, usually when he doesn't even know it, to lay it ALL down. To not look back at the "I wish I had..."s and "Woe is me..."s and "I need to be in control of..."s. Life is FILLED with opportunities to trust God.
I had no idea I fell so short in these moments, as I know now. Marriage has exposed my weaknesses, and shown me where my heart is in a lot of different ways. It's not fun to see this stuff. I don't want to be responsible for a lot of prayers I pray for my sanctification. But it's so good. Jeromy's example and his love has led me to break through my hardened heart to let God do some spiritual surgery where it hurts. Where I would otherwise dwell in comfort and safety. Where my actions and words don't match up with my attitudes. Where I let frustration and disappointment get the better of me. Where I need to give Him greater access to roam freely throughout my heart and life. Having Jeromy at my side has been instrumental in my Christian walk. And this was God's idea!
I am SO blessed because this man accepts me! He calls me beautiful when I think and feel otherwise. He can tell when my heart is not right and he doesn't leave me there. He holds me close when I don't know why I'm crying. He has no expectations of me, nor makes demands. His devotion to me alone is found in both his words and actions. If there is any perceived "distance" between us, he gets right to the core, yet loves me through the process. He is always positive. Always encouraging. Never satisfied with a mediocre Christian life. Asks the hard questions and wrestles with them along with me. Truly wants to please God and probes Scripture to find out what that means. Seeks to enjoy the little things in life, while not becoming so stingy as to giving up quality. Jeromy is understanding, and when he doesn't understand, he doesn't give up until he does. He lets me love him and support him in ways my heart longs to give, and he appreciates everything.
Jeromy can get me to smile quicker than anyone I know, ever an unsaid reminder of the bigger perspective, by which I already own abundant joy and peace. Jeromy's presence in my life provides a glimpse into how good it can be to live a life sold-out, head-over-heels in love with Jesus. If my husband--limited, made of flesh, and tainted by sin--can bring positive change in my life, imagine how much greater sanctification can take place when I begin to view God for more of who He really is! If only His unconditional love and grace and affection can motivate me in as similar a way as does that of Jeromy.
At this point, I really don't think there is much of a difference between the two, except that whatever God pours on us is perfection. Jeromy gives me amazing love...but God's love is perfect. Jeromy offers me kindness and mercy...God floods our every step with His. And what can be compared to God's comforting embrace, His peace that passes man's capacity to understand? Often I can't describe in words how good it feels to be wrapped up in Jeromy's arms. How much greater is the affection of our Creator God?! We have so few combinations of letters that adequately tell of such intensity. I think it's supposed to be that way. I think God is glorified in that, in our wonder of Him.
And to think--wow!--I am only beginning this journey with my wonderful gift from God. Jeromy and I often remind ourselves that we are never promised tomorrow on this earth, but that we do have today. We have each other for these fleeting moments, and I want to make them last. I hope the fact of my mortality affects everything from how I spend my time, to how much rule I give my emotions, to which life's tasks are worth being concerned about. I want to live this life for what really matters. I want to learn how to give more and just do it. I want to look less at myself in the mirror. I want to love deeply and love well. I want to expect God's faithfulness by letting go of control, letting go of stuff, letting go of man's doctrines and morals, philosophies, and standards. I want to quit comparing myself to others and instead keen in on the personality and gifts God as given me. I want to cry for all the right reasons and refrain from laughing at all the wrong things, although I want to laugh MORE. I want to keep the little irritants little and enlarge the little joys I typically overlook. I want to give God more credit for His work in my heart and in this world, including the credit I too often steal from Him in my arrogance. After all, if I am going to call him "Lord" in my prayers and songs, then He better BE Lord!
I am still on my hands and knees, slowly inching to the places I need to reach, but I am only discouraged when I think about how much farther is the distance. Instead, I want to celebrate the little milestones in my spiritual journey, similar to how Jeormy and I celebrate our first date, first kiss, engagement, and wedding! I am finding more and more parallels between our human relationships and our relationship with the Divine, realizing there is no coincidence. Everything good on this earth points to the heavenly equivalent. We can enjoy these things in our lives, though they are all broken, but they are simultaneously preparing us and causing us to yearn for the whole, the perfect.
I am forever grateful for the brief moments God has bound Jeromy and I together. We both look forward to the day when our union with Christ will bind us with Him for eternity.
*****
Something brought you to my mind today
I thought about the funny ways you make me laugh
And yet I feel like it's ok to cry with you
Something about just being with you
When I leave I feel like I've been with God
And that's the way it ought to be
You had faith when I had none
You prayed God would bring me a brand new song
When I didn't think I could find the strength to sing
And all the while I'm hoping that I'll
Do the kind of praying for you that you've done for me
And that's the way it ought to be
Cause you've been more than a friend to me
You fight off my enemies
Cause you have spoken the truth over my life
And you'll never know what it means to me
Just to know you've been on your knees for me
Oh, you have blessed my life
More than you'll ever know
You have carried meYou have taken on a burden
That wasn't your own
May the blessing return to you
A hunderedfold
Oh yeah, a hundredfold
- Watermark
Well I just had to say that I am amazed by the man God has given to me. I never fathomed this kind of love, but I continue to discover new avenues of his love for me every day. It turns me to Christ ALWAYS, and I am constantly challenged to love God authentically, to choose to walk in obedience of His Word, and to keep looking outside myself to meet the needs of others before my own.
Jeromy provides a comfort that allows me to share my struggles and speak my heart, without being judged or criticized. He lets me talk through things, even if my words start out selfish or prideful, or fearful. A lot of times I can say the right things, do the right things, think the right things, but when it gets real...when it's time to apply what I know, down to my desires and motives, it's hard. It's not easy to trust God most of the time. Jeromy is encouraging me, usually when he doesn't even know it, to lay it ALL down. To not look back at the "I wish I had..."s and "Woe is me..."s and "I need to be in control of..."s. Life is FILLED with opportunities to trust God.
I had no idea I fell so short in these moments, as I know now. Marriage has exposed my weaknesses, and shown me where my heart is in a lot of different ways. It's not fun to see this stuff. I don't want to be responsible for a lot of prayers I pray for my sanctification. But it's so good. Jeromy's example and his love has led me to break through my hardened heart to let God do some spiritual surgery where it hurts. Where I would otherwise dwell in comfort and safety. Where my actions and words don't match up with my attitudes. Where I let frustration and disappointment get the better of me. Where I need to give Him greater access to roam freely throughout my heart and life. Having Jeromy at my side has been instrumental in my Christian walk. And this was God's idea!
I am SO blessed because this man accepts me! He calls me beautiful when I think and feel otherwise. He can tell when my heart is not right and he doesn't leave me there. He holds me close when I don't know why I'm crying. He has no expectations of me, nor makes demands. His devotion to me alone is found in both his words and actions. If there is any perceived "distance" between us, he gets right to the core, yet loves me through the process. He is always positive. Always encouraging. Never satisfied with a mediocre Christian life. Asks the hard questions and wrestles with them along with me. Truly wants to please God and probes Scripture to find out what that means. Seeks to enjoy the little things in life, while not becoming so stingy as to giving up quality. Jeromy is understanding, and when he doesn't understand, he doesn't give up until he does. He lets me love him and support him in ways my heart longs to give, and he appreciates everything.
Jeromy can get me to smile quicker than anyone I know, ever an unsaid reminder of the bigger perspective, by which I already own abundant joy and peace. Jeromy's presence in my life provides a glimpse into how good it can be to live a life sold-out, head-over-heels in love with Jesus. If my husband--limited, made of flesh, and tainted by sin--can bring positive change in my life, imagine how much greater sanctification can take place when I begin to view God for more of who He really is! If only His unconditional love and grace and affection can motivate me in as similar a way as does that of Jeromy.
At this point, I really don't think there is much of a difference between the two, except that whatever God pours on us is perfection. Jeromy gives me amazing love...but God's love is perfect. Jeromy offers me kindness and mercy...God floods our every step with His. And what can be compared to God's comforting embrace, His peace that passes man's capacity to understand? Often I can't describe in words how good it feels to be wrapped up in Jeromy's arms. How much greater is the affection of our Creator God?! We have so few combinations of letters that adequately tell of such intensity. I think it's supposed to be that way. I think God is glorified in that, in our wonder of Him.
And to think--wow!--I am only beginning this journey with my wonderful gift from God. Jeromy and I often remind ourselves that we are never promised tomorrow on this earth, but that we do have today. We have each other for these fleeting moments, and I want to make them last. I hope the fact of my mortality affects everything from how I spend my time, to how much rule I give my emotions, to which life's tasks are worth being concerned about. I want to live this life for what really matters. I want to learn how to give more and just do it. I want to look less at myself in the mirror. I want to love deeply and love well. I want to expect God's faithfulness by letting go of control, letting go of stuff, letting go of man's doctrines and morals, philosophies, and standards. I want to quit comparing myself to others and instead keen in on the personality and gifts God as given me. I want to cry for all the right reasons and refrain from laughing at all the wrong things, although I want to laugh MORE. I want to keep the little irritants little and enlarge the little joys I typically overlook. I want to give God more credit for His work in my heart and in this world, including the credit I too often steal from Him in my arrogance. After all, if I am going to call him "Lord" in my prayers and songs, then He better BE Lord!
I am still on my hands and knees, slowly inching to the places I need to reach, but I am only discouraged when I think about how much farther is the distance. Instead, I want to celebrate the little milestones in my spiritual journey, similar to how Jeormy and I celebrate our first date, first kiss, engagement, and wedding! I am finding more and more parallels between our human relationships and our relationship with the Divine, realizing there is no coincidence. Everything good on this earth points to the heavenly equivalent. We can enjoy these things in our lives, though they are all broken, but they are simultaneously preparing us and causing us to yearn for the whole, the perfect.
I am forever grateful for the brief moments God has bound Jeromy and I together. We both look forward to the day when our union with Christ will bind us with Him for eternity.
*****
Something brought you to my mind today
I thought about the funny ways you make me laugh
And yet I feel like it's ok to cry with you
Something about just being with you
When I leave I feel like I've been with God
And that's the way it ought to be
You had faith when I had none
You prayed God would bring me a brand new song
When I didn't think I could find the strength to sing
And all the while I'm hoping that I'll
Do the kind of praying for you that you've done for me
And that's the way it ought to be
Cause you've been more than a friend to me
You fight off my enemies
Cause you have spoken the truth over my life
And you'll never know what it means to me
Just to know you've been on your knees for me
Oh, you have blessed my life
More than you'll ever know
You have carried meYou have taken on a burden
That wasn't your own
May the blessing return to you
A hunderedfold
Oh yeah, a hundredfold
- Watermark
"How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" (Tara's post)
During one of years I was a nanny, I helped the kids prepare gift packages for soldiers overseas. I wanted them to understand what was going on and that these soldiers are real people. Our soldier wrote back through email, and the conversation turned spiritual. The following is really a series of emails pasted together from that conversation. The man professed Christ a few weeks later. I lost touch with him over a year ago. I saved the emails hoping I could share it with others. It's not exhaustive, nor may all of it be true, but it's candid and personal.
*****
My goal in writing this out is not to "convert" you. That is contradictory to salvation--it is the work of the Holy Spirit that draws a heart to faith, it is Christ who carried out that work (in its intirety), and it is God the Father who, out of love, does the saving. Man could never boast in the matter of salvation--we are simply told to tell it because nobody needs to hear it any more or any less than we did. But the common factor is that we ALL need to hear it. "How then shall they call upon Him in Whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a *preacher?" (Romans 10:14). (* "preacher" meaning someone to tell them. I'm definitely NOT an ordained preacher!)
My father was the one who led me to the Lord as a child. He didn't HAVE to teach me what the Bible says. He could have let me explore the world and its religions and churches on my own (which, knowing my inquisitive personality, would have left me pretty messed up!). But he didn't. He cared enough to sit down with me and read to me passages of God's Word and to tell me that its possible for a little sinner like me to be absolutely certain about my salvation. Jesus said, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God" (I John 5:13). I am thankful my dad shared with me that I might have that assurance.
You can have that assurance, too.
Just know that these words and efforts to help you understand are from my heart. Not to blame or criticize or accuse. That is not my job. I see I'm already starting to ramble, so forgive my introduction/disclaimer and all I ask is that you read this with an open heart.
When it comes down to it, we are ALL in the same boat. We are all human--more alike than different--and I believe that deep down, we are all DESPERATE to know the truth. Pontius Pilate asked that very question in "The Passion of the Christ". I realize it is a movie, but there was a line where he said, "What is truth?" Well, I tell you today that Jesus made a bold claim in John 14: 6 when He said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life..." This truth leads us to a crossroads. We can either accept it or deny it. Believing in God is easy. Even Satan believes in God--and the Bible says that he shudders at the name of Jesus. We can have all the facts, but the truth must be clung to--trusted in. That is a HUGE distinction.
Now, because I do not know your spiritual condition (a.k.a., whether or not you are saved according to the Bible) I must tell you what it says about salvation and what a Christian is really about. Like I said, there are a multitude of misconceptions, and I hope this letter dismantles all of the unbiblical "Christian" influences you might have come across. You have made it clear that you have some doubts and/or uncertainties about your faith. How about this--would you be able to tell me you know for certain where you will be the moment you die? This is hard-core stuff, I know! Yet putting these questions out of consideration until we lie stricken like my grandma did at age 89 is cutting it a bit too close, wouldn't you say?
I mean, none of us has a clue what tomorrow holds for us. Proverbs 27:1 says this, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." I'm sure you understand this all too well. I have watched too many of my peers slip into eternity at the drop of ahat to ignore the reality of that verse. Sometimes it is easy for me to take for granted all the simple necessities GOd has given to sustain me--traveling mercies on the road; healthy, working organs; fresh, clean air to breathe, etc. It is only because God is gracious to us that such needs are met. However, these and other provisions may be taken away in the blink of an eye and, probably sooner than we think , our hour of decision will be over.
I know what you are thinking--"She said she wasn't going to judge my spiritual condition!" You are right. Only God can judge a heart and, believe me, He knows our hearts better than we ever could. That's why He was so gracious in giving us His Word. In the Bible we see just how short we fall in comparison to God's holiness and righteousness. It is impossible to live above sin, and the person who claims he does is to claim he is a sinner. It is a lie, but we are good at deceiving ourselves that way. I know I am. I tend to justify wrong actions because the cause is "good". Well, that don't cut it in God's eyes. Let me tell you why. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is DECEITFUL above all things, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?" Ouch. That means we don't even realize the full extent of our imperfection. We deceive ourselves into thinking we are pretty good individuals. I John 1:8 says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive our own selves, and the truth is not in us." I don't think I have to prove this point any longer.
The good news is that God gave us a Book that reveals this to us! Otherwise we'd be a hopeless cause. Take the 10 commandments, for example. God didn't give us the law so that we would be a slave to that law. He gave it to us so that we might be FREE from it! Free, first of all, from the BONDAGE TO sin (unable to do right) and, second, free from the PENALTY FROM sin (which is spiritual death, which we will see in a minute). The passage of Galatians 5:1-5 talks in detail about this.
I don't have to tell you that, while freedom is glorious, it doesn't come free. It costs people their lives. It is the same with God. Freedom came to us by the shed blood and finished work of Christ. That was a high price! You also know that in America, our freedom does not exist without limitations. We cannot go out and kill someone, exceed the speed limit, or rob a bank. Likewise, freedom in Christ is just as glorious and liberating, but there are limitations. Just let you find those limitations in God's Word--don't let man tell you what is right or wrong. Who is holy, after all?
So you see, by looking into the mirror of Scripture, we see who we are. It is not difficult to see our sin. The Bible explains that sin is defined as anything, either an outward act or an inward thought and/or motive, which goes against the very moral nature of God. And we established that His ruler is pretty high. He is absolute perfection. In Hebrew the word sin means "to miss the mark". The fact that we have but one selfish bitter or untruthful (just to name a few) bone in our body bears strong witness to the fact that we are indeed sinners. James 2:10 provides this sobering truth, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in ONE point, he is guilty of ALL."
I mean, think about it. I've never killed anyone. I've never robbed that bank, used drugs, nor have I committed adultery. I've kept the law, right? W-e-e-e-ell, I suppose I might have lied a few times...a-a-and I've cheated once or twice (*gasp*).....a-a-a-and I admit I've had some shameful thoughts and motives--more like on a daily basis. (Ok, we can stop there!) All I konw is that I fall short of keeping God's commands. For all have sinned and have fallen short of God's glory" (Romands 3:23). Even if I lied but ONE time or conjured up but ONE selfish thought, I would be a condemned sinner and on my way to hell.
However, consider this... Not only are we sinners by our actions, thoughts, and motives, Friend, but we are essentially BORN with a SIN NATURE. Even little toddlers do not need to be told how to lie, steal, etc. I work with children--I know this all too well! "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that ALL have sinned." (Romans 5:12). Our sin nature is passed down to us from Adam, but we can't just blame the "first guy"--we are each just as responsible for and are as much at the mercy of sin's consequences as Adam was when he ate the forbidden fruit.
Since I have already delved slightly into the question of whether or not man is inherenly evil, lets go there next. I guess we'll start with the Moody's Handbook of Theology brief discription of total depravity: As a result of Adam's fall, the entire human race is affected; all humanity is dead in trespasses and sins. Man is unable to save.
Ok, so when Adam sinned, all future humanity was plunged into sin. Not only did sin effect the created world (death, disease, deterioration, weather, animal preditors, etc.), but it affected man, who became enslaved to his sin nature. He still had a free will but was only able to freely choose what was consistent with his fallen nature. "What then? are we better than they? no, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: There is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one" (Romans 3:9-11).
Now, sin permeates every part of man's being. In other words, man is totally depraved. *In the BODY: "And if Christ be in you, the BODY is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:10). *In the MIND: "And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your MIND, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2). *In the WILL: "There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God" (Romans 3:11).*In the HEART: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it" (Jeremiah 17:9).
Total depravity does NOT mean that unsaved man has no desire to do right or can do nothing considered good, nor does it mean that he is as wicked as he can be. Total depravity means that sin has corrupted every part of man's being so that he can do nothing that pleases God. He us unable to love God, he does not seek God, he cannot choose God, and can do nothing that merits his salvation. (See Romans 3:9-23 for some characteristics of the inherently sinful man.)
Every member of the human race experiences the impact of sin. There is not a single human that has not been affected by sin. "For God so loved THE WORLD" (John 3:16). "And as it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
There might be a question about Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." The point of that verse is not to say that everything we do is worthless. It is saying that the unsaved person's righteousnesses are worthless in terms of satisfying God's payment for sin. This does not mean that God does not use our sinful actions, though they may appear good through man's eyes, to carry out His providential plan for the ages (which in turn gives them some value). Don't let the "filthy rags" comparison fool you. I'm not saying that there are some good things are happening in the world, but society is not looking through the eyes of a holy and righteous God. While these positive contributions are used by God in a physical sense, they don't score any "points" with Him spiritually. That's because the power of sin is separating us from an all-holy God who will not commune in the fellowship of sin/sinners.
To me that just makes God all the more loving and compassionate for sending His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins--so that we wouldn't have to. God wouldn't let us continue in our broken relationship with Him. He wants our friendship and love, and He doesn't want to have to force us to give it, either. God loves every one of His creation, but without that PERFECT, SINLESS sacrifice to make atonement for our sins, we cannot be justified in God's eyes and we would ALL perish and be forever separated from God if He didn't. Jesus was the go-between. If we don't claim the blood to cover our sins, our works (at least works to please God) are still in vain.
Those who you say are doing such and such for the cause of God are not being truthful IF they have not had Christ's blood to their account. We are enemies of God before we are saved--we cannot do ANYTHING for the God's causes if we have not first placed our trust in Christ's finished work on the cross. They may do much for society, they may love their family, and they may serve this country with utmost dedication, but they don't please God. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). See also Romans 6:18, "Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.
When God looks upon a person who has not placed their faith in Christ for salvation, He still sees their sin. On the contrary, when they trust Christ, God sees the sacrifice of Christ as a veil between Himself and the individual. He sees that they have been justified by grace through faith. Someone can say they are living for God, but if Christ is not in the picture, it all goes back to "the heart is deceitful...who can know it?" The passage of Matthew 7:21-23 is a wake-up call to those who call themselves "religious" or think they are "a-ok" with God. "Not everyone that will say unto me, 'Lord Lord', shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name have cast out devils? and in Your name done many wonderful works?' And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity."
What IS the consequence of our sin? Separation from God, which is eternal spiritual death in hell. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is DEATH..." Then there's Epesians 2:1, which says, "..."without Christ we are dead in [our] trespasses and sins." We need God to quicken our spiriits to reveal our need for a Savior and to then give us spiritual birth. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." It's that simple.
Did you know that any prayer we pray to God before placing our faith in Christ is NOT HEARD?! Did you catch that? Prayer is utter vanity without Christ as our mediator. God cannot be in the presence of sin. But if we have Christ's righteoueness (perfection) to cover that sin, God is satisfied by Christ's atoning sacrifice and only then does he hear our prayers. But before then, "Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regrad it" (Job 35:13). That is a scary thought. But once again, John 14:6 ends with this statement, "...no one comes to the Father except through Me (Jesus)." It's the truth.
Our problem: We are enemies of God because of our sin and, therefore, condemned.
His solution: Faith in the saving work of Christ on the cross to provide forgiveness and new life to all who will claim it through Him!
So now we know that we are sinners and, therefore, in BIG trouble without Divine help. We cannot do it on our own. We are not good enough, and we could never be on our own. So many people think that if they do enough good things then God is obligated to let them into heaven. Think about this, if salvation had to be earned by good works or by living morally, doing so would take the glory away from God. He alone is the one who saves. We CANNOT save ourselves. Doing good works in order to merit eternal life is BRIBERY. It is like telling God that He doesn't have the power or resources to save us and that, somehow, WE do. GOD is GOD, for goodness sake--He spoke this intricate and marvelous universe into creation and in a WEEK without our help. Surely he can save us apart from our help. As if we possess some spiritual ability to deceive God by covering up our sin with outward cheritable and righteous acts! God is not and will not be fooled. The Bible says that "Without FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please [God]" (Hebrews 11:6). Until God saves us, "All our righteousness are as filthy rags" Isaiah 64:6). Did you get that? Before we place our faith in Christ for salvation, anything good that we do, no matter how noble or seemingly selfless, God views as WORTHLESS as FILTHY RAGS. This is a humbling concept, but they are God's words, not my words, nor anyone else's. And when God speaks, we'd better listen!
So we are dirty, rotten sinners. We cannot save ourselves. We are separated from God because of our sin and on our way to hell. What a great life! Well, thank goodness God made a way to redeem us from our sloppy mess. I don't have to tell you that God sent His Son Jesus to the earth to die for our sins. So we ARE ok, then, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, because of Christ's sacrifice as the ONLY worthy sacrifice to cover sin because He was perfect. So here's the question: Since Jesus died for the whole world, shouldn't every person, then, be saved? Especially if it is not based on the works of man?? The Bible says no. Yes, John 3:16 is true with it says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." The cross is the extension of God's INVITATION to salvation to the whole world. We are all the same at the foot of the cross, regardless of nationality, race, or gender. But as the verse continues, ..."that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES..." It's true that Jesus' blood covered the sins of the whole world--past, present, and future, in fact. (thank goodness, because I have a lot of them!
In a nutshell, God is holy, that is fact. "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy" (I Peter 1:16). Man is evil, regardles of what he may think himself to be or how society views him. (See Jeremiah 17:9 again.) God sees this dilemma and offers Christ's righteousness to man so that man can have a new nature. Man must accept that righteousness personally to be holy in God's eyes. To accept is more than just an intellectual knowledge. "Sure, I believe Jesus died for my sins." It is an act by which he places his trust in the work of Christ for his salvation, not in anything he has ever done or will do. There's a verse that says, "..."without the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness of sins)" (Hebrews 9:22).
Yet here's the important difference in the form of two questions:
1. Did Christ's death and resurrection PROVIDE salvation for all men? YES! "...behole the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the WORLD" (John 1:29).
2. Did Christ's death and resurrection APPLY salvation to all men? NO! "...and to give His life a ransom for MANY" (Matthew 20:28).
This last verse doesn't say that ALL will be ransomed. God does NOT automatically grant salvatoin to every person, but it certainly is AVAILABLE and FREELY OFFERED to those who accept Jesus' blood for the cleansing of their sin. We are justified "freely by His grace" (I John 12:1-2). It must be personally accepted. It is ours for the claiming, but so many do not receive it.
You might ask, "How do I know if God chose me?" Isaiah 44:2a says, "I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born." The Bible says that we were not only created BY Him, but we were created FOR Him. Ephesians 1:5 & 14 tell us that individuals God chooses to save are saved "according to the good pleasure of His will...to the praise of His glory." We are saved for no other reason, Friend, than to GLORIFY GOD, which is why we are here in the first place. It's why God created this world at all. God gives us all the choice to accept or reject Him, and just in our sin nature we have rejected God. John 3:17 says, "For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." Verse 18 goes on to tell us why, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." The default mode of a person is to reject Him. So is it mean of God to let so many die in their sins? No, for the reason that He gave them the choice, they failed. Christ isn't in the condemning business because there isn't a person who ever lived that hasn't already condemned himself by his nature. The fact is, GOD DOESN'T HAVE TO SAVE ANYONE. That's why what He gives us is called grace: undeserved merit. God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
It's a wonder that God would choose to save me. Why?? I don't understand it because I have nothing to offer to Him except my "filthy rags". But we just cannot fully understand the amazing and infinite wisdom of God. He has a purpose for every single act. But I'm not going to question a good thing, that is for sure! Consider this verse about God's wisdom. This is an amazing verse. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Get this: "[God] isn't willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9). Christ WANTS to save you.
I can sense that you probably have a million questions, this letter just adding to that list, so I will expound more on what exactly Christianity means. Simply put, Christianity is about a RELATIONSHIP with the God of the Universe. As we have seen, we cannot gain access to God without Christ. You might have heard that "relationship" phrase before but maybe wondered what it meant. Christianity is about FAITH--not in a priest, or pastor, or Jim Caviezel--but in Christ's work on the cross as the ONLY and NECESSARY and SUFFICIENT way to merit that relationship with God. You don't have to know all the facts in the Bible to be saved, I promise you! Hey, I was 5!!! However, no one can rely on another's decision of faith, and that includes family members. God judges us as individuals, and saves us as individuals. We will have to answer for ourselves. We must each accept that our access to God is granted by no other means than through His Son.
Why? I Timothy 1:5 says, "For there is one God, and ONE mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus." That puts to rest any other religious figures as a means to salvation.
I would say that the majority of they that call themselves Christian "know" that Jesus died for their sins. I'm sure you do, too. Yet, I ask this question: Is that an intellectual knowledge or a personal claim??? There is a crucial distinction there, and I dare say that far too many who call themselves Christians are hoping with just an empty "head knowledge" of the gospel message. They don't let its message reach their hearts. I don't kow how you would answer that question, but I hope and pray that you will at least consider these truths for your own heart and life. I can't stress the simplicity enough! "...believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you SHALL be saved..." (Acts 16:31).
Important to note: While salvation IS simple, it is NOT what some call "easy believism". This philosophy of salvation dares takes advantage of God's ample supply of grace. Others refer to this type of salvation as "earning fire insurance from hell". How morbid! Easy believism involves quoting a "magic" prayer of sorts that supposedly serves as the pray-er's ticket into heaven. Life thereafter is typically lived without regard to God or the Bible. Remember, freedom does have limitations. I say this just to caution you...
On the other hand, salvation really is FREE! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that NOT of yourselves. It is a GIFT of GOD; not of works, lest anyone should boast." There is nothing more we can do to receive salvation than to........receive it!! Think about this: a birthday gift isn't yours until you take it. Claim it. Accept it. You do not receive it on the basis of merit. It's your birthday, for goodness sake, and the giver is extending the gift to you because he LOVES YOU. Likewise with God and his gift of salvation. "But God commendeth His own love toward us that, while we were yet sinners (now that's amazing grace!) Christ died for us" (Romand 5:8). It would be pretty sad if we had to work a number of hours or days in order to EARN a BIRTHDAY GIFT! It certainly wouldn't be a gift then, no matter how attractive the wrapping! See my comparison? Nobody receives your gift for you; YOU don't receive anyone else's gift for them. No, you claim it FOR yourself, BY yourself. And no one claims it for you. God is extending His gift of salvation. All we have to do is receive it into our hands and open it, free of charge! God will save whom He wills, and when He gives us the opportunity, we should take it!
BUT before we can receive God's gift of salvation, we must first realize that we NEED it. If it's not our birthday, why would we receive a gift that was meant especially FOR our birthday? Each one of us must come to a point in our lives when we put our life on trial; when we examine our heart. However, we cannot discover the depths of our sinfulness and merely shrug it off. When God reveals our sin to us, we MUST do something with the verdict!
That's why it is SO important to stress the PERSONAL aspect of faith. We can watch "The Passion of the Christ" and feel bad that the Son of God had to endure such brutal and unjust torture. (He was found without guilt, right?) But we MUST realize that each one of OUR sins were heaped upon Christ at the moment He cried from the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me" (Matthew 27:46)? In that dreadful, but actually bittersweet moment, every sinful action or thought of ours was placed upon Jesus, causing Him to become the filthiest liar, dirtiest adulterer, most horrendous murderer, most senseless thief, craftiest cheat, ugliest idolator, and the list continues. (See I Peter 2:24.) He CHOSE to do that so that we wouldn't have to! Amazing love!
In my own life, I had to come to grips with the intensity and extent of my sin that so directly contrasted the holiness of God. God and sin don't mix, by the way. That's why God turned His face away from Jesus on the cross, and which is why sinners cannot enter heaven unless they have the blood applied to their souls. God cannot stand to even look upon sin. It cannot be in His presence. Because Christ took upon Himself and paid its penalty (death, separation from the Father), God is able to apply Christ's righteousness (sinlessness) to our account. He stamped His approval on us with Jesus' wounds! After we place our faith in Christ, God no longer sees our sin, but His son's righteousness given to us. That's called JUSTIFICATION, or to be justified. I like to remember it this way: "Just-if-I'd never sinned." God then hears our prayers and Hebrews 4:16 says that we can "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." My friend, this concept is not only a thrill when grasped, but a relief also!
That is why there is NO MORE GUILT for the Christian. All our guilt and shame fall upon Christ. We are given a new nature through the righteousness of Jesus. Our SIN IS GONE. Now, please understand, we will never be entirely rid of our old sin nature as long as we live on this earth. The Christian life is a battle. (This is boot camp! :) ) BUT with the Holy Spirit in our lives to help us and to convict us when temptations and trials come, we are no longer SLAVES to that sin nature. Hallelujah! We no longer HAVE TO sin. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, whoseover commits sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34). Jesus says that when we are saved, "old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new!" God removes us from that bondage. The Holy Spirit helps us resist temptation. Just as Christ had victory over in, so can we--but only if we have been saved. That doesn't mean resisiting temptation comes easily for the believer. It still takes work and is a struggle that is part of a lifelong process called SANCTIFICATION (the continual conforming into the image of Jesus Christ). However, we have GOd on our side to help us progress in our growth, and then to be there for us in our darkest hours of trials, troubles, disappointments, fears, etc. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10:13). What a reassuring verse!
Now, a word about churches, if I may. There are definitely many good churches out there that clearly teach what the Bible says. But I am sorry to say that there is a lot of JUNK in many other churches today. I mean, there are some CRAZY things going on that God never intended, and that is never taught in Scripture! Trust me...these types of churches do NOT set the standard for true biblical Christianity. They give not only Christians, but Christ a bad testimony. The Bible says to "BEWARE of false prophets (teachers), which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are raveging wolves" (Matthew 7:15). A good rule of thumb is to find a church that presents TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.......which is ONLY found in the Bible.
God did not intend people to base their doctrine on a man-invented interpretation of the Bible. They don't need one because the Bible is quite clear. It is sufficient for EVERY life-encounter, situation, and problem. It ALONE holds the answers. Many churches do not declare the Bible as the highest authority for faith and practice. That's where all the denominational variation comes into play. Which one is right? Well, I'll leave that up to you, but I will say this very important statement: Cchurches that elevate ritual , tradition, good works, writings of man, man's own interpretation, OR, God forbid, man himself above the Bible are NOT presenting Scriptural truth. II Timothy 3:16 says, "ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and is PROFITABLE for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
I don't claim to have all the answers. You want to know a secret? CHURCHES don't have all the answers, either! The fact is, Christianity ISN'T about church. Oh, it is very important, as I stated. I attend regularly and teach primary Sunday School, but that doesn't make me more spiritual. It won't get me a bigger mansion with an ocean view! To reiderate, Christianity isn't about infant baptism (which is not even doctrinal to begin with!), nor is it about ritual, tradition, morality, or a certain prayer, either. Christianity isn't about feeling imprisoned, or miserable, or bored, or guilty, or unfulfilled. (It is quite the opposite!) Christianity isn't even about religion! This might sound oxymoronic, but it's true in the biblical sense!
Please note: Christ is KEY to life. He is not just a historical figure or symbol or a concept we take a moment (if even that) to think about at Christmas and Easter. Christianity is not some game, some worship concert that sets us on a spiritual high, only to drive us to rock bottom once we snap back to the real world. The apostle Paul confessed, "For to me to live is CHRIST, and to die is gain" (Phippians 1:21). Through Christ we have a reason for living. We have purpose in the little, mundane, routine activities of the day when we stop to consider that God has placed us on this earth at this tie in this place for reasons He wants to reveal to us if we just let Him. He did this NOT by chance, but but by Divine appointment. We are all meant to live for SO much more than the vanity of living for ourselves. What is life if all we do is get married, have kids, make money, grow old, and die? Christ came that we "might have life, and that [we] might have life more abndantly" (John 10:10). And then, after we've breathed our last, to die will TRULY be GAIN. I cannot begin to fathom the splendor of heaven!
Do you have abundant life, Friend? Do you live with the joy of knowing your work, your efforts, yor daily activities are not in vain, but that you are part of God's plan for the Ages? Are you satisfied with where your life is right now? Do you feel fulfilled? Are you sick and tired of the sugar-coated lies this world tries to sell to us? Have you found that too many "Christians" are hypocrites, really no different from the rest of the world? Have you discovered "organized religion" to be nothing but empty, heartless ritual? Do you wish you had an unshakable peace when the storms of life blow through? Now I ask not if you HAVE abundant life, but do you WISH you had abundant life?
I implore you today, Christ died for YOU, Friend, because He loves YOU. God konws all about our bumps and scars and weaknesses and inadequacies....and yet, He displayed HIs love for us to the utmost. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). I find it hard to believe that God could love someone like me, as I continue to fail Him time and time again. You know, there are people we will fail in this life that just can't overlook our mistakes and faults, no matter how sorry we are. God knows when we are about to fail Him even before it is a thought and yet, His love remains constant. Knowing that fact overwhelms me with gratitude! He's always waiting with open arms for me to come back to Him. God knows us, who we really are, and He still wants to give us His every possession. I don't konw about you, but NO ONE has ever loved me like that before!
Christianity isn't about religion...it's about Christ. Christianity isn't about "fitting in" at a church. Christianit isn't about duty or obligation. It IS, however, about God's grace that can find the worth in the worthless. It IS about discovering that there is more to this life than JUST this life. I'll say it again--Christianity isn't about religion....it's about Christ.
Remember that birthday gift? Well, once we've received it, it's ours. To keep. We get to reap all the wonderful benefits of what's inside the wrapping. Likewise, when we accept God's gift of salvation, we get to reap the benefits. Remember this acrostic? God's Riches At Christ's Expense. His riches are free.
Salvation can really be understood with childlike simplicity. I know because God saved me when I was a little girl. I don't boast in that like it was my doing, but God's timing is as much mystery as His wisdom. At the time I was saved, I had no idea what doctrine meant. I only knew that I was a sinner and that I needed a Savior. That God sent His Son Jesus to be that Savior. That's it. I believed. I trusted. I placed my faith in HIS work on the cross. However you want to say it. I was just as completely saved that day as I am today. It took no less of God's grace to save me from the sins of a child--but remember, past, present, and FUTURE sins, too--as it takes for a mass-murderer to be saved. My testimony may not be as interesting or gripping as some of the sob-story-conversions I hear at church or on the radio, but my story is just as beautiful a picture of God's love as anyone's story....even yours.
Do you want to be saved, Friend? I would be happy to answer any more questions you want to fire at me. I don't care what they are. You might ask, HOW DO I GET SAVED? Well, I'm glad you asked! :) Having realized you are a sinner, as we all are, the Bible says, "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, YOU SHALL BE SAVED. For with the HEART man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9). Faith grows in the heart, and you express it with words. (I personally believe that in order for salvation to not be a work of man, the faith we place in Christ has to be the gift of God. That's because I know I could never muster up enough faith on my own!) This verse in Romans does not say that you MIGHT be saved...if you say the right words. NO! It says that you SHALL--you WILL--be saved. It's a promise, and one thing God can't do is break a promise! "These things I have written unto you--that you may KNOW that you have eternal life" (I John 5:13). As we ackknowledge Jesus' work on the cross as payment for our sins, we receive the cleansing and forgiveness from His blood sacrifice.
Don't worry that you feel you have to totally clean up your life before coming to Christ. He asks that we come as we are. Let the Holy Spirit do the rest. It has been said that "God loves us just the way we are..." which is true! He does! The quote finishes, "...but He loves far too much to leave us that way." It is God who helps us to live right. Remember, we are insufficient of ourselves.
Now that you have read how to place your faith in Christ (I told you it was simple! And it doesn't involve works), you might wonder, SHOULD I GET SAVED RIGHT NOW? Yes! "Behold, NOW is the accepted time; NOW is the day fo salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2b). Why wait when life is so uncertain? Settle it now and find peace you never knew existed. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). As you read this, you have THIS moment, this one opportunity to receive Christ. It may be your last. As a demonstration (but NOT as a means to your faith), why don't you call upon the Lord in prayer and trust Him NOW. Talk to Him like the "Friend" He wants to be in your life. Trust that God WILL save you because He promises to. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL be saved" (Romans 10:13).
Placing one'sr faith in Christ is THE most imporant event in anyone's life. I just cannot adequately describe the peace and the joy and the hope that salvation brings! Let me say again that you are not saved by praying a prayer. Faith must be an outgrowth of a heart drawn by the Holy Spirit to the truth of Christ. Trusting Jesus is a ONE TIME DECISION in your life. The moment you believe in Christ, God will give you eternal life!! Once you have believed, God accepts you as His child!! Friend, with that faith, you need to believe that you do not measure up to God's standard of righteousness and that you cannot get rid of your sin on your own. Believe that Jesus is, as He claimed, the only one who can save you from your sins. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that hears My word and believes on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto LIFE" (John 5:24). Turn from your sins and invite Christ into your life. To "repent" is a turning FROM somethig and a turning TO something. FROM sin TO God. "If we confess our sins, He is FAITHFUL to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).
All I know is that nothing I have to say that sounds impressive or believable will make up your mind about this matter of salvation. I'm simply relaying God's invitation to you. In other words, He wants you to RSVP...ASAP. "Behold, NOW is the accepted time, behold NOW is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). Why not settle the issue this very moment, Friend? Not just for peace of mind, but for a life of purpose and for a heavenly Father who wants to use you in ways you could never imagine. Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). If you trust Christ today, this will be the start of abundant life in Christ! "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundandtly" (John 10:10).
If you are sincerely ready to take this important step, just talk to God right now and express your faith in His Son and that you need His forgiveness. That's all there is to it! In the event that you find a SAMPLE prayer helpful, here is one. Remember, this it is not the words expressed that matters, it is the FAITH.
The following comes from a booklet by Max Lucado called, "Give it All to Him":
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
"What was Jesus thinking when He made this comment? Was He offering a chiched response to someone's need? 'Hey, whatever I can do. Give me a call.'Was He kidding? Or was He serious?Jesus appeals to us to bring Him those things that burden us and weigh us down. We weren't made to live with sin but designed to live forever. We think we can do it for a time, then realize it's just too heavy. The wight of our sins, our failures, and our worries is too much for one person to carry alone. Jesus wants them all.During this simple prayer, it's time to take your bags to the street. It's Friday morning. Trash day. And soon, it will all be gone.
"Dear God,I have been carrying around sacks of shame, worry, pain, resentment, and failure for too long. I have tried to live with the guilt and hurt, but they've grown heavy. My arms ache. My heart grieves. I can't move forward any longer. I realize that freedom begins not only by confessing my sin but by giving it to You. Once my sins are released from me to You, then You take my burden to the cross and there dispose of it. Forever. I once carried failure, but now I have forgiveness. I once carried hate, but now I have hope.I once carried fear, but now I have freedom.Thank You for removing the garbage of my life. No longer is my life the same ol' story. Now there is a new beginning. I am free because it is all in Your hands. Amen."
Here is a more direct prayer, but don't say it unless you mean it....
Dear God, I admit that I have sinned. I believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to take the punishment I deserve. Then You raised Him to life again, so that I may have eternal life. I turn now from my sins and ask You to firgive me. Please come into my life and be my Savior and Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Chrst, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last day" (I Peter 1:3-5).
WHAT A PROMISE!
You might have just prayed a prayer of faith. If you did accept Christ, you might now ask, HOW CAN I BE SURE I AM SAVED FOREVER? God said so. "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: He has said, and shall He do it? Or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good (Numbers 23:19)? In the next verse, Jesus is referring to Himself as the Shepherd, and His children, the sheep: "My sheep hear my voice, and I knew them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish; NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY FATHER'S HAND" (John 10:27-29). Now THAT'S assurance! Here's another kicker, "...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that HE IS ABLE to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (II Timothy 1:22b). That is because we aren't trusting in ourseves to keep our salvation. We are trusting in God. Some days, Friend, you are not going to feel saved. You might feel like the whole world is against you or you will be physically worn or especially troubled about something...but take heart, if you place your faith in Christ, you are saved forever!
If you have NOT responded to God's offer of salvation, I again encourage you to let me know how else I can help. If you HAVE accepted Christ, you might ask, WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? God is not going anywhere, and He isn't in a hurry. He will teach you more about Himself as you read His Word. I would be happy to suggest some specific passages of Scripture or even send you some great biblically-based outside material. The Christian life is a journey, to put it in a nutshell. At times I still take baby steps in my faith and walk with God, and once in a while I need to check to see if I am even going in the right direction!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says,"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Growing in the likeness of Christ is a process, and one that will take the rest of our lives. God knows we aren't perfect and that we aren't goingto be in this life. While Christians are not exempt of the hardships and troubles of life, it is SO comforting to konw that God is right there with us, both in cheering us on to victory, and in picking us up and brushing us off when we fall. "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
"And He said, I will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
I appeal to you, "Seek the Lord whie He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6).
*****
There's no greater peace than having assurance of one's position in Christ and eternal destiny. Since I was saved at such a young age, for the longest time I didn't know if I had really been old enough to realize what I was doing. Questions of doubt would plague my mind. What if I wasn't truly sincere? What if I said the wrong words? I was only 5, so maybe I didn't understand what I was doing!
It wasn't until junior high at family camp when the youth evangelist spoke on assurance of salvation. One comment he made hit me hard. He challenged us to stop asking ourselves whether or not we really had trusted Christ back then. Instead, to ask ourselves the question, "Am I trusting NOW?" And, "Do I see the fruit of the Spirit in my life to evidence that salvation?"
That moment of realization was monumental in my life as a Christian. It was imperative for me to remember that it is NOT up to ME to seal my eternal destination. All Christ asks for is a mustard seed of faith and He promises that no one can pluck me out of the Father's hand. NOTHING can separate me from the love of God. God's grace is not conditional to my feelings. If it was, I would need to be saved every single day...because some days I don't "feel" saved, as Mark Lowry would put it.
After hearing that message as a pre-teen emotional rollercoaster I realized that I was indeed trusting Christ alone for my salvation. And when I drift away from Him (as I do on occasion) I KNOW I am still saved because it is not I who has done the saving and securing, it is GOD. (Thank goodness for that, huh!) During times of rebellion or spiritual lethargy I know that it is only a matter of fellowship with the Lord that needs addressing, NOT eternal security. (See John 15 concerning the admonition to abide in Christ.) When I stray, it is that heavenly lifeline that has been severed and merely needs to be reconnected through confession and repentence. Yet, if I never confess of another sin to my death (although intimacy with God ought to be more highly desired!), because of CHRIST and HIS righteousness, my soul will ever be with the Lord. Praise God!!
Satan would have us doubt...that way we won't do anything great for God. But like that old Imperials song goes, "Satan is a liar, and he wants to make us think we are paupers...when he knows himself that we're children of the King! So lift up the mighty shield of faith for the battle must be won. Jesus Christ is risen and the work's already done so praise the Lord!"
*****
My goal in writing this out is not to "convert" you. That is contradictory to salvation--it is the work of the Holy Spirit that draws a heart to faith, it is Christ who carried out that work (in its intirety), and it is God the Father who, out of love, does the saving. Man could never boast in the matter of salvation--we are simply told to tell it because nobody needs to hear it any more or any less than we did. But the common factor is that we ALL need to hear it. "How then shall they call upon Him in Whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a *preacher?" (Romans 10:14). (* "preacher" meaning someone to tell them. I'm definitely NOT an ordained preacher!)
My father was the one who led me to the Lord as a child. He didn't HAVE to teach me what the Bible says. He could have let me explore the world and its religions and churches on my own (which, knowing my inquisitive personality, would have left me pretty messed up!). But he didn't. He cared enough to sit down with me and read to me passages of God's Word and to tell me that its possible for a little sinner like me to be absolutely certain about my salvation. Jesus said, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God" (I John 5:13). I am thankful my dad shared with me that I might have that assurance.
You can have that assurance, too.
Just know that these words and efforts to help you understand are from my heart. Not to blame or criticize or accuse. That is not my job. I see I'm already starting to ramble, so forgive my introduction/disclaimer and all I ask is that you read this with an open heart.
When it comes down to it, we are ALL in the same boat. We are all human--more alike than different--and I believe that deep down, we are all DESPERATE to know the truth. Pontius Pilate asked that very question in "The Passion of the Christ". I realize it is a movie, but there was a line where he said, "What is truth?" Well, I tell you today that Jesus made a bold claim in John 14: 6 when He said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life..." This truth leads us to a crossroads. We can either accept it or deny it. Believing in God is easy. Even Satan believes in God--and the Bible says that he shudders at the name of Jesus. We can have all the facts, but the truth must be clung to--trusted in. That is a HUGE distinction.
Now, because I do not know your spiritual condition (a.k.a., whether or not you are saved according to the Bible) I must tell you what it says about salvation and what a Christian is really about. Like I said, there are a multitude of misconceptions, and I hope this letter dismantles all of the unbiblical "Christian" influences you might have come across. You have made it clear that you have some doubts and/or uncertainties about your faith. How about this--would you be able to tell me you know for certain where you will be the moment you die? This is hard-core stuff, I know! Yet putting these questions out of consideration until we lie stricken like my grandma did at age 89 is cutting it a bit too close, wouldn't you say?
I mean, none of us has a clue what tomorrow holds for us. Proverbs 27:1 says this, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." I'm sure you understand this all too well. I have watched too many of my peers slip into eternity at the drop of ahat to ignore the reality of that verse. Sometimes it is easy for me to take for granted all the simple necessities GOd has given to sustain me--traveling mercies on the road; healthy, working organs; fresh, clean air to breathe, etc. It is only because God is gracious to us that such needs are met. However, these and other provisions may be taken away in the blink of an eye and, probably sooner than we think , our hour of decision will be over.
I know what you are thinking--"She said she wasn't going to judge my spiritual condition!" You are right. Only God can judge a heart and, believe me, He knows our hearts better than we ever could. That's why He was so gracious in giving us His Word. In the Bible we see just how short we fall in comparison to God's holiness and righteousness. It is impossible to live above sin, and the person who claims he does is to claim he is a sinner. It is a lie, but we are good at deceiving ourselves that way. I know I am. I tend to justify wrong actions because the cause is "good". Well, that don't cut it in God's eyes. Let me tell you why. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is DECEITFUL above all things, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?" Ouch. That means we don't even realize the full extent of our imperfection. We deceive ourselves into thinking we are pretty good individuals. I John 1:8 says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive our own selves, and the truth is not in us." I don't think I have to prove this point any longer.
The good news is that God gave us a Book that reveals this to us! Otherwise we'd be a hopeless cause. Take the 10 commandments, for example. God didn't give us the law so that we would be a slave to that law. He gave it to us so that we might be FREE from it! Free, first of all, from the BONDAGE TO sin (unable to do right) and, second, free from the PENALTY FROM sin (which is spiritual death, which we will see in a minute). The passage of Galatians 5:1-5 talks in detail about this.
I don't have to tell you that, while freedom is glorious, it doesn't come free. It costs people their lives. It is the same with God. Freedom came to us by the shed blood and finished work of Christ. That was a high price! You also know that in America, our freedom does not exist without limitations. We cannot go out and kill someone, exceed the speed limit, or rob a bank. Likewise, freedom in Christ is just as glorious and liberating, but there are limitations. Just let you find those limitations in God's Word--don't let man tell you what is right or wrong. Who is holy, after all?
So you see, by looking into the mirror of Scripture, we see who we are. It is not difficult to see our sin. The Bible explains that sin is defined as anything, either an outward act or an inward thought and/or motive, which goes against the very moral nature of God. And we established that His ruler is pretty high. He is absolute perfection. In Hebrew the word sin means "to miss the mark". The fact that we have but one selfish bitter or untruthful (just to name a few) bone in our body bears strong witness to the fact that we are indeed sinners. James 2:10 provides this sobering truth, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in ONE point, he is guilty of ALL."
I mean, think about it. I've never killed anyone. I've never robbed that bank, used drugs, nor have I committed adultery. I've kept the law, right? W-e-e-e-ell, I suppose I might have lied a few times...a-a-and I've cheated once or twice (*gasp*).....a-a-a-and I admit I've had some shameful thoughts and motives--more like on a daily basis. (Ok, we can stop there!) All I konw is that I fall short of keeping God's commands. For all have sinned and have fallen short of God's glory" (Romands 3:23). Even if I lied but ONE time or conjured up but ONE selfish thought, I would be a condemned sinner and on my way to hell.
However, consider this... Not only are we sinners by our actions, thoughts, and motives, Friend, but we are essentially BORN with a SIN NATURE. Even little toddlers do not need to be told how to lie, steal, etc. I work with children--I know this all too well! "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that ALL have sinned." (Romans 5:12). Our sin nature is passed down to us from Adam, but we can't just blame the "first guy"--we are each just as responsible for and are as much at the mercy of sin's consequences as Adam was when he ate the forbidden fruit.
Since I have already delved slightly into the question of whether or not man is inherenly evil, lets go there next. I guess we'll start with the Moody's Handbook of Theology brief discription of total depravity: As a result of Adam's fall, the entire human race is affected; all humanity is dead in trespasses and sins. Man is unable to save.
Ok, so when Adam sinned, all future humanity was plunged into sin. Not only did sin effect the created world (death, disease, deterioration, weather, animal preditors, etc.), but it affected man, who became enslaved to his sin nature. He still had a free will but was only able to freely choose what was consistent with his fallen nature. "What then? are we better than they? no, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: There is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one" (Romans 3:9-11).
Now, sin permeates every part of man's being. In other words, man is totally depraved. *In the BODY: "And if Christ be in you, the BODY is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:10). *In the MIND: "And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your MIND, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2). *In the WILL: "There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God" (Romans 3:11).*In the HEART: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it" (Jeremiah 17:9).
Total depravity does NOT mean that unsaved man has no desire to do right or can do nothing considered good, nor does it mean that he is as wicked as he can be. Total depravity means that sin has corrupted every part of man's being so that he can do nothing that pleases God. He us unable to love God, he does not seek God, he cannot choose God, and can do nothing that merits his salvation. (See Romans 3:9-23 for some characteristics of the inherently sinful man.)
Every member of the human race experiences the impact of sin. There is not a single human that has not been affected by sin. "For God so loved THE WORLD" (John 3:16). "And as it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
There might be a question about Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." The point of that verse is not to say that everything we do is worthless. It is saying that the unsaved person's righteousnesses are worthless in terms of satisfying God's payment for sin. This does not mean that God does not use our sinful actions, though they may appear good through man's eyes, to carry out His providential plan for the ages (which in turn gives them some value). Don't let the "filthy rags" comparison fool you. I'm not saying that there are some good things are happening in the world, but society is not looking through the eyes of a holy and righteous God. While these positive contributions are used by God in a physical sense, they don't score any "points" with Him spiritually. That's because the power of sin is separating us from an all-holy God who will not commune in the fellowship of sin/sinners.
To me that just makes God all the more loving and compassionate for sending His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins--so that we wouldn't have to. God wouldn't let us continue in our broken relationship with Him. He wants our friendship and love, and He doesn't want to have to force us to give it, either. God loves every one of His creation, but without that PERFECT, SINLESS sacrifice to make atonement for our sins, we cannot be justified in God's eyes and we would ALL perish and be forever separated from God if He didn't. Jesus was the go-between. If we don't claim the blood to cover our sins, our works (at least works to please God) are still in vain.
Those who you say are doing such and such for the cause of God are not being truthful IF they have not had Christ's blood to their account. We are enemies of God before we are saved--we cannot do ANYTHING for the God's causes if we have not first placed our trust in Christ's finished work on the cross. They may do much for society, they may love their family, and they may serve this country with utmost dedication, but they don't please God. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). See also Romans 6:18, "Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.
When God looks upon a person who has not placed their faith in Christ for salvation, He still sees their sin. On the contrary, when they trust Christ, God sees the sacrifice of Christ as a veil between Himself and the individual. He sees that they have been justified by grace through faith. Someone can say they are living for God, but if Christ is not in the picture, it all goes back to "the heart is deceitful...who can know it?" The passage of Matthew 7:21-23 is a wake-up call to those who call themselves "religious" or think they are "a-ok" with God. "Not everyone that will say unto me, 'Lord Lord', shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name have cast out devils? and in Your name done many wonderful works?' And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity."
What IS the consequence of our sin? Separation from God, which is eternal spiritual death in hell. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is DEATH..." Then there's Epesians 2:1, which says, "..."without Christ we are dead in [our] trespasses and sins." We need God to quicken our spiriits to reveal our need for a Savior and to then give us spiritual birth. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." It's that simple.
Did you know that any prayer we pray to God before placing our faith in Christ is NOT HEARD?! Did you catch that? Prayer is utter vanity without Christ as our mediator. God cannot be in the presence of sin. But if we have Christ's righteoueness (perfection) to cover that sin, God is satisfied by Christ's atoning sacrifice and only then does he hear our prayers. But before then, "Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regrad it" (Job 35:13). That is a scary thought. But once again, John 14:6 ends with this statement, "...no one comes to the Father except through Me (Jesus)." It's the truth.
Our problem: We are enemies of God because of our sin and, therefore, condemned.
His solution: Faith in the saving work of Christ on the cross to provide forgiveness and new life to all who will claim it through Him!
So now we know that we are sinners and, therefore, in BIG trouble without Divine help. We cannot do it on our own. We are not good enough, and we could never be on our own. So many people think that if they do enough good things then God is obligated to let them into heaven. Think about this, if salvation had to be earned by good works or by living morally, doing so would take the glory away from God. He alone is the one who saves. We CANNOT save ourselves. Doing good works in order to merit eternal life is BRIBERY. It is like telling God that He doesn't have the power or resources to save us and that, somehow, WE do. GOD is GOD, for goodness sake--He spoke this intricate and marvelous universe into creation and in a WEEK without our help. Surely he can save us apart from our help. As if we possess some spiritual ability to deceive God by covering up our sin with outward cheritable and righteous acts! God is not and will not be fooled. The Bible says that "Without FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please [God]" (Hebrews 11:6). Until God saves us, "All our righteousness are as filthy rags" Isaiah 64:6). Did you get that? Before we place our faith in Christ for salvation, anything good that we do, no matter how noble or seemingly selfless, God views as WORTHLESS as FILTHY RAGS. This is a humbling concept, but they are God's words, not my words, nor anyone else's. And when God speaks, we'd better listen!
So we are dirty, rotten sinners. We cannot save ourselves. We are separated from God because of our sin and on our way to hell. What a great life! Well, thank goodness God made a way to redeem us from our sloppy mess. I don't have to tell you that God sent His Son Jesus to the earth to die for our sins. So we ARE ok, then, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, because of Christ's sacrifice as the ONLY worthy sacrifice to cover sin because He was perfect. So here's the question: Since Jesus died for the whole world, shouldn't every person, then, be saved? Especially if it is not based on the works of man?? The Bible says no. Yes, John 3:16 is true with it says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." The cross is the extension of God's INVITATION to salvation to the whole world. We are all the same at the foot of the cross, regardless of nationality, race, or gender. But as the verse continues, ..."that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES..." It's true that Jesus' blood covered the sins of the whole world--past, present, and future, in fact. (thank goodness, because I have a lot of them!
In a nutshell, God is holy, that is fact. "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy" (I Peter 1:16). Man is evil, regardles of what he may think himself to be or how society views him. (See Jeremiah 17:9 again.) God sees this dilemma and offers Christ's righteousness to man so that man can have a new nature. Man must accept that righteousness personally to be holy in God's eyes. To accept is more than just an intellectual knowledge. "Sure, I believe Jesus died for my sins." It is an act by which he places his trust in the work of Christ for his salvation, not in anything he has ever done or will do. There's a verse that says, "..."without the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness of sins)" (Hebrews 9:22).
Yet here's the important difference in the form of two questions:
1. Did Christ's death and resurrection PROVIDE salvation for all men? YES! "...behole the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the WORLD" (John 1:29).
2. Did Christ's death and resurrection APPLY salvation to all men? NO! "...and to give His life a ransom for MANY" (Matthew 20:28).
This last verse doesn't say that ALL will be ransomed. God does NOT automatically grant salvatoin to every person, but it certainly is AVAILABLE and FREELY OFFERED to those who accept Jesus' blood for the cleansing of their sin. We are justified "freely by His grace" (I John 12:1-2). It must be personally accepted. It is ours for the claiming, but so many do not receive it.
You might ask, "How do I know if God chose me?" Isaiah 44:2a says, "I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born." The Bible says that we were not only created BY Him, but we were created FOR Him. Ephesians 1:5 & 14 tell us that individuals God chooses to save are saved "according to the good pleasure of His will...to the praise of His glory." We are saved for no other reason, Friend, than to GLORIFY GOD, which is why we are here in the first place. It's why God created this world at all. God gives us all the choice to accept or reject Him, and just in our sin nature we have rejected God. John 3:17 says, "For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." Verse 18 goes on to tell us why, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." The default mode of a person is to reject Him. So is it mean of God to let so many die in their sins? No, for the reason that He gave them the choice, they failed. Christ isn't in the condemning business because there isn't a person who ever lived that hasn't already condemned himself by his nature. The fact is, GOD DOESN'T HAVE TO SAVE ANYONE. That's why what He gives us is called grace: undeserved merit. God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
It's a wonder that God would choose to save me. Why?? I don't understand it because I have nothing to offer to Him except my "filthy rags". But we just cannot fully understand the amazing and infinite wisdom of God. He has a purpose for every single act. But I'm not going to question a good thing, that is for sure! Consider this verse about God's wisdom. This is an amazing verse. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Get this: "[God] isn't willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9). Christ WANTS to save you.
I can sense that you probably have a million questions, this letter just adding to that list, so I will expound more on what exactly Christianity means. Simply put, Christianity is about a RELATIONSHIP with the God of the Universe. As we have seen, we cannot gain access to God without Christ. You might have heard that "relationship" phrase before but maybe wondered what it meant. Christianity is about FAITH--not in a priest, or pastor, or Jim Caviezel--but in Christ's work on the cross as the ONLY and NECESSARY and SUFFICIENT way to merit that relationship with God. You don't have to know all the facts in the Bible to be saved, I promise you! Hey, I was 5!!! However, no one can rely on another's decision of faith, and that includes family members. God judges us as individuals, and saves us as individuals. We will have to answer for ourselves. We must each accept that our access to God is granted by no other means than through His Son.
Why? I Timothy 1:5 says, "For there is one God, and ONE mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus." That puts to rest any other religious figures as a means to salvation.
I would say that the majority of they that call themselves Christian "know" that Jesus died for their sins. I'm sure you do, too. Yet, I ask this question: Is that an intellectual knowledge or a personal claim??? There is a crucial distinction there, and I dare say that far too many who call themselves Christians are hoping with just an empty "head knowledge" of the gospel message. They don't let its message reach their hearts. I don't kow how you would answer that question, but I hope and pray that you will at least consider these truths for your own heart and life. I can't stress the simplicity enough! "...believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you SHALL be saved..." (Acts 16:31).
Important to note: While salvation IS simple, it is NOT what some call "easy believism". This philosophy of salvation dares takes advantage of God's ample supply of grace. Others refer to this type of salvation as "earning fire insurance from hell". How morbid! Easy believism involves quoting a "magic" prayer of sorts that supposedly serves as the pray-er's ticket into heaven. Life thereafter is typically lived without regard to God or the Bible. Remember, freedom does have limitations. I say this just to caution you...
On the other hand, salvation really is FREE! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that NOT of yourselves. It is a GIFT of GOD; not of works, lest anyone should boast." There is nothing more we can do to receive salvation than to........receive it!! Think about this: a birthday gift isn't yours until you take it. Claim it. Accept it. You do not receive it on the basis of merit. It's your birthday, for goodness sake, and the giver is extending the gift to you because he LOVES YOU. Likewise with God and his gift of salvation. "But God commendeth His own love toward us that, while we were yet sinners (now that's amazing grace!) Christ died for us" (Romand 5:8). It would be pretty sad if we had to work a number of hours or days in order to EARN a BIRTHDAY GIFT! It certainly wouldn't be a gift then, no matter how attractive the wrapping! See my comparison? Nobody receives your gift for you; YOU don't receive anyone else's gift for them. No, you claim it FOR yourself, BY yourself. And no one claims it for you. God is extending His gift of salvation. All we have to do is receive it into our hands and open it, free of charge! God will save whom He wills, and when He gives us the opportunity, we should take it!
BUT before we can receive God's gift of salvation, we must first realize that we NEED it. If it's not our birthday, why would we receive a gift that was meant especially FOR our birthday? Each one of us must come to a point in our lives when we put our life on trial; when we examine our heart. However, we cannot discover the depths of our sinfulness and merely shrug it off. When God reveals our sin to us, we MUST do something with the verdict!
That's why it is SO important to stress the PERSONAL aspect of faith. We can watch "The Passion of the Christ" and feel bad that the Son of God had to endure such brutal and unjust torture. (He was found without guilt, right?) But we MUST realize that each one of OUR sins were heaped upon Christ at the moment He cried from the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me" (Matthew 27:46)? In that dreadful, but actually bittersweet moment, every sinful action or thought of ours was placed upon Jesus, causing Him to become the filthiest liar, dirtiest adulterer, most horrendous murderer, most senseless thief, craftiest cheat, ugliest idolator, and the list continues. (See I Peter 2:24.) He CHOSE to do that so that we wouldn't have to! Amazing love!
In my own life, I had to come to grips with the intensity and extent of my sin that so directly contrasted the holiness of God. God and sin don't mix, by the way. That's why God turned His face away from Jesus on the cross, and which is why sinners cannot enter heaven unless they have the blood applied to their souls. God cannot stand to even look upon sin. It cannot be in His presence. Because Christ took upon Himself and paid its penalty (death, separation from the Father), God is able to apply Christ's righteousness (sinlessness) to our account. He stamped His approval on us with Jesus' wounds! After we place our faith in Christ, God no longer sees our sin, but His son's righteousness given to us. That's called JUSTIFICATION, or to be justified. I like to remember it this way: "Just-if-I'd never sinned." God then hears our prayers and Hebrews 4:16 says that we can "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." My friend, this concept is not only a thrill when grasped, but a relief also!
That is why there is NO MORE GUILT for the Christian. All our guilt and shame fall upon Christ. We are given a new nature through the righteousness of Jesus. Our SIN IS GONE. Now, please understand, we will never be entirely rid of our old sin nature as long as we live on this earth. The Christian life is a battle. (This is boot camp! :) ) BUT with the Holy Spirit in our lives to help us and to convict us when temptations and trials come, we are no longer SLAVES to that sin nature. Hallelujah! We no longer HAVE TO sin. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, whoseover commits sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34). Jesus says that when we are saved, "old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new!" God removes us from that bondage. The Holy Spirit helps us resist temptation. Just as Christ had victory over in, so can we--but only if we have been saved. That doesn't mean resisiting temptation comes easily for the believer. It still takes work and is a struggle that is part of a lifelong process called SANCTIFICATION (the continual conforming into the image of Jesus Christ). However, we have GOd on our side to help us progress in our growth, and then to be there for us in our darkest hours of trials, troubles, disappointments, fears, etc. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10:13). What a reassuring verse!
Now, a word about churches, if I may. There are definitely many good churches out there that clearly teach what the Bible says. But I am sorry to say that there is a lot of JUNK in many other churches today. I mean, there are some CRAZY things going on that God never intended, and that is never taught in Scripture! Trust me...these types of churches do NOT set the standard for true biblical Christianity. They give not only Christians, but Christ a bad testimony. The Bible says to "BEWARE of false prophets (teachers), which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are raveging wolves" (Matthew 7:15). A good rule of thumb is to find a church that presents TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.......which is ONLY found in the Bible.
God did not intend people to base their doctrine on a man-invented interpretation of the Bible. They don't need one because the Bible is quite clear. It is sufficient for EVERY life-encounter, situation, and problem. It ALONE holds the answers. Many churches do not declare the Bible as the highest authority for faith and practice. That's where all the denominational variation comes into play. Which one is right? Well, I'll leave that up to you, but I will say this very important statement: Cchurches that elevate ritual , tradition, good works, writings of man, man's own interpretation, OR, God forbid, man himself above the Bible are NOT presenting Scriptural truth. II Timothy 3:16 says, "ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and is PROFITABLE for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
I don't claim to have all the answers. You want to know a secret? CHURCHES don't have all the answers, either! The fact is, Christianity ISN'T about church. Oh, it is very important, as I stated. I attend regularly and teach primary Sunday School, but that doesn't make me more spiritual. It won't get me a bigger mansion with an ocean view! To reiderate, Christianity isn't about infant baptism (which is not even doctrinal to begin with!), nor is it about ritual, tradition, morality, or a certain prayer, either. Christianity isn't about feeling imprisoned, or miserable, or bored, or guilty, or unfulfilled. (It is quite the opposite!) Christianity isn't even about religion! This might sound oxymoronic, but it's true in the biblical sense!
Please note: Christ is KEY to life. He is not just a historical figure or symbol or a concept we take a moment (if even that) to think about at Christmas and Easter. Christianity is not some game, some worship concert that sets us on a spiritual high, only to drive us to rock bottom once we snap back to the real world. The apostle Paul confessed, "For to me to live is CHRIST, and to die is gain" (Phippians 1:21). Through Christ we have a reason for living. We have purpose in the little, mundane, routine activities of the day when we stop to consider that God has placed us on this earth at this tie in this place for reasons He wants to reveal to us if we just let Him. He did this NOT by chance, but but by Divine appointment. We are all meant to live for SO much more than the vanity of living for ourselves. What is life if all we do is get married, have kids, make money, grow old, and die? Christ came that we "might have life, and that [we] might have life more abndantly" (John 10:10). And then, after we've breathed our last, to die will TRULY be GAIN. I cannot begin to fathom the splendor of heaven!
Do you have abundant life, Friend? Do you live with the joy of knowing your work, your efforts, yor daily activities are not in vain, but that you are part of God's plan for the Ages? Are you satisfied with where your life is right now? Do you feel fulfilled? Are you sick and tired of the sugar-coated lies this world tries to sell to us? Have you found that too many "Christians" are hypocrites, really no different from the rest of the world? Have you discovered "organized religion" to be nothing but empty, heartless ritual? Do you wish you had an unshakable peace when the storms of life blow through? Now I ask not if you HAVE abundant life, but do you WISH you had abundant life?
I implore you today, Christ died for YOU, Friend, because He loves YOU. God konws all about our bumps and scars and weaknesses and inadequacies....and yet, He displayed HIs love for us to the utmost. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). I find it hard to believe that God could love someone like me, as I continue to fail Him time and time again. You know, there are people we will fail in this life that just can't overlook our mistakes and faults, no matter how sorry we are. God knows when we are about to fail Him even before it is a thought and yet, His love remains constant. Knowing that fact overwhelms me with gratitude! He's always waiting with open arms for me to come back to Him. God knows us, who we really are, and He still wants to give us His every possession. I don't konw about you, but NO ONE has ever loved me like that before!
Christianity isn't about religion...it's about Christ. Christianity isn't about "fitting in" at a church. Christianit isn't about duty or obligation. It IS, however, about God's grace that can find the worth in the worthless. It IS about discovering that there is more to this life than JUST this life. I'll say it again--Christianity isn't about religion....it's about Christ.
Remember that birthday gift? Well, once we've received it, it's ours. To keep. We get to reap all the wonderful benefits of what's inside the wrapping. Likewise, when we accept God's gift of salvation, we get to reap the benefits. Remember this acrostic? God's Riches At Christ's Expense. His riches are free.
Salvation can really be understood with childlike simplicity. I know because God saved me when I was a little girl. I don't boast in that like it was my doing, but God's timing is as much mystery as His wisdom. At the time I was saved, I had no idea what doctrine meant. I only knew that I was a sinner and that I needed a Savior. That God sent His Son Jesus to be that Savior. That's it. I believed. I trusted. I placed my faith in HIS work on the cross. However you want to say it. I was just as completely saved that day as I am today. It took no less of God's grace to save me from the sins of a child--but remember, past, present, and FUTURE sins, too--as it takes for a mass-murderer to be saved. My testimony may not be as interesting or gripping as some of the sob-story-conversions I hear at church or on the radio, but my story is just as beautiful a picture of God's love as anyone's story....even yours.
Do you want to be saved, Friend? I would be happy to answer any more questions you want to fire at me. I don't care what they are. You might ask, HOW DO I GET SAVED? Well, I'm glad you asked! :) Having realized you are a sinner, as we all are, the Bible says, "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, YOU SHALL BE SAVED. For with the HEART man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9). Faith grows in the heart, and you express it with words. (I personally believe that in order for salvation to not be a work of man, the faith we place in Christ has to be the gift of God. That's because I know I could never muster up enough faith on my own!) This verse in Romans does not say that you MIGHT be saved...if you say the right words. NO! It says that you SHALL--you WILL--be saved. It's a promise, and one thing God can't do is break a promise! "These things I have written unto you--that you may KNOW that you have eternal life" (I John 5:13). As we ackknowledge Jesus' work on the cross as payment for our sins, we receive the cleansing and forgiveness from His blood sacrifice.
Don't worry that you feel you have to totally clean up your life before coming to Christ. He asks that we come as we are. Let the Holy Spirit do the rest. It has been said that "God loves us just the way we are..." which is true! He does! The quote finishes, "...but He loves far too much to leave us that way." It is God who helps us to live right. Remember, we are insufficient of ourselves.
Now that you have read how to place your faith in Christ (I told you it was simple! And it doesn't involve works), you might wonder, SHOULD I GET SAVED RIGHT NOW? Yes! "Behold, NOW is the accepted time; NOW is the day fo salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2b). Why wait when life is so uncertain? Settle it now and find peace you never knew existed. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). As you read this, you have THIS moment, this one opportunity to receive Christ. It may be your last. As a demonstration (but NOT as a means to your faith), why don't you call upon the Lord in prayer and trust Him NOW. Talk to Him like the "Friend" He wants to be in your life. Trust that God WILL save you because He promises to. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL be saved" (Romans 10:13).
Placing one'sr faith in Christ is THE most imporant event in anyone's life. I just cannot adequately describe the peace and the joy and the hope that salvation brings! Let me say again that you are not saved by praying a prayer. Faith must be an outgrowth of a heart drawn by the Holy Spirit to the truth of Christ. Trusting Jesus is a ONE TIME DECISION in your life. The moment you believe in Christ, God will give you eternal life!! Once you have believed, God accepts you as His child!! Friend, with that faith, you need to believe that you do not measure up to God's standard of righteousness and that you cannot get rid of your sin on your own. Believe that Jesus is, as He claimed, the only one who can save you from your sins. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that hears My word and believes on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto LIFE" (John 5:24). Turn from your sins and invite Christ into your life. To "repent" is a turning FROM somethig and a turning TO something. FROM sin TO God. "If we confess our sins, He is FAITHFUL to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).
All I know is that nothing I have to say that sounds impressive or believable will make up your mind about this matter of salvation. I'm simply relaying God's invitation to you. In other words, He wants you to RSVP...ASAP. "Behold, NOW is the accepted time, behold NOW is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). Why not settle the issue this very moment, Friend? Not just for peace of mind, but for a life of purpose and for a heavenly Father who wants to use you in ways you could never imagine. Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). If you trust Christ today, this will be the start of abundant life in Christ! "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundandtly" (John 10:10).
If you are sincerely ready to take this important step, just talk to God right now and express your faith in His Son and that you need His forgiveness. That's all there is to it! In the event that you find a SAMPLE prayer helpful, here is one. Remember, this it is not the words expressed that matters, it is the FAITH.
The following comes from a booklet by Max Lucado called, "Give it All to Him":
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
"What was Jesus thinking when He made this comment? Was He offering a chiched response to someone's need? 'Hey, whatever I can do. Give me a call.'Was He kidding? Or was He serious?Jesus appeals to us to bring Him those things that burden us and weigh us down. We weren't made to live with sin but designed to live forever. We think we can do it for a time, then realize it's just too heavy. The wight of our sins, our failures, and our worries is too much for one person to carry alone. Jesus wants them all.During this simple prayer, it's time to take your bags to the street. It's Friday morning. Trash day. And soon, it will all be gone.
"Dear God,I have been carrying around sacks of shame, worry, pain, resentment, and failure for too long. I have tried to live with the guilt and hurt, but they've grown heavy. My arms ache. My heart grieves. I can't move forward any longer. I realize that freedom begins not only by confessing my sin but by giving it to You. Once my sins are released from me to You, then You take my burden to the cross and there dispose of it. Forever. I once carried failure, but now I have forgiveness. I once carried hate, but now I have hope.I once carried fear, but now I have freedom.Thank You for removing the garbage of my life. No longer is my life the same ol' story. Now there is a new beginning. I am free because it is all in Your hands. Amen."
Here is a more direct prayer, but don't say it unless you mean it....
Dear God, I admit that I have sinned. I believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to take the punishment I deserve. Then You raised Him to life again, so that I may have eternal life. I turn now from my sins and ask You to firgive me. Please come into my life and be my Savior and Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Chrst, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last day" (I Peter 1:3-5).
WHAT A PROMISE!
You might have just prayed a prayer of faith. If you did accept Christ, you might now ask, HOW CAN I BE SURE I AM SAVED FOREVER? God said so. "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: He has said, and shall He do it? Or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good (Numbers 23:19)? In the next verse, Jesus is referring to Himself as the Shepherd, and His children, the sheep: "My sheep hear my voice, and I knew them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish; NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY FATHER'S HAND" (John 10:27-29). Now THAT'S assurance! Here's another kicker, "...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that HE IS ABLE to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (II Timothy 1:22b). That is because we aren't trusting in ourseves to keep our salvation. We are trusting in God. Some days, Friend, you are not going to feel saved. You might feel like the whole world is against you or you will be physically worn or especially troubled about something...but take heart, if you place your faith in Christ, you are saved forever!
If you have NOT responded to God's offer of salvation, I again encourage you to let me know how else I can help. If you HAVE accepted Christ, you might ask, WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? God is not going anywhere, and He isn't in a hurry. He will teach you more about Himself as you read His Word. I would be happy to suggest some specific passages of Scripture or even send you some great biblically-based outside material. The Christian life is a journey, to put it in a nutshell. At times I still take baby steps in my faith and walk with God, and once in a while I need to check to see if I am even going in the right direction!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says,"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Growing in the likeness of Christ is a process, and one that will take the rest of our lives. God knows we aren't perfect and that we aren't goingto be in this life. While Christians are not exempt of the hardships and troubles of life, it is SO comforting to konw that God is right there with us, both in cheering us on to victory, and in picking us up and brushing us off when we fall. "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
"And He said, I will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
I appeal to you, "Seek the Lord whie He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6).
*****
There's no greater peace than having assurance of one's position in Christ and eternal destiny. Since I was saved at such a young age, for the longest time I didn't know if I had really been old enough to realize what I was doing. Questions of doubt would plague my mind. What if I wasn't truly sincere? What if I said the wrong words? I was only 5, so maybe I didn't understand what I was doing!
It wasn't until junior high at family camp when the youth evangelist spoke on assurance of salvation. One comment he made hit me hard. He challenged us to stop asking ourselves whether or not we really had trusted Christ back then. Instead, to ask ourselves the question, "Am I trusting NOW?" And, "Do I see the fruit of the Spirit in my life to evidence that salvation?"
That moment of realization was monumental in my life as a Christian. It was imperative for me to remember that it is NOT up to ME to seal my eternal destination. All Christ asks for is a mustard seed of faith and He promises that no one can pluck me out of the Father's hand. NOTHING can separate me from the love of God. God's grace is not conditional to my feelings. If it was, I would need to be saved every single day...because some days I don't "feel" saved, as Mark Lowry would put it.
After hearing that message as a pre-teen emotional rollercoaster I realized that I was indeed trusting Christ alone for my salvation. And when I drift away from Him (as I do on occasion) I KNOW I am still saved because it is not I who has done the saving and securing, it is GOD. (Thank goodness for that, huh!) During times of rebellion or spiritual lethargy I know that it is only a matter of fellowship with the Lord that needs addressing, NOT eternal security. (See John 15 concerning the admonition to abide in Christ.) When I stray, it is that heavenly lifeline that has been severed and merely needs to be reconnected through confession and repentence. Yet, if I never confess of another sin to my death (although intimacy with God ought to be more highly desired!), because of CHRIST and HIS righteousness, my soul will ever be with the Lord. Praise God!!
Satan would have us doubt...that way we won't do anything great for God. But like that old Imperials song goes, "Satan is a liar, and he wants to make us think we are paupers...when he knows himself that we're children of the King! So lift up the mighty shield of faith for the battle must be won. Jesus Christ is risen and the work's already done so praise the Lord!"
Our Engagement Story
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Jeromy and I actually began talking about getting married back in January! (And since November, joking about running off to elope--in fact, we still do!) Very early on we knew this love was real, that God had His hand in this relationship and that there are plans He has for us together. Since we hadn't known each other very long we thought this connection we encountered was absolutely CRAZY! And it really IS!
We started talking about rings in February, and Jeromy started shopping around while I spent some more time in Charlotte. The week of Valentine's Day he called up my parents' house (well, after staring at his phone for 20 minutes!), and he asked my dad to unshackle his daughter--I mean, to marry his daughter! ;) Jeromy picked out a beautiful oval solitaire online, and he allowed me to choose the trellis setting. Knowing we were planning on getting married in the Fall (funny how SOME plans change...) and that we had long since been committed, waiting on the official proposal was TORTURE! I wanted to tell the world about my man, but I had to learn some patience.
Fortunately, Jeromy didn't make me wait too long. (He says I was "chomping at the bit"--how romantic!) While on vacation with the Cecil's in Vermont (beginning of March) he set up the details with the lighthouse caretakers, and planned to ask me shortly after my return a week later.
That weekend we had friends visit, and they had to leave earlier that morning. During the drive back from church Jeromy thought to call the guys to see where they were at on their trip home. Before hanging up one of his friends, unaware that he was on SPEAKER PHONE, said, "Oh, and pre-congratulations about tonight." Jeromy's ears turned bright red and I stared straight ahead. I didn't hear that, I really didn't hear that! "You're an idiot, I'm on speaker phone." Not another word was said about it! I thought it was ruined! I thought he for sure would decide not to propose that night.
We ate an entire pint of potato salad while sitting on the dock at Piney Point that evening. I still wasn't sure what was up Jeromy's sleeve, as it was pretty leisure. I was wearing capris, and my legs were getting cold, so I asked Jeromy if I could borrow his fleece jacket to cover them. I had no idea, but the ring was in the jacket pocket, and could have easily fallen into the water! But how was I to know? The sun was setting, so we walked over to the lighthouse. I had never seen it with the light on, and that was special in and of itself.
All of a sudden Jeromy began inspecting every square inch of the lighthouse. He was looking for a key, an open padlock, anything that would let us inside like he had been promised. I didn't know any of this. To me he looked like a crazy man running around the thing! He then ran over to the house a few yards away, jumped up the steps to see if the key was taped to the door. I was like, "What are you doing?! We're going to get in trouble for trespassing!" A dog started barking in one of the windows, yet he kept running around the property as if he owned it!
Finally he gave up his search, led me closer to the water's edge, and said, "Well....I brought you here for a reason." My eyes grew as big as saucers, I could feel it. Jer got down on one knee and, "I'm asking...will you be my wife?" (or something along those lines--no girl is thinking straight at a moment like that!) I do remember, however, responding with a hearty, "Of course!"
Not everything went as planned, but everything was absolutely perfect!
Jeromy and I actually began talking about getting married back in January! (And since November, joking about running off to elope--in fact, we still do!) Very early on we knew this love was real, that God had His hand in this relationship and that there are plans He has for us together. Since we hadn't known each other very long we thought this connection we encountered was absolutely CRAZY! And it really IS!
We started talking about rings in February, and Jeromy started shopping around while I spent some more time in Charlotte. The week of Valentine's Day he called up my parents' house (well, after staring at his phone for 20 minutes!), and he asked my dad to unshackle his daughter--I mean, to marry his daughter! ;) Jeromy picked out a beautiful oval solitaire online, and he allowed me to choose the trellis setting. Knowing we were planning on getting married in the Fall (funny how SOME plans change...) and that we had long since been committed, waiting on the official proposal was TORTURE! I wanted to tell the world about my man, but I had to learn some patience.
Fortunately, Jeromy didn't make me wait too long. (He says I was "chomping at the bit"--how romantic!) While on vacation with the Cecil's in Vermont (beginning of March) he set up the details with the lighthouse caretakers, and planned to ask me shortly after my return a week later.
That weekend we had friends visit, and they had to leave earlier that morning. During the drive back from church Jeromy thought to call the guys to see where they were at on their trip home. Before hanging up one of his friends, unaware that he was on SPEAKER PHONE, said, "Oh, and pre-congratulations about tonight." Jeromy's ears turned bright red and I stared straight ahead. I didn't hear that, I really didn't hear that! "You're an idiot, I'm on speaker phone." Not another word was said about it! I thought it was ruined! I thought he for sure would decide not to propose that night.
We ate an entire pint of potato salad while sitting on the dock at Piney Point that evening. I still wasn't sure what was up Jeromy's sleeve, as it was pretty leisure. I was wearing capris, and my legs were getting cold, so I asked Jeromy if I could borrow his fleece jacket to cover them. I had no idea, but the ring was in the jacket pocket, and could have easily fallen into the water! But how was I to know? The sun was setting, so we walked over to the lighthouse. I had never seen it with the light on, and that was special in and of itself.
All of a sudden Jeromy began inspecting every square inch of the lighthouse. He was looking for a key, an open padlock, anything that would let us inside like he had been promised. I didn't know any of this. To me he looked like a crazy man running around the thing! He then ran over to the house a few yards away, jumped up the steps to see if the key was taped to the door. I was like, "What are you doing?! We're going to get in trouble for trespassing!" A dog started barking in one of the windows, yet he kept running around the property as if he owned it!
Finally he gave up his search, led me closer to the water's edge, and said, "Well....I brought you here for a reason." My eyes grew as big as saucers, I could feel it. Jer got down on one knee and, "I'm asking...will you be my wife?" (or something along those lines--no girl is thinking straight at a moment like that!) I do remember, however, responding with a hearty, "Of course!"
Not everything went as planned, but everything was absolutely perfect!
How we met...
March 2006
Back at the end of September I (Tara) was in the process of looking for churches. While on Myspace, I noticed Jeromy's page and that he was from Lexington Park, MD (just a couple miles down the road). His page was highly Christian, mentioning some of the books he likes to read and all that (which included specific books of the Bible and other Christian authors). I had just recently visited Lexington Park Baptist Church, and shot him a short email to ask if he was familiar with it, or if he knew of any other good churches in the area. Turns out he used to attend that church, and it was crazy because I later found out that he used to attend Bible study with some Christian girls I met at St. Mary's College (the ones who invited me to the campus ministry bonfire!). In fact, they even invited me to that same Bible study, and I never went. That means, had I accepted the invitation and attended the Bible study, I would have met Jeromy earlier than I did! Crazy... But who cares--we met anyhow!
After that we emailed back and forth for a couple weeks, talking about John Piper and Calvinism (4.5 vs. 5-point and all that), just a friendly conversation about a bunch of theological stuff. He asked me if I knew Piper since I'm from Minnesota, and I told him yes, and that I even visited Piper's church just before coming out here to Maryland! I even forwarded the notes on his sermon because I thought Jeromy might be interested. And then, since I was reading Captivating by John Eldredge, and I found out he was into Wild at Heart by the same author, we started talking about some of those issues.
The next week when I was in Charlotte, NC with the Cecils, Jeromy sent me a message that simply said, "When are you coming back to Southern Maryland so we can actually meet???" I was kind of taken aback, but laughed it off a little bit. My mind was kind of distracted elsewhere at the moment. Meeting Jeromy was the most random thing that had happened to me so far while in Maryland. It turns out, however, that my distraction was a good thing, or I might have been tempted to go after Jeromy, to pursue him instead of allowing God to lead him to pursue me. It was all perfect timing, the way it worked out.
I really wasn't seeking anything with Jeromy. In fact, I just about turned him down when he asked if I'd like to meet up with him and some of his friends at the Coffee Quarter one Friday night (October 21st). I just didn't want to go. And I don't know why. But at the last minute I decided, why not? I ought to make some friends so I don't end up a hermit all year! And actually, that night we didn't get to talk very much at the coffee shop because there was this jazz group from the College of Southern Maryland performing, and they were pretty loud. But afterward we went outside and with one of his friends and spent some time talking. Just nice and light. Yet even then I caught the vibe that Jeromy and I were on the same page spiritually. He walked me to my car, and it started to rain. And we just stood there and talked some more--in the rain!!
I didn't email Jeromy after that. I didn't even hear from him until the following Friday (October 28th), when he called me at about 6 pm, asking if I'd like to go to Panera Bread and then catch some ice cream at Cold Stone. I had just come in from a run, and I had almost passed out on the couch when he called. He gave me all of 15 minutes to freshen up (thanks, Jer!), and he was at the door! Talk about short notice! But it was fine, and we ended up talking nonstop again. I almost didn't even want to take a bite of food because then we'd have to pause the conversation--it was unbelievable!
I believe the next time we got together was Sunday afternoon, two days after Panera Bread (October 30th). By this time I knew something was UP with this guy. Again, he called me last minute, about an hour after church, and he drove us around to all these fun little nooks in St. Mary's County. Little known parks and beaches, lighthouses, docks...they all had beautiful views! Our last stop was Piney Point Lighthouse. Piney Point would soon become "our spot".
By that time it had grown dark, and the sky was bright. A million stars. We walked to the end of the dock and just stood there for probably an hour and a half, just marveling in wonder at the things of God. We never talked about this friendship we had formed, or whether we wanted to be more than friends. It was ALL about God. That night was magic, and we both knew it. God was doing something here, but we didn't have a clue where that would lead. All of that was yet unsaid.
I think we ate out one more time before the missions banquet with the Potomac Baptist Association. It was weird. He called me Monday night (October 31st), just after I hung up with the Association office to make a reservation so I could attend the banquet. There was no way I was going to invite Jeromy. I don't ask guys out, period. But when he called I said that I just finished making reservations for the banquet, he immediately responded with, "Oh yeah, that sounds cool!" He said it as if I made a reservation for TWO--me AND him! I didn't know what to say! It was awkward, but at the same time it wasn't! So I just played along, "You mean you would like to go?" There went God again...appointing things out of my control! I almost laughed out loud!
So yes, Jeromy went to the banquet with me the following Thursday (November 4th). And I paid! (*gasp*) The speaker at the missions banquet was Carrie McDonnall, lone survivor of an Iraqi insurgent attack back in March of '04. She, her husband, and two other individuals were missionaries over in Iraq, and they all perished except for Carrie, despite the fact she was wounded over 22 times. 22 TIMES!!! Most people are dead with ONE bullet! This woman is definitely a recipient of God's mercy. God has a message for her to share with the world. And share she did!
Recently we joked about how the seating at our table was pretty cozy, and despite no other physical contact up to that point, we were forced to rest our leg against the other's! The previous week I sent Jeromy an email with just one word: "integrity", because I was so impressed with how honorably and selflessly he treated me at all times. I was beginning to grasp the importance of communicating more specifically when he wrote back and asked, "Is that to say I have it or need it?" :)
After the banquet Jeromy drove me back to the Cecils, but we stayed in the truck and talked for at least another hour. It was good. Then I realized I had decided not to bring my purse, and that my house key was locked inside! It was after 11 by then, and to my dismay I ended up waking both Mike and Chris, AND Samantha--who was screaming once they let me in the house. And THEN the security alarm went off, and...it was a mess. So I said a quick goodbye to Jeromy and went straight up to my bedroom. I felt horrible and embarrassed and I wanted to hide.
I wasn't tired, though, so I emailed a "thank-you-but-sorry-for-the-incident" message, and then when I clicked send, I noticed Jeromy had sent me a message at the same time! We were both too wired to sleep, so we hopped on MSN messenger and chatted for...a few more hours! As it were, Jeromy decided to just lay it all out there, and he commented about how amazing it has been to meet someone like me who wants to talk about the things of God. He said he had to wear his heart on his sleeve and take a risk with me. It took us until 2:30 in the morning to finish that conversation! We will never forget that night/wee morning.
Near the beginning I had feared taking it further than friendship because I had never before experienced such a spiritual connection to somebody so quickly in all my life. From the start it was obvious that this was NOT about Jeromy and Tara. This was about GOD. All I could do was just pray that it would ALWAYS be about God. But I was still scared because I DID want more, and God had to show me that that didn't have to be a bad thing. For the first time it wasn't ME striving. I wasn't seeking anything. It was frightening because it WAS (and IS) totally out of my control. There were Hands greater than mine at work here. It was so real I could feel it. And the last thing I wanted to do was to dishonor that sacredness. I didn't want this God-focus to all of a sudden make this selfish shift so that it became about Jeromy and Tara. The thought haunted me. So I didn't say a word. And then I was struck with one thought: Well, if it be in the mind of God Almighty, then what if, perhaps one day it just might be more about GOD if it were more about Jeromy and Tara? MORE sacred. And the fear absolutely crumbled. It dissolved. And yet I still didn't say a word. I've learned enough in my day (the hard way, always!) to let the guy be the pursuer. I don't want to rob a guy of that glory, nor do I want to rob myself of a potentially incredible story. So I just waited. But surprisingly, it wasn't hard! And then, one night God opened Jeromy's mouth, and there you have it...a collision. An amazing whirlwind of a collision that still causes me to rub my eyes in the middle of the day, wondering if this is real. (Pinching hurts, so I stopped that!) And it IS real. And we covet that sacredness. We may have to fight for it at times, but it is every bit worth the fight.
We could hardly wait until daylight, because we planned to meet for breakfast. We stopped at the store to pick up some bagels and sat at the Piney Point dock again. Jeromy brought his guitar and we sang praise songs toward the horizon and prayed some. Perfection....
The rest is history, I guess. October 21st and November 5th are two quite special days for us. And soon to come, August 12th!
Back at the end of September I (Tara) was in the process of looking for churches. While on Myspace, I noticed Jeromy's page and that he was from Lexington Park, MD (just a couple miles down the road). His page was highly Christian, mentioning some of the books he likes to read and all that (which included specific books of the Bible and other Christian authors). I had just recently visited Lexington Park Baptist Church, and shot him a short email to ask if he was familiar with it, or if he knew of any other good churches in the area. Turns out he used to attend that church, and it was crazy because I later found out that he used to attend Bible study with some Christian girls I met at St. Mary's College (the ones who invited me to the campus ministry bonfire!). In fact, they even invited me to that same Bible study, and I never went. That means, had I accepted the invitation and attended the Bible study, I would have met Jeromy earlier than I did! Crazy... But who cares--we met anyhow!
After that we emailed back and forth for a couple weeks, talking about John Piper and Calvinism (4.5 vs. 5-point and all that), just a friendly conversation about a bunch of theological stuff. He asked me if I knew Piper since I'm from Minnesota, and I told him yes, and that I even visited Piper's church just before coming out here to Maryland! I even forwarded the notes on his sermon because I thought Jeromy might be interested. And then, since I was reading Captivating by John Eldredge, and I found out he was into Wild at Heart by the same author, we started talking about some of those issues.
The next week when I was in Charlotte, NC with the Cecils, Jeromy sent me a message that simply said, "When are you coming back to Southern Maryland so we can actually meet???" I was kind of taken aback, but laughed it off a little bit. My mind was kind of distracted elsewhere at the moment. Meeting Jeromy was the most random thing that had happened to me so far while in Maryland. It turns out, however, that my distraction was a good thing, or I might have been tempted to go after Jeromy, to pursue him instead of allowing God to lead him to pursue me. It was all perfect timing, the way it worked out.
I really wasn't seeking anything with Jeromy. In fact, I just about turned him down when he asked if I'd like to meet up with him and some of his friends at the Coffee Quarter one Friday night (October 21st). I just didn't want to go. And I don't know why. But at the last minute I decided, why not? I ought to make some friends so I don't end up a hermit all year! And actually, that night we didn't get to talk very much at the coffee shop because there was this jazz group from the College of Southern Maryland performing, and they were pretty loud. But afterward we went outside and with one of his friends and spent some time talking. Just nice and light. Yet even then I caught the vibe that Jeromy and I were on the same page spiritually. He walked me to my car, and it started to rain. And we just stood there and talked some more--in the rain!!
I didn't email Jeromy after that. I didn't even hear from him until the following Friday (October 28th), when he called me at about 6 pm, asking if I'd like to go to Panera Bread and then catch some ice cream at Cold Stone. I had just come in from a run, and I had almost passed out on the couch when he called. He gave me all of 15 minutes to freshen up (thanks, Jer!), and he was at the door! Talk about short notice! But it was fine, and we ended up talking nonstop again. I almost didn't even want to take a bite of food because then we'd have to pause the conversation--it was unbelievable!
I believe the next time we got together was Sunday afternoon, two days after Panera Bread (October 30th). By this time I knew something was UP with this guy. Again, he called me last minute, about an hour after church, and he drove us around to all these fun little nooks in St. Mary's County. Little known parks and beaches, lighthouses, docks...they all had beautiful views! Our last stop was Piney Point Lighthouse. Piney Point would soon become "our spot".
By that time it had grown dark, and the sky was bright. A million stars. We walked to the end of the dock and just stood there for probably an hour and a half, just marveling in wonder at the things of God. We never talked about this friendship we had formed, or whether we wanted to be more than friends. It was ALL about God. That night was magic, and we both knew it. God was doing something here, but we didn't have a clue where that would lead. All of that was yet unsaid.
I think we ate out one more time before the missions banquet with the Potomac Baptist Association. It was weird. He called me Monday night (October 31st), just after I hung up with the Association office to make a reservation so I could attend the banquet. There was no way I was going to invite Jeromy. I don't ask guys out, period. But when he called I said that I just finished making reservations for the banquet, he immediately responded with, "Oh yeah, that sounds cool!" He said it as if I made a reservation for TWO--me AND him! I didn't know what to say! It was awkward, but at the same time it wasn't! So I just played along, "You mean you would like to go?" There went God again...appointing things out of my control! I almost laughed out loud!
So yes, Jeromy went to the banquet with me the following Thursday (November 4th). And I paid! (*gasp*) The speaker at the missions banquet was Carrie McDonnall, lone survivor of an Iraqi insurgent attack back in March of '04. She, her husband, and two other individuals were missionaries over in Iraq, and they all perished except for Carrie, despite the fact she was wounded over 22 times. 22 TIMES!!! Most people are dead with ONE bullet! This woman is definitely a recipient of God's mercy. God has a message for her to share with the world. And share she did!
Recently we joked about how the seating at our table was pretty cozy, and despite no other physical contact up to that point, we were forced to rest our leg against the other's! The previous week I sent Jeromy an email with just one word: "integrity", because I was so impressed with how honorably and selflessly he treated me at all times. I was beginning to grasp the importance of communicating more specifically when he wrote back and asked, "Is that to say I have it or need it?" :)
After the banquet Jeromy drove me back to the Cecils, but we stayed in the truck and talked for at least another hour. It was good. Then I realized I had decided not to bring my purse, and that my house key was locked inside! It was after 11 by then, and to my dismay I ended up waking both Mike and Chris, AND Samantha--who was screaming once they let me in the house. And THEN the security alarm went off, and...it was a mess. So I said a quick goodbye to Jeromy and went straight up to my bedroom. I felt horrible and embarrassed and I wanted to hide.
I wasn't tired, though, so I emailed a "thank-you-but-sorry-for-the-incident" message, and then when I clicked send, I noticed Jeromy had sent me a message at the same time! We were both too wired to sleep, so we hopped on MSN messenger and chatted for...a few more hours! As it were, Jeromy decided to just lay it all out there, and he commented about how amazing it has been to meet someone like me who wants to talk about the things of God. He said he had to wear his heart on his sleeve and take a risk with me. It took us until 2:30 in the morning to finish that conversation! We will never forget that night/wee morning.
Near the beginning I had feared taking it further than friendship because I had never before experienced such a spiritual connection to somebody so quickly in all my life. From the start it was obvious that this was NOT about Jeromy and Tara. This was about GOD. All I could do was just pray that it would ALWAYS be about God. But I was still scared because I DID want more, and God had to show me that that didn't have to be a bad thing. For the first time it wasn't ME striving. I wasn't seeking anything. It was frightening because it WAS (and IS) totally out of my control. There were Hands greater than mine at work here. It was so real I could feel it. And the last thing I wanted to do was to dishonor that sacredness. I didn't want this God-focus to all of a sudden make this selfish shift so that it became about Jeromy and Tara. The thought haunted me. So I didn't say a word. And then I was struck with one thought: Well, if it be in the mind of God Almighty, then what if, perhaps one day it just might be more about GOD if it were more about Jeromy and Tara? MORE sacred. And the fear absolutely crumbled. It dissolved. And yet I still didn't say a word. I've learned enough in my day (the hard way, always!) to let the guy be the pursuer. I don't want to rob a guy of that glory, nor do I want to rob myself of a potentially incredible story. So I just waited. But surprisingly, it wasn't hard! And then, one night God opened Jeromy's mouth, and there you have it...a collision. An amazing whirlwind of a collision that still causes me to rub my eyes in the middle of the day, wondering if this is real. (Pinching hurts, so I stopped that!) And it IS real. And we covet that sacredness. We may have to fight for it at times, but it is every bit worth the fight.
We could hardly wait until daylight, because we planned to meet for breakfast. We stopped at the store to pick up some bagels and sat at the Piney Point dock again. Jeromy brought his guitar and we sang praise songs toward the horizon and prayed some. Perfection....
The rest is history, I guess. October 21st and November 5th are two quite special days for us. And soon to come, August 12th!