Brokenness

I think the further you get on your walk with Christ sometimes, the more you realize just how broken you really are. And I think that brokenness is so central to God moulding us and changing us. It is when we are at our utmost brokenness that God uses us and shows his power through our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We realize how much we need God. And thank you Lord, for He is a relentless, loving God!

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3

 

Healing Begins - Tenth Avenue

So you thought you had to keep this up
All the work that you do
So we think that you're good
And you can't believe it's not enough
All the walls you built up
Are just glass on the outside

So let 'em fall down
There's freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We're here now

This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark

Afraid to let your secrets out
Everything that you hide
Can come crashing through the door now
But too scared to face all your fear
So you hide but you find
That the shame won't disappear

So let it fall down
There's freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We're here now
We're here now, oh

This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark

Sparks will fly as grace collides
With the dark inside of us
So please don't fight
This coming light
Let this blood come cover us
His blood can cover us

This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark

A Heart Fully Alive

“The glory of God is man fully alive.”
-Saint Irenaeus

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened…” 
Ephesians 1:18

Idols

For the past month or so, after watching a sermon about idols by Mark Driscoll, it’s been pretty obvious for me that I have idols I have in my life.  Of course, as Christians, we probably realize that there’s always something that we seem to put above God. 

I’m thankful that God has shown me what the idols may be, but getting them out is another matter.  I find that when I overcome one idol, another one suddenly comes.  It’ll definitely require a lot of discipline.

“Change won’t happen through ‘trying harder’ but only through encountering the radical grace of God.”
- Tim Keller

Pray that God would reveal Himself, and that I would continue to see Him as more precious than anything else.  That the problem of worshipping other things other than God would not seem appealing.

Serving in CCF Committee

So this Spring term (May-Aug) has been the first term serving on the CCF Committee.  Experience has been good overall. 

It’s a blessing to be able to serve the fellowship as a whole, and be able to be more intimately involved with how the fellowship runs.  Committee meetings have also served as a "mini cell group”; which is good, because I chose not to join a DG this term due to business of serving on Committee as well as doing Outreach.

I’ve also learned some lessons.  I would say that I wasn’t focused enough this term on how I wanted to serve the fellowship and what my purpose was being on Committee.  I felt many times that I was just doing/serving and not motivated on why I was doing what I was doing. For Friday nights, I would either be doing worship or had something I needed to do.  At times, I know I wasn’t worshipping God with my all as I was focused on making sure things would be fine; which is a little ironic. 

So as I serve on Committee for the coming year (2011-12), I definitely want to take some more time before the year starts to gather where God has called me to lead/serve.  I need to continue to seek God’s will onto where my role in the fellowship will be.  I don’t want to get caught up with the “busyness” or the amount of logistics that may need to be accomplished.  I want to have my eyes fixed on Christ, and the mission to which He has called me to.

I’ll be serving as Communications for the coming year.  So as I seek God’s will, and figure out what it would me to be the person who is the “bridge” between Committee and the rest of the fellowship, I would ask for your prayers for wisdom and discipline.

The Cross of Christ

“As to the object of your affections, in an especial manner, let it be the cross of Christ, which has exceeding efficacy towards the disappointment of the whole work of indwelling sin: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14). The cross of Christ he [Paul] gloried and rejoiced in; this his heart was set upon; and these were the effects of it—it crucified the world unto him, made it a dead and undesirable thing. The baits and pleasures of sin are taken all of them out of the world. . . . If the heart be filled with the cross of Christ, it casts death and undesirableness upon them all; it leaves no seeming beauty, no appearing pleasure or comeliness, in them. Again, says he, “It crucifies me to the world; makes my heart, my affections, my desires, dead unto any of these things.” It roots up corrupt lusts and affections, leaves no principle to go forth and make provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Labor, therefore, to fill your hearts with the cross of Christ . . . that there may be no room for sin.”

-John Owen, On Indwelling Sin in Believers

Work like an Armenian, Sleep like a Calvinist?

I don’t get it..why can only Calvinists “sleep well”?  I don’t know whether I’m Calvinist or Armenian..all I know is that I can rest fully in Christ.  I am saved by grace through faith, not of myself, but in Christ alone.  I can boast only in Christ.  He is my rock and my salvation.  Salvation comes from the Lord.  The gospel of Christ bought our justification, reconciliation, sanctification and so much more.  I am free from sin, and rest in knowing that He who started a good work in me will finish it. 

“And so I submit for your consideration that we live and sleep simply as Christians. We should work hard without reservation and we can sleep well knowing God is sovereign.” – from http://caffeinatedthoughts.com/2010/04/work-like-an-arminian-sleep-like-a-calvinist/

If Christians can say that we can’t explain the Trinity because we can’t understand God with our limited minds, then why do we need to try to explain Calvinism and Armenianism?

Matt Chandler sermon from #TGC11 quotes (paraphrased)

“Human beings have a rejoicing problem. We rejoice only on the surface (the created, not the creator).”

“Glorifying and delighting in the creature rather than his Creator is blasphemous vanity."

“God constantly calls us back to remembrance of what he has done in us and for us for his own glory."

“Remembering rightly redeems our rejoicing."

"We do not move on from the gospel. It saves, it sustains us, in which you now stand.”

“Paul is constantly preaching the gospel over and over to Christians because we constantly forget."

“Paul is the most free and untouchable person I know. “We’re going to kill you.” “Yes! I’m GOING HOME!” “We’re going to let you live!” “To live is Christ” “We’re going to torture you.” “Share in Christ’s sufferings!” “We’re going to put you in prison Paul” “Ok, I’ll just convert all your prisoners and guards…”
Why was he untouchable? The Gospel."

“You find out if you understand the gospel when you fail. Approach the throne of grace w/ confidence? Or go away to “clean yourself” before going back to God? If we don’t approach the throne of grace boldly after sinning, we don’t understand or we forgot the Gospel."

“What Christ has done = our unshakable firm foundation.”

3 main points:

1. Be regenerate: believe the gospel
2. Live in constant meditation on the gospel
3. Walk by spirit, not by flesh: marvel at the gospel

Click here for Audio of Sermon

Peace and Comfort

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives , so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

“May your unfailing love be my comfort”
Psalm 119:76

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is see is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28

Grant us supernatural peace and comfort O Lord!

Wait upon You

If I can say it's ok (and even important) to use 20 mins to "relax", listen to music, go on facebook, when I have tons to study for, then why not use it to wait upon God or read His Word!  How much more important is that!

I hear of people saying things about how when you’re busy, how can you NOT pray!... or “too busy not to pray”!  I can’t say I feel that way.  How often would I say, “Ok God, I’m really really really busy right now, so I HAVE to spend some time with you in prayer!” 

Help me not neglect You during these exam times!

Freedom

Do you know what freedom feels like? 

How many Christians actually live like they are FREE? Not bound by the law, free from the need to perform and to act by our own righteousness, not bound by sin…

“For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

Romans 6:14

How many Christians learn about God’s grace, and Christ’s work on the cross, but then think of all the acts of righteousness they have to do to be Christian?!  We are free from the law!  Christ died so that we didn’t have to provide our own righteousness!  His righteousness is imputed on us, and the Spirit is actively working out our sanctification!

O Joy!