God's Faithfulness

It has been way too long since I have posted. I have been so busy with getting things ready for school (this is my first year teaching; I'll be teaching HS Math). However, even though I have been busy running around, etc., God has remained the same. God is so FAITHFUL! This is something that has been with the me the last month or so and has been so encouraging to my heart. Despite our shortcomings, our falls, and our lack of faith at times, God remains ever so faithful! This realization at times has brought tears to my eyes when I think about it in deep meditation.

God is faithful to provide our needs. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (our necessities) will be added to you." I heard a sermon a few weeks ago on the radio, so I couldn't tell you who it was by, but he shed some new light on this passage for me. He was talking about how we as Christians and unbelievers both go to work. However, we are to go to work with a different agenda. Unbelievers go to work to provide for their household, to be able to buy nicer things, etc, etc. As Christians, we're told that God will provide our necessities, if we seek Him first. We go to work, therefore, to be obedient (because God has commanded us to work) and to be lights among the world because we are already promised food and clothing.

God is faithful to finish His good work. Paul tells us in Philippians 1:6 that "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." We can be sure that whatever work God has begun in us for sanctification, He will continue working in us until the day we are glorified. As fallen beings, we might start projects that, when things become too difficult or burdensome, we might quit or leave the job half finished. Praise be to God for His righteousness and faithfulness, that He won't quit on us as we might do. As he is faithful to this promise, we can be sure that every other promise mentioned in the bible He is faithful to keep as well. I often at times think of where I was before God saved me and where I am today, and it is so amazing to see the changes God has made in me! And when I look at where I am today and I look at where I want to be in my walk with Christ, I smile knowing that God will be faithful to bring me to that point in His timing.

God is faithful to answer prayers. In I John 1:14, John tells us of the confidence we can have towards God "that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." And Jesus himself encourages us in John 14:13-14, saying "whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." So we have more promises from God, that if we pray according to His Will and ask in Jesus' name, then God will hear our prayers. I have seen this fulfilled in my life lately and it is so encouraging. I am a new teacher, teaching Algebra 1 and Geometry, both of which I haven't had myself since high school. Each day I have asked God for the wisdom I need to teach the order of the world (which is what math is), and God has been so faithful in that. I'm still amazed at times what comes out of my mouth when I'm trying to explain concepts in easy to understand ways.

I feel so inadequate when giving God praise. In my fallen, human limitations, all I can do is stand amazed at what God has created and all that He does in the world and in my life. When I want to praise God, I often go to the Psalms. Psalm 77:13-14 is great: "Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples." And Psalm 8:3-4 has been on my mind lately: "When I look at your heavens, the work of you fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" I will forever be in awe of the fact that the Almighty, Holy Creator of the ENTIRE Universe, has chosen a speck of a planet with even tinier specks of dust to chose to reveal Himself and grant us repentance and faith in His Son and even still to grant us eternal life in bliss with Him as the Bride of His Son. AMAZING is all I can say....

Reality = Spiritual Reality

I've been listening to Paul Washer sermons lately and the most recent one really hit an idea home to me: why do we assume certain things true in the physical world, yet don't apply those same principles to the spiritual world? Our reality is a foreshadow, I believe, to the spiritual realm. Therefore, what we deem to hold true in our physical realm should be held to hold infinitely true in some ways in the spiritual realm. Yet people don't realize this fact about our world and miss the spiritual truths that surround them in everyday life.

Take the "Tree and its Fruit" parable from the LORD Jesus Himself in Matthew 7:16-17. He asks His audience if "grapes are gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles." His audience would have looked at Him like He was crazy because of course you do not gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles. It was a preposterous idea. He goes on in Matthew 7:18-19 to say that healthy trees cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. In the same way we look at the fruits of trees in our physical world to determine whether the tree is a healthy tree or not, we can use the fruits of people's lives to determine if they are Christians. However, people love to use the opening verse from Matthew 7:1: "Judge not, that you be not judged." He uses this opening verse so that we might not judge people by what we cannot possibly know. For example, a person's heart, or their motives behind their actions because only God can determine those things. However, God in His wisdom put the parable of the tree and its fruits so that we might be able to look at a person's actions and tell if they're Christians. Now, of course Christians will sin, but they don't let the sin continue in their lives (1 John 3:8) and are repentant when it happens.

Another example would be from James 2:18: "But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James here is, of course, not advocating a works-based faith, as all other false religions advocate; he is, however, explaining that works are evidence of our faith. In the physical world, as a "real employee", you would do the work expected of you by your boss instead of sitting at home on the couch, expecting to be considered an employee and receive the same benefits of one. In the same way, if you have "real faith", you would act like a real Christian, being obedient to Christ and following His commandments. However, there are many "Christians" in the world today, who rely on the prayer they prayed one time to save them and act like the rest of the world, committing ungodly acts, yet still expecting to receive eternal life. Yet their "faith" is dead, as James 2:17 says: "So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Ezekiel 36:26-27 says that God will cause His people to walk in His statues and be careful to obey His rules because He gives us a truly new heart; a heart of flesh and not of stone. Therefore, our works (good fruits) do not save us; but they are always present in the life of a Christian with real faith and a real new heart. (Matthew 7:18, 20)

My last example comes from a sermon I heard recently by Paul Washer. His analogy goes something like this: If I were late for a meeting with you and my excuse for being late was because I got hit by a 45 ton logging truck on my way to meet you, yet I showed no signs of the encounter, you would think I was a mental case or a liar. In the same way, if I told you that I have become a Christian, and thus, I have made an eternal covenant with Christ (Hebrews 10:12-14), become a temple of the living GOD (2 Corinthians 6:14-16), entered into a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), and have become a child of the Sovereign GOD of the Universe (Romans 8:15); but I was NOT changed at all by GOD and still continued to relish my former ways, you would surely think that being hit by a logging truck was more plausible than that! Why? Because GOD is BIGGER than a logging truck! Yet for so many "Christians", they claim to have had an encounter with the LIVING GOD, yet show no marks of the encounter AT ALL!

There is a disconnect here people! GOD changes us! He promises to make us like His Son, Jesus Christ. We know that God is faithful to keep His promises, and that is what this is: A PROMISE to make you into the image of His Son (Philippians 1:6, Psalm 138:8, Romans 8:29). Therefore, if there is no evidence in your life of being conformed into the image of Christ, then dear friends, I exhort you to "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). For "whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked" (1 John 2:6). These are but a few examples I have come to realize. We must remember that just as we mature physically, let us not forget to also mature spiritually.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

What would you do for _______ ?

What would you be willing to do for one million dollars? There are plenty of reality shows these days that shows the extent people are willing to go through for a million dollars. We're a people that need a reward for doing things outrageously that we wouldn't normally do. The marketing campaign for Klondike bar appealed to people in this way by asking "What would you do for a Klondike bar?" For people on Fear Factor they are willing to eat grotesque animal parts and insects and people on Survivor are willing to put their bodies in extreme situations in foreign places. Their radical, extreme behavior shows that the reward or possibility of a reward is significant enough to warrant such behavior.

My dear friends, we have such a greater and infinitely MORE significant reward waiting for us in Heaven where it cannot be destroyed or stolen (Matthew 6:20). Our treasure is Christ Himself. Shouldn't our grander reward warrant even more radical behavior than worldly people seeking worldly rewards? The reason for this blog is because I listened to a sermon last night on this very topic by John Piper and it has totally transformed my thinking, because I myself am not living radically enough.

If we really think about what it means to have Christ as our reward, our lives really would be different here on earth. We wouldn't be seeking the things of the world like so many of us do. We have the pleasure of spending eternity with the Lamb of God, the sinless man who came and lived the life that God calls us to live and then died a humiliating death on a cross FOR US in our place. He physically rose from the dead and is now at the right hand of God. When I die, I look forward to being with Jesus and meeting Him! I myself am struggling with understanding what it looks like to have Christ as our inheritance and I've been asking God to show me what it means and to live by it. The point is, we have the awesome privilege to spend eternity with the One who died for us.

With that said, our lives should reflect it, shouldn't it? I mean if worldly people can do crazy things over a mere million dollars that will pass away when they die, what should we be willing to do FOR CHRIST?? John Piper used scriptures from the book of Hebrews to illustrate the idea. There were so many Christians throughout ancient history that willfully and joyfully accepted torture, prison, and even death in unspeakable ways. Why? Because they had their hearts set on a reward. God does reward those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Christ Himself was able to endure the Wrath of God because He had "the joy that was set before Him" (Hebrews 12:2).

I know that when I hear stories of martyrs for the faith, I wonder if I would ever be able to do what they've done in their situation. I am a complete pain-phob and a wimp when it comes to anything that involves pain. In America, we have no clue what it's like to be under persecution for our faith like the brethren in other countries, like India.With my fear of the idea of having to go through persecution like that, I take encouragement in the fact that God promises He will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and He won't give us more than we can bear. If I were ever called to lay down my life for His sake, I know that He would strengthen me to the very end! Praise God!

So in light of all this, again, shouldn't our lives reflect all of this? Hebrews 13:12-14 is amazing..."So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." "Let us go to Him" it says. How Christ lived on this earth is the prime example we have for our lives. He is "outside the camp" meaning He is outside the comforts of His home, His neighborhood, His town...etc. Christ left the comforts of Heaven and became a poor man for us! Can we ourselves be willing to leave the comforts of our home for the Gospel? Christ went through so much reproach for His teachings, but didn't care what people thought of Him because He was trying to save their lives. He says for us: "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you" and that we are to "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven" (Matthew 5:11-12). That is the encouragement we have for spreading the word about the Gospel and no doubt what kept the apostles and all other great witnesses for the faith to keep on keeping on.

If we truly believe the Bible and take what it says as truth, then you can be sure that the "many" the bible talks about as going to hell, truly are many (Matthew 7:13-14, 23-24). With that in view of everything I do, it becomes hard for me to enjoy anything in this life when I think about the vast majority of people on their way to hell. Our Lord IS returning soon and we're seeing signs come to pass that He spoke of when He said "So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates" (Matthew 24:33).

It is ever important, Christians, that we be bold in our witness. How are people going to hear about the good news unless someone tells them? (Romans 10:14-15). God in His wisdom has decided to let the good news of the gospel be spread by His people. This is where the radical sacrifice, the radical living comes in. We need to be denying ourselves of earthly pleasures (Luke 9:23). Our very living should be different from the rest of the world. Our attitudes towards others should be different than the world and we do this by showing love and compassion to all, that by this they may know we are Christians (John 13:35). We should also be seeking to tell everyone we possibly can about our faith and hope in Christ, even if it means they laugh at us. "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" (1 Peter 4:14). So take heart and live boldly brothers and sisters!