Lamentations: "A cry from the deep, with the glimmer of hope"

What if we woke up to this headline one day:

Would you be so inclined to mourn for your country? This is a foreign concept to us as Americans since we think our military is untouchable. However, imagine the feeling you would have if this really happened. If our country was taken captive by a foreign land and all of us taken into captivity as well. Would you mourn the loss of this great nation? What if you then found out that God was personally behind it and it was our sin that caused it? That would stir up some emotions wouldn't it?

Lamentations is a book in the Old Testament that we will begin teaching through for the next 4 Sundays. The book is known for the famous passage "God's mercies are new every day", but do we know why the author would say that? Maybe because he is writing 5 laments over the loss of his great nation, Jerusalem.

The author of this book is not specifically named, however Jeremiah is said to have "uttered a lament for Josiah" (2 Chronicles 35:25) and so he is thought to be the author. Above you will find a chart of the book, podcasts will be available on Itunes and on DBSM's fan page. Later peeps.

Jude: "Contending for the faith, delivered once and for all"

Over the next 2 weeks at DBSM Sunday mornings we will be going through the book of Jude. Above is a chart of the book. To view the chart just click on the image.

Background:
Jude was the little brother of Jesus (Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3) who most likely did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah (John 7:5) until after his resurrection like his other brother James (1 Cor 15:7). This letter was written to warn against those who had gained admission into the church and they were perverting the grace of God and denying the deity of Christ. Jude also exhorts the believers to persevere as they content for their faith.

The thanksgiving of the soul

3 Reasons to “give thanks” to the Father

Colossians 1:12-14
“12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

1. He has qualified us by grace to be heirs

Galatians 4:7
“7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

Our lives could not qualify us, our actions only condemned us. Our parents could not qualify us, their sin mirrored in us. Our religions actions and attendance could not qualify us, rather the sin of our pride found us guilty in that. As believers we are thankful because before a Holy God, we stand qualified. We are not being qualified, or one day we will be qualified, we ARE qualified. We are qualified only through the blood of on Man Jesus, who would hang on a cross for all.

2. He has delivered us from Satan’s domain

Ephesians 2:1-3
“1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

From the deepest of pits and the darkest of lies our King would come down to get us. He would come down to save us even when we did not want to be saved. He would take us from the deception of the enemy and deliver us to freedom. He would pick us up from our own graves and make dead men walk.

3. He transferred us to Christ’s Kingdom

Ephesians 1:7-8
“7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.”

The kingdom of the damned was thereby released to become to kingdom of the living. By grace, through faith the captives were set free. Sin no longer held its grasp, nor did it know God’s children by name.

November 4th…the night the arm of Lord grew short

Did you see it that night? Did you watch as the arm of the mighty King grew shorter and shorter by every vote cast? Did you watch as the sovereign Lord lost His sovereign might? Was it your country that was being shaken or was it your faith? I don’t think the King of kings was surprised by the man HE APPOINTED to win that election. I don’t think the One who would create all life would forget to stretch out his hand in a petty little election. As believers, our first allegiance is NOT to the United States, our first allegiance is to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me explain my purpose in writing this. I am not writing this because we should all agree with President Obama, I personally don’t agree with a lot of it, I voted for my cat Fifi. I’m not writing this to convince you to support his political agenda. I’m dang sure not writing this to engage in a political debate, nor push ANY political agenda. I’m writing this because I saw a group of Christians, a group of my own, my dearest brothers and sisters respond in a way that was and is shaming the name of Jesus Christ. Here is what we did: We voted against Barack because of our morals, our beliefs and our values and then when God’s sovereignty failed (in our minds, not literally) and He failed to pop out of the genie lamp, our faith was shattered we then forget all of those morals, values and beliefs we held to and we became the aggressor! We became the evil ones as we lashed out against what happened by saying “all hope is lost”, “black house 08”, “our country is screwed”, “God has forgotten us”, “I would move to Afghanistan, but soon our country will be just like it anyway”, “God forgive them they know not what they do”… are we SERIOUS! My most beloved brothers and sisters we are CHRISTIANS and we DO NOT LIVE THIS WAY! I hope that we, and I say we to include my own sinful self, can repent and respond in a manner that would be pleasing to the King who sits on high. I’m writing this that we might defend the honor and the glory of God.
The arm of the Lord did not grow short on election day. Rather the sovereignty of our King remains. God knew just who He wanted in office and He has sovereignly placed him there. If you have a problem with it, your problem is not with Barack, it is not with the American people, your problem is with God. I’m glad he is in office because I know God Himself placed him there for His own Name’s sake. Maybe this will be the greatest time our country has ever seen or maybe God will allow the fall of the greatest country the world has ever known. Either way God’s arm has not grown short!
As believers, especially those entrusted to us at DBSM, we are to respond to this election, not matter who our candidate was, in a way that is honoring to Him. Things that are not honoring to Him that I have seen happen this week:
• Creating groups to bash and hate the man Barack
• The use of Facebook to bash and accuse a man (make no mistake, opinions are okay, hostility and the shaming of His name is not)
• Turning this into a racial situation
• Rebelling against the government
• Assuming he is the worst president ever when he hasn’t done anything yet!
• Assuming this is the end of the world… come on!?
• Not realizing the sovereignty of God in this
• Not trusting in God
• Creating dissention amongst Christians who don’t hold the same political views
• Lashing out against non-believers who don’t hold your political or spiritual views!
• Allowing this to set back racial reconciliation by decades!
• Dividing blacks and whites
• Using Scripture out of context to “support” our dislike of the new president

The facts:
• God appointed Barack Obama into presidency (Rom 13)
• If you resist his authority, you rest God (Rom 13)
• Barack is a servant of God, whether he knows it or not (Rom 13)
• We are to pray for him (1 Tim 2)
• We are to be thankful for him (1 Tim 2)
• We are not to grumble or complain (Phil 2)
• The generation is already twisted, you are to shine in it (Phil 2)
• Daniel served a pagan King (Dan 2)
• Daniel used his gifts to bless a pagan King (Dan 2)
• Daniel would not bow to his pagan gods (Dan 3)
• God can turn the heart of Barack wherever He chooses (Prov 21)
• Our hope is not in man, but in God (Jeremiah 17)

Let this be the time we are sanctified by remembering November 4th as the night we lost our view that God is sovereign. Might we restore our view of God still being the God who sits on His throne in Heaven. The goal is NOT the glory of the U.S., the goal is the glory of the One King! It is not about us, not about our country, it’s about His name being made great and defending the honor of the Most High.

Ultimately, don’t listen to me just read the Scripture below and you search your own heart and ask yourself the question: “have I responded to this in a manner that displays my faith in the sovereign God and have I honored him by all my words and actions?”

Romans 13:1-7
1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

1 Timothy 2:1-3
1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

Philippians 2:14-15
14Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Proverbs 21:1
1The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;
he turns it wherever he will.

Jeremiah 17:5-8
5Thus says the LORD:"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit."

The prayer of an Ephesian

As we conclude teaching through Ephesians I’m somewhat saddened that we didn’t allow the time to go deeper into this phenomenal book. This book is one that is so simple, yet so profound in its entirety. It is a book that has transformed my life and is foundational to my theology. It pierces my deepest feelings and illumines my darkest corners. I was thinking through the best way to share the overview of this book and I think I’ve landed on vulnerability. Being a prayer journaler, I figured for the sake of this book we just taught, I would share with you a prayer that hopefully you could join in with me to simply pray through this book.

“Father Your grace is truly sufficient in my life. Your grace is more than enough for me. My hope is caught up fully in You. Thank You Father that my salvation was not an afterthought, but that before the foundation of the world you predestined me. To the praise of his glorious grace in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. That the slain Lamb would intercede for me, that in the courtroom of Heaven you would label me “not guilty”. Father I rest in the grace given through the Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Lord thank you that nothing done in me was not done by you!
Father grant us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of our hearts enlightened, that we might know the hope to which you have called us.
When we were enemies, You made us friends. When we were dead, You called us to walk again. When we were children of wrath, You made us children of light. When we deserved death, You showed us mercy. How, O God, can you call me a masterpiece? In what might I boast other than the cross of Christ? For by grace I have been saved through faith. I know that it is not my doing but a gift from You. Father, thank you that you made this dead man walk!
My King I do remember the time when I was alienated from you, but now in Christ Jesus I who was once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For you my King are my peace! What heights of love, what depths of peace! My comforter, my all in all… here in the love of Christ I stand! In Christ alone!
O the mystery of your grace. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, member of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. O that He would die for the ungodly! O that you would look down on me and loosen the grip of death! For this reason I bow my knees before you Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.
Father let me put away my falsehood, let me not sin in my anger, let the thief no longer steal, let my mouth no longer curse others… O God let me not grieve Your Spirit! Rather might I rebel! When I am in dark places might I rebel against sin and the control it had over me! The control that it no longer has! Fight for me my King! The battle before me I cannot win, help me to rebel but stand in my stead!
O Lord how can I imitate the Most High? How do I display the image of God through this sinners body? Can it be? Only by way of a cross, only as a beloved child of You my King. Lord teach me to look more like You. Thank you for placing me in a position where I can imitate the King.
Finally, let me be strong in You. Let this soldier’s strength come from his King. Allow me the shield of faith that I might extinguish the flames of the evil one by hoping in You. Allow not doubt, nor guilt, nor faithlessness, nor sin pierce me. When I can no longer hold the shield hold it for me. For you alone are my hope, my strength and my joy. I will trust in you with my whole life. I will trust in you in all circumstances. I will know you as my Savior, trust you as my Lord and worship You as my God!
Thank you that you have made me a saint, I pray that you would convict me to live a saintly life. Amen.”

After the Music Stops What Next?

As days tick off of my life I am more and more convinced and baffled by two major things. 1. The more I exist, the more I am convinced that God’s part of salvation is EVERYTHING and our part of salvation is simply bringing the sinner. 2. The more I exist in the waves of full time ministry the more I’m convinced that all we do is share the Word through the sharing of our lives (1 Thess 2:8). If you are a believer, a follower of Jesus Christ, my charge to you is to find somewhere to plug in and give away your life for His name’s sake. I hope the following displays the importance of what I mean.

I’m saying we can preach all day long, teach FCA’s at schools all over, run marriage seminars, do outreach events… we can create so many things that are fantastic! However, I believe that if it stops there we miss the most impactful part of ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us. It’s much like this song written and performed by LeCrae called “After the Music Stops”. You can listen to it here: http://www.reachrecords.com/index.php

Here is a portion of the lyrics:
"I'm out to take the bible, create disciples, who make disciples, disciple-cycles, that's why I want the beats to knock so after the music stops you can meet the rock…

After the show, after the set, after the music stops what's next?
Will there be fellowship, prayer, disciples, will you open your bibles after the music stops.
After it’s over, after it ends, after the music stops, what then?
Will you understand that Christ is King? Or will you just like the words we sing after the music stops.

Discipleship is our call but we make disciples, this is not a suggestion, create disciples. The teachin' is a process, it's not over night and it’s not a stage and a mic nah, it's life on life Christ -
Walked with twelve, ate with twelve, talked with twelve, shaped the twelve, invested in 'em well you could say that he made the twelve. Who made many more, who made plenty more, now it's on you and me if there's anymore.
1 teach, 2 teach, 3 teach, 4 teach, 5 teach, 6 teach, 7 teach more, this is what we've been commissioned, it's the reason why I write, so that you could hear the truth, not so you can say I’m tight whoa...

After the show, after the set, after the music stops what's next?
Will there be fellowship, prayer, disciples, will you open your bibles after the music stops.
After it’s over, after it ends, after the music stops, what then?
Will you understand that Christ is King? Or will you just like the words we sing after the music stops.

I don’t do this for the money, I don’t do this for fame, I don’t do this so the industry can know my name, I do this and host to glorify Yeshua the King, if you’re feelin’ me you know you should be doin’ the same let’s go…

After the show, after the set, after the music stops what's next?
Will there be fellowship, prayer, disciples, will you open your bibles after the music stops.
After it’s over, after it ends, after the music stops, what then?
Will you understand that Christ is King? Or will you just like the words we sing after the music stops.

Do you see the importance placed behind this song? Do you feel the cry for discipleship in our churches? In this case, the cry is that living for Christ goes beyond the listeners hearing this song, it goes to a depth that can only be explained by: “Discipleship is our call but we make disciples, this is not a suggestion, create disciples. The teachin' is a process, it's not over night and it’s not a stage and a mic nah, it's life on life Christ”- This is my plea to you today.

Paul said to those in Thessalonica that they were so affectionately desirous of them (the people) that they wanted to share the gospel and their lives because the people had become that precious to them. My plea is that we would do the same. We leave it up to our pastors to preach from the pulpit and that is a fantastic thing… however, is that as life changing as coffee with some peeps after the service? NO! I do not think it is. I DO acknowledge that the power of Scripture in and of itself is mighty to change hearts and lives. However, why does Paul seem to think it so important to share his life with them? Maybe it’s because that is the Gospel! Discipleship is a word we don’t always understand, but to boil it down discipleship is the sharing of the Word through the sharing of your life that His name might be magnified!
To the leaders that so graciously serve at my side: I plea for us to not forget this! We get immersed in a culture where the word “discipleship” is common tongue, but we make it so complex that we forget how to do it and we forget the power behind it! Please hear me saying now behind a limitless keyboard that a Wednesday night is not the goal, a Sunday morning is not the answer, a new or better curriculum is not the cause. The force behind the power is that of the Spirit of God at work in you. The force is you being faithful and rejoicing by watching God’s goodness. In this joy we have of loving (discipling) kids, do not forget the power displayed by your hand. Do not forget that being raised by Christ grants us the power to change the lives of these kids He entrusts to us by the work of His Spirit! Do not forget that we are to be faithful and let God be good. It’s not about Wednesday night schedules, Sunday morning topics, Powder Puff football, retreats… its about YOU sharing with THEM your very life. It’s about you taking them to the grocery store with you, having coffee with them, going to Panera for breakfast, watching Monday night football, showing up to their play- just like LeCrae said: It’ not a stage and a mic, it’s life on life!
Take every opportunity as a teachable moment for it may be the last the kid will allow you. Take every chance in challenging these students for we might end up being a challenge too late. Above all, never stop sharing your life, that they might know the Word. It’s not about a stage, it’s not about a program, it’s not about an event… it’s about life on life. View every stage, every program, every event as an opportunity for you and your students to do life together. Use EVERYTHING as a teachable moment for them. Because after the music stops, what’s next?

Our busyness is our sin

I’ve realized lately that not only is my busyness annoying to others and painful to me, it’s actually proving to be the root of my sin. Not all my sin of course, but those that are most present, those that are most detrimental. So, I’m done. I’m done letting busyness not only control my life, but hinder my walk with Christ and my ministry to people. I’m done letting my busyness hurt people. My promise to myself is this: “I’m done living off coffee and energy drinks.”

The fact is we are all busy people. Each of us find a way to busy ourselves with something, but mostly we do so with our work and the pursuit of “success”… whatever that means. For years I thought that my busyness was due to me not being a good manager of time. I remember the day I bought a palm pilot… THAT was about as effective as a one armed paper hanger! I tried to remedy my problem but no matter how much I “planned” I was still way too busy. The next logical place for me to go was to think that I was just lazy. I need to sleep 4 hours a night and then I will have enough time to do my job well, keep up with friendships, stay in touch with family, get into the lives of high school students, and have time to just do some things I love to do. I can go on 4 hours of sleep, but then I would have to take back my promise, and use coffee and energy drinks simply as a drug to keep going. We can do that, of course, until it catches up to us and leaves us physically passed out on the ground somewhere!

The fact is most of us find ourselves too busy- not due to an inability to schedule or plan, and not due to us being lazy. Simply put: 24 hours is not enough time in a day for us to completely fulfill every role that we are a part of! Rather, we are too busy because we don’t know how or when to say no. More than that, we feel a level of guilt that almost won’t allow us to say no. We find ourselves at the end of the day being guilt- free because we said yes to everybody. Or we feel guilty, because we said yes to one person but that forced us to say no to another so now we feel like we owe something to them. So who do we cheat? Who do we disappoint? The thing we fail to realize is that in the process of this guilt and juggling we are losing ourselves along the way.

The best illustration I’ve heard about this is one used by Andy Stanly. Andy has a book called “Choose to Cheat” which I haven’t read but I would love to have the opportunity soon! He addresses this issue and tells us that at some point in time we must choose to cheat somebody because of our busyness. The illustration he uses goes like this: Suppose I walked up to you with a large rock and said “can you hold this for a while?”. Mentally and physically you would have the ability to hold the rock, but after a while your physical ability would fail you. After a while you would no longer have the ability to hold it and so you would drop the rock and shatter it. At that point I might ask you “why did you drop the rock?”. My question infers that something happened at that point in time that caused you to drop the rock. However, it wasn’t that particular point in time that caused you to drop it, rather it was the process of you holding it for so long. Andy would compare this to a husband or wife walking out on their spouse one day because they had been neglected. The natural question is “what happened? Why did you leave me today?”. While the correct answer is not that something happened that day or even that week, but it was the process of our sin of busyness affecting that relationship. The point is that when we let busyness become our sin, we start to slowly hurt those people closest to us, until one day they can no longer hold this rock that we asked them to hold.

It’s funny because we seem to ask those closest to us to hold the rock for the longest amount of time. We usually ask those that are most loving and loyal to us to hold that rock. We tend to be more loyal to our bosses, our critics, our classes, our teachers and people who really aren’t that loyal to us. Those that are most loyal to us- whether it be a spouse, a best friend, a girlfriend/ boyfriend, a mom/dad- we tend to neglect and be less loyal to these people in our lives. Doesn’t that seem backwards to you? Doesn’t that seem sinful to you? Philippians 2:4 says: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2 can be used either as a justification to neglect those closest to us, or as a conviction for us to consider the interests or the feelings of those closest and most dear to us as more than our own. Spending more time with your boss than with your wife is really you considering your own interests isn’t it? Spending more time with your friends than with your own family is the same right? We are more loyal to those less loyal to us and least loyal to those most loyal to us.

Our busyness is our sin because it hurts those closest to us.

Is your faith fragile?

Recently I have been attempting to put together a curriculum for our small groups at DBSM. No sooner than I sat down to write it out did the text slowly start to pick me apart. The main point of the first lesson is: Circumstantial faith is fragile, true faith rests in the person and plan of God. At first glance the statement didn't sink in too deeply, but after studying a text recommended by a book by Andy Stanly, I soon began to see a connection to my own life.

The Accusation:
In the book of Job, Satan sends God an interesting accusation. Satan tells God that the reason there is "no one like Job who is blameless and upright, who fears God and turns away from evil" is because God has put a "hedge around him and his house" (Job 1:9-11). What a smart accusation for Satan to make. Sure Job has great faith, look at the cush life you've given him God!

Satan is pointing out a sad fact, that really applies to a lot of us. Satan is saying that Job's faith is circumstantial, it rests on the things going on around him, not on the person and the plan of God.

The Challenge:
After Satan tells God "stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face", God says: "lets rock, but don't lay a hand on my boy" (Job 1:11-12 my translation:))

God grants Satan the permission to take away Job's "circumstances", but not merely just take them away, but take all that is positive and good and turn it into circumstances that are negative and destructive.

The Attempt:
One right after the other, Satan sends the Sabeans to kill many of Job's servants; then fire falls down and burns all the sheep and the servants there; then the Chaldeans raid on the camels and steal them while killing the servants; only to be ended by a great wind that struck the house where Job's sons and daughters were eating and killed all the young people within it (Job 1:13-19)

Satan takes out Job's property which has to make his heart sink, but when he takes out his children can you imagine his pain? Can you understand his doubt?

The Response:
"Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:20-22)

Job's faith was not dependent on those things going on around him, his faith was dependent on the person and the plan of God.... alone.

Our Response:
Me, me, me, me, me... our response is usually centered around ME. How are MY circumstances making ME feel? How did that affect ME? Did God forget about ME? Is God still in control of MY situation? When I'M making money MY faith is strong... when people like ME I love God more... when MY marriage or relationship is going well I praise God more... When MY coach compliments ME I pray a prayer of thanksgiving. Make no mistake Job was sad, but his faith was unshaken. Doubt was not near him. The name of the Lord was just as mighty as it was the day before. We can live the same way. We can live in a way in which our faith is not based on ANY circumstances around us. We can live in such a way that our faith is based on Him and Him alone. We might not understand what He is doing, but we must know that it is Him who is doing it. Bottom line: Do you trust God? Do you trust in the person and the plan of God? Maybe this is why Jesus would say the GREATEST commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matt 22:37). Circumstantial faith is fragile, true faith rests in the person and plan of God.

The Shack

Well, I'm finally getting around to writting about the book that is sweeping the nation. "The Shack" is something that a lot of people have asked me about and I wanted to point out a few things about this book. First, whether you're a Shack fan or a Shack critic you need to read the authors blog. Go to www.theshackbook.com. I don't think I'll take the time to write about all the details in this book but here are some general things you need to know. 1. ALL of the book is made up. Every character, every event, the forward, the signal light, the jeep, the wreck, Mack, Missy, the camping trip, the shack, the weekend with the Trinity... EVERYTHING IS MADE UP! 2. The thought "I finally understand the Trinity" should never cross your mind while reading this book. If you want to learn about the Trinity I would recommend the Bible 3. The book was written for the authors little kids, it was not written with the intent of being published, nor as a theological book. For theological understanding I also recommend the Bible:)
Now, having said that I loved the read. It paints some great pictures of love, forgiveness and service. Also, it made me get into my Word and verify some things I'd been taught about the Trinity. So, the book taught me a ton... just not in the way I thought it would. I know this book is touching millions and for that I'm glad. It paints some beautiful pictures, but I think it must be read with the knowledge of those 3 things I listed above.

Service: The place, not the action

Service: work done by one person or group that benefits another.

Service: A place in which we must live in love, to love.

If this word service is defined as something that benefits another, then why do we consider how our act of service is going to affect or even benefit us? We do don’t we? On a conscious level we would ask ourselves the financial cost, emotional strain, time commitment or a variety of other things. If the cost is too great in our own minds, the act of service is then tossed out of our minds. Or, sometimes we subconsciously consider our own agenda first and act out in selfish ways. In other words, maybe we can get past the financial cost, the time commitment and all of that, but what if someone personally hurts us? It’s not easy to get past that is it? What if someone deeply wounds us by a word said or a betrayal felt… can we still serve them? Or what if their wrong and you can even prove it, can we still serve them? Take the other side of this too… you know the less severe. The side where we will serve someone if we feel they “deserve” it, but if not we won’t do it. The result is the same isn’t it? That result being the absence of serving our brothers and sisters.

1 Peter 4 would tell us to use our gifts to serve one another and that this would make us good stewards of God’s grace. Galatians 5 calls us to serve one another in love. Romans 12 tells us to let love be genuine. So, we are called to serve one another (1 Peter 4) but not only that, but to do so in love (Galatians 5) and to serve one another with a genuine love (Romans 12) and this is done through God’s grace (1 Peter 4, and yes I know it’s referring specifically to the giftsJ).

Another translation of the verse in Romans says let love be without hypocrisy. So do I genuinely serve others in love? Do I love others genuinely by serving them? Is my love laced with hypocrisy? Do I serve those who I need to gain some “brownie points” with, or do I serve everyone? Do I live in love?

To serve is to live in a place where we can let our love towards people be genuine. To serve is to love God more than I love the people around me. To serve is to love God more than I love my own life. To serve is to know that I am to be hidden in Him. To serve is to live in His grace. To serve is to painfully move past myself. To serve is to love. To serve is to live in love. Service: A place in which we must live in love, to love. Do you live in love?

A lesson from E-Man (ya, he’s 11)

The other day my cousin came down with his 11 year old son (Easton) to play in his first state all-star baseball tournament, and if we can remember back then in our lives… this is a big deal! So, I tried to make it to as many of his games as I could, but one in particular was incredible! We got there sometime in the 2^nd or 3^rd inning and watched intently as these 11 and 12 year olds tried their best to come back from a 7 run deficit. They really didn’t get much of a chance that day because of a huge storm (and when I say huge I mean ginormous!) that was rolling in. Now, in a situation like this you are faced with a decision: 1. Get to cover or 2. Wait it out to see how bad it really is. We ignorantly chose the latter and before I could even consider reverting back to option 1, we found ourselves standing and laughing in disbelief at how DRENCHED we were! If you know me you know I exaggerate, but this is no exaggeration! I have never been that wet, that fast simply by a thunderstorm! It was awesome! It was the coolest thing ever! My phone was ruined, shoes were filled, hands pruned and even the dollar bills inside of my wallet were soaked!

“E-man, come awn dude, lets go!” I yelled.

“owkay” he responded in his east Texas twang.

Now keep in mind that Easton has just run off of a field where he and his team are losing by 7 runs with not much of a chance to rally. The entire team sat in that dugout with frowns on their faces, but when that storm came something changed. When Easton came running towards me in that rainstorm he was smiling ear to ear! It made me laugh as the three of us piled into my truck, soaking every inch of the seats. Then we watched in awe as the lightning danced in the skies and politely touched down to say hi to us every once in while. It was tremendous! Truly an experience I will never forget for many reasons. So why is it that this simple little thunderstorm could change the course of our night and turn Easton’s world from glum to through the roof excitement? Is it the peaceful sounds it makes? Is it the calm darkness it brings over the sky? Maybe, but I think it’s much more than that. I promise I have a point, so hang on.

I don’t think Easton’s demeanor was changed because of the sounds it made or the darkness it brought… it was simply because this rain storm interrupted life. It forced Easton to retreat from the pain and stress that game of a lifetime was causing him. It caused him to realize that the game wasn’t as big as he thought it was. It made him sit back and view life from a soaking wet seat with no option of doing anything other than sitting back and watching the world go on around him. Whether Easton realized it or not, God was in control of his life and the entire world and he had no choice in the matter.

Don’t you sometimes wish that a massive thunderstorm would interrupt your life? Don’t you wish you could take a day and interrupt your normal routine and do nothing but watch the world turn? Don’t you wish you could simple sit at the feet of Jesus for no reason at all? So why don’t we? Guilt, pressure, success… to name a few. What if we were intentional in making time to do nothing? If we viewed our priorities through the lens and relationship of Christ then maybe we would not feel guilty about resting… rather resting in the grace of God. If we allowed ourselves to get “caught in a storm” we too might realize the “game” we are in isn’t as important as we think it is. We might be able to sit in a “soaking wet seat” and just watch the world turn around us. We might experience joy through the relationship with our Savior and not worry so much about being "7 runs down". Whether we realize it or not, God remains sovereign in our stress, in our work, in our pain and even in our rest.

Austria mission trip at a glance

Monday, August 4, 2008

Update #7

Well, Germany was interesting to say the least... however, we God taught us all many things, just in ways we did not expect. Tent city was interesting as well, I'm sure we are all looking forward to sleeping in our own beds. We had a great time reflecting on ETC and the conference with the Austrian team today and we all said our goodbyes. We are just about to head to the airport and start our journey home. God has taught us much more than we taught anyone else these past 2 weeks, but our hope and prayer is that we have left an impact, for His glory, on the lives of the Austrians we were entrusted to. Thank you for your prayers and support through all of this, these blogs do not give justice to even the smallest portion of the trip. Our personal stories might give a little justice, but I don't think we could ever fully communicate the challenges, surprises, joy and celebration that we faced and witnessed.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Update #6

Tonight ETC camp comes to a close and we move our team to Leipzig, Germany. We will be saying goodbye to about half of the kids here, but gaining more when we arrive in Germany. ETC has been extremely successful in so many areas. The gospel has gone forth, believers have been encouraged and equipped and we have been very intentional with our time here. I can't imagine having an internet connection in Leipzig, so this is probably the last update for a while. Thank you for your prayers, we covet them dearly. I hope you continue joining with us through your prayers. Also, please pray for Gorgi and Verana as they embark on new found relationship with Christ in a place where discipleship does not exist and they would die for just one Christian friend! I wish you all could see the incredible ways God is using this team for His glory.

In keeping with 1 Thes 2 I can truly say that we have done all we can to "share the Word and share our lives" with these kids this week. Our team continues to amaze me, I'm glad to be serving along side them in this situation.

you know what he did...? he excepted Christ!!

I've been good friends with a guy named Giorgi for two years now. This week at ETC I've really been intentinal with hanging out with him. Yesturday I asked him to have his quiet time with me. We found a place and started talking. I soon realized that we would definately need a translator if any "real talk" was going to happen. At that moment, a guy named Roland walked in. This guy is not only a stud, he knows english really well. It was totally God helping me out, not leaving me out to dry. After talking for a while I asked him why he thought he was a christian. He told me that when he was born his parents baptized him and so he thought that made him a christian. I told him that no one is born into christianity, that it took a personal decision to accept Christ into your life. We talked for a while and I finally asked him where he stood? He looked at me and shrugged. He look confused and told me he thought he was back at the beginning. I asked him if he wanted to make that decision now, and he shook his head yes. I started to pray and had him repeat in German. Giorgi accepted Christ and is now a fellow brother!!

~Keaton

Monday, July 28, 2008

God's goodness, plain as day

All yesterday I had felt very convicted to talk with one of the girls here at camp about God, but every time I set aside time to talk to her she either wasn't to be found or wanted to do something else. Finally, thanks to God, at about 10:45 I was able to get time with her alone. When I got around to asking her how she felt about God she told me that she believed He was real and that Jesus died for her sins, but that she was afraid to commit her life to God because she thought it would be very painful and hard, and also that she wasn't good enough yet. We were able to talk about some of her misconceptions and in the end she made the decision to pray to ask God to be her Savior. Her amazement at God's grace and forgiveness was an encouraging reminder of how good our God is. God's swift work in her life just amazes me; He is so faithful and gracious, and I am grateful to Him that I was allowed to be part of His work.
-Callie

Update #5

So today we had a wonderful lunch and that should have given us a hint. The hint that we would be having dog food soop for supper, only to be followed by a scrumptulesent looking 'pancake' with all sorts of 'I don't know what' inside of it covered with 'I couldn' tell you' that looked a little like yogurt and I'm sure a goat had something to do with its production at some point. Not to worry though, we are fully stocked up on the finest chocalate a euro can buy!
Today has been wonderful... almost normal, well almost. We started our 'hot topics' meetings tonight and many deep issues were discussed, but none ever seem to be resolved. They went well and got minds thinking at all sorts of levels, including our own. We are a few minutes away from our American team meeting and I have heard bits and pieces of some amazing stories through out the day. I know of one student who professed Christ as his savior today, more who had extremely deep conversations with our students, others who emotionally 'threw up' on our students but I don't even know all the details yet! However, if we get done with our day while it is still today, I will try and have some of our students post a little about their day.
To whoever is reading this we truly covet your prayers now more than ever. Parts of us hang by a thread and other parts of us can't wait for morning to come so we can go again. Pray for the Austria team and the American team that God would be our hope, our joy and our strenght. Pray that God would stretch our team inwardly as well, that we would return to the States different than when we left. Pray that our own personal relationships with Christ would not be put aside during this time, but embrased more than ever. Pray that God would do amazing things tomorrow as we continue relationships and have a special night of very honest and genuine Gospel presentation. Pray that God would be glorified in us and through us this week and that whatever happens He gets all the glory. Also, remember Russ Clowdus as he heads up this ministry here in Austria.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Update #4

Today was incredible... the best day yet. I am so proud of our students, everyone here litterally looks to each of them just like they were adults. I can say that our entire team is being challened both inwardly and outwardly in ways that can only be described in spoken words. It is hard to describe the range of emotions that rage through our team, to see the grace of God move in a place like this and to take the hits from this warfare that we find ourselves in. We are learning to lean on Him more and more as the days go by and we are learning to trust one another more as well.
As far as the specific ministry goes we had a breakthrough with the muslim kids that are here. They are no longer apposed to listening to the gospel and the even sat through an evening talk and worship without sleep, leaving or talking the whole time! We sat around tonight and talked about these students by name and I was amazed listening to our students deeply discuss the hearts of these kids. They have busted into their worlds, served the heck out of them and earned their trust. We have also been talking about pulling some of these kids aside and pushing them to become leaders. Their is definately a lack of Christian leadership in Austria and we talked through a few kids here that have relationships with Christ and great potential to lead their peers.
I could not be more proud of a group of people as this to serve along side. Please pray that God would protect us from the evil one and that God would sustain us physically, emotionally and spiritually. Truly our hope is in Him.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

update #3

Today was our first full day of camp and it was fantastic! One of the goals we set early on is to find out (to the best of our finite knowledge) where each of these students are in their relationships with God. However, we usually do not get there until day 3... well this trip it started today! The spectrum is huge here... all the way from those who worship the Muslim god, to those who could be leaders at this camp. We have gained the trust and entered into a relationship with just about every kid here. There was one boy who was calling his dad to go home on the first day, but after spending one morning with the 'crazy americans' he was glad to stay the week. Our team has doubled in trust and relationship even since yesterday. At some level this must be what it feels like to go into battle with a group of people, this just a much safer scale of course.
To sum up this day I would say that we have opened this can of 'condensed ministry' and from here on out it is like drinking from a fire hydrant. Also this day marks the day that we have officially torn down their walls. Even the handful of folks who are utterly rebellious, sneaking out, not wanting to be a part of anything... I have a feeling they will tomorrow because of the genuine relationships we have established.
Our team has found joy in the fact that God's mercies are new every day. That they are not meant to last more than that day, but we hope in Him to supply us with enough mercy to get through the next.

Friday, July 25, 2008

update #2

First of all let me say that it is very frustrating to type on a German key board! I think it took me close to 7 minutes to find the @ symbol! Anyway, the whole camp is asleep now and we have said goodbye to day 1. The true colors of our team are starting to show and I am amazed at the team God assembled here! The Austrian team and the American team are some of the strongest I have ever been a part of. Overall, day one went well with one minor road block. The road block is that way more kids this year can't speak english at all and we do not have the ability to talk one on one with a lot of them. The good news about that is the root comes from a group of refugees who are mostly Muslim. It is exciting to be able to get into their lives and learn where they are coming from. So pray that God would simply eliminate this hinderance and allow us to boldy proclaim Jesus to all the people here.

-Jason

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Update #1

Well so far we have experienced no sleep for 33 hours straight, enjoyed the GREATEST hot dogs you have ever placed inside your mouth, toured a palace, ate schnitzel, met with the Austria team and now we are about 12 hours (it's 12:00 a.m. Vienna time) from boarding a train with all of the Austrian kids and head to ETC. WE have already learned a lot about ourselves and the depth of our team has increased dramatically, though we don't know it yet:). Tomorrow the "gloves come off" and we will begin to pour out all we got for His Name's sake. The excitement level of our team is almost through the roof, though I'm sure that excitement stems a little bit from being nervous:). Please pray for the unity of our team and the cohesion of our team with the Austrian team. Also, pray the we might be bold in proclaiming the gospel and intentional about getting in the lives of these students. Pray that we would be quick on our feet, patient in our minds and genuine in our hearts. Guten Nacht!

-Jason

Monday, July 21, 2008

Should God be our first priority?

What if I said I don't think God should be the first priority in your life? Would you label me a heretic? What if I re-phrased it then? What if I said it this way: God should not be the first priority in your life, He should be the lens and relationship in which you make your priorities. What if God was more than just a priority to us? Would it change the way we viewed and lived our very lives?
Think of some common priorities in your life: work, marriage, friends, ministry, girlfriend/boyfriend, school, pets, family, working out, etc. What makes one a priority above the other? Think of what those things require. All of these things require our physical energy, emotional stamina and in some cases spiritual outpour. Didn’t Jesus say that the greatest commandment involved loving the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul and with all your mind (Matt 22)? If God is merely a priority how can we do this?

So, what exactly is it that determines which of these is a priority above the other? Take a minute and think about the priorities in your life. Our minds race to try and compute what our priorities are by asking how much time do I spend with this thing or that person, how intentional am I with this or that, how much energy do I extend towards this group of people, how much do I value these different things? Maybe a better question is why do I do those things? If we are honest with ourselves we might start to think “man, my priorities are jacked up”. Why do I place work as such a high priority at the expense of my relationships with people? Maybe it’s because our work is all about us. Or maybe we would ask, why don’t I make him or her a greater priority? Maybe it’s because we don’t want to serve people that much. So where does God fit into all of this? Here is my point: we make these priorities as we see fit. We make them from our own judgment. Think about it, we place God as our #1 priority because we think He should be there, some even think we need to do this in order for our lives to be better. Then we start to make other priorities according to our own wants, desires or even from guilt. Kind of selfish isn’t it? My argument: what if we made our priorities through the lens of our relationship with God rather than through the lens of our own fallen minds? God would then no longer be our first priority, but He would be far above this box we call priorities. Maybe then He would be in His rightful place as Creator, Sustainer, Deliverer, Counselor, Lord and King. Maybe then our priorities might be in order, according to His will and not ours. Would our lives look different then? Maybe our lives would be filled with more love and service of one another. Maybe we would enjoy the messes of life just so we can help others clean them up. Maybe we would be anxious of nothing. Maybe we could trust Him more. Maybe we would no longer make God a simple priority in life, but be hidden in Him (Colossians 3). Maybe we could carry out the greatest commandment a little bit better. Maybe?

I always think of Max

When I think back on past Austria mission trips one major memory that sticks in my head is that of little Maxim. Max, was a political refugee from a neighboring country who couldn't speak a lick of English or German! Keaton was his small group leader and Max called him "feesh" or "fish" because in his language Keat meant fish...hahaha. I'll never forget Max because of one day when he drew for Keaton and myself a picture of his life, I still have the picture tucked away in a prayer journal which I'm staring at as I write this.
Max started at the top of a college ruled paper that Keaton handed him and he drew a house full of people. In the house Max began to draw two larger stick people standing next to a little one. Pointing at the little one he said "this Max". What Max had drawn was a picture of his family. Next, he took the black tipped felt pen and drew another house. This one was much smaller and it only had three larger stick figures inside, but none were Max. Outside of the smaller house Max drew another stick figure that carried what looked to be scales of some kind. Out beside that man he drew a bunch of dollar signs. Then max got really quick with his pen strokes, almost frustrated that we could not fully understand. Max went back to the larger house that held his family and he drew two other stick figures outside the house. He then made a siren sound with his mouth and started making gun noises. He started frantically X-ing out the stick figures inside of his house while making the gun noises louder and louder... all except the little one.
"Max," I asked, "did these men kill your family."
Max didn't have a clue what I had asked.
I tried again, "Max, papa kaput?"
"Ya." He replied.
I don't know who the men were, nor why they killed his family. What happened next is best explained by an entry in my prayer journal that night (8.8.06):
"Father it's humbling to watch a 15 year old Muslim child draw you a picture of how his father was killed, then watch him pull his pants leg up to show you the bullet wound in his own leg."
Keaton and I sat there taking in what we had only seen on television and then, by the grace of God, we were able to do what we came to do. We took the piece of paper from Max and drew what would have been cheesy to most Americans. We drew a cliff on the left and right side of the paper, separated by a canyon. Now, most of you reading this already know where it's going, but Max didn't. Next, we labeled all three of our names on the left side and then wrote "God" on the right. We drew a little stick figure on the cliff and little dotted lines that showed him falling into the cavern. We named the cavern "sin and death". Max looked intently at the paper, with his eye brows wrinkled as much as possible... Max was curious to see what these crazy Americans were doing. Keaton and I then began to draw a bridge across the gap, and the bridge was shaped like a cross. We took the little stick man and with dotted lines we walked him across, to be in the presence of God. Ironically, just below the man with scales and money signs outside the little house that Max drew stood another stick figure with his hands raised high with joy as he sat in the presence of God. Max pulled his pant leg back down and we all walked out of the room.
We didn't see Max after that week, we've never heard from him since. I often wonder what happened to Max. I often wonder where he lives, who he lives with or even if he is alive at all. When I wonder why we go to Austria, I always think of Max.

Whom or what you fear will control you

I’m one of those people who likes to make quirky little rules just to keep things shakin and unpredictable at all times. So, one of my rules is simple: anything my friend Wendy recommends to read, I buy the book and read it. The latest book she recommended was “When People are Big and God is Small” by Edward Welch. In my opinion, the most profound quote Welch makes is “whom or what you need will control you”. When this quote sank into me, I unknowingly rephrased it in my head to “whom or what you fear will control you”. I mean, think about the magnitude of this statement for a minute… WHOM OR WHAT YOU FEAR WILL CONTROL YOU. Before I make my point, consider these questions:

• Question: Why did we practice that sport so much in high school?
• Answer: either because we just loved to play it, we longed for perfection or in fear that we might not be as good as we were suppose to be.
• Expectation: when we are good at something, it usually defines us and we are expected to be good at it.
• Question: Why did we study so hard for those finals our senior year?
• Answer: We feared that we might fail the test and not graduate.
• Expectation: We are expected to pass high school, if not we are failures.
• Question: Why did we buy mums for our homecoming dates?
• Answer: out of fear that if we didn’t we might disappoint them.
• Expectation: In Texas, we are expected to buy the biggest, prettiest mum for our dates.
• Question: Why did we make it home in time to meet our curfew?
• Answer: Out of fear that our parents would punish us.
• Expectation: Our parents expected us to be on time.
• Question: Why do we make sure our projects are due by the due date?
• Answer: out of fear that we might lose our jobs
• Expectation: Our bosses expect us to perform to their standards.

See my point? Much of what we do is driven by fear and much of that fear is driven by expectation. When I refer to fear I intend to use the word in all its potential. In other words, fear = scared, reverence, respect, anxious, afraid, concerned, profound respect (all of which are used in defining the word).

In high school and some of college I daily toiled at the sport I played. However, I didn’t do so because I loved being out there, rather I did so because everyone expected me to be good, so I feared not being good. I feared failing, therefore I practiced every day.

What about those times we just put on some plastic, fake front with certain people? Is that not the same reason I practiced so much? We fear what they may think of us, we fear what they expect of us.

Take a minute to think about your life. What are some of the expectations you live under? How do those expectations drive the fear inside of you?

So here is one of mine: I’m a youth pastor. I’m paid to pastor people, namely students.

• Expectation: I’m expected to know all the answers to theological questions.
• Fear: If I don’t know an answer, I’m a bad pastor, I’m a failure.
• Truth: I don’t know all the answers.
• Expectation: I’m expected to have my own life in perfect order and be above sin.
• Fear: If I sin I should lose my job. If something goes wrong in my life I will let others down. If I’m not perfect, I’m a failure.
• Truth: I sin daily, I’m unworthy of my position, I’m far from perfect.
• Expectation: I’m always happy, always excited
• Fear: If I’m not happy I’ll let others down, I’ll poorly represent Christ and the joy of serving Him.
• Truth: Weekly I’m drained, daily I’m dependant and occasionally I want to crawl into a big dark hole and escape the world.

Fear drives us whether we acknowledge it or not. The fear of people drives us, whether we know it or not. We fear what they might think, who we might disappoint or who will judge us. Whom or what you fear will control you.

Now to bring this full circle and bring to life the “profound” part of this statement. If we fear people, they will control us. They will control our thoughts, our guilt and our actions. So, maybe this plays some part in God commanding us to fear Him? Proverbs 1:7 and Psalm 111:10 say that the FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 19:23 says that the fear of the Lord leads to life and whoever has it rests satisfied. David says in Psalm 27 that the Lord is his light and salvation; whom shall I fear? Maybe we should take a hint from David. Maybe we should rest in God’s grace like David did. Maybe we should know God’s sovereignty like David did. Maybe we should ask ourselves: do I fear man more than I fear God? In other words, have I made man big and God small? Maybe Jeremiah 17 should rest deep in our hearts and always be on the fronts of our minds.

Jeremiah 17:5-8

5Thus says the LORD:"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.

7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit."

A few "gems" from Lamentations

Lamentations finds it’s “fame” in our hearts because of Chapter 3 where the author would say “his mercies are new every day”. A lot of the “gems” in Lamentations are found in this chapter, just like those arrow heads were found on the hill.

This book is made up of 5 poems showing grief and sorrow over the fall of Jerusalem. These poems morn the loss of the great nation, however this book gives us great hope in the person and the plan of our King. The author of the book is not identified, but is thought to be the prophet Jeremiah because of 2 Chronicles 35:25 where he was said to have “uttered a lament for Josiah”.

In my mind, chapter 3 can be broken up as follows: v. 1-20: Turmoil; v. 21: Pivot; v. 22-40: Hope; v. 41-66: Plea. The gems I will refer to are found in verses 22-40.

The Gems:

1. The steadfast love of the Lord NEVER ceases (v.22)

• If we believe this statement then why do we sometimes question God “why are you doing this to me? Where did you go? Why haven’t you heard me?”
• If we believe this statement why do we base our worth or value on what others think of us?
• If we believe this statement then why do we sometimes feel like we are “unloved” by people or even by God?

2. His mercies NEVER come to an end (v. 22)

• God is quick to forgive, slow to anger. Through the blood lens of His Son we are seen as holy, blameless and above reproach (Col 1:22)

3. His mercies are new EVERY morning (v. 23)

• This idea is similar to God providing manna to the Israelites daily. He only gave them enough for the day, it wasn’t suppose to last longer than that. It showed a complete and daily dependence on the Father.
• His mercy is the same to us today. It is enough for today.
• If this statement is true, why to we lay in bed at night with the weight of the world on our chests? Do we not believe that his mercies will be new the very next day? Will manna truly show up to sustain us or not?

4. He is good to those who wait for Him and to the soul who seeks Him (v. 25)

• To wait on Him through pain, through fear, through uncertainty, through confusion, through sin, through doubt, through insecurities, through failure… through life.
• “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” -Psalm 46:10

5. He does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men (v. 33)

• This verse is not to say that he doesn’t do it, rather that he does not do it willingly. In other words, God takes no pleasure in it, but sin would force a mighty and holy God to be just. Edward Welch would say it this way: “Holiness is not one of the many attributes of God. It is his essential nature and seen in all his qualities.”

6. Things the Lord does not approve: (vv. 34-36)

a. To crush underfoot all prisoners of the earth

b. To deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High

c. To subvert a man in his lawsuit

• So God disapproves of injustice in all forms and of brutal oppression of prisoners… which again points towards the unjust.

Notes on Lamentations from Dr. Constable:

I thought about stealing this, but I’d better give Dr. Constable the creditJ. I thought this was a great breakdown of the faithfulness of God shown in this book:

"Jeremiah wrote seven principles about the nature of Israel's affliction:

(1) Affliction should be endured with hope in God's salvation, that is, ultimate restoration (Lam. 3:25-30).

(2) Affliction is only temporary and is tempered by God's compassion and love (vv. 31-32).

(3) God does not delight in affliction (v. 33).

(4) If affliction comes because of injustice, God sees it and does not approve of it (vv. 34-36).

(5) Affliction is always in relationship to God's sovereignty (vv. 37-38; cf. Job 2:10).

(6) Affliction ultimately came because of Judah's sins (Lam. 3:39).

(7) Affliction should accomplish the greater good of turning God's people back to Him (v. 40)." –From Dr. Constable, DTS.

A gem in the woods

Growing up I lived a life any child would and should envy. We lived in spontaneity, found clarity through adventure and even dabbled in a little bit of trouble. However, one of the most memorable things I will always keep dear to my heart is going and “playing” on the acreage at my grandparents’ house. Though there are many memories to talk about, one in particular illustrates my point.

As a kid I thought the acreage out there spanned about 50,000 miles in any direction and that lions, tigers and bears roamed the place! I also thought (thanks to my dads’ imaginative mind) that real Indians still lived out there! I remember when this thought really sunk into my head one day as we were hiking through the miles and miles of woods, at least that’s what it felt like to me. We had been walking for what seemed like days and we were in creeks, out of creeks, through creeks, over hills, under trees… we were lost! Well, maybe not lost but as a kid it seemed like home was miles and miles away. I was tired and maybe a bit grumpy and just about ready to head back. We had been wading through these woods for so long and I had nothing to show for it other than my soar feet and soggy shoes! Nothing to show for it until the keen Indian tracking abilities of my father came into play.

“Jason!” he yelled. “come ‘er boy.”

Wide eyed I scampered up the side of a hill, soggy shoes and all and ran to the side of my super-human father.

“What did you find?” I asked.

But without him even answering I peered down into the pile of rocks and noticed something I will never forget! It was a real… no, a genuine…. could it have actually been in battle and killed someone? It was perfect, a perfect point at the end, with a perfect nock to tie onto the end of the stick. I mean WOW… this was a real, genuine Indian arrow head! It was pristine! This painful walk through all the brush and trees and creeks landed me right on top of a gem and I never knew it! My dad always told me they were there, but man was he right!

Recently I have experienced the return of that same feeling. I have been wading through the book of Lamentations only to notice a Gem found deep with in the book. Sometimes when I try and dig into books that I don’t immediately understand I feel like that little kid again, just ready to go home. But, just like my father revealing that arrow head to me, the grace of my King is also sufficient to reveal His Word to me as well. Though my “feet might be soar” and my “shoes might be soggy”, it makes it all the more impactful when I persevere to find that gem hidden deep in the woods. Sometimes those gems are just sitting on the surface, but we find ourselves so lost in the woods we don’t take the time to look down at the obvious places.

Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

How refreshing it is to dwell richly in His Word, and how sinful I am to let the business of life crowd that out. Lord might your Word dwell richly in us!