Jesus Is the Greatest Ever

I visited my friends Lem & Cindi James this past Sunday. Thankful how God ministered to me in that time, particularly through his preached word exalting Christ in my heart. Here is a near-transcription from the end of Ian McConnell's sermon at Grace Bible Church in NE Philly. It's from the first service (we were at second).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hebrews 1:1-3
Long ago, at many times and ain many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but bin these last days che has spoken to us by dhis Son, whom he appointed ethe heir of all things, fthrough whom also he created gthe world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and hthe exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

You need Jesus to keep you together. …

Are you trusting Jesus to keep you together? Your marriage, your kids, your resources/finances, those you care about together? He upholds us across the board.

 

I am tempted on a daily basis to believe the lie that I hold myself up. Here’s what happens when I try to hold myself up, and when I try to hold up others that I feel I am responsible for – I do have a degree of responsibility, but I can’t do for them what only Jesus can do for them. Here’s what happens when I try to hold people up:  guess what I do? I drop things! And when I drop things, I’m tall, they break.

What are you trying to hold up right now that only Jesus can hold up? What are you trying to keep together that only Jesus can keep together? It’s all in where you depend. You say, “well, I have responsibility” yes, you do…you do have a responsibility to work hard to make your marriage work. You do have a responsibility to work hard to raise your kids and to discipline them and point them in the direction of following Jesus. You do need to work hard at your job to have money so you can provide for your needs. You do need to work, but there’s a way of working where I trust in myself and a way of working where I trust in Jesus, and they’re completely different. Psalm 127: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” … Here’s how we trust in him to uphold us as we commit ourselves to our responsibilities: We do our responsibilities in active trust, in conscience dependence on Jesus who holds everything together.

Here’s what you do not want. You don’t want a team of pastors here who act like it’s their ultimate responsibility to hold you together. And here’s what we don’t want. We don’t want you to trust in us to hold you together because we can’t.  But Jesus can. So what’s the greatest thing we can do for one another? What’s the greatest way we can encourage one another? What’s the greatest way we can exhort one another? Ready? Here you go: Look to Jesus. I want to point you to Jesus. I need you to point me to Jesus. I need to point others to Jesus, because he’s the one who holds us up.

Since he’s the one upholding all things and carrying everything to its intended end, I also need to trust in Jesus not just to hold me up but to take me where I should go. So he keeps me going and takes me to where I should be going. Are you actively trusting in Jesus to lead you and guide you, take you. I think sometimes we are tempted to think Jesus is messing the script up. You’re not writing the script; Jesus is. ..He’s writing the script, upholding us, and taking our lives to their God-appointed end. And here’s what we know about Jesus, He doesn’t mess up. Jesus Christ has never made a mistake upholding things, and he won’t make the first mistake in your life. You can be guaranteed of that. He will uphold you, and he will take you where he has you. Isn’t that relieving? So you can go through the dark night of your soul; you can through that suffering; you can go through that pain – it’s still painful; it still hurts; there’s still unkowns – but here’s what you can do, you can trust in the one who’s going to take you, and your family, and this church to their appointed end. He’s not going to mess it up.

(recap)

·         God is speaking to us. He’s speaking to us through Jesus

·         He’s upholding  the universe by the word of his power, and

·         What he wants us to hear is that Jesus is the sustainer and orchestrator of everything.

He’s holding us up, church. …if you feel like you’re falling. If you feel like your life is ripping apart at the seams, I have good news for you: Jesus will hold you together. He’ll hold you together. He doesn’t promise to take away all the suffering. He doesn’t promise to take away all the hurt. He doesn’t promise health, wealth, and prosperity. He promises to uphold you and take your life to its appointed end, and he won’t mess up.

…

You can trust in him. You can hope in him. He’s the greatest ever.

 

 

photo: evening walk on Creek Hill Road (no edit); Tue Oct 15

Jean Griswold, witness to Christ

Jean: It's sad to this day...but the Lord has given me so much....When I think about this, I cry and it's sad. It's part of me...the Lord had not kept my husband with me, and I still don't have the answers to that, really....I hope girls learn how to trust God for whatever comes. Life's not a bowl of cherries all the time. Maybe every once in a while. And you have to learn how to hold steady through the down times... 

me: How did you learn that? What did you learn about trusting God in the down times? 

Jean: Well sometimes I didn't. If there was not a deep sense in me that I had been born again, that God had met me, and Christ had come into my life, there was forgiveness, and there's cleansing in the blood, and we must keep knowing that....It was just lovely...but I got so hurt by the way he acted towards me. I don't know; I still don't know....I didn't always manage well. 

Doug: Sounds to me that your relationship with Jesus was the steel in the structure that kept this house from crashing down.

Jean: ...from me going down underneath it all, yes.

Doug: Losing a child, having a divorce some years later, and the awful things in between, it really comes down to a woman's walk and relationship with Jesus.
...
Jean: Just put first things first in your life. Have that which is important in God for you. Let the pressures of life fall away. I don't think we need to be struggling, Christian young women, if they know that their hope is in Christ.

me: And even after all you've been through, you can say that.

Jean: That's right. And that's what matters. You can get old like me and that's still what matters. Nothing else is as important as Jesus Christ.

This is a segment from an interview with Jean Griswold, an 85 year old lady in my church. My pastor Doug and I visited her one afternoon and captured such rich sweetness from a woman who's lived grounded in Christ in the reality of a broken world. I came away deeply affected and marveling at the paradox of a life of faith. Jean's faced a life full of many of my fears, feeling their reality deeply so that they are part of her even today and still bring sorrow and tears decades later. And yet they have not overcome her. God has proven true to his word in her life, and she perseveres for the realization of the rest of his promises. She is a radiantly beautiful daughter of God who studies and treasures his word and sings his praises in her life. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  (Hebrews 12:1-3)

I'm thankful for the saints who have gone before me. And how blessed am I to be surrounded by so many of them! Both my parents have memories of times with Jean as single young adults in Community of Believers, or maybe it was called Lancaster Covenant Church by then (now going by the name of Crossway Church!)


You can listen to parts of our conversation with Jean on our church blog here. 

photo: August 13, 2011; last family vacation 

at the hunting cabin in Tioga county

Who is like our Lord?

 The LORD is merciful and gracious,
  slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
 He will not always chide,
  nor will he keep his anger forever.
 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
  nor repay us according to our iniquities.
 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
  so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
 as far as the east is from the west,
  so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
(Psalm 103:8-12 ESV)

Who is like our Lord?

That was shared during our worship service yesterday. It is both convicting and comforting to know there is no one like our Lord. None compares to his mercifulness, graciousness, slowness to anger, and abudance of steadfast love. Because I am in Christ, I do not need to lead a fearful life, waiting to be crushed, pushed down, or stifled. No, his wrath has already been poured out on Christ. I need not fear that from him anymore. And if the fear of the Lord is greater in me than fear of man, if his greatness is greater than anything else in my mind and heart, I need not fear what man can do to me.

 So we can confidently say,
 “The Lord is my helper;
  I will not fear;
 what can man do to me?”
(Hebrews 13:6 ESV) 

God is not like man. Man is made in his image and made to reflect him, but none truly compares with the Father. None truly has steadfast love or has sacrificed as much to lead and love me as the Son. When his image bearers fail to shine forth his glorious image, ask "who is like our Lord?"
Do not, oh my soul, confine your God to the failures of man.

photo: shadows in the kitchen 9/20/08

Leave it in his care, and seek to love.

 

If we genuinely trust in God's sovereignty, we ought to trust him enough to leave certain things in his care - even and especially personally painful things. 1 Corinthians calls us to bear all things, believe all things and hope all things about one another. - Tim Challies*

So good, yet so hard to do. So glad to have a great and mighty God who is bigger than all my struggles and will lovingly grant the grace I need each day.

Waiting on the Lord with personally painful things looks like trusting that my God is...

great.

mighty.

sovereign.

just.

holy.

caring.

loving.

gracious.

kind.

I will wait on the Lord. Strength will rise. "Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me."

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. - 1 Corinthians 13:7-8

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. - 1 John 4:18

And waiting on the Lord looks like allowing my faith to be tested and proved genuine, evidenced by obediently walking in the good works God has prepared for me even in the dark times (James 2:14-26). And I do believe the greatest, and sometimes most difficult, good work is truly loving others. How can I love? Because He first loved us. "We love because he first loved us."

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2

* In CJ Mahaney and Difficult Days, posted today

photo: torn up baseball I found on the hill in midst

of construction for our church building 8/6/11

Speak Truth

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,

my glory, and the lifter of my head.

- Psalm 3:3

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:14-16

Now unto the King who reigns over all / And never changes or turns

Unfailing justice, unfading grace / Whose promises remain

Yes, Your promises remain

The heavens ring / The saints all sing / "Great is Your faithfulness"

From age to age / We will proclaim / "Great is Your faithfulness / How great is Your faithfulness"

Everything changes, but You stay the same / Your word and kingdom endure

We lean on the promise of all that You are / And trust forevermore

We will trust forevermore

From generation to generation / You never fail us, O God

Yesterday and today and tomorrow / Until the day You return

-Matt Redman

Oh Father, use my ransomed life

In any way You choose

And let my song forever be

My only boast is You

- Jordan Kauflin, All I Have Is Christ

recorded on Looked Upon

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now, faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:12-13

photo: shadows in our kitchen, 9/20/2008

Looking unto Jesus

Charles Spurgeon Morning and Evening, June 28:

Morning:
"Looking unto Jesus." - Hebrews 12:2

It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. . . . and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee - it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee - it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument - it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by "looking unto Jesus." Keep thine eye simply on him; let his death, his sufferings, his merits, his glories, his intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to him; when thou liest down at night look to him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after him, and he will never fail thee.

"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name."

Evening:
...With an enthusiastic love for Jesus difficulties are surmounted, sacrifices become pleasures, sufferings are honours. But if religion is thus a consuming passion in the heart, then it follows that there are many persons who profess religion but have it not; for what they have will not bear this test. Examine yourself, my reader, on this point. Aaron's rod proved its heaven-given power. Is your religion doing so? If Christ be anything he must be everything. O rest not till love and faith in Jesus be the master passions of your soul!

Trust in the LORD

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

- Proverbs 3:5

These verses, which my mom had us kids memorize as little children, come to me when I most need them and bring sobbing tears as they push past the muck to dive into the core of my heart. Where would I be without the word of God hidden in my heart? I shudder to think.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12

Pain. Why is trusting the Lord hard and painful? Trust must not be settling for a half hearted leaning on the Lord but lodging itself deeper into my heart, and in fact guarding against the alternative of real destructive, long lasting pain that comes from going my own way and leaning on my own understanding. Growing pains exist - they hurt. But without them, we would not grow. As a pre-teen, I do not understand or see any purpose or end of those stretching pains, but they do not last forever and I reap the results as just a few years go by and I become a woman instead of a little girl.

The Gardener prunes. The fire refines. And my Father gives good gifts to his children, never bad ones. And even in the midst of a prune, in the heat of the fire, I can know that the grace of God is enough. He is more than enough for me, and all joy and peace is made available to me, purchased by the blood of Christ, for each and every moment. Not only at the end of the race, but also in the midst of exhausting effort of the run. Not only when the gold is refined, but even as dross is burning off. Why? Because the end has already been sealed. I have already been bought and the victory has been won. I know which team I am on, and his team has already won. So I can run with joy, even through the fog. When I can't see a step ahead on the path, I will trust the one who does and who promises to lead me to the end - to the greatest victory celebration ever to be had. We cannot even conceive.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

God is too wise to be mistaken

God is too good to be unkind

So when you don't understand

When you don't see his plan

When you can't trace his hand

Trust his heart

-Babbie Mason

Come to Me all

Security. Identity. The Word of God.

I am hit with the need for these three. I want my soul to be ever increasingly established. Immovable because of my Anchor. I hunger and thirst after him. I have a Rock who is my salvation, and I have his word to feed my soul the unchanging truths of who he is and how he relates with me.

Security:

...for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

Identity:

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. ... (1 John 3:1)

Satisfaction in the Word:

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16)

Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:13-14)

Somedays we get stuck in a fog. But no cloud can keep me from Christ.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

the beauty of old age

I thank God for the example I have in my grandparents. I am blessed not only that they are around and involved in my life, but even more by the example they set for me in so many ways. In particular, I have been recently struck by the grace of God I see in old age. His faithfulness shines forth. I'd strongly encourage others to seek out an older saint, no only the ones who are just a few steps ahead of you in years or life seasons, but those who really are near the ending years of their lives.

I am in awe of the work God is doing in my grandparents, my grandpa Landis in particular, as they increasingly experience more limitations and the reality of a deteriorating body. I see my own limitations and struggles, and then I look to see what my grandpa has daily in front of him. I am built in my faith to see that God uses old age not to foster a bitter, resentful, or complaining spirit, but that He instead is faithful to work into him a content dependance on God. I do not know my grandpa as a grumpy, bitter old man, but as one who has a steady persevering spirit (and an incredible sense of humor!). Sure it's hard. My grandpa was blessed with many many years of a healthy body and all-around-fix-it man abilities. He helped and served others in multiple ways. Now his productivity has been significantly hampered. And what a difficult transition that is, to have a heart and desire to do the things you once did but no longer be able to do them. It is different from the struggle to be content with things that have not yet come into your life. This is harder in many ways because you HAVE experienced much and know what you are missing. What gets you through and upholds you then, when you're near the end of life? Well, if you are like my grandparents and have known Jesus Christ as your Savior, old age is a revealing test that your life has been built upon the Unchanging Rock. When it is built on a relationship with God, that cannot be taken from you in your old age. The refining fire of old age, like other trials in life, is a servant of God used to fashion us into the image of his Son and draw our hearts to love him more. Fire may burn, but it refines into beautiful gold. The tugging, stretching, molding, hammering, burning, pruning, chiseling, and hard work of sanctification in this life is creating in us a beauty like Christ's, and will all be completely worth it when we get to see him in glory!

Be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" - Hebrews 13:5-6

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed by the name of the Lord. - Job 1:21

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

photo: my 23rd birthday; Feb. 2010

Hebrews 10:23

Can you handle this?

Yesterday evening I began to feel sick (head draining, sinus pressure, almost fever but not quite). I fought through it at work today and am still fighting it. By the end of the day, I had more to do than I could handle or finish by my 4:30 "end time." It all would probably have taken me 2 extra hours. My body felt like it couldn't take any more and was demanding that I shut down and sleep. It was already after 4:00, but more items for the day were still coming at me, and I hit a wall. I came to the end of myself. It's not a far way to go to get there (believe me!). While crying in the restroom, the only private place for me at work, God cared for me. He told me that yes I cannot handle this, but He can. He told me what to do, very clearly. Almost all at once He gave me my game-plan: reply to Steve's email and ask if he can call about the payroll issue instead of you; ask Angela to help you with the Children's Ministry rosters and Bookstore inventory for Sunday; look up the new bank's hours online to see if they have Saturday hours so you're not pressed for time (which they probably do - trust Me). All this was so clear, and clearly from my Father because my own mind could not process even just one single thought clearly at this point. And he said more. He said - I am the One who cares for you. I use others to help you, but it is I Myself who cares and provides. Now go walk in what I have made clear. And He was faithful. He could not have been otherwise. Others helped me when I asked, and I left work only one hour late instead of two.

This is a snapshot of one day, and it mirrors my life. What God has made clear to me recently is what He makes clear in His Word. He is reminding me that:

1. You need more time with me and in my Word each day. Do not starve yourself, but come eat and drink of Me. (Rom. 15:4; Jer. 15:16; Psalm 42:1-2)
2. You need others. They are the means by which I desire to work in you. (Heb. 10:23-25)
3. Yes, you may feel that you are spread too thin and do not have enough time to do these things, but I am calling you to them. And if I tell you something, you can trust it will work out for your best.

God is teaching me that He is enough. He is more than enough. He looks after me, and He is all that I need. He is the beginning and the end. He uses others, but He is enough. Walk in what He has made clear; you can trust Him. He will be faithful. How do we know? Because He has been faithful. He has been faithful at the cross and He will be faithful to bring me to the end. God is good, and He loves me.

This is what He is teaching me, and this is what I will be learning my whole life long.

I life up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;

the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The LORD will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121

photo: Thanksgiving 2007; Lititz, PA (Adele Wegert)