Right Of Way

Ye are not under the law, but ye are under grace! Romans 6:14 is the most freeing verse in the New Testament! It is simply amazing that God has sent His Son to completely fulfill the law in our stead and then to take the penalty for our failure to keep it to remove us from the ritual lifestyle of temple worship. We are no longer tied to sacrifices and dietary restrictions (yeah bacon!) to be able to maintain our relationship with Him. We can have a relationship with Him! We have access to God through a great High Priest who has experienced all of the temptations and hardships we have and is still without sin. We have instant access to this God.

But how far does this liberty allow us to go?

That truly is the wrong question to ask. If you need to define where the line of sin is, you should be as far away from that line as possible.

This past week during chapel at the big Bob, the topic was alcohol and the Christian. Throughout the entire week, social media exploded with "haters" who railed against the stand that this college took, insisting that because it was not strictly forbidden in Scripture, we should, as Christians, be allowed to consume alcohol on a social level. Please note, I am not talking about stuff like mouthwash and vanilla extract, but alcohol in the sense of beer, wine, or distilled liquors.




For me, the choice is clear for all Christians: we need to abstain from alcohol.

The purpose of our life as Christians is to glorify God in all that we say, do, eat, or drink. Glory can be defined as the visible manifestation of God's essence. (Thanks Pastor Mike. :) ) When we are consuming alcohol, can we truly say that this drink will be the best option to show my God to those around me? Well, it's just a drink, who really cares? Well, speaking from experience, the world knows that alcohol is not something Christians "do". I have worked in a secular environment where there were alcohol parties on a regular basis. I was among the youngest employees, yet I was over the legal drinking age. Everyone around me knew that I was a Christian. I never hid it, but rather proclaimed it as my reason for everything I did and how I responded. When the beers were passed around, I was asked if I would take one. When I gave my reason (which I will explain later) my co-worker shrugged it off. A few days later, she approached me and told me that if I had taken a drink, she would not have been able to believe that I was a Christian anymore. What's the big deal? One drink will not make me drunk.

The big deal is we are associated with our choices. Drinking of all kinds has been negatively associated in recent days as being a decidedly non-Christian activity.

In addition to this, medically it is truly unwise. The idea that I will not get drunk after one drink is actually not true. After one drink, your body has been affected. The alcohol enters your blood stream and begins to inhibit your vision and reasoning skills. You are no longer able to fully control your body. We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to control us and not some other substance. It is fairly universally agreed among Christians that social drug use is to be condemned because you lose control over yourself. Why should anyone freely give up control simply because the Bible does not expressly forbid it? The principles are there in Scripture, Christians have chosen to ignore it.

Alcohol also is a poison and has been shown to increase the risk for cancer as well as self-inflicted injuries (car wrecks), and kidney/liver/stomach failure.

But they drank wine in the Bible! True, but not in the same way that it is drank now. Wine was always diluted with water... even among gentiles. Even the Romans, with their promiscuous ways, did not drink straight wine. The purpose of wine was to cleanse the water to make it drinkable. We have all seen the commercials on TV for charities dedicated to bringing good water to third world countries. In the times of the Bible, there was little understanding of sanitation processes. The idea of bacteria was not even conceived. There was simply the knowledge that if you added a small amount of wine to water, it would make it drinkable. The alcohol would kill the bacteria. (Wait, aren't we filled with good bacteria...?) Even now when traveling to other countries, the advice always is to not drink the water, unless you are able to somehow kill the germs (most likely by boiling the water).

The wine in the Bible was also not as intense alcoholically as it is now. We have sought out the way to get a buzz from this drink and have discovered distillation processes that were not possible with the technology available back then. Again, we are should not allow ourselves to be controlled by anything other then the Holy Spirit.

Consider again your testimony. I know people who were alcoholics. We are judged in our actions towards and around them. In 1 Corinthians 10, we have the illustration of the meat offered to idols. True, the meat itself was not bad, nor was it expressly forbidden. But Paul clearly shows that we are judged not only by our own personal conscience, but of those around us. I have already shown that the unsaved do not think it right for Christians to drink, but it is also true that there are Christians who have either personally struggled with alcoholism or have family who have struggled with it. Would it not be best to give up a small liberty for the sake of a brother?

Perhaps it is because my desire is to be in full time ministry, but I cannot see why any Christian would chose to imbibe socially. Consider carefully everything you do and seek to do all things completely and totally for the glory of God. Do not allow yourselves to "claim your freedom" because it is available.

When I was preparing to take the test to get my driving permit, I was told that there was no law that absolutely gave anyone the right of way. We are merely told who is to yield the right of way. The same is true of Christians. We are not told when we have the right to do something we are told to yield to those around us.

Because of Him,
Missa

Effectual Fruit

How hard does a peach tree work to make peaches? Well, it doesn't, of course. It's a peach tree.

I've heard that illustration so many times in my life, but I do have to ask;

Are the fruits of the spirit, like love, joy, meekness, are they a choice or natural?

Maybe I'm the only one, but I've been taught that love is not merely a feeling, but that you actively chose to love someone, in a true Christlike manner. (Kinda talking about romantic love, but this really applies to all relationships in our life). So, if we are bearing fruit as a Christian, do we still have a choice in bearing fruit? If a Christian is not evidencing a certain fruit, are they really a Christian?

I was very convicted this past week that I am not a generally meek person. I love to argue for argument's sake. Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit, but it is certainly not a strong point for me. But does a fruit bearing tree ever struggle with producing less then excellent fruit?

Galatians 5:25 says "if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit". It could also be translated as "since we have been given life by the Spirit, we ought to manifest that life in our walk". In our natural born state of being unsaved, we have no life. We are completely dead and are unable to produce any fruit of any kind. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are given life.  Colossians 2:13 "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" Our life as Christians is not mere physical life given to every creature that draws breath on this planet, but rather the complete and satisfying life of eternity, never to end, always to be in fellowship with our Creator. We are animated by the Holy Spirit unto life and good works, which God has set that we as Christians should do.

But God did not create robots. We are not reprogrammed at salvation to just spew out joy, peace, patience, goodness. It is a result of gratitude and love that we are constantly looking to know Him more and be more like Him. As we have the Holy Spirit giving us life in us, we ought to act like it. The thing about love is that it compels us. We act toward the object of our love in a manner that is not in our natural being. In this case, we show the fruits of the Spirit.
Love: Unconditional,
Joy:Inexplicable,
Peace:Incomprehensible,
Longsuffering: Undeterable,
Gentleness: Charitable,
Goodness: Everendurable,
Faith: Unmeasureable,
Meekness: Unavoidable,
Temperance: Unpoluteable

It is not in us to produce the fruit as dead creatures, but only through the life of the Holy Spirit.

Some say, though, that fruit can be imitated. Have you ever had a strawberry right off of the bush? Compare that to strawberry candy. Though there is some resemblance, it is so poor that no one who has had the fruit will have any difficulty telling the difference.

Because of Him,
Missa

When Trials Come

When trials come no longer fear

For in the pain our God draws near

To fire a faith worth more than gold

And there His faithfulness is told

And there His faithfulness is told

Within the night I know Your peace

The breath of God brings strength to me

And new each morning mercy flows

As treasures of the darkness grow

As treasures of the darkness grow

I turn to Wisdom not my own

For every battle You have known

My confidence will rest in You

Your love endures Your ways are good

Your love endures Your ways are good

When I am weary with the cost

I see the triumph of the cross

So in it’s shadow I shall run

Till You complete the work begun

Till You complete the work begun

One day all things will be made new

I’ll see the hope You called me to

And in your kingdom paved with gold

I’ll praise your faithfulness of old

I’ll praise your faithfulness of old

Keith & Kristyn Getty

Sometimes I wonder if pride or selfishness could be called the root of all sin. Money is cited as being that, but isn't even the love of money based on the root of selfishness? I am amazed at how many things I can take pride in... Not the good "I'm proud of you son!" pride, but rather the slithering permeating pride that may only manifest itself on the outside as "humility". The best part is I think I'm being humble the entire time! 

I found that I can even take pride in what God has done.

Trials come to all of us. If we overcome them, we are lauded as great heroes. If we fail, depending on the seeming epicness of the fail, we are either shunned or we refer to it as our stumbling block. 

Heroes. That sounds so nice! "Yeah, I, uh, went through this trial, and, well, I responded thusly and smote the FLAMING ARROWS OF THE DEVIL!!!!" Toss some Bible verses in there and you'll be the model for the next Captain Bible comic book. 

Here's the thing, maybe we don't actually do that. Verbally, we give all of the glory to God. It's not our mouth that directly worships God. It is our heart. Our attitudes and motives. Even though we can completely acknowledge when it comes down to it that surviving that trial had nothing to do with us and it was God alone, we are still inclined to congratulate ourselves.

It may not even be an immediate response. In my personal life, I never really told people about the situation for a few months. It was when I began to enjoy telling it to everyone I met that the pride started to sneak in. Did you know sin feels really good going down? And then it gives you the worst heartburn. Then we run for our gracious Savior for forgiveness, which He so freely gives. 

Our trials are not all about us. James 1 tells us to count it all joy when we are in temptations (trials) because this produces the fruit of patience. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says "there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." The faithfulness does not have anything to with us, but rather the grace of God.

It's kinda like walking into the Louvre and standing next to the Mona Lisa and insisting that you painted it. That seems ridiculous, yet this is how our pride is.

Because of Him,
Missa

O Sacred Head

O Sacred head now wounded with grief and cares bowed down. 

I love to imagine and picture what it was like during the events depicted in the Bible. This past Sunday evening, my church remembered the Lord's Supper. For some reason, my mind tends to track to the disciples and their sorrow, shock, and fear. Can you imagine?  All of their hope, gone. In an evening, a moment, a kiss. It was over. The Bible clearly shows that, even though Christ told them over and over, they did not understand the forthcoming death and the resurrection to follow. 

Perhaps this is a strange question, but what did Christ have going through His mind during his last few days and hours?  I began this post with a line from a well known hymn, and I am wondering if it is correct...  How did Christ look? When my God was there on the cross bearing my sins, how did his expression communicate to those around Him His true thoughts?

Pain, certainly, was there. A physical pain. The torture surrounding the final execution on the cross would've almost killed a person. Almost. I cannot imagine, nor even attempt to describe this pain. 

I wonder if you could look in His eyes and see the love and compassion that He had.  He cries out "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" Luke 23:34. He did not send a bitter look at the Pharisees standing off in their mock righteousness, nor did He only ask forgiveness for their sins, but also for the sins of everyone there. This would include the faithful few followers who stayed at His cross.

Perhaps grief was there. Imagine the pain of rejection of all but a few of your closest friends. To be killed by strangers. Even more acutely, perhaps, the rejection of His Father. To have a part of the Trinity be ripped from the other two is unfathomable. Because sin is so awful, our perfect Holy God could not even look at His Own Son as all of the sin from every person throughout time was laid directly on our Redeemer Lamb. To be rejected by friends and family is one thing, to be rejected by God is the epitome of despair.

But I also wonder, during His last few moments, was there a look of confidence, of victory? John 19:31 records the final words of our Savior "it is finished." As the Devil crowed with delight at the death of his enemy, was there a slight smile that decried the winner as being the One hanging on the tree?

I've seen many paintings of Christ on the cross and, almost exclusively, they show a defeated Christ with no hope. When I imagine my Christ, I see my victorious Hero who has brought hope to the world.

He did all of this, just for the sake of allowing us miserable creatures into His heaven! It is purely our own fault that we needed a Savior, yet He gives of Himself. No man took His life, He freely gave it up for our sake, John 10.

Because of Him,
Missa

Wrong thinking

Why is it so hard to be a Christian... among other Christians? Something I've noticed, since I've arrived here at BJU is that I'm having an increasingly hard time finding Christians who are passionate about Christianity. I'm not saying having fun isn't a good thing... but I've hung out with a few different groups and never has the topic of God come up... With the exception of the one time that one of the friends I was hanging out with mentioned that the entire time she had been there, she hadn't had a serious conversation with anyone and we should all talk about what we learned about God that week (I applaud the move). Unfortunately, instead of having a conversation about God, there were some giggles and a few people said that they thought John 3:16 was the best verse EVER..... No wonder she hasn't had a serious conversation since she got here.

This is a Christian College!  Most likely, everyone you encounter here should be saved. Talk about it. Tell people your testimony. Discuss chapel messages... That's a great way to stay awake in chapel... if you know that you will be discussing it over lunch. The most I've heard anyone talk about chapel was when there was a bird in chapel. Everyone stayed awake for that one. No one remembers that he was making the point that God wants to save sinners.

Frankly, I think there is a bit of trying not to appear too weird. "If I bring up that subject, such and so might not like it", "there's plenty of preacher boys around here, they can be the ones to start that kind of conversation." Guess what... It only takes one person to start a revolution. Yesterday in chapel, I heard the story of William Borden. He was in training to be a missionary to China at Yale university (while it still was a college that produced ministers). He began a small prayer group in the morning (yes, before classes started) by the time he left, 1,000 of Yale's 1,300 students were involved in that prayer group. You would've been weird to not be in those meetings. He had an impact on nearly an entire college.

Here's the thing, though. If you are not willing to be bold when you are among friends, how can you ever expect to be bold when you are out among the enemy? My pastor calls it raising the flag of Christianity. That doesn't mean wiggling the tiny white handkerchief of defeat. A flag is tall, proud of what it stands for, and waves back and forth so that everyone can see what it really is. Why is our flag hidden? The moment we step off campus, people are watching us. Our testimony. How we act, what we say and do. The Devil has no problem pointing out our flaws to everyone around us. The time we slip up and say... maybe not a curse word, but certainly a word that Christians really should avoid. When we wear the skirt that is almost uncheckable just because the dorm supervisor didn't have a chance to stop us on our way out the door. When we are walking around the mall and complain about how legalistic BJU is with all of their rules.... People are listening. There have been a few times when I was eating a meal alone for one reason or another and I love to listen to other people's conversation. Sometimes I'll be sitting by myself and just start laughing at what the group at the table behind me is saying. There was one time when I saw a girl trying to put her plate away and dropped a napkin. For the next two minutes she tried to roll the napkin to the top of her foot and pick it up that way...  She did eventually succeed, but as she walked past me talking to a friend I heard her tell him that she had only done it because she didn't want to bend down and mess her hair up. I know that I am not the only people-watcher in the world. Everyone around us looks at us. We live in a world of entertainment and we look to other people to entertain us. The lady at the store with her triple stroller... She is listening for intelligent conversation that is not coming from two-year olds. The elderly gentleman who sits on the bench with a cup of coffee waiting for the bus... He looks for smiles that are genuine.

We are Christians. It is wrong for us to think that acting like it makes us boring and we will never have any friends. When Christ is at the core of our relationships, we can do nothing less than grow closer together. Our life should not be about how many sins we can get away with or how many friends we have on Facebook. Our life should be for the praise, honor, and glory of God, our gracious and perfect Redeemer.

Because of Him,
Missa

Who?

Who is God? To you, personally. Our God is not a God who is unknowable. He is very knowable and very personal.

Perhaps we know all of the right answers. God is our Father. God is our Shepherd. God is my Savior. But how do we know that?  And how does that affect our daily living? Until recently, I personally did not know or even seek to know my God on a personal level. Devotions stagnate to mere scientific gathering of facts.

It is at that point that one must turn to those much wiser then oneself. I was given a book by a close friend of mine at camp by Mardi Collier:

What do I know about my God? The premise of the book is a guided Bible study method that is continual. You can always work on it... at church, at school, at work. Every time the Word of God is presented, publicly or privately, learn what the passage tells you about God or how does something apply to your life. For example, the author recommends that you begin with Psalm 1. Once I finished my first read through I had created the categories "My God is In Control" and "What Should I Love". The next day, added "God Is My Father" and "My God Should Be Feared". The best part about this system is you can either create new categories or you can add to your already established categories. The purpose is to gradually build up your own personal counseling book.

The Holy Spirit illumines His Word to us. We have the responsibility to learn what the Bible teaches and actively pursue Christ-likeness. But how can you become like someone unless you know them?  When I am around my best friend, I find that I sometimes take on some of her mannerisms like the way she tells stories, or laughs, or gets excited about different things, and simply longing to spend more time with her then we possibly can. When I spend time with my Best Friend, I find myself thinking the way He does, being excited about what He does, and continually talking with Him (yes, it does look crazy when I'm walking around campus having a silent conversation... complete with facial expressions).

Our God is there, knowable, and always ready for a good chat.

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Philippians 3:8-10  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.

Because of Him,

Missa

Consider the Lillies

Well, life, as you may have expected, has become abnormally busy for me... and this time it does not involve making money, but rather spending it at a pace faster then I ever have before.

College. I never though I would ever make it here. I teased my friends that college was only for the rich people... or the ones who willy-nilly absorb their entire bill as debt.

In November every year, my church back home has stewardship month. That's when Pastor gets to tell everyone that we should be giving more money to the church.

I'm joking.

He preaches on what it means to be a good steward. It has a lot to do with money, but it also concerns our time, witnessing opportunities, and our Christian life in general.

The past several years, I haven't really been under too great of conviction. I've only had a job during November once before this year and tithing on $20 a week wasn't that bad. 

This past November, I became a Scrooge. There's nothing wrong with being frugal and thrifty. And living within your means. However, there is something wrong with keeping such a tight fist on your finances that you forget to even thank the God Who provided that money.

It's not that we are specifically commanded to tithe in the New Testament, however, we are expected to give cheerfully and not grudgingly to the local church (2 Corinthians 9:6-15). Well, since there is no baseline given, a lot of people kinda ignore the whole giving thing. To the point that the rest of us don't really feel guilty if we "miss a payment".

That was the point which I had gotten to.

God taught me, though, that if I am where He wants me to be, He will completely provide for me. In other words, holding tightly to the funds that He has given to me is kind of pointless. My purpose in going to college is to gain more skills so that I can better serve God in whatever ministry He calls me to. Right now, I am heading towards camp ministry, but God can change my life any time He wants to. So why, if I am serving the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, do I struggle with glorifying Him through my giving? I'm not focusing on God who changed my heart's desire, the God who has done exceeding abundantly above that I can ask or think, the God who has guided my every footstep to bring Him the glory. My focus has selfishly turned inward. I want to go to college. I want to go for MORE then one semester, I want, I want, I want.

What do I want? I want to serve God to the complete expenditure of my time, talents, and treasure for His glory alone.

Because of Him,
Missa