It's a YouTube Kind of Post

If you know me well, you know that I have the tendency to be all or nothing in my thoughts/actions/attitudes. As you also have seen, I don't write on this here bloggy-blog very often as I'm a busy mama of four. There are so many things I want to write about (a line I think I've written several times already on here) and yet the time just doesn't allow. Time-management is an area I struggle with and am working on. But, I digress.

Here recently I've come across several videos that I thought were worth sharing. If I had my act together, I would make them three different posts, as they are all un-related. However, I am doing it all--to avoid doing nothing. :)

My first video is of Mark Driscoll sharing his thoughts on the church family. It was very convicting and I am curious what speaks to you through what he has to say:



The second video is a funny video that some may see as a slap in the face if it's the way their church does things, but I see it as a way of showing us that we all have our own style of worship and without Christ, it's just routine. Let's not lose sight of what worship is. For me, I want my outward actions to be a pure, natural reaction to what God has done in my heart. How about you? Does worship matter to you and how to you overcome idols of the heart?

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

The last is a song that really describes where I'm at right now. I am in a battle of the flesh. I've recently come to see that there are certain things (okay things) that simply do not fit in my life. If I am to be holy as He is holy, I must, must let go of certain things that I know feed my flesh. Is it temporary? Maybe. Regardless, I want to be used of God and I can't be a vessel for Him with these idols in my way. So, enjoy this song and may it lift you to a new level of righteous living.

Clean Hands and a Pure Heart

Taken from Pat Sczebel's sermon notes at Worship God 09:

A gap is a break in continuity, a break or a hole in an object. How do we recognize the gap we feel with our relationship with God? Here are the symptoms: "Knowledgeable but impersonal walk with God, a struggle with material things, and a definite lack of personal growth. Something is wrong with this harvest; it contradicts the faith that is supposed to be its source." Timothy Lane, Paul Tripp (How People Change pg. 3)

How do we remedy the gap? Look at Psalm 73:1. God is truly good to Israel and is made most clear to us through the work of Christ. We know God is good because "the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Romans 8:16

Consider these quotes from John Piper's book, Desiring God: "Saving faith is the cry of a new creation in Christ. And the newness of the new creature is that it has a new taste. What was once distasteful or bland is now craved. Saving faith is the confidence that if you sell all you have, and forsake all sinful pleasures, the hidden treasure of holy joy will satisfy your deepest desires."

This is easy to say with our lips, but deny the truth in our hearts when temptation comes and we sin. We envy the wicked who seem to prosper and increase in wisdom and riches. We then become angry or irritated with God. David did. Look at Psalm 73 verses 3-15.

Paul David Tripp says this: "The world is so attractive to our eyes and so seductive to our hearts. The creation can seem so much more real than the Creator. The sights, sounds, touches, and tastes of the world can make us more alive than the purposes, promises, presence and provisions of a God who can neither be seen nor heard. This is a battle you do not win once. It is a battle that you must face every day."

I like what Milton Vincent says in his book, The Gospel Primer: "Though saved, I am daily beset by a sinful flesh that always craves those things that are contrary to the Spirit. These fleshly lusts are vicious enemies, constantly waging war against the good of my soul. Yet they promise me fullness, and their promises are deliciously sweet that I often find myself giving into them as if they were friends that have my best interests at heart. On the most basic of levels, I desire fullness, and fleshly lusts seduce me by attaching themselves to this basic desire. They exploit the empty spaces in me, and they promise that fullness will be mine if I give into their demands. When my soul sits empty and is aching for something to fill it, such deceptive promises are difficult to resist."

So, where is our triumph? Again, God's Word provides the answers. Read Psalm 73:16-28.
When I go into the sanctuary, I echo David's words, "it is good to be near God."

What happens to my appetite for sin when I am filled with Christ? My hunger for sin diminishes and the lies of lust simply lose their appeal. "In the gospel I experience a God who glorifies Himself by filling me with His fullness." Milton Vincent

Here are practical applications that will help us bridge the gap.

• Recognize the extent of your own sin. Don't minimize sin and temptation and simply "brush it off". Sin resides in the heart and when we accept the bad news of our condition, the good news of the gospel can have its full affect.
  
• Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Practice confessing specific sins before God and confessing specific sins before others. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
  
• Turn your eyes towards Christ again. Stop the routine that doesn't satisfy. He made an end to ALL our sin. Our sin has been removed for a reason. In Him is everything we need. He stands and knocks wanting to commune. Schedule times throughout your day to refocus your gaze.
• Daily remind yourself of God's grace and goodness. His Word will help us do this. Preach the gospel to yourself everyday. This will fill our hearts with gratefulness, when we see what we deserve vs. what we received. Joy should overflow from a grateful heart.
  
• Daily remind others of His grace and goodness. Move out of your devotion time keeping Christ on your mind onto your lips. Look for ways to talk about Him with others throughout the day. You'll find your soul full with Christ and fleshly lusts losing their appeal. Be mindful of His work in you and in others throughout the day and draw attention to his work.
  

My Dearly Beloved

What would you think if you heard of a married couple who promised each other they would not tell anyone of their honeymoon, because of how horrible it was? You would probably wonder how long they lasted or dread to hear of their misery years later.

Well, I'm here to say that after eight years, those memories of my not-so-fun honeymoon have melted away into gratefulness and praise over the power of God.

On July 7, 2001 I made a vow to love, honor and cherish Douglas Ray Isaacson. After a whirlwind of a day, we were off to beautiful Hood River to spend a week of intimacy, joy and laughter in this quaint Oregon town. Our plans were simple. Spend the week at a Bed and Breakfast, play tennis, hike and just enjoy one another.

We did stay at a B&B, we did play tennis and we did hike. But, let me tell you, it wasn't full of romantic feelings. There was tension as we tried to figure one another out. There was anger at un-met expectations and there was fatigue from being forced to be up and dressed for breakfast by 9:00am every morning. I'm not opposed to getting up, but when you just want to sleep in and take your time, being told missing this free meal wasn't an option, makes for a grumpy new bride.

We fought about so many stupid things, but here's one that is quite comical now. Doug and I had gone up to Lost Lake on Hood River. On the way, I dozed and enjoyed some quiet time. Doug found a fruit stand on the side of the road and decided to buy some freshly picked black cherries. I hate cherries. Okay, I'll take a chocolate dipped maraschino cherry once in a while, but even then, I have my limits. So, Doug proceeds to eat the entire bag. Needless to say, his digestive system had much to say and he could barely stand himself. I was so irritated. This set the mood.

We get to the lake and decide to rent a canoe for 3 hours and venture out onto the water. Now, anyone knows that to really enjoy a canoe ride you must be on stagnant waters. This was my expectation. Lost Lake on Hood River is anything but still. In fact, I thought for sure we were going to tip. I made it clear (in a rather loud voice) that I did NOT want to get wet and I did NOT want to be in the canoe any longer. Oh, we had to at least get a picture of me with Mt. Hood in the background. I forced a fake smile then returned to speak very harshly to my dearly beloved and ordered him to turn us around immediately and get us out of this stupid contraption.

Poor Doug was probably shocked. What had he gotten himself into? All he could do was mutter out a few nervous giggles (which did not help the situation in the least) and try to get us turned around. Fifteen minutes later, we returned the boat.

As I sat waiting for him to join me for our hike around the lake, I realized how wrong I was and needed to truly ask for his forgiveness. Things were going so well. We had a real heart-to-heart. I apologized for my rotten attitude and disrespect and gently asked him to not laugh at me when I need his assurance of being there for me. It seemed to be a real success. But, then I did it. I kept going on and on and on about his shortcomings and what I needed out of him. Well, the poor man could really take no more. He said a few words, walked away and left me standing there. So, Doug hikes Lost Lake alone and I hike Lost Lake alone.

What a honeymoon. We told each other on the way out of town we were not going to tell anyone about our week.

Now, all these years later, we not only tell it, but tell it with a purpose. God has worked in our lives to show us that He created marriage for His glory and purpose. Marriage is not for our pleasure (though there is much to be enjoyed) but, to show the world a picture of Christ and His bride, the church.

I am more in love with Doug today than I was on the alter. And, I know as long as we are submitted to the changing work of God in our lives, we will live many more years growing in that love for one another.

The real solution to peacemaking is to see what the Prince of Peace did in our lives, then pray for the power to live that out with our relationships. When we see what mercy was bestowed upon us, it helps offer mercy to those around us. I know this is much easier said than done. But, I sit here testifying that nothing is too hard for God and He definitely works all things for our good and His glory.

Jesus and the Rose

Last week Doug and I started listening to Matt Chandler's sermon: A Shepherd and His Unregenerate Sheep from the Desiring God Conference '09. From the moment he started talking, I was intrigued and amused. He has a passionate love for the Lord and is a good preacher.

In his opening, he shared his background and one particular story that I want to share with you. As a young Christian, his heartbeat was to share the gospel and lovingly become intertwined in sinner's lives for the purpose of sharing God's grace and mercy. Then, he ran into an enemy: The church.



Tell me if you can relate. Not with how the church has failed to communicate truth, but how you personally have failed to handle God's word with reverent, humble, utter dependence on the Spirit to reveal that truth.

God has been doing a work in my own life, showing me how I was living by tradition and not by the simple truth of God's own word. I too, have tried to make a biblical point outside of the gospel. The results were confusing at best and left me looking like a know-it-all, unloving "religious freak".

I echo the prayer of my church that we crawl over the rubble and get into our community with one. simple. message. The gospel of Jesus Christ.

Of First Importance

gos·pel: the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation
co·a·li·tion: a temporary alliance of distinct parties, persons, or states for joint action

Both of these words were copied and pasted from one of my favorite websites: Merriam-Webster dot com. I'll explain why I have chosen to write about these two words, but first, I need to expound on the definition of the gospel. Yes, it is a message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God and salvation, but it doesn't say what that message is. Simply put: Jesus Christ lived a perfect life in our place, died a painful and shameful death in our place, and rose triumphantly from the grave for those who would repent and believe in order to be reconciled to God.

See how Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." ~emphasis mine

And this message of good news is not exclusive to non-believers. In Romans 1, Paul longed to go to Rome and visit the believers there so he could "...preach the gospel." He was not ashamed of the Gospel because he knew it was the power of God unto salvation. This power of God is not a one-time experience. As long as I am clothed with my sinful flesh, I am in desperate need of God's power. And where does that power come from? The Gospel.

Of all the things the Apostle Paul wrote about to the early churches, the Gospel was of first importance. Don't look past these two words too quickly. That was his delight and number one message. And it's a message we need to hear and meditate on today. It wasn't the order of services or what kind of lectern was to be used. It wasn't about having drums, no drums, piano only, dresses only, KJV only, or if the vocalists could hold their mics. The most important message that was preached then, is the same important message that needs to be preached now.

Now, the second word I listed is coalition-the coming together for one unified interest. That's what the Gospel Coalition is all about. Having one heart, one focus, one common interest. This conference is in session this week in Chicago and I'm so glad the elders from my church are there with other men who want to carry on this vision: To make the Cross of Jesus Christ central in all faith and practices.

Knowing this is the heart of my church's leadership, brings a smile to my face and anticipation in my heart. What does God have in store for His people? The world needs to hear the message of hope and it's not going to come from the men behind the pulpits only. To advance the Gospel means believers need to live in its truths every moment of every day so it becomes a natural outpouring of our lives. If you were saved from a burning building, I'm sure the story would be on the tip of your tongue, waiting eagerly to be shared as you retell the excitement of your fear and your heroic rescue. If you are a believer, you know how great a salvation you have. If it's fuzzy, please stop reading the Internet and get into your Bible. And believe me, I'm preaching to myself here as well.

Glory in the Cross of your salvation and might I exhort you to join with me in examining why we do what we do. Does your faith stem from the gracious work of Jesus, or on your own works? Are you practicing to live in the Gospel? What is the center of your life? Sad to say, it's not always in my Redeemer.

Lord, please continue to do a work in me that makes me hunger and thirst after righteousness and the God of my salvation.

~Last plug for the Gospel Coalition. I thought the video that introduced the heart behind the conference was very good. Here are men from different congregations, denominations and backgrounds setting secondary issues aside to focus on what is "...of first importance...": the Gospel.

Character First or Christ First?

Wanting your kids to have good character is not a bad thing. In fact, I pursued this approach when I thought about raising Emily. But if this is the main focus, the danger in that is the focus is on external behavior and attitudes, and not on the most important target-the heart. Sure, I want my kids to learn dependability, courage, truthfulness, kindness, etiquette, joyfulness, hard work, perseverance, self-control, gentleness, forgiveness, honesty, loyalty, orderliness, serving, responsibility, determination, initiative, decisiveness, and more.

But, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I WANT MY KIDS TO LEARN IS THIS: they have a wicked heart, deceitful above all things and they are full of sin, desirous to live a life completely opposite of these character qualities. And, that sin of selfish rebellion is deserving of God's righteous wrath. Not a popular thing to bring before your kids. We're tempted to tell them stories of Daniel in the lion's den and dare them to be a Daniel-drawing on strength from God. Or the courage of David, as he faced Goliath and had faith in God. Ruth is seen as the loyal daughter-in-law that was blessed as an apparent reward for her faithfulness and determination. But these stories make the wrong person the hero.

The best thing I have learned is to see God's Word as a complete story, not a bunch of moral lessons grouped together. But, one story about One Person. One Savior. The only thing we can relate to in these stories is the complete helplessness, sinful, alienated state we find our characters in. But God, being rich in mercy has saved us in Jesus Christ.

Every story points to Christ. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is what reconciles us to our Creator. He is the author and finisher of our faith. The gospel must be God-centered, not man-centered.

And, if God so chooses to open our little ones' eyes, they will learn through the sanctification process to become humble, meek, and loving-you know, all those character qualities we listed above.

This is a much easier process. Live a gospel-centered life, always pointing your kids to the cross and the outward will reflect on the inward transformation. But, beware. If you focus primarily on outward actions, you run a high risk of creating one good bluffer. And what a dangerous place to be-to not know your child's heart.

Lord bless you as you raise your little ones.

Oh, and in no way have I mastered this!! :)