Forget the Past

In certain Christian circles we hear the words "born again," "rebirth," "regeneration," etc. But honestly, it's pretty tough to incorporate these ideas in our everyday life as a believer. Do we actually understand what these mean when we wake up and do we manifest them daily? I highly doubt it. I don't. But honestly, how many times do we wish we could just start over? Seriously, I pray that the night would come so that the morning would be here quicker. Just like the Psalmist said: "Weeping is cast for the night, but Joy comes in the morning." This idea that we need to start over is prominent in our lives, is it not? This leads me to the idea of a new year. Though many of us count our days according to the school schedule or something like that, we are on the dawn of a new year. A new year is a chance to start over, is it not?

Some of us need to forget what happened in 2009. I fortunately am not one of them. I am proud of what has happened this past year. But I am still thirsty for more of Jesus. I have felt his grace and love but I still am unhappy with how I treated my God. I know the Holy Spirit has worked me and given me the attitude of thankfulness but juxtaposed with discontent. Discontent with myself. I have taken hold of the prize - that of Jesus - but yet act as if I have nothing to run for. This is where I am left: wanting more for 2010.

I can't help but fall into the words of dear Apostle Paul. His letter to the Philippians is one of my favorites. I am drawn to his attitude here in chapter 3:

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because of Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. 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 in Christ Jesus." (3:12-14)

Do we not need to hear this going into the new year? We realize we have not been made "perfect" in 2009 but Jesus has made us HIS OWN. You know what that means? We now are able to forget what is behind and strain forward to lies ahead. We are continually "owned" by God through Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection. Do we realize this? This is encouraging. And honestly, how many of us need to hear this right now? I do. I need to forget what lies behind (not the good, but the bad) and strain forward to the future. I need to press on. The goal is our calling. What is your calling this year? What are your goals this year? That is what we need to press on towards.

I love the words of Jon Foreman in his song Mess of Me:

"I've made a mess of me

I wanna get back the rest of me

I've made a mess of me

I wanna spend the rest of my life alive."

Let's do this. Take back the part that Jesus owns and give it over to Him. Take it and spend the rest of our lives ALIVE in Christ.

Forget what lies behind but strain forward into the new year.

Lesson From A Leper

I'm trying this Thanksgiving and every Thanksgiving to not just take this one day to openly be thankful, but rather condition my heart to be thankful. When this day comes around don't we all of a sudden begin to think about our lives in relation to being thankful? And don't we often openly admit we are not thankful enough? I am one of those people. I wish my thankfulness were more evident. To me, it's a matter of heart. It's a matter of realizing what we have in comparison to what we should have. I immediately realize I am given way more grace than I deserve because I have way more than I need.

This weekend I encouraged my youth group to learn the lesson of the leper. The one leper who stopped, realized what Jesus had done by healing him, turned back and fell at his feet with thanksgiving. I'm speaking of course of the story in Luke 17: 11-19...

"Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, 'Jesus, Master, have pity on us!'

When he saw them, he said, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him - and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' Then he said to him, 'Rise and go; your faith has made you well.'"

I look at these lepers who were unclean outcasts, filthy "foreigners" who stood at a distance begging Jesus to pity them - or show mercy towards them. My first question to myself is "How often do I beg for mercy?" The lepers had physical ailments - very visible ones - and I certainly have some spiritual ailments - not so visible. I look at these ten lepers and say: "I am spiritually unclean, rich with sin, but do I beg to be cleansed?" Do we beg to be cleansed?

As Jesus tells them to show themselves to the priests - to validate their cleansing - they all walk away and rejoice at what had just happened. Yet, one stops and had a moment. He had a moment that I want to have all the time. A moment of realization - as he looked at his hands and saw the renewal in his pores and the pigment in his skin, he is overwhelmed with thanksgiving. Underserved grace shown. While the other nine got a "freebie" and took advantage of Jesus - the miracle-worker - this one leper had his heart changed.

Am I one of the nine? Taking freebies from Jesus? Or Am I the one. Am I the one who stops, sees the grace, the restoration and falls down in thanksgiving. Do I have a heart ripe with thanksgiving? I am convinced this one leper did. It was his faith that made him well. His realization of who he was in comparison to God. I want to have that.

As we approach this one day to give thanks, let us remember this story of the one leper who stopped and wholeheartedly thanked Jesus for being made well. If we think about what Jesus has really done for us, I am convinced we will be like the one leper, not one of the nine. Let's stop, look our hands and see what God has really done for us...then fall at His feet with thanksgiving.

photo from neatnik2009

The Art of Losing Myself

Have you ever heard a worship song and one lyric just stuck with you? That one line just wouldn't leave your mind? For me, it's been the lyric "the art of losing myself" from the song Inside Out written by Joel Houston. Here's what I'm talking about:

A thousand times I've failed

Still your mercy remains

And should I stumble again

Still I'm caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control

Consume me from the inside out Lord

Let justice and praise become my embrace

To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains

The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

I've been mulling over this idea for the last several months. What does this mean? Is there really an "art" to losing myself? I mean, how can I really begin to have less of me and more of Jesus? How can I put myself away and only allow Jesus to act in me? These are valid questions aren't they?

But the "art" of losing myself is something that must be practiced. Am I right? The art of something is an act that needs repetition and thus we need to practice losing ourselves. This is where I've been stopped. This is where I have trouble. I have a hard time with this because I focus so much time on myself. And lately I've been trying to change my focus. It's with my mind. To change my focus with my mind is to change my action and thus giving over to the Spirit that enables me to change. Am I right? This makes sense. Doesn't it? But, "the how..."

I am so happy to find all the answers to these questions in the Bible. I mean, seriously, it's amazing that I can go to this single book and know that God has put the answer there and that I can bank on it.

The apostle Paul knows about changing your mind to find right action through the Spirit. I am drawn to his letter to Philipi, in the last chapter he tells the church what to think about:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." 4:8

But read the next verse, it's the clincher (for me):

"What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." 4:9

Practice these things Paul says. Change your thinking and think about those things and you'll find yourself being less. This is what I need to being doing.

I'm also drawn to Paul's letter to the Colossians where we are shown once again the how to become less and be more like Christ:

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience." 3:12

Man, those don't describe me very much. But I know the "how to," the ways of changing my mind to lose myself. Know that I am holy and beloved through Jesus and put on compassion for others, being kind and not thinking too highly of myself and being meek and being patient. That is what I am to do to put away with myself. And that is how Jesus will become greater and I will become lesser (John 3:30).

One the most amazing ways of losing yourself is by singing praise to God. In another worship song, this one written by Matt Redman, I believe what when we truly sing these lyrics and believe them and live them out we will see our lives becoming more like Jesus and less like ourselves.

Blessed be Your name

In the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be Your name

And blessed be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed be your name

Every blessing You pour out I'll

Turn back to praise

And when the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's "all as it should be"

Blessed be You name

And blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

I will bless Your name

Create In Me A Clean Heart

The church in Thessalonica had only been ministered to for about a month before Paul had to leave escaping to Berea. But what amazes me (and Paul) is how the church still thrived after his leaving. They were young in faith and needed spiritual 'milk' and instruction on how to live a holy life (4:7).

As I read through Paul's letter to a thriving church and I studied his "how to" in living a holy life, I brought back to the simplicity of it all. (It always is). Here it is, I'll summarize:
- Stop being sexually immoral and control your body in a way that is holy.
- Live a holy life, not an impure one.
- Love others even more than you already do.
- Live quietly, work with your hands.
- Live a sober life, putting on faith & love as a breastplate and hope of salvation as a helmet.
- Encourage and build one another up.
- Don't pay back evil with evil.
- Rejoice all the time.
- Pray all the time.
- Thank God all the time.

Seems pretty simple huh? I am convicted by the fact that I tend to over-complicate or over-think how I am to live a life according to the One True God. I am a thinker. I think more than I should perhaps. Most of us do. But here, Paul is telling a young church who took grasp of the Gospel, who left their idol-worshiping days behind and began living the holy life. I am convinced the Holy Spirit pierced their hearts, made it clean. He gave them a new start. A fresh beginning to live the holy life. I am in need of that too. A piercing of the heart, a clean heart. And thus miraculously I as drove away from the coffee shop where I was reading, my iPod played Jon Foreman's "White As Snow." Here's what Jon wrote:

Have mercy on me, O God
According to Your unfailing love
According to Your great compassion
Blot out my transgressions

Would you create in me a clean heart O God?
Restore in me the joy of Your salvation
Would you create in me a clean heart O God?
Restore in me the joy of Your salvation

The sacrifices of our God are a broken and a contrite heart
Against You and You alone have I sinned
The sacrifices of our God are a broken and a contrite heart
Against You and You alone have I sinned

Would you create in me a clean heart O God?
Restore in me the joy of Your salvation
Would you create in me a clean heart O God?
Restore in me the joy of my salvation

Wash me white as snow
I will be made whole
Wash me white as snow
I will be made whole
Wash me white as snow
And I will be made whole
Wash me white as snow

I love the simplistic brilliance of this song. Of course we all thank the Psalmist of 51:10 giving us those words.

As the church of Thessalonica had questions about Jesus' second coming, they knew they had to prepare for it by living a holy life. We too have questions, but we at least know how to live. Let's begin today.