Author: Lane

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Gospel

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“What Comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” A.W. Tozer

Does God exist to enjoy you? OR Do you exist to enjoy God?

Does God exist to worship you? OR Do you exist to worship God?

Does God exist to make you satisfied? Or Do you exist to find satisfaction in God alone?

Does God exist to make your eternity desirable? OR Do you exist to delight in God for all eternity?

Is the Bible a book about you? OR Is the Bible a book God has given us so we can learn about him and his eternal plan of redemption for his glory?

Is corporate worship with the church about satisfying your feelings and preference? OR  Is corporate worship with the church about exalting and magnifying God?

I see a trend in our world that most people would answer the first questions on the left with a yes. God is seen as irrelevant. God somewhere someway has some kind of measurement to most and therefore is not interesting. He is wrongly seen by some as some kind of grandfather figure. He is wrongly seen as some kind of anything goes kind of god. He is seen to have some kind of limits. But God can not be measured. We however are measurable. God does not have limits. We have too many limitations to count.

The gospel starts with God. God is all sufficient in all things.  He was not made for us nor does he need us.  But God in his endless glorious grace invites us in through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. John Piper states this beautifully in The Pleasures of God in a very clear way:

“Unless we begin with God in this way, when the gospel comes to us, we will inevitably put ourselves at the center or it. We will feel that our value rather than God’s value is the driving force in the gospel. We will trace the gospel back to God’s need for us instead of tracing it back to the sovereign grace that rescues sinners who need God.

But the gospel is the good news that God is the all-satisfying end of all our longings, and that even though he does not need us, and is in fact estranged from us because of our God-belittling sins, he has, in the great love with which he loved us, made a way for sinners to drink at the river of  his delights through Jesus Christ. And we will not be enthralled by this good news unless we feel that he was not obliged to do this . He was not coerced or constrained by our value. He is the center of the gospel. The exaltation of his glory is the driving force of the gospel. The gospel is a gospel of grace! And grace is the pleasure of God to magnify the worth of God by giving sinners the right and power to delight in God without obscuring the glory of God.”

We have future endless waters of living grace poured out and offered to us in the blood of Jesus to receive in faith.  For we were made to know Christ, serve Christ, delight in Christ, fellowship with Christ and worship Christ for all eternity with a people he has purchased from every tribe, nation, and tongue. Because of God’s great endless love lavished on us in Jesus Christ our Lord can we can by faith  become adopted sons of God.

Hallelujah! Christ died for our sins, was buried and raised on the third day. “For the wages of sin is death but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 6:23) Have you opened and received the gift?

I’m just mind blown by God’s endless grace,

Lane

Scripture references that come to mind: Revelation 5:9, Revelation 4:8, Revelation 21, Colossians chapter 1

Recommended reading: The Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer, The Pleasures of God by John Piper

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Shells

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My husband loves me in so many little ways. I don’t really praise him on social media very much…it’s not his style.  One of the ways I’m so grateful for how he loved me this past week was he kept the kids along with my parents so I could have times ALONE to do one of my favorite things to be still and read while we were away at the beach on family vacation. With two littles that keep me busy my time to read in long stretches other than staying up until 1:00am comes few and far between. I was truly so thankful for sweet time with the Lord as I was shepherded by two sisters writings pointing me to the Good Shepherd of my soul.

One day at 5:00 the young man who picks up beach chairs came by to collect the chair and umbrella I was under. He asked me this question about some seashells that were sitting in the chair “Would you like to keep these shells?”

I simply told him no thank you but in my mind all I could think was I would be such a fool to not give up my shells.

“With what misgivings we turn over our lives to God, imagining somehow that we are about to lose everything that matters. Our hesitancy is like that of a tiny shell on the seashore, afraid to give up the teaspoonful of water it holds lest there not be enough in the ocean to fill it again. Lose your life, said Jesus, and you will find it. Give it up, and I will give you all. Can the shell imagine the depth and plentitude of the ocean? Can you and I fathom the riches, the fullness, of God’s love?”  ~Taken from The Path of Loneliness by Elisabeth Elliott.

 For the one that gives up their shell who receives Christ as Lord and Savior hear and know the truth that you are secure in Christ. But why do we struggle to go looking for our little bit of water we had in our shell once we’ve given it up? Why do we try to hang on to the little bit of control and comfort we think we have? When we are looking for yesterdays water or tomorrows water we are blind to the new mercies God has poured out for today and the purpose for how he wants us to use what he has given each day for his glory.  One of my favorite quotes so simple and so profound I heard from Janet Howard, Elisabeth Elliot’s sister in law.

“Let your yes be a continual yes.”

That may have been so simple you read right past that quote. Let’s go back and read that little one again. “Let your yes be a continual yes.” Do not try to go looking for your old water to fill your shell once you’ve surrendered to Christ. The joy comes in the surrendered daily death to self to walk in sweet fellowship with God. God’s compassions never cease for they are new every morning whether the waters look calm or rough. He will fill you with everything you need in Christ. Trust he will give you your daily bread as you abide in Christ. Don’t look for yesterdays water when you are in an ocean of grace today. Don’t go looking for tomorrows water either. Enjoy the surrendered daily moment by moment joy of taking up your cross and following Jesus where all joy is found as he fills you with living water through the Holy Spirit.

Just as I was alone on the beach answering the man about keeping seashells we all have to individually give an answer to God. No one else can give an answer for you.

With a continual yes in Christ,

Lane

 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves  and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (Luke 9:23-25) 

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Obedience

Feelings

Lane1 Comment

Jesus has feelings. Scripture tells us that Jesus wept. He enjoyed fellowship with his closest friends. He attended weddings. He was betrayed 3 times by the one who claimed to love him the most. He was misunderstood. He was wrongly accused.  “We do not have a great high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin.”

Jesus never let his feelings get in the way of obedience. Jesus even sweated “in what was like drops of blood falling to the ground” as he prayed “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” Jesus did not submit to his feelings; he submitted to his Father.

Remember the catchy old saying “What Would Jesus Do?” I had the wrist band in many colors. I’ve had a couple sisters in Christ teach me “We never have to ask what would Jesus do, we just have to look at what he did.” Jesus lived a full surrendered life lived in obedience for the glory of God at whatever the cost even when he didn’t feel like it.

Warning here….I will get personal on this blog friends out of love for God and love for you. I hope this is a place that only points you to Jesus and encouraging you as you follow him so I will add application questions. Know I’m preaching these things to myself always. Where are you following your feelings verses a life of surrendered obedience rooted in Gods Word? Are you reading your Bible to even know what obedience to him looks like or are you going off of someone else’s teaching that makes you feel good? Are you giving God partial obedience but holding some back because it feels hard? Are you following what culture feels is appropriate or what God has said? Are you following your feelings when you’ve been hurt by the one you love? Maybe you aren’t even feeling love for the one you said you would love until death to us part. Maybe you are lonely and wondering if anyone sees or cares. Maybe you feel like you need a glass of wine to unwind from the day to help with your stress/nerves(note drinking a glass a wine is not bad but if its to help you escape feelings or help you feel comfortable in a situation instead of finding satisfaction in God this would be called what the Bible says is drunkenness). Maybe you aren’t feeling like going to worship with your family after a long week. Maybe you feel you need just a little recognition for that act of service you did so you post a picture. Maybe you are feeling deep physical pain and struggling to trust God. I could go on and on with this list…you can see where I’m going.

Lets look at what Jesus did…”For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Jesus also right when he began his public ministry was tempted for 40 days straight in the dessert by Satan and each time Jesus followed a temptation with scripture. Satan even thought he was being wise by quoting scripture out of context. This shows the importance of camping in your Bible daily taking in God’s Word.

It is ok to feel. God desires for us to feel the depths of his love. We see clearly in the Bible that Jesus felt deeply but the key is turning over our agenda when our feelings aren’t in line with Gods Word. We are to trust and obey in spite of our feelings.  So how do you obey when your feelings are going against everything God’s Word says….you fix your eyes on the joy set before you. You fix your eyes on Jesus. We know we have so much to look forward too in Christ, now and for all eternity. We can look forward to the day that our feelings will fully be made new. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Jesus makes all things new including our feelings!

I’m so thankful we have a Savior that didn’t follow his feelings because if he had we would all still be drowning in our sin deserving the full wrath of God. We have a Savior that “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even on a cross.” Oh what a Savior we have, Jesus Christ our Lord!

Lord will you help me and all reading to walk as you did not based on our feelings but in full submission and obedience with thanksgiving fixing our eyes on you Jesus the author of our faith.

Thankful for Jesus’ obedience,

Lane

**Also I will try to include my scripture references for those that want to go into further reading. This is what I truly hope you will do.

Philippians 2:8, Hebrews 2:12, Hebrews 4:15, John 11:35, John 18-19, Mark 22:42-43, Matthew 4, Revelation 21:4

Also more reading on obedience when you don’t feel like it:

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/lay-aside-the-weight-of-not-feeling-like-it

https://www.amazon.com/Be-Still-Soul-Elisabeth-Elliot/dp/0800759893/ref=la_B000APCY04_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495891208&sr=1-12

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The plan is Jesus

LaneLeave a comment

I could not begin to count the numbers of hairs on my baby boys head. Last night I held my baby tight as we waited for the results of his CT scan at nearly midnight in our first trip to the children’s emergency room. As we waited I stared at the hairs on his head in awe of the One who does know exactly how many hairs each of us have on our head. We are known by God. We are seen by God. And we are loved by God with an everlasting love that he lavished on us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

We don’t always understand or see the what and the why in our circumstances but we can trust the one who has always had a plan. Many are familiar with the scripture where God is talking to the exiles in Babylon that God has a plan for you, for a future and a hope(Jeremiah 29:11). Is this promise still for us today? Yes! Many try to guess what this plan is for them today and look for this plan. Many will look and few will find. The plan is and always has been Christ. Christ is the plan for our future with God. Christ is our hope. Jesus took all the harm that we deserve so we will have a future with God in this world and in the one to come. Jesus reconciles us to God. This is good news. Today all the promises of God find their yes in Christ.

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:16-20

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6-7.

God’s plan never changes. His plan has always stayed the same. The plan is always Christ. This is revealed to us first in Genesis 3. The plan is not your job success, degree(s), fun memories or even family success. When its hard fix your eyes on Jesus. When its easy fix your eyes on Jesus. Always fix your eyes on Jesus and then you will see this purpose you have been made for. A plan for now and all eternity to worship, know, and enjoy God. I’m so thankful the plan isn’t really about us but to know God now and all for eternity. During our short time on earth we also have a purpose to make known the beauty of his miraculous gospel to all peoples so they can know him too all for the glory of God. This is why missions matters but thats another post I’ll save for next time maybe:)

“The secret is Christ in me not a different set of circumstances.” ~Elisabeth Elliot

*I should note my little one just had a little fall and CT scan came back normal…kind mercy from God.