Dustin and Beau have started a conversation about the difference that takes place when someone has “been with Jesus.” First off - read what they had to say and think about it. Read Acts 4:13. And now think about your life. Do people, regardless of their faith, notice that you have been with Jesus?
That is my new goal in my social and everyday life. I want people to look at me and hear me talk and be able to say - “That guy has been with Jesus.”
I am going go spend some time with Jesus.
I am with Cliff. He says that he has felt like he is running behind this week. Let me tell you what - I have felt sluggish and run down and behind since I got to the office on Tuesday. The reality is that I am actually ahead of schedule - but I have felt way behind. Physically and mentally I have been struggling.
Yesterday - the first thing that Robin said to me was that “You look hungover. What did you do last night?”
I wasn’t hungover - but I just felt beat down. God has a way of speaking to you even when you feel at your lowest. I sat in my office and I couldn’t even read a blog. I couldn’t put the effort or energy into reading blogs that I normally love to read. For some reason - I really felt tired and exhausted.
So - I picked up my Bible. And what came to my mind was Romans 12:2. I needed to renew my mind. The only way to do that (that I know of) is to spend time with Jesus. I felt like crap when I came in - but I also feel like God renewed me after we hung out.
Lamentations is one of those books that you don’t hear many sermons from. As a matter of fact - I am fairly certain that I never have. I started reading the book yesterday. And the first two chapters were exactly what I expected. Israel and Judah are in exile or just in ruins. The people are upset. The writer is expressing the sorrow and the regret that he feels. Chapters one and two are full of - “God we messed up.”
I started wondering where all of this was going. Then chapter three happened. The honesty of the writer is inspiring. He is lamenting to God and he isn’t holding back. He is telling God exactly how he feels. But somehow - he finds hope. His hope is in the faithful love of the Lord. His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness - his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I literally choked back tears as I read this passage. God is completely faithful. In the midst of our unfaithfulness and running from God - there is hope. That hope is his love.
Read this chapter. I dare you not to be moved.
I have been rather slack lately. I don’t know why. I just haven’t taken the time to actually write anything out.
That being said - God’s grace is amazing. I have been reading Thessalonians. In the first book - I was along for the ride. It was good. Paul was saying some encouraging things and he was really speaking to the people at this church he started. But then chapter five happened. Paul proceeds to drop bombs.
There must have been some lazy people in Thessolinica. He warns against laziness in letter one and again in letter two.
After reading Jeremiah - I needed a break from the (dreaded) Old Testament. And now after I & II Thessalonians - I am moving back to the OT. Lamentations - here I come.
I just finished the book of Jeremiah today. Sure - it took me a long time. Here is my overall opinion of Jeremiah.
God’s wrath is so real. We are flawed. There is no chance for any of us. We have all chosen to worship the ‘gods’ of this world. But there is hope. I would find myself reading about the destruction to come and how unfaithful God’s people had been and thinking - When is this going to end? Where is the silver lining? And then God would say to his people that HE would restore them. Despite our unfaithfulness - God will restore us.
God is faithful. Even when destruction is surrounding us. God is faithful. When we are unfaithful and we choose to worship the creation rather than the Creator - God is faithful. He will restore us. He will always love us.
Praise God.
I can’t get over the simple truth of Grace. God’s grace is simply amazing. I know that this next quote is going to be kind of long. But it is an excerpt from one of Matt Chandler’s messages. He is talking about the beginning of Matthew 5 and the “beatitudes.”
Blessed are the ones, happy are the ones, being healed are the ones, growing in depth are the ones, worshiping are the ones who are keenly aware of their inadequacies, their failures, their uselessness, how prone they are to wander, their difficulties. Blessed are the ones who keenly understand their brokenness, for they will be comforted. So let me trace the two paths for you. You’ve got the one guy who’s trying with all his might to not be the mess up but he really is. And every time he hears, “You’re a hypocrite, you’re a failure,” he feels, “I know, I’ve got to try harder. I’ve got to get better. I hate this sin. This sin owns me,” and he tries to work harder. So he comes to church every week and he hears someone talk best practices, “This is what a Christian should look like. This is how we should live.” He knows he’s not living up, and so he
gets overwhelmed, he gets depressed, he thinks it’s just not working for him and he contemplates giving up. That’s track A; you’re welcome to hop on it. Here’s track B. Track B is, “Hey man, you’re a hypocrite.” “I know. How crazy is it that Christ still loves me? How crazy is it that He lavishes forgiveness and love on me? I’m doing the things I know to not walk in anymore. And I now I’m constantly messing up, but praise His name that He still loves me right now.” “Hey man, you’re a bitter, angry man.” “I know I am. This has become increasingly clear to me because I try to follow Christ, but how unreal is He? How beautiful is He? How amazing is Christ that, in the middle of my bitterness and rage, He extends grace and mercy and love to me?” “Hey man, you’ve got a real lust issue.” “Man, I know. I’m in the step studies and I’m going to counseling and I’m trying to resolve this thing, but how beautiful is Jesus right now that, right in the middle of my lust, He loves me?” Not, “How great am I that Jesus loves me.” You take that turn and that’s blasphemy upon blasphemy upon blasphemy. Not how great am I that He would love me; how great is He that He would?
God’s grace astounds me everyday. God’s grace is so amazing - I can’t comprehend it. How great is He that he loves me?
During my quiet time today - God kind of spoke to me about something. I - like a lot of people - get jacked up at conferences or when I hear awesome messages. I get fired up and very excited. I just went to Passion ‘08. It was awesome and truly a “spiritual mountain top” experience. But naturally - that experience is wearing off.
I think that conferences and listening to good messages about God are great. But they are like Spiritual Energy Drinks. I go to those conferences and it is like chugging an Amp. I get jacked up. But inevitably - I am going to crash. What needs to be happening is me working out my salvation or working out with my quiet times daily. That is where my energy needs to come from.
Energy drinks are good to spark a short burst - but in order to stay energized and healthy - a person needs to work our and treat their body right. Do you see what I am getting at?
Anyway - I felt like it applied to where I am at right now in my life. I have to make a choice to work things out instead of relying on a camp or conference experience to simply get me to the next camp or conference.
This is how dumb I am sometimes: I was reading my Bible as usual today. Everything was normal. I have been reading in Jeremiah. I have enjoyed the book - I have never read it before. Today, I read three chapters… before realizing that I was in Isaiah. Good one. I almost feel like I need to go back and read Jeremiah, too. I guess this probably looks like I don’t pay attention to what I read. I beg to differ - I pay attention so closely to what I read that I don’t notice the name of the book in the corner of the page.
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