Are you being intentional?

It was the morning from Hell, but I will hand it to them, they loved Jesus. I couldn't wait to get out of the car, not for the sake of walking through those heavy, glass doors, but because I needed to get out so I wouldn't have to listen to my stupid parents argue over who spent what when. I don't care! I'm in 10th grade!

Slamming the car door, I remembered my mom yelling something about picking me up, but I didn't care what she had to say. Soon my anger faded into fear as I peered into a crowd with a size I never thought possible. How did all these kids know each other? How long have these kids gone here? I gave a fake smile to some older people who walked by...what are they doing here? I thought this was for students. I thought maybe I will meet the youth pastor or someone I know, but that wasn't the case. I wish I knew at least one person who went here.

The music started about then, and it offered a slight reprieve. But I just opted to stand in the back. I thought about sitting, but where would I sit? Who would I sit by? I'm glad I stood in the back, it would have been weird to sit by someone I didn't know.

The songs were neat; I've never heard so many people sing about Jesus. I really liked listening, I mean, I didn't understand all the songs, but they were my favorite part. The guy that spoke was funny, not what I expected from a preacher guy. I didn't really understand a lot of it, but I was constantly wondering if I was going to get in trouble for standing in the back.

"This sucks. I wish I was back in the car listening to my parents argue," I muttered to myself, and that's when I realized this was truly the worst place I’ve ever been. That guy talked a lot about Jesus and he even said some encouraging things, but why do these people show up here every Sunday? I know I won't be.

I was relieved to have my parents pull up as I stood amongst a crowd of people all alone. Never have I been around so many people and felt so alone. Not one person ever said "hi" to me today. No one stopped to ask me my name, or what school I went to. I came here scared that people wouldn't leave me alone, but I'm pretty sure this is worse. I hate this place. These people already have their friends and cliques; why would they want to talk to me? I guess I don't blame them much.

Leaving that place, I realized I really wanted what those people had, but I had no idea how to get it. It would have been nice to meet one of them, or maybe for one of those older people to say hi to me. I wonder what we would have talked about? Would they have asked me about my parents? I wonder if they would have asked me my name? I guess even if they did, they wouldn't really remember me next time I showed up. They probably would have avoided me, even though I won't go back. But like I said, I know they loved Jesus, but why didn't they love me?

Some of this story is fictitious, but unfortunately some of it is true. Please note, this is not meant to rebuke anyone, rather this is meant to encourage us all to be intentional with students while we are at DBSM. This means sometimes we have to say “later” to our friends and chat with them at lunch. Sometimes it means we have to sit with kids we’ve never met. Sometimes it means we play pool the entire time. Sometimes it means we get a little “uncomfortable” ourselves for the sake of others.

Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:1 that “our coming to you was not in vain”. Paul was INTENTIONAL in his ministry and we should be to. He did not show up with no purpose and neither should we. Think about it, the greatest sacrifice we make is that of our time. So, why not use the time we’ve already committed to be INTENTIONAL? Tonight, be INTENTIONAL with each student you see, whether you know them or not. On Sunday, be INTENTIONAL with this kid who is standing in the back with her arms crossed waiting to leave. With your group, be INTENTIONAL with the questions you ask. We must be faithful and let God be good.

A Re-Post on Lamentations 3

Lamentations finds it’s “fame” in our hearts because of Chapter 3 where the author would say “his mercies are new every day”.

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.

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.”