Identity: I am the Disciple that Jesus Loves

I think this video journal by Tenth Avenue North is really good. Mike Donehey speaks of our identity in Christ.

"When it comes time to define himself, he doesn't define himself in what he did, or any of his accomplishments for God. He wrapped it up in this: I am the disciple that Jesus loves. First John 4:10 actually says, In this is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us. So what this means is in spite of your failures or in spite of your successes, our identity is now secure because it's not wrapped up in what we do for God, but what He did for us. .... My identity is no longer failure or success. My identity is secure. I am the disciple Jesus loves, that's all that I am. It has nothing to do with what I've done or what I didn't do, my failures, my success. It has to do with what He did for me."

Watch it. It's worth it.

http://www.tenthavenuenorth.com/videos

"The world screams "We are what we do, We are what we have, We are what people think about us!" Christ whispers, "You are mine & I am yours."" -- Mike Donehey (via Twitter --> https://twitter.com/#!/mikedonehey)

I Am Redeemed.

1 Peter 1:18-20 [NLT]: "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days."

Redeem: "To ransom, liberate, or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying a price or ransom; to ransom; to rescue; to recover; as, to redeem a captive, a pledge, and the like."

Redeemer: "one charged with the duty of restoring the rights of another and avenging his wrongs. ... This title is peculiarly applied to Christ. He redeems us from all evil by the payment of a ransom."

Redemption:"the purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom. ... The debt against us is not viewed as simply cancelled, but is fully paid. Christ's blood or life, which he surrendered for them, is the "ransom" by which the deliverance of his people from the servitude of sin and from its penal consequences is secured."

Ephesians 1:7 [NLT]: "He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins."

Colossians 1:13-14 [NLT]: "For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." 


"To Know Your Name"

Hillsong United

"The precious blood of Jesus Christ redeems,

Forgiven I’m alive, restored, set free.

Your majesty resides inside of me,

Forever I believe,

Forever I believe.

Arrested by your truth and righteousness,

Your grace has overwhelmed my brokenness.

Convicted by your Spirit, led by Your Word.

Your love will never fail,

Your love will never fail.

‘Cause I know you gave,

The world Your only Son for us

To know your name,

To live within the Savior's love.

And He took my place,

Knowing He’d be crucified,

And You loved,

You loved,

A people undeserving!"

Time and Time Again God is Faithful

About 2am Monday night/Tuesday morning when I was working some accounting problems--yes, I am very much a night owl--I was suddenly so overwhelmed with God's faithfulness. Crazy how the combination of so many small things can make a tremendous impact on you.


This week before spring break was pretty crazy, full of multiple things due for classes every day, assignments, papers, quizzes, exams. I had a group project/paper due Tuesday, a pretty big finance exam (7 chapters!) scheduled for Wednesday, and an accounting paper due Thursday. Planning out my schedule for the week, I had no idea when I was going to get that paper written. Already getting by on very little sleep, I literally did not know when I would have time to write that paper.


I was praying on my walk to accounting Tuesday morning, and I prayed that I could somehow get an extension on the paper due Thursday. At the end of class the professor said, "As you all know, the paper is due Thursday, but I've gotten some emails saying that somewhere online it says it is due March 24, and someplace else it says it's due the 15th. Since there's some confusion about this, just turn it in sometime before you leave for spring break. I guess that means if you're not leaving for spring break at all you have a really long extension" Wow! Hello, answered prayer! That extension was just what I needed! I was able to focus on studying for my finance exam the first half of the week and then wrote the paper after the exam.


Spring break was wonderful--a much needed breather from deadlines. I went home to Illinois for the week and enjoyed spending time with family and friends. The week definitely flew by much faster than I would have liked!


You might expect that the week after spring break wouldn't be too hectic after the prior week of midterms, and surely there wouldn't be too many exams... This was not the case for me. I had an auditing exam scheduled for Monday night, and an accounting assignment, paper, and exam Wednesday. I did do some studying over spring break, but I was feeling pretty overwhelmed Sunday afternoon on my drive back to Des Moines.


While I was studying Sunday night I got a text from my Mom, "Sending prayers to help you get through the week. You are smart, I love you, and I am proud of the lovely person you have become."


My mom also told me that my little sister Rachel had prayed for me before bed Saturday night.


I woke up Monday morning to a text from my friend Lindsay, "Praying for you this morning! I know how busy your Mondays are. Love you!!"


I went to my accounting class and my professor gave an extension on the paper. Instead of being due Wednesday, it was now due the following Monday!


I took my auditing exam in my night class, and by the grace of God, I had studied and retained the right material.


After Bible study, my friend Ellie gave me a note, expanding Galatians 2:20: My old self [of finding my identity in performance, of independence from God, of stress and anxiety!] has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by TRUSTING in the Son of God, who LOVED me and gave Himself for me.


Maybe all of those things seem small and insignificant, but to me they weren't insignificant at all. The perfect combination of them caused me to remember how deeply God cares for each of us and knows our specific needs, and how He shows us His love through His people. I am so thankful that God is continually teaching me how to trust in Him and rely on His strength! I am nowhere near perfect at this, but He isn't finished with me yet. He is faithful! Always!


2 Thessalonians 3:16 [NLT] ~  Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

Your Love Is Strong

"So why do I worry? Why do I freak out? God knows what I need, You know what I need... Two things you told me: that You are strong and You love me. Yes, You love me..." 

I love this song a whole lot. Another essential reminder!

"Your Love is Strong" -- Jon Foreman

Matthew 6:25-34 [NLT]

²⁵ “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

²⁸ “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Remind Me Who I Am

I really like this song. What a good reminder. Seriously. As ridiculous as it may sound, I need to be constantly reminded of God's love for me and dwell in this wonderful knowledge. My natural tendency is to forget. And when I forget 1) who God is, and then 2) who I am in Christ, that's when I really start having problems. How essential it is to know God personally and to know our identity in Christ.

Ephesians 1:11 [MSG] ~ "It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for."

Remind Me Who I Am ~ Jason Gray

"When I lose My way,
And I forget my name,
Remind me who I am.

In the mirror all I see,
Is who I don't wanna be,

Remind me who I am. 

In the loneliest places,
When I can't remember what grace is.

Tell me once again who I am to you.
Who I am to you.
Tell me lest I forget who I am to you. 

That I belong to you.
To you.

When my heart is like a stone,
And I'm running far from home,
Remind me who I am.
When I can't receive your love,
Afraid I'll never be enough,
Remind me who I am.
If I'm your beloved,
Can you help me believe it?

Tell me once again who I am to you.
Who I am to you,
Tell me lest I forget who I am to you.
That I belong to you.
To you.

I'm the one you love,
I'm the one you love,
That will be enough,
I'm the one you love.

Tell me once again who I am to you.
Who I am to you.
Tell me lest I forget who I am to you.
That I belong to you,
To you."

1 John 3:1a [NLT] ~ "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!"

Ephesians 1:3-8 [NLT] ^~ 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. ⁶ So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. ⁷ He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. ⁸ He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

Fear Is Just A Lie

Tenth Avenue North's Video Journal on "Fear Is Just A Lie."

"Above all, avoid lies, all lies, especially the lie to yourself. Keep watch on your own lie and examine it every hour, every minute. And avoid contempt, both of others and of yourself: what seems bad to you in yourself is purified by the very fact that you have noticed it in yourself. And avoid fear, though fear is simply the consequence of every lie." ~  Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." ~ 1 John 4:18 [NIV 1984]

"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." ~ President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933

Rediscover You

Love this song.

"Rediscover You" ~ Starfield

"I need to just admit
my faith is paper thin
I'm feeling so burned out
On religion

I say an empty prayer
I sing a tired song
I need to just admit that the passion's gone

And I want to get it back

You told me
Look for You and I will find
So I'm here
Like I'm searching for the first time
Revive me, Jesus
Make this cold heart start to move
Help me rediscover You

I want to learn to pray
The way that David prayed
I want my soul to burn when I hear Your name
I want to feel like new
I want to hunger for you
Bring me back to life like only You can do
Cause I don't want to stay the same

You told me
Look for You and I will find
So I'm here
Like I'm searching for the first time
Revive me, Jesus
Make this cold heart start to move
Help me rediscover You

Lord, I want to be Yours today
I want to know the passion of the saints
And how they were changed

You told me
Look for You and I will find
So I'm here
Like I'm searching for the first time
Revive me, Jesus
Make this cold heart start to move

I want to burn for You
Bring me back to life, Jesus
Help me rediscover You"

Jeremiah 29:13 [ESV] ~ You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Hebrews 10:1-18

Hebrews 10:1-18 [The Message]

The Sacrifice of Jesus

 ^1-10The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old "law plan" wasn't complete in itself, it couldn't complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution. If they had, the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins. But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt. The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can't get rid of sin. That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ: 

   You don't want sacrifices and offerings year after year; 
      you've prepared a body for me for a sacrifice. 
   It's not fragrance and smoke from the altar 
      that whet your appetite. 
   So I said, "I'm here to do it your way, O God, 
      the way it's described in your Book."
When he said, "You don't want sacrifices and offerings," he was referring to practices according to the old plan. When he added, "I'm here to do it your way," he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan—God's way—by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus.

 ^11-18Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. The Holy Spirit confirms this:

   This new plan I'm making with Israel
      isn't going to be written on paper,
      isn't going to be chiseled in stone;
   This time "I'm writing out the plan in them,
      carving it on the lining of their hearts."
He concludes,
   I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.
Once sins are taken care of for good, there's no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I had read this passage before, but this was the first time I had read it in The Message translation. I just like how it speaks so clearly. 

For example, "Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it!" 

Sin problem. Yep. That pretty much describes it. I have a huge sin problem, sin debt, that needs to be taken care of, solved, reconciled. My "sacrifices" aren't what take away my sin. But Jesus' sacrifice on the cross does take away my sin! My "good works" can't make me whole again. But Jesus can restore me! My salvation isn't Jesus plus good works, or Jesus plus trying really hard to be good, or Jesus plus ____________. It's simply Jesus.

And then, I love this part...

"It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process."

It's not just me with this sin problem. It's every single person who has ever lived. We certainly are "some very imperfect people." It just blows my mind that Jesus would choose to die for such imperfect people. He willingly died for the very people who spat upon Him, turned their backs to Him, ridiculed Him, as He hung upon a cross, taking their sin upon Himself. While I was still completely buried in my sin, Jesus showed His great love for me by dying for me so I could one day live forever with God.

Romans 5:6-8 [The Message] ~ "Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him."

Love, love, love that. Jesus paid it all. Period.

Psalm 121 ~ My Help Comes From The Lord

Sometimes after I read something, I paraphrase what it's saying in my own words. It helps me to actually think about what I'm reading, rather than just glaze over it. I hadn't done this in quite a long time, but I did this morning after I read Psalm 121.


In the ESV...

"Psalm 121
My Help Comes from the LORD

 ¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills.
   From where does my help come? 

² My help comes from the LORD,
   who made heaven and earth.

 ³ He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

 ⁵ The LORD is your keeper;
   the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life.
⁸ The LORD will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time forth and forevermore."

My paraphrase...

 ^[1] I look all around me and ask, "Where does my help come from?" ^[2] Then I remember--my help comes from the Lord God! He will help me! God created everything around me on Earth and in Heaven. Surely He who created everything can help me with whatever I am facing! ^[3&4] God will not let me stumble, fall, or fail. God is my guardian! He won't sleep on the job. Indeed, God who watches over His people will not doze off or take a break from His guardian post. ^[5&6] Jesus is my guardian, my keeper, my healer, my protector, my rescuer, my hero. He is right next to me, and He is with me wherever I go. He never leaves my side! By day and by night, He is with me. Nothing can harm me with such a steadfast guardian beside me! ^[7] God will protect me from evil. My life is in His hands. ^[8] God will watch over me and protect me no matter where I am or where I am going. He will always protect me. He will never abandon me. Ever. And that's a promise. He is with me today and every day.

And then I thought of this song...

"My Help Comes From The Lord" ~ The Museum

...And how true the lyrics are!

"When sorrows come and hope seems gone
You’re the Rock I rest upon
When waters rise and I can’t breathe
You’re the love that rescues me

Out of the darkness
I lift up my eyes
Unto the hills
I feel my faith rise

Maker of heaven, giver of life
You are my strength, my song in the night
My refuge, my shelter
Now and forevermore
My help comes from the Lord

When I’m broken, scarred by sin
Death gives way to life again
When I suffer, when I’m bound
In You I’m free, in You I’m found

Out of the darkness
I lift up my eyes
Unto the hills
I feel my faith rise

Maker of heaven, giver of life
You are my strength
You’re my refuge
Now and forevermore

My help comes from the Lord
My help comes from the Lord"

//Amen.

February Facebook Fast

I've decided to give up Facebook for at least one month by deactivating my account.  This may seem unnecessary, or even drastic, but I really do believe that this is what's best for me right now. No, I do not think Facebook in itself is terrible or evil, nor do I think that everyone should also deactivate their Facebook accounts. Like so many things, how I use Facebook determines whether it is beneficial or not. I do know that for myself, deactivating for awhile is the right choice. Even Facebook's "redeeming qualities" are not worth the distraction and temptation Facebook has become to me.


My main reason for deactivating is that Facebook is hindering my relationship with God, which should be the number one priority in my life. Sadly though, I know that I spend more time wandering aimlessly on Facebook than I do in His Word or communicating with Him through prayer. Simply put, Facebook has become an idol for me. Do I really think that Facebook has something better for me than what God's Word has to say? By the way I have chosen to spend my time, I must think that, at least to some extent. I don't want to keep living like this; I want to listen to His Voice first and foremost. I want my relationship with God to be the driving factor of my life.


Constantly checking my Facebook has become a bad habit for me, embarrassingly, to the brink of addiction. The first thing I want to do the second I turn on my computer is log into Facebook. Yesterday I realized that without even thinking I had begun typing www.facebook.com into the URL. I've tried "limiting" myself to 25 minutes/day through a google chrome app, but I can "cheat" to get more time by simply using another web browser, which I have definitely done. I don't want to feel this nagging need to check Facebook.


1 Corinthians 6:12 (CEB) ~ "I have the freedom to do anything, but not everything is helpful. I have the freedom to do anything, but I won’t be controlled by anything.


1 Corinthians 6:12 (Amplified Bible) ~ "Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power."


Not only does Facebook distract me from my relationship with God, it also distracts me from my classes. I've succumbed to the temptation to browse Facebook during class (which is just plain disrespectful to my professors). I've procrastinated doing my homework by thinking, oh, I'll just check Facebook for five minutes, and then log out. But more often than not, five minutes turns into ten minutes. And then twenty minutes later I realize that I haven't done anything at all productive with my time. I could have spent that time so much more wisely.


I've been so blessed, encouraged, and challenged by my friend Lindsay. She has also decided to deactivate her Facebook account for a month (you can read about it on her blog). I'm excited that we can keep each other accountable through this. I'm really looking forward to experiencing how God will use this decision to change my heart to be more in tune with His.


Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV 1984) ~ "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."