So, the other day, I was at my Grandma and Grandpa's house for supper. They were celebrating my birthday, which was almost 3 weeks ago, but we are both very busy. Needless to say, it was a great meal, with great fellowship, topped off with a great banana split (sorry diet - you took one for the team). But this blog is not about what I eat or don't eat. It's about how to glorify our Creator God, and what that looks like to me.
So before the meal, my grandparents and I were talking, and they were telling me (I don't know why or how this came up) how they were short on money this month because they had dated a check wrong and now they had to pay double for it. Being a good grandson, and humble too, I felt bad for them, and I started thinking about ways to help them out.
DISCLAIMER! Nothing in this post is meant to be prideful. It is simply me telling a story about how my grandparents embarrassed me with their love for Christ, and therefore for me. But this is a good thing. Through gathering those who embarrass you in your faith in God, you strive to become better, not that you can become more like them, but instead more like Christ. More on this later.
So anyways, we continued talking, and then after being acquainted with the Walton family (you should watch it sometime), we sat down for a nice home cooked Mennonite meal. Mennonite sausage from Manitoba, cukes, spaghetti, buns, and fresh picked that day corn on the cob. Delicious to say the least.
When the meal was finished, the burps were through, the toothpicks disposed of, and the stomachs full to bursting, Grandma busts out the banana splits. Oh, the joys of my youth. With this comes a birthday card, which by the way I had seen Grandpa writing when I came in the door. You know when you get a birthday card, and you open it and money falls out, it is awesome right? A hidden blessing for sure. However, this time, I was hoping there was nothing in it, because they had just gotten through telling me how little they had and how they had to scrape by this month. For the first time in my life, I was disappointed to see money fall out of my birthday card as I opened it to read the inside.
Now, this is not to say that I didn't appreciate the gift that they had given me. In fact, at that moment that I opened the card, I was, like I said, embarrassed. I was embarrassed because even they had so little (from what they told me), they still gave me money to celebrate my birthday. I honestly had to fight back the tears just as the realization hit me about the beautiful truth of the Gospel. Jesus had the universe (and still does) when He was in Heaven. Yet He gave it all up to come down to us. He gave it all up to gain me.
Let me say this again. Jesus had it ALL. He gave it ALL up. And then, He died a sinner's death for ME. And He rose again for ME. He also did all of this for YOU. If you are reading this, and you don't know Christ, I just want to say, He loves you. He loves you more than any fallible and sinful human ever will.
Anyways, as I choked back the tears (because I am somewhat prideful and don't like to let people see me cry), I said probably one of the most grateful "Thank You's" I have ever uttered. They didn't know it, and might never, but the thank you was not only to them, but also to my Saviour. You see, in that moment, the reason I was embarrassed was not because of the money. I was embarrassed because of my lack of faith in comparison to theirs. Not that I compare myself to them, but even Paul said, "Follow me as I follow Christ." I was reminded of the widow in Luke 20-21, when the widow puts in 2 copper coins to the offering, and that is likely all she has. Yet Jesus says she put in more than anyone there. Isn't that astounding? That we have a God who is so merciful that He treats us not by the amount we give or serve, but rather by the heart behind it. This is our God, and He IS love.
I know that I fall so incredibly short of the Holiness of God. However, I am and will continue to work on it. I will work through my faith. To glorify God, is to be a person of faith - in all things, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Out of the dust
When we think about dust, what do we think? What is it compared to? It is nothing. Dust is nothing when compared to anything else. Compared to even a grain of sand, sand is so much larger in comparison to most dust particles. Dust is nothing.
Recently I was on a boat, riding at the bow of the boat as it splashed through the waves. And when I say the bow, I mean the tip of the boat, my legs hanging off of the edge of the boat. It was amazing. The wind was rushing through my hair like something from some movie. I think if I could make a movie about a boat, I would put someone on the tip of a boat, have him throw his hands to the wind and shout, "I'm the king of the world!" Sounds like a blockbuster to me. Anyways, as I sat there with nature all around me, with so many things that are so much bigger than me, I just marvelled at the greatness of our God.
I mean, in comparison to the lake that I was hovering over, with just a fiberglass shell between me and the vast expanse under me, what was I? It seems that in comparison to God's creation, I am much like the dust. I am nothing. God created every water molecule, every sea creature, every plant, every everything. Yet still God loves me. Yet still God loves you. Take the time and just think of the enormity of the universe. So many planets, stars, moons, even asteroids and space debris that are bigger than the earth. it follows then, that the earth can be compared to dust in comparison to the rest of the universe. If earth is then dust compared to the rest of the universe, that kind of makes us less than dust. Yet still, God loves us.
Recently, I was listening to one of my new favourite bands, Gungor (shout out to Lena Rigby for acquainting me with this band). Seriously, do yourself a favour and listen to these guys if you never have. I was listening to the song "Beautiful Things" and the lyrics of the song are "You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of the dust, You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of us."
This is a process of God refining us through trials. That is what this life is. If you have lived any time at all, and I am guessing you are living, since you are reading this post, you know that this life is full of pain, trial, tribulation, and just overall evil. God uses these times of trial to refine us into the people He wants us to be. You see, just as He makes beautiful things out of the dust, He makes beautiful things out of us. No matter what you are going through, God is using it to His glory. If it is sickness, you might be healed for His glory. You also might not, so that you learn to depend on Him more, for His glory. Whatever it is, it is always for God's glory. Even the evil plans that Satan had in the Fall, when he made sin enter into the world, God used for His glory, to send His Son.
In Romans 5, it says that even while we were weak, even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. You have to understand this. he died while we were still imperfect. He did not wait until we cleaned our lives up, till we cleaned up our language or habits or minds. He died for us while we were still sinners, imperfect children of God. If you remember nothing else today, remember that Jesus died for you at the cross, while you were still a sinner. And He died for you today, and even if you are saved, you are still a sinner. However, God is refining us, even through our imperfections. He is making a beautiful things out of us, things that can be compared to dust in comparison to the entirety of His creation.
Let us be refined, to Glorify God...
Recently I was on a boat, riding at the bow of the boat as it splashed through the waves. And when I say the bow, I mean the tip of the boat, my legs hanging off of the edge of the boat. It was amazing. The wind was rushing through my hair like something from some movie. I think if I could make a movie about a boat, I would put someone on the tip of a boat, have him throw his hands to the wind and shout, "I'm the king of the world!" Sounds like a blockbuster to me. Anyways, as I sat there with nature all around me, with so many things that are so much bigger than me, I just marvelled at the greatness of our God.
I mean, in comparison to the lake that I was hovering over, with just a fiberglass shell between me and the vast expanse under me, what was I? It seems that in comparison to God's creation, I am much like the dust. I am nothing. God created every water molecule, every sea creature, every plant, every everything. Yet still God loves me. Yet still God loves you. Take the time and just think of the enormity of the universe. So many planets, stars, moons, even asteroids and space debris that are bigger than the earth. it follows then, that the earth can be compared to dust in comparison to the rest of the universe. If earth is then dust compared to the rest of the universe, that kind of makes us less than dust. Yet still, God loves us.
Recently, I was listening to one of my new favourite bands, Gungor (shout out to Lena Rigby for acquainting me with this band). Seriously, do yourself a favour and listen to these guys if you never have. I was listening to the song "Beautiful Things" and the lyrics of the song are "You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of the dust, You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of us."
This is a process of God refining us through trials. That is what this life is. If you have lived any time at all, and I am guessing you are living, since you are reading this post, you know that this life is full of pain, trial, tribulation, and just overall evil. God uses these times of trial to refine us into the people He wants us to be. You see, just as He makes beautiful things out of the dust, He makes beautiful things out of us. No matter what you are going through, God is using it to His glory. If it is sickness, you might be healed for His glory. You also might not, so that you learn to depend on Him more, for His glory. Whatever it is, it is always for God's glory. Even the evil plans that Satan had in the Fall, when he made sin enter into the world, God used for His glory, to send His Son.
In Romans 5, it says that even while we were weak, even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. You have to understand this. he died while we were still imperfect. He did not wait until we cleaned our lives up, till we cleaned up our language or habits or minds. He died for us while we were still sinners, imperfect children of God. If you remember nothing else today, remember that Jesus died for you at the cross, while you were still a sinner. And He died for you today, and even if you are saved, you are still a sinner. However, God is refining us, even through our imperfections. He is making a beautiful things out of us, things that can be compared to dust in comparison to the entirety of His creation.
Let us be refined, to Glorify God...
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Epic Winning
So, this blog post is brought to you by Matt Chandler, who put these questions into my mind during a Bible study that we do here every Sunday night at Meadowbrook Fellowship, Leamington, Ontario. The passage is Philippians 3:11-16.
Let me explain this a bit, so you can be up to speed on my thought process through this. Paul is speaking to the churches in Philippi, which he had planted a number of years before. He is saying here, in this passage, that even though we have obtained justification, we have not fully obtained sanctification. Paul is trying to instill in us a sense of longing and yearning for God, a striving to know Him more. Verse 11 says, "That by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
So, what are the means necessary? And am I taking them? Crazy questions, and not easily answered. If I want to pray more, am i surrounding myself with things that make me want to pray more? Or with people who are strong in that area and can help me pray more? What steps am I taking to strive, to toil, to yearn for Christ? And if I am not, should that not be a warning to me? I dare say it should! If we are not toiling to know Christ more on a day to day basis, we've lost. If we do everything else in this world, from digging a ditch to skydiving to being a professional athlete, but we don't know Him more at the end of the day, we have gained nothing. Bill Hybels, in his book "Holy Discontent", describes this as a moment where you just can't stand it anymore (for all you older folks, your Popeye moment). You need to do something about it. You NEED to know God more.
What is it that needs to be done in order that you know God on a more personal level each day? When you know what it is, dive headlong into it. Yeah, it might feel awkward at some points, but God will get you through it. For me, it is prayer. I want to be stronger in this area. But really, if I am honest with myself, I have said this for years. The question is, what am I going to do about it, and when. To know God more through prayer, I need to be around people who are the prayers. I need to ask God to instill this in me, a deep desire to communicate with Him through prayer. You, the reader, can also pray for that for me. I have a friend (you know who you are) who is an amazing prayer. This person is so personal with God, they always refer to God as their Father. They know how to talk to God and be His child. I am not saying that perfect language or anything is ever necessary, but I would love to have a prayer life where I hear from God all the time when I pray. I would like to have a prayer life where I can't wait to pray. Now, I know God is the Father. But do I ever really think of Him as MY Father? Am I really that personal with God that I feel like I could crawl into His lap like I used to with my earthly father when I was a baby? I wish. But that is what I need to do, is get close to those people.
Skipping ahead a bit to verse 13 and 14, Paul says, "But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ." Now what Paul is not saying is that we forget the past. We do not forget the past. However, we do forget and leave behind anything and everything that can rob us of our affections for Christ. This could be good or bad things. There can be an area in your life where you were struggling, and finally you (really, Christ in you), overcame this struggle. And in this, you still find pride, though it might have been ages ago. Forget whatever it is that robs your affections for Christ.
I love Paul because he knows what being an athlete really is. I mean, I have done P90X and am currently doing Insanity, but Paul was a Roman citizen. These guys, back in the day, wrestled each other, ran huge races, and were athletes to the core. If you have read any of Paul's letters, you would quickly figure this out because he talks a lot about running a race and training the body. This is where it ties together.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul explains that all of the runners in the race are in it to win it. Nobody runs in a race and thinks, "Man, I hope I come in last place." If people thought like that, they wouldn't be in a race. It is hard work being in a race. What does running the race in a way to win it look like? Well, like I said, it looks like you leave behind all of the things that rob you of your affections for Christ, and you press on to know Christ more. This is how the race is won. However, like Paul says in the passage, we don't race for something silly like a wreath. We race for eternal life.
We can't just sit back and watch the race happen. We need to be runners in it, always striving, toiling, running towards God. I believe this is where, a lot of times we, as Christians fail. We hear a great message and say, "That was an amazing message." But we never do anything about it! I think it's past time that instead of being spectators in the race of faith, we step up, train hard, and win this race. And this won't come easy. Intimacy with Christ will not fall into your lap. You need to work for it, to want it, to strive for it.
So - let's run this race and win it, to glorify God.
Let me explain this a bit, so you can be up to speed on my thought process through this. Paul is speaking to the churches in Philippi, which he had planted a number of years before. He is saying here, in this passage, that even though we have obtained justification, we have not fully obtained sanctification. Paul is trying to instill in us a sense of longing and yearning for God, a striving to know Him more. Verse 11 says, "That by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
So, what are the means necessary? And am I taking them? Crazy questions, and not easily answered. If I want to pray more, am i surrounding myself with things that make me want to pray more? Or with people who are strong in that area and can help me pray more? What steps am I taking to strive, to toil, to yearn for Christ? And if I am not, should that not be a warning to me? I dare say it should! If we are not toiling to know Christ more on a day to day basis, we've lost. If we do everything else in this world, from digging a ditch to skydiving to being a professional athlete, but we don't know Him more at the end of the day, we have gained nothing. Bill Hybels, in his book "Holy Discontent", describes this as a moment where you just can't stand it anymore (for all you older folks, your Popeye moment). You need to do something about it. You NEED to know God more.
What is it that needs to be done in order that you know God on a more personal level each day? When you know what it is, dive headlong into it. Yeah, it might feel awkward at some points, but God will get you through it. For me, it is prayer. I want to be stronger in this area. But really, if I am honest with myself, I have said this for years. The question is, what am I going to do about it, and when. To know God more through prayer, I need to be around people who are the prayers. I need to ask God to instill this in me, a deep desire to communicate with Him through prayer. You, the reader, can also pray for that for me. I have a friend (you know who you are) who is an amazing prayer. This person is so personal with God, they always refer to God as their Father. They know how to talk to God and be His child. I am not saying that perfect language or anything is ever necessary, but I would love to have a prayer life where I hear from God all the time when I pray. I would like to have a prayer life where I can't wait to pray. Now, I know God is the Father. But do I ever really think of Him as MY Father? Am I really that personal with God that I feel like I could crawl into His lap like I used to with my earthly father when I was a baby? I wish. But that is what I need to do, is get close to those people.
Skipping ahead a bit to verse 13 and 14, Paul says, "But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ." Now what Paul is not saying is that we forget the past. We do not forget the past. However, we do forget and leave behind anything and everything that can rob us of our affections for Christ. This could be good or bad things. There can be an area in your life where you were struggling, and finally you (really, Christ in you), overcame this struggle. And in this, you still find pride, though it might have been ages ago. Forget whatever it is that robs your affections for Christ.
I love Paul because he knows what being an athlete really is. I mean, I have done P90X and am currently doing Insanity, but Paul was a Roman citizen. These guys, back in the day, wrestled each other, ran huge races, and were athletes to the core. If you have read any of Paul's letters, you would quickly figure this out because he talks a lot about running a race and training the body. This is where it ties together.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul explains that all of the runners in the race are in it to win it. Nobody runs in a race and thinks, "Man, I hope I come in last place." If people thought like that, they wouldn't be in a race. It is hard work being in a race. What does running the race in a way to win it look like? Well, like I said, it looks like you leave behind all of the things that rob you of your affections for Christ, and you press on to know Christ more. This is how the race is won. However, like Paul says in the passage, we don't race for something silly like a wreath. We race for eternal life.
We can't just sit back and watch the race happen. We need to be runners in it, always striving, toiling, running towards God. I believe this is where, a lot of times we, as Christians fail. We hear a great message and say, "That was an amazing message." But we never do anything about it! I think it's past time that instead of being spectators in the race of faith, we step up, train hard, and win this race. And this won't come easy. Intimacy with Christ will not fall into your lap. You need to work for it, to want it, to strive for it.
So - let's run this race and win it, to glorify God.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
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