The burden of rebellion

"There is no greater freedom then being a slave to a humble master" -Paul Washer

In our culture, which encourages people to flaunt their independence of a higher figure, it is no surprise to see people opposed to the idea that God rules over us.  There are various views on God's rule ranging from complete apathy to complete opposition.  It is a function of the natural self to resist the idea of a sovereign and it is our job as Christians to fight it with the power of the Holy Spirit guiding us. 

So what are some of the biblical problems with holding this position?

1) Those who hold this position do not accept God's judgement for them.  Those who hold this position do not understand that God created the world and thus has the right to execute judgement over them
2) Those who hold this position do not accept God's laws.  Our desire to affirm our individuality makes us hostile to God's good requirements of us.
3) Even when we reject God's reign over us, we are still enslaved and condemned to our own conscience.  Fighting against God does not give us the freedom that we want

There are a gajillion more, but these two are the ones directly related to our rebellion against God. 

So why do we rebel? Because the presence of an immediate ruler of our life goes against our self-centered thirst to rule our own life. 

What's the solution? Accepting his authority.  It is not difficult to demonstrate God's worthiness to rule us; he made us and he's wise and good enough to rule us.  However the issue comes down to whether or not we will accept it. 

But isn't there a harsh burden when we submit to his near-impossible laws?  Well, the beauty of God's rule is that our submission to him gives us true freedom because his reign over us is a reign of unconditional acceptance.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The great irony is that in the effort to find freedom in being independent of a higher figure, we become enslaved to the condemnation of those around us and of our own conscience.  But if we go under the reign of our lord Jesus, we find eternal acceptance, eternal peace, and true freedom.

btw I'm quite unnerved by the new look.  It is unfitting and annoyingly unattractive.  Here is a suggestion which may serve to redeem it's worth:

  --------------------------------------------EDIT---------------------------------------------------------
 Much better! =D

Who Do You Think You Are?

And what gives you the right?  Fantastic question posed from NBC's The Office.  Over the past few months I've had the great privilege to get to know some of the guys better.  And one thing that God's been revealing to me is that we share in the same struggles.  But allow me to backtrack a bit to give a little background.  When I was 13, I was suicidal.  These were typical struggles and thoughts and emotions for a budding teenager who felt misunderstood.  I remember feeling lonely in school, I hadn't made many friends nor had I really been doing well in my studies.  As such, my grades were creating this huge chasm in my relationship with my parents.  Suddenly, I was scared to come home.  I was worried that while I was showering, my mother would go through my binder and find my failing grades.  I felt completely alone, I felt like no one knew what I was going through.

This brings me back to the opening questions: who do you think you are?  And what gives you that right?  Who was I to think that no one would understand what I was going through?  How could I feel as though no one cared about me?  My brother would later tell me he knew exactly how I felt, and I remember us having a wonderful conversation about it.  And what I've started to realize lately is that no matter how tough things are, other people have the same struggles as I do.  Because who hasn't ever felt alone?  Who hasn't felt as if no one cared?  When it comes to sin, we are never alone.  I'm thankful that God has placed wonderful people around me to struggle alongside with.  Who am I to think that I'm ever alone in anything?  Furthermore, what gives me the right to think that Jesus has not suffered in the same way?

I used to have such selfish thoughts.  I still do, but I used to also.  But God is slowly trying to show me how to consider others.  He's revealing that other people share in my struggles, but through that we get to pray with and love one another.  Thank God for the church that is with me in my failings.  And even when the church does fail me, I'm still not left alone.  Jesus has been tempted and suffered where he knows what I'm going through.  Please continue to remind me, because I'm so quick to forget these truths.

 

Sweet Dreams

We've been talking a lot about dreams during this past month. We learned about Joseph's dreams in Genesis 37; the chief cupbearer and the chief bakers' dreams in Genesis 40, and this past Sunday, Pharaoh's dreams in Genesis 41. Interestingly, many of our CCC members have been having strange dreams lately, as well. Did you know that on average, during a full eight hours of sleep, two of them are spent in dreams? Some of our dreams are memorable; others are not. We like to share the memorable ones because most of the time, our dreams are so ridiculous. We know that they're a figment of our imaginations yet we're so curious by them that we become quick to interpret and analyze them. What did that mean? Why was I thinking about that particular person? How am I still alive? Where did that come from? Who are you? Why did that feel so real?

When you think about it, our dreams are very different from the ones that Joseph, the prisoners, and Pharaoh had in the OT. Who in the world actually dreams of heavenly lights bowing down to a person, or birds eating bread out of a basket on your head, or even starved cows practicing cannibalism? These characters in Genesis had to rely on dreams because this was one of the many ways that God spoke to them and gave them a vision through. Does God speak to us in dreams today? I can't rule out the idea completely because I know that God is a sovereign King who has the ability to do and speak in whatever method He wants to use. But it also depends on the content - don't expect me to believe that God spoke to you in your dream and commanded you to kill someone. Our hearts are so deceitful and wicked, I wouldn't be surprised by the crazy and messed up thoughts that seep into our REM cycle as we fall asleep at night. This reinforces our continual need for a Savior, the sinless Son of God who takes away the sins of this world.

I'm glad that we don't have to depend on our dreams to have God speak to us. Today, He uses something better... something with much more certainty and security: the Bible. This book IS the living Word of God. He uses the Bible to speak to us directly. He gives us an understanding of who He is. He states a vision and a purpose for us, found in the Great Commission. He lets us see into the future of the coming kingdom of heaven. He exhorts our weakened spirits and lifts up our weary souls with descriptions of unconditional love and comforting peace. He reminds us that our life is not ours to live but that we live for Jesus Christ because he gave up his life for us.

"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether." (Psalm 19:7-9) 

Let's be a church that spends less time thinking about our dreams and more time thinking about the Bible. With that said, I'm going to bed soon - sweet dreams, my beloved CCC :)

Loving One Another and Insecurity...

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
(John 13:34-35 ESV) 

Man... As time passes I'm realizing more and more just how difficult this verse is to actually apply. I don't know about you guys (you guys are probably not nearly as psycho as I am) but when I think of loving people, even loving brothers and sisters in the church, I think of a million excuses to free myself from this call to love...

- He is so frustrating! Why does he always ______?
- I don't understand! Why can't she just ______?
- I'm trying and putting in effort! Why can't he/she do the same for once?
- Our personalities are just so different! We have nothing in common!
- He's just sooooo annoying...
- I'll just do it later... I got a lot of stuff going on...
- No one is caring about me, why should I care about them?

On and on and on in the crazy fantasy world of my mind... I find people difficult to love, and then blame them for being unlovable which in turn causes me to be even more aloof or cold or uncaring. I see people's struggle to love others and blame them for being unloving, which once again justifies my lack of love. -_-

What the heck is wrong with me??

I keep forgetting that everyone is insecure and that everyone has a hard time loving others. I get frustrated and irritated at people for their insecurity but when I view my own insecurity I just want to be loved... I'm not loving with Christ's love. My love is contingent on how people make me feel, or how much effort or patience it will take to show love, but that's not how Christ loves me. Despite my insecurity, despite my attitude, my jerkiness, selfishness and pride, He loves me and gives Himself to me.

So yeah... sorry guys for my lack of love for many of you. I pray that we can all get over ourselves and love one another as Christ has loved us.


*** random quote that I didn't know how to incorporate because I'm sleepy but it's true ***
Jon told me yesterday that he heard a quote from Jess one time that he thought went something like this...
"Whenever I start to have self-centered expectations in a relationship, that's when I start to screw up the relationship"

so true... Christ doesn't love us to gain anything. He loves us by giving Himself to us. When we make ourselves the center we just end up screwing everything up. Let's love one another like Jesus loved/loves us!


love you guys! (or at least i'm trying to!)

Mi casa esta tu casa

Dear Church,

The other day I was convoing with the Brendon about my problems and he was like, "yea this ain't ur problem, it's our problem" and I was like "whoa so cool".  I think its so awesome that as a church we are called to oneness so that our member's sin is our sin, our member's problem is our problem, and our member's joy is our joy.  And through that oneness, we are witnesses of the Jesus who loves us and we shine as a lamp which reflects his glory.

John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Yo!

(o >_>)==9( X_x )

Hello CCC-
I just wanted to share a passage that was convicting and has been on replay for me this week. I read through PK's prayer blog post last week. Then I realized how much I stink at prayer, so then I re-read it at the beginning of this week and stopped to look up his referenced passages.

⁶  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. ⁸  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. ¹⁰ And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹  To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:6-11

This passage really struck me because of how much I struggle to go to God and the church sometimes. God takes on our burdens willingly out of love, yet I have such a hard time going to him. People of the Church are struggling in temptation with me, yet I struggle to talk about. Talking with people at the church is good. It's good in that we can remind one another, as verse 9 says, that only God can restore us from suffering, through Jesus. Fighting this world alone makes us such an easy target. This passage screams out that overcoming that is through a close knit relationship with God and God's people. I'll admit, it's so much easier bottling myself up, but it's just NG. or as kathy says, narsty.

I was reminded this week that we all struggle one way or another....with different sins, but none the less, the same struggle.

Anyways, love you. Bye

Late Night Thoughts

It’s that time again, folks.  For some of us, we’re learning a semester’s worth of material in a week.  For others, we’re reading a semester’s worth of articles and books.  People are pulling all-nighters and coffee intake must be at a record high in the past few months.  Yes it’s the end of the semester, and people are scrambling about to try to save their GPA’s, including myself.  I was challenged by a simple question last week, “when you see conflict, do you see it as an opportunity?”  See, I started to realize that at times where I smell conflict, there is an opportunity for God to show me something new.  Last semester, I had an understanding that it was not me that was fighting my battle with my workload because there was absolutely no way that I could have done it on my own.

This end of the semester is another instance where God is creating opportunities to show me not only His grace, but his sovereignty over all things.  The first is pretty standard of a student: I had a ridiculous amount of work to do this week, but as the week creeps closer and closer to the end, my anxiety has slowly faded at the possibility of not being able to finish.  Not only that, I’m not anxious whether I’ll do a good job or not  because of what I was shown last semester!  Hooray for remembering the things God has shown us in the past!

But in other areas of my life, God has been active and I would have been long burnt out this week were it not for these glimpses of grace.  Simply put, my mother was placed into a situation in which she turned to me and looked to me as something more than the runt of the litter.  I was more than a little kid, but someone that was having a genuine conversation with her.  We spoke for about 2 hours (probably 1 hour and 55 minutes longer than we had ever spoken in the past) about a lot of things.  But most of all, I was able to share the gospel with her in a new way.  The last time I tried to do this, I had returned from the NEXT conference a few years ago and sat on the floor of my parents’ room trying to explain to them how faith in Jesus was the way they could avoid Hell.  This time around, I was able to talk about how we all worship something, how she and I were the same, she talked about her co-worker who was a pastor, and we had a genuine loving conversation.  But I was most happy to talk with her and share why Christianity was so attractive, and she was genuinely listening.

Though the reason that our conversation was the result of outside sin, God used this conflict as an opportunity and allowed me to be loving towards my mother.  If you saw my relationship with my mother a few years ago, you’d probably say this was impossible.  But no, God has sustained me in showing his sovereignty and the work of the Spirit.  That because of Him, I can begin to love my family like I’d always said I wanted to.  Please pray that this would not be an anomaly, but a normal occurrence.  Because I can do all things, I could make it through the end of the semester, but if I have not love, I am nothing.  Praise God that the very definition of love has a hold on me.

1 Corinthians 13:2
“And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”