Look to God: Rich Provision for Empowered Service

Bryan Chapell, Holiness by Grace:

     God does not want us to be caught in the paralysis of spiritual poverty. Through the doxology that Paul uses to prepare us for the requirements of this passage, God tells us of the richness of his provision so that we will serve him with courage and vigor:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
     and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
     Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever give to God,
     that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
     To him be the glory forever! Amen (Rom. 11:33-36)

     God says in essence, "I have already declared to you that by the work of Jesus Christ you are rich in mercy. Now build my kingdom with the energy and effort that befits those with unlimited resources. Be done with the self-doubt and fear of loss that cripples those poor in faith. I have declared you holy. Be about the business of building my kingdom. Stop saying that because you are not a Moses, or were not raised in the right environment, or wandered to other priorities, or made some mistakes, you cannot serve God. Yes, you can."
     We who are rich in mercy have God's business to do, and no one can say that we are underfinanced. God's gracious provision empowers us for his service.

God, Our Merciful Boxing Coach

Bryan Chapell, Holiness by Grace:
     Mercy is the good news that God is for us (Rom 8:31). He is on our side. He is in our corner. The mercy of God's continuous support is a powerful source of the believer's strength in the face of our own faults and frailties. Think of the strength that another's support can provide in the context of Olympic competition. Our town has become a magnet for young boxers, and we follow the Olympic boxing competition closely. Despite their great talents, the youthfulness of most of the fighters makes them particularly prone to mistakes. Yet, even when an immature boxer's own "showboating" sets him up for a sucker punch, I have never seen a coach walk out on his athlete. No matter what the fault, the coaches stay in their fighter's corner. God's grace reminds us that he always remains in our corner, too.
     Even when we, like some of the young Olympians, have taken a blow to the chin due to our own mistakes and pride, God never turns his back on us. When we have boxed with sin, failed, and fallen, God is still for us. He does not wait for us to lift ourselves off the mat before encouraging us. God shouts from our corner, "Get up, child. Yes, you forgot what I told you, but I'm still here for you." Were God to walk away when we go down, leaving us alone and ashamed, then we would have no reason to get up again. But our God promises never to leave or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). His encouragement lifts us from the paralysis that our own guilt would impose and makes us the vital warriors he desire for the kingdom's battles.

An Eager Meeting

     She took her children to the park to break the monotony of schoolchildren now homebound for the summer, and instead she broke her own heart. She had watched her children run to the playground equipment as another car drove into the parking lot. The new car ground to a quick stop in the gravel. A young, attractive woman with a beaming smile leaped out of the driver's seat and virtually skipped to a secluded picnic table near an adjoining lake.
     The mother's imagination began to race. Who could this attractive young woman be meeting in such a secluded spot with so much enthusiasm? Was this a long-awaited and carefully planned rendezvous with an over-busy husband, a lunch date with a best friend, or a tryst between secret lovers? She determined to stay on the lookout for whoever got out of the next car that parked.
     No one else came immediately. The mother soon grew preoccupied with her children, and forgot to watch for whomever the young woman was meeting. When she did finally glance again at the secluded woman, what the mother saw made her own heart hurt. The attractive, young woman was reading a Bible. The person she had leapt from the car to meet with such enthusiasm was the Lord.

- Bryan Chapell, Holiness by Grace

This beautiful scene makes my heart smile and think of Psalm 34:5&8: "Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed....Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

photo: hunting cabin, Tioga County, PA 2011

A Working Faith

I took a second listen to Pete's sermon from this Sunday on "Real Faith." There are many ways I'm reminded that I am not in control of my life right now. When I don't feel I'm in control, I am tempted to fear instead of faith, which leads to unbelief expressed in sinful attitudes and works as opposed to the good works of righteousness. This sermon was a gentle and firm call to continue in the fight for faith and good works by the grace of God and not my own willpower.
I want to grow in looking for opportunities and situations for my faith to be expressed, and not cower in fear that my faith will be tested. In reality, I don't have to look for these opportunities, because I'm living in the middle of them right now and am grateful I can see how the Lord guided me into desiring them and now in living them out. I pray that God will grow my faith and strengthen me so that I may not "grow weary in doing good" (Gal 6:9) but be refreshed in the knowledge that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence," (2 Peter 1:3)

I took notes, well actually more like transcribed sections of, the sermon below.

James 2: 14-26

We cannot use the work of God in us as a reason not to work. Eph 2:8-10- “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” …We don’t gain our salvation by these works, but b/c we have salvation in Jesus Christ we work.

2:14-17 James is primarily talking to believers [who are] going on about the faith that they have but not demonstrating the faith that they have.

The dichotomy isn’t whether you have faith or works; the true dichotomy is whether your faith is real or it’s not. Because if your faith is real, you will have works. And if your faith is not real you will not have works.

How is your faith working today? Is it working?
Real faith is a working faith.

Vs 20-24

Real faith anticipates. It looks for the time of expression. Do you look for the time for your faith to be expressed and completed? You know when that is, right? When Jesus returns and you see him, your faith becomes sight and it’s complete. Until then, there are many small completions of our faith. And you know what they are? They’re the work that we do, because faith anticipates. It looks forward to the time of expression. It looks for the opportunity.

[my note: Do I look forward to opportunities for my faith to be tested and proven genuine? Though it may be hard work, how sweet it is to be tested and found firm in Christ! With faith, I can say to the Lord, “bring it on, I am ready to do your will.” ]

Faith looks like saying, “God give me an opportunity to demonstrate, to work.”

This is where the completion of your faith happens. It’s looking for an opportunity to be employed, to go to work, to be active, for a time of expression. It’s looking forward to that. Are you looking forward to that? Or are you avoiding it? “ohh, I hope it doesn’t come to me. Is it gonna come to me?” Well, it’s gonna come to you! So employ your faith….Are you ready to lay down your life for Jesus? Would you even welcome that opportunity to employ faith in Jesus Christ to the point of your death? If you are, I think you’ll be ready to take every opportunity the Lord gives us.  That’s what we need to be working towards, to employ our faith to that level. Don’t you want to be a friend of God? Who would you rather be called a friend of?

Vs. 25

[Rahab’s] faith went to work. Just like mine and yours must go to work. And it should give us great hope that no matter who we are, no matter where we are today dear friends – this is not a hopeless message, this isn’t a brow beating message that says “come on, get your act together people.” There is a caution in it, there is a correction in it, but it’s also meant to stir our faith and to say “listen, you’re looking at that sin, you’re looking at that situation, you’re saying ‘there’s no way!’ Well, have faith dear friend and go to work with it.” Put your faith to work. Believe. Trust.  Be steadfast. Keep walking. Take the next step. Don’t  give up. Be like Christ. Trust him. There will be grace there. Your hope in God will not be disappointed. It wasn’t for Abram. It wasn’t for Rahab. And it will not be for you and for me.

Vs. 26

Works in the name of Jesus are spiritual. A body that has a spirit is alive and effects everything around us.

Real faith is a working faith. Is your faith working? Let’s trust God to work in and through us. Let’s be Christians in this world...This is soul stirring, hopeful truth. Don’t you want to be a friend of God? Don’t you want to walk with God? This is how we can do it.

 
[Opportunity for the good work of loving others, especially when aware of the risk it requires, need not be met by fear but by anticipation for my faith to rise and stand firm whatever the cost. There is a sweet beauty in the expression of faith through works. Just as we can look to Abraham for an example of a working faith, so also I can look to his wife Sarah - 1 Peter 3:6 says: And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening." Pretty cool namesake to look up to, if I do say so myself.]

photo: old and new building (in reflection) on a walk
back from the mailbox at work, last week

Carry Your Cross

"Take up the cross, and follow me." — Mark 10:21
You have not the making of your own cross,... but your cross is prepared and appointed for you by divine love, and you are cheerfully to accept it; you are to take up the cross as your chosen badge and burden, and not to stand cavilling at it. This night Jesus bids you submit your shoulder to his easy yoke. Do not kick at it in petulance, or trample on it in vain-glory, or fall under it in despair, or run away from it in fear, but take it up like a true follower of Jesus. Jesus was a cross-bearer; he leads the way in the path of sorrow. Surely you could not desire a better guide!...
Take up your cross, and by the power of the Spirit of God you will soon be so in love with it, that like Moses, you would not exchange the reproach of Christ for all the treasures of Egypt. Remember that Jesus carried it, and it will smell sweetly; remember that it will soon be followed by the crown, and the thought of the coming weight of glory will greatly lighten the present heaviness of trouble. The Lord help you to bow your spirit in submission to the divine will ere you fall asleep this night, that waking with to-morrow's sun, you may go forth to the day's cross with the holy and submissive spirit which becomes a follower of the Crucified. - C.H. Spurgeon

What a natural little expert my heart is at childish tantrums and inward focused despair. What a patiently loving Father, who persists in both requiring obedience and persuading with the sweet mercies of surrender - of which the utmost is relationship with himself.

"Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art."

photo: Longwood Gardens 9.15.12

Ian & Larissa

Desiring God is highlighting the lives of Ian and Larissa (www.prayforian.com). I'm so glad their story is reaching multitudes. God has given them a unique story to exalt him.

  

In May 2006 Ian Murphy led my family group at the New Attitude conference (Next Conference), and that summer he was in Lancaster for an internship. I remember him giving me advice on changing my major at school. College kids with life ahead of us, I think so many of us felt the gut wrenching truth of how life really can be taken away in an instant as we witnessed what happened to Ian's life. He was someone who stood out in a group and was so passionate about God and life. If thi...s could happen to him....well, why not me?

As I read him saying "I would do this (disability) all over again if I knew it would affect this many people. God is glorious," it's really hitting me that God had a special leadership role for Ian in the body of Christ, different from what we may have thought back then. Ian seemed to be the kind of guy who naturally was gifted with influencing people, but then his accident happened and God has taken that and multiplied it in such a powerful way, not decreased it. Ian and Larissa are exalting Christ in the roles God has given them. They are persevering in the faith and treasuring Christ, taking each day and difficult moment at a time by the enabling grace of God.

Soli Deo Gloria

living today: a Turkish evening

So this week I've got easy material to post for "living today." 

My friend Chris Haughery designed the program/invitation for a wine tasting event fundraiser called Heart's Delight Wine Auction to benefit the American Heart Association. They gave him two tickets to a formal private $500 plate dinner at the Turkish ambassador's residence, and he asked me to be his +1. It was a pretty amazing experience. I was privileged and honored to go down to DC last Thursday for the dinner.

Here is the published information about our dinner.

Host: His Excellency Namik Tan, The Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey 

Chef: Hasan Siyam, Ambassador’s Chef
Wine: Collection of Turkish wines presented by Steve Feldman of Potomac Wines & Spirits
Residence of the Ambassador of Turkey 1606 23rd Street, NW
7:00 p.m.
Total guests: 28
Tickets: $500 

ready to go

taking the Metro there

inside the residence

dinner

dessert

do we look like we belong in there?

after a really great evening

I love how it's lit up.

A-mazing...yeah I spent the evening there dining with the Turkish ambassador and hobnobbing with about 25 other guests. Even made a new Turkish friend whose husband works on staff in the embassy.

It was such a treat, and so clear to me that my Father wanted to bless me in a unique fun way.