Rest and Peace Along the Way

Life is a journey, an adventure, for those who serve the Lord. We know there will be a day when pain and sorrow, death and sin will be cast aside with the return of our Beloved Christ Jesus. We wait in eager expectation with the whole earth for that day.

But at the same time, pain, sorrow, death, and sin are among us on this earth. It ever eats away at us with temptation and a pleasure-seeking culture. Though things of this earth do bring pleasure, that pleasure only lasts a little while. Eventually, man needs more or to go to the next level. Sin never satisfies - God alone can satisfy the thirsty.

Now, I want you to think of great stories like Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien or Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (or one of my favroites but not-so-well-known Green Rider by Kristen Britain - read it if you never have!-) where the main character or characters have to take a journey. Their adventures are very hard and painful and overwhelming. Sometimes, it feels like the task won't be completed, there is no hope, and if they really had a choice they would leave the adventure for selfish-pleasure.

Interspersed within these stories are moments of rest and peace.

Frodo Baggins of Lord of the Rings spends days in Rivendell and Lothlorien, places of great beauty that cause one to relax and rest and be safe from harm. Meanwhile, they are also given time to reflect on their adventure mid-way through their journey.

The Pevensie children from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe get a time of rest and reflection when at an encampment among Aslan and the other Narnians.

In one of my favorite books, Green Rider, Karigan (the heroine) finds herself at a cozy guesthouse with two old ladies who inquire after her journey and give her wise advice on what she should do next.

In all these examples, the characters are given a taste of peace and during these times of peace, they begin to reflect and question their journey. They begin to ask questions. How far can I go? Am I meant for this? Where do I go from here? Can I do this? Do I have to do this?

Funnily enough, most often in those moments, the hero knows that no matter how much they question the quest, they must not, cannot, and will not give up. They are called by a higher purpose to finish the task that was appointed for them.

Now, my life is not an epic journey that requires travelling far distances on foot to drop jewelry into volcanoes or to save an entire world from the evil clutches of an ice lady... But I did have a moment this very day where I was given rest and peace along the way. It was only a moment as I walked along the beach, but I began to consider my life, the journey where God has placed me as the main character. Even though I am confused, even though at points I feel hopeless (and helpless), even though I become overwhelmed, and even though I sometimes feel I would give in to my own selfish desires instead, God reminds me to never give-up. I cannot see the end to my journey, but I will not give-up, for I know the Lord has done great things for me and will continue to do even greater things. (Romans 11:26-27, 8:1 and Romans 8:28)

Our society is so corrupt in its anxiety, always eager to do things faster and faster. My plea is that you let the Lord give you rest and peace along the way of your journey. It doesn't mean you are selfishly deciding to give up His plans for you - it is a time to rejuvenate, to reflect and to remind yourself of what is in store. It is a taste of heaven when you are brought to a place of peace and rest, and you want to consider God, who He is, and what he has planned for you.

"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." - Matthew 11:28-29. The Lord is gentle and humble. He truly will give you rest for your soul, and it is found when your thoughts are turned to Him.

Thank you for reading. I pray the Lord bring rest and peace along your path - the one He laid out long before you were born. :o)

John 5:41-44 - Have You Received Christ, Today?

Pastor on April 17, 2005 taught on John 5:41-44. He asked us to read the passage, then to read the passage changing "accept" to "receive."

"I do not [receive] praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not [receive] me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will [receive] him. How can you believe if you [receive] praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?"

Why don't people receive Christ? Receiving Jesus as who we are is the biggest problem we face. Our selfishness keeps us from resting in Christ to take our place, to take away our condemnation.

People don't go to hell for not knowing something; they go because of guilt and sin. We don't receive Christ because He knows us, and He knows that we do not have the love of God in our hearts. He knows all about our guilt and sin. Simply put: We do not receive God because we do not have His love in our hearts because of shame, guilt, and sin...

If I truly loved the Lord, I would show it by receiving Christ every morning. In the words of Luke 9:23, I would be taking up crosses daily from midnight to midnight if I had the love for God in my heart... But I am so afraid of Him seeing my sin, my guilt...

So, I have to rethink. Where is the center of my life? What do I put their sef-consciously? Am I trying to earn the love of God on my own? The root of my faith and love should be the love of God THROUGH Christ. If I love God, I love His Son; even if He can see my guilt and shame.

I love His Son, Jesus Christ, because of what He did for me. In His ultimate love, He gave His life away so that my guilt and shame would no longer be seen in the eyes of the Father God. Through Christ, I no longer fear my sin and guilt.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
(Romans 8:1-2) *How I pray for this to be my waking thought - Then Luke 9:23...*

Thy Rod Comforts Me

Recently a devotional (I am not sure which one or it may even have been a sermon) I read a while back has been crossing my mind. I just finished reading through Proverbs, a book so full to the brim with wisdom, and noticed the similar references to the "rod" of discipline. Like Proverbs 10:13, 13:24, 14:3, 22:8, 22:15, 23:13, etc... are all about disciplining children or fools for the decisions they make without Godly wisdom.

Well, a devotion of some sort took that on a journey back to Psalm 23, and I do not know if others discovered this already before, but it was all new to me. When in verse 4 of Psalm 23 the psalmist says, "thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me," I always thought he was referring to something he carried in his hands, like earthly weapons of a sort. I have to admit, in my lack of knowledge, I did not quite understand it, but I accepted it for that.

Now, I have a totally transformed view of that verse. The rod the psalmist is speaking of is God's own disciplining hand. It is not that I am protected physically from physical harm with earthly weapons, but made fully prepared to fight spiritual evil and dark forces. They are ever against me, and the comfort the psalmist talks about makes so much more sense now.

Although it does not seem like it at the time of discipline, God is refining us through trials and hardships. When I read Proverbs, I find myself in fear of the rod. But when I read Psalm 23, I find myself comforted by it - and that is how it should always be.

Discipline me Lord! Never let me turn away from you!! How easily my heart will falter...

Jeremiah 29:11-14: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,' declared the LORD, 'and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you.'" **

**Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible Footnote: "These verses echo Deuteronomy 30:3-5 (which is similar to Dt 4:29-30)."

Deuteronomy 30:3-5 (verses 1 and 2 added for context): "When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers."

Deuteronomy 4:29-30 (verses 27, 28, and 31 added for context): "The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath."

I had returned to the Jeremiah passage one morning last week when I had doubts about a decision I was making in my life. This time I looked at the study notes in my Bible and decided to take the time to look up the Scripture references. After reading the two Deuteronomy passages, I noticed something and thank the Lord for opening my eyes and heart to this reminder of His sovereignty.

"I have banished you..." "...curses I have set before you..." "The LORD will scatter you..."

In each passage it is made very apparent that not only will the Lord plan our steps with blessings, but also with curses, banishment, and scattering. I have many moments in my Christian walk where I fall away from reading the Word and begin serving my own interests. I feel scattered and alienated from my brothers and sisters in Christ. On my heart is the weight of sin...curses. I lose sight of turning to God, but it was always in His plan. I used to find it very tough to look back on those times. I felt it was better to erase it all from my memory. These verses remind me of God's hand in all we do, whether Christ-like or worldly. Besides, He promises:

"When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath."

Praise the God of Hope! Amen!
His beautiful mercy washes over us. He is a keeper of promises of old and will be a keeper of promises yet to come!

Example of Perfection

"Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." - Matthew 5:48

A very gracious friend of mine, Train Master, hired me on as a temp to help clear up a mistake in his business. He works in model trains, importing them from Korea, and a specific type was all screwed up in the wiring. So L and I were asked if we'd like to work for a couple weeks unpackaging/repackaging these trains that would be repaired by two Korean specialists. I was thrilled for the offer, a wished answer to prayer for something more and steady than my sporadic substitute schedule.
Anyway, I had a moment where the Holy Spirit taught me an interesting analogy as I watched one of my co-workers testing the repaired trains. We began to get backed up at testing because it takes so long, and there would be this huge wall of trains waiting to be tested while I waited for the next tested train to package it. Eventually, Train Master noticed the problem, and I could read his mind. He would want to teach me to test trains to speed up the process.

The Holy Spirit began working then, putting thoughts into my head that I would never come up with on my own. What if Train Master were to try and show me how to test trains, but every train he tried to show me was faulty or a failure. He would have to show me a good train, an example of perfection. Once I saw a perfect train, I would know how to recognize a failure or faulty train.
That is when the Holy Spirit really hit me with a profound thought! This concept of perfection and failure was a metaphor for following Christ Jesus. There are a lot of ways to live in the world that are faulty, and they will try to convince us over and over that it is the way to go. The only way to discern these faulty ways of life is to have an example of perfection, and the good Lord gave that to us in Christ Jesus who is Lord! And His perfection is presented to us in the Bible, the very God-breathed words we are called to follow.

So, I began to think about what example am I striving for in my own life. Am I striving for Christ's prefection - looking to it for wisdom, discernment, and direction - or am I looking to someone or something else? It was a convicting thought, and it got me right into Scripture, doing a quick word study on perfect/perfector/perfection. Matthew 5:48 said what I was thinking best, but James 1:22-25 called me to action:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. - James 1:22-25

It is more than just opening up the Bible and reading it; it is applying it that means something. I have been reading Scripture, every morning, but I am not sure I am leaving it with an imprint on my heart. Tomorrow is a New Day (Robbie Seay Band reference...sweetness!), and I will pray tonight that the Lord give me a heart that stamps His law, commands, and Word on my heart so that everyday I may be living for His perfection, not a perfection of the world.

Thou Fount of Every Blessing

At the end of a glorious Monday, I am overwhelmed with the Lord's sovereignty, grace, mercy, love, and many of His other awesome attributes. He has blessed the weekend and the start of a new week. He has filled me to fullness with joy. As I rest upon my Love, I am made complete and fulfilled. My only desire is to praise the Lord for the blessed moments He has given me in the course of three days. Now, as I sit here, closing the day with my favorite scented candles burning, Robbie Seay Band playing, and catching up with two of my best sisters in Christ, I have an urge to share the joy.

Friends and Fellowship

It is no coincidence that the Lord would make a day where friends (old and new) can all come together for an awesome time of fellowship. It was a mix-matched, yet united group of friends from all over. Friends that I had not seen in years, friends I had only seen less than 14 hours before, friends from different churches, friends from other cities, friends from other states, and friends from home all came together at my house. It was amazing! It was joyous! It was a taste of heaven, I just know it! I love to just stand back and watch everyone, watch how they interact with one another and how they love one another.

Through an over-abundance of food and the largest game of Apples to Apples, I was overcome with the Holy Spirit and knew I was witnessing the Love of Christ first hand through smiling faces and bright eyes. I could never thank the Lord enough for the people in my life, my net of brothers and sisters in Christ. They are all a part of God's refinement of my character and make me more like Christ each moment I am with them. They challenge my capabilities and teach me about their interests, allowing me to have an array of knowledge on so many different subjects. Thank you, Lord, for these men and women who long for Your Truth!!

Mr. South Carolina

The whole reason this gathering happened was because Mr. South Carolina decided to make a visit this weekend. An ever-growing brother in Christ, he and I have been friends since my first mission trip in 2003. We had a moment where we just could not believe we had stayed in touch and known each other for so long. This is a wonderful, God-fearing man who longs for nothing more than to learn how to get out there and make disciples of all nations.

When I find time with Mr. South Carolina, I know that he cares for me and only wishes that I glorify the Lord with my life. So, to find time to walk and talk with him was very enjoyable. He challenged me and encouraged me in the only way he knows how to. I am very glad to call him a faithful friend.

Happy Reformation Sunday

Happy, indeed. Our church hosted a movie night where we watched Luther, the excellent movie describing Martin Luther's life as father of the reformation. Martin Luther lived during the 1500's during a time when the Catholic church convinced common people that only high priests could interpret Scripture and in return, told them deceitful lies about getting into heaven (such as climbing hundreds of steps on your knees, stopping to pray at each one after paying a certain amount as well; then, you would be free from purgatory for however many years - ridiculous!). Martin Luther read the Scriptures and found the Truth of the Gospel. Jesus Christ alone did the work for our salvation when he died on the cross, and it is open to anyone no matter whether rich or poor, young or old, common or of high regard. There is no work we can do to get us into heaven. We deserve pain and death, yes, but the Lord himself came, lived perfectly, died perfectly, and rose again in order that we may have life!! Embrace Him now as your source for life! He is the only way!!

So, Martin Luther caused a separation from the church, knowing they were wrong. Many followed him and eventually the Bible was printed in the common language for all to read. Ever since then, the truth has spread far and wide, and lead to our eagerness to come to America.

After watching the awe-striking movie, a group of us had a pleasant discussion. Mr. South Carolina initiated it, but Pastor was included. Whenever Pastor is speaking, I become a sponge, soaking up all his words of wisdom about my Lord. The night's topic: what does it take for something like the reformation to occur in our country during our time? It was an awesome discussion, and it came down to the fact that God will choose who He will to progress the spreading of the Truth. Luther was a nobody, a simple monk preaching to a simple church. It could be anybody the Lord chooses; however, for us, we all need to be ready to embrace the Truth when it comes powerfully and not be ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16), no matter the cost. Amidst this group were young and old, and much wisdom was shared from both the young and the old. Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Providence of God

Then, as Mr. South Carolina's time in O-Beach came to a close, my sovereign Lord blessed me ever-so-much again. Just as I was driving away from saying farewell after breakfast and a walk, I got a call for work! As I asked my McTwisty date companion, "is that not the providence of God or what?!" More than that, it was a simple half day with excellent students to work with. I am liking this substituting thing; in fact, I would probably be content as long as I was working everyday... I go in and teach the kids, the one thing in life I feel called to do. Then, I leave...No papers to grade...No parent conference...no meetings or workshops. I could get used to this. Plus, you never know what comes next, and I think that really helps me rely on God more so than having my own class. The only way that I get through a day is by His will, and I spend a lot more time talking with God in the mornings because of it.

The Lord has put me where I am for a purpose. Although the purpose is not quite so clear to me, I will follow Him. As long as He provides, I have nothing to fear going forward in life. I may feel unsure sometimes, but the Lord always reminds me to be content with where He has placed me. Pastor used that excellent verse again:

Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

The Lord has made me joyful! Let it be always!!
He has brought me to my knees! Let it continue!!
I can do nothing but thank Him for the blessings! Let me praise Him in the storms too!!
For this is God's will for my life in Christ Jesus...
And that is all I desire.

This is His Will...

The joy of answered prayer is even more joyful when it comes from Scripture! The Bible, full of truths, is my Lord's way of speaking to me. When I read the Bible, I find my Lord gently explaining to me how to be patient, understanding, kind, and good. Sometimes, He makes what seems so unclear like newly polished glass.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Did I not desire to know the Lord's will for my life? At this point in my life, the only thing I can do is rest on God's truth. These are his words spoken to me as a father to his daughter, a Heavenly Father Lord to his stumbling foolish daughter...To teach her. I only hope I have a genuine heart to learn.