Great Day

Today was a great day. I was a little tired to start, but eventually I was able to wake up and enjoy the day. After work, Hannah went out to have some time alone and I had some fun time with the girlies. We looked at the new lift-the-flap Easter book that I got them. After reading the book multiple times and talking about Jesus, I thought it would be a good time to watch our movie about Jesus' death with them. Riley has never let us watch it all the way through (she gets upset when the soldiers show up in Gethsemane), but this time we watched the movie and flipped through the book at the same time, really emphasizing the events of that last week. Riley Joy was engrossed but Amity was content to just keep flipping open the flaps over and over again and did not pay any attention to the movie (she is much like Karis when it comes to watching movies). It was sad and hard to watch (even an animated version of those events), but I was most excited to get to the second DVD, which was the resurrection. So after Jesus had died, the camera zoomed out and faded into the credits. I quickly pulled out the next DVD to put in, but was unpleasantly surprised to see that it was cracked! Somehow the DVD had gotten stepped on or something and was cracked and unwatchable. It really stinks to watch Jesus die and not then be able to see Him rise up again. So we just talked about Him rising back up. But I hope we can replace that DVD soon, especially with Easter coming soon.

After putting the girls to bed, I had some great time with Hannah. We watched the Cosby show and then an episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter and had fun. Then we talked for a good while. I like her :-). So overall a good day and a great evening. Now for schoolwork...

The Best Medicine

I was just at a diner catching up on some reading for school. It is incredible how exhausting it is taking care of two children and a wife... :-). By the end of the day it is difficult to stay awake enough to get real work done. But that is what's nice about going to the diner every once and a while to study there. I'm able to stay awake and get work done rather efficiently. I had a great time tonight. I first spent some personal time with Jesus looking at Philippians 2 and then moved into Basic Bible Interpretation. In Philippians, I was blown away anew by verses 14-15 which say, "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." I think we often underestimate the importance of having a good attitude. These verses do not say that you become "blameless and harmless" and "lights in the world" by living some sort of legalistically righteous life, or by having a comprehensive understanding of theology, or by having a perfect attendance record at church. It says that being a blameless light in the world begins with simply having a good attitude. It is easy to complain and dispute but then rationalize it away based on my circumstances, but that does not lead to a blameless life. To be a light to the world, we need to have a good attitude, whatever the circumstances. Do we really believe that God is sovereign? Do we have an intellectual belief in His sovereignty or do we have an active, living faith in His sovereignty over everything that happens in this world? The truth is that He is sovereign, so to complain and gripe over circumstances is really to tell God that He is screwing up. But God does not screw up. Jesus is a perfect model of living faith in God's sovereignty. He had more reason to complain and gripe over His circumstances than anyone else who ever has or ever will live, yet He was 100% actively given over to God's will in faith. That's the kind of faith I am praying for, the kind that is living and active in me, causing me to always have a good attitude in the face of any and all circumstances. It is when I reach that point, that I will truly be a light to the world. When people see that, they will be directed straight to God. Isn't that neat? Our witness is inextricably tied to our attitude, which is then tied to our faith. I never want to underestimate the importance of having a good attitude.

I really enjoyed my reading in Basic Bible Interpretation. Roy B. Zuck is a wonderful writer and he has a way of infecting me with his own excitement over the Scriptures. When I read his book, I always end up excited to dig deeper into the Word. I have read other books dealing with Bible study and interpretation, but none have had the same effect on me. Today I was reading about literary styles in the Bible and was disappointed when the chapter ended. The Bible is doubtless the greatest literary work ever created... but would we expect anything less from a book written by God Himself? I really want to read Leland Ryken's book on the same topic, How to Read the Bible As Literature.

But over the course of my time reading and studying, I could not help but notice a man sitting alone a few tables down from me. The Spirit put him on my heart, so I went and asked him if he knew that Jesus loves him. He responded that he was agnostic but used to go to church (effectively dodging the question). I asked him again if he knew that Jesus loved him. He responded something like, "Yeah, probably, I guess." He then agreed to let me pray for him so I took a moment and asked Jesus to work in his life and pour out His love upon him. I asked Jesus to give him guidance and direction and to reveal Himself in an awesome new way. I ended by reiterating the fact that Jesus loved him and asked Jesus again to pour out His love in Peter's life for His glory. I am trusting in Jesus' name that He will do just that and will work in this man's (Peter is his name) life and really grab ahold of his heart. It was a neat moment. It is so very funny that I can go for so long asking God halfheartedly to open up ministry opportunities in my everyday life, but then when I take a small moment to pray for someone that God suddenly fills me with the most incredible desire to minister to everyone I see. It's funny how God works like that. I have found that there is no better medicine for a mediocre Christian life than to pray for the people around me. It is one small way of showing them Jesus' love, but it also in a neat way connects me to Jesus' heart and fills me with a desire to continue doing more for Him.

So I continue to praise Jesus. Isn't He wonderful? I love Him so much.

A Humbling Experience

So I had the most wonderful morning with God today. We talked and talked as I was working in Electronics. I prayed and worshiped and had an absolutely wonderful time. Since I was having such a great time, I decided to go out and spread God's love over lunch. I did not even stop at my computer to check my email, but instead just threw my ESD jacket on a shelf and practically ran out to my car. I initially did not know where I was going but decided to storm the gates of CVS Pharmacy in Macungie with the gospel! I did not let anything deter me and went straight there. Once there, I jumped out of the car with my spiritual antenna up, looking for anyone that I could pray for and share the gospel with. Then I got an idea, I wondered if I had any Bibles in my trunk that I could give away to any new converts. So I opened my trunk and pulled out a few, but then thought, "Why should I limit God? Why not grab ten!" So I grabbed ten Bibles and pulled out my keys to open my car door to put them in the front seat. But then I realized something... there was no car key with my other keys! I stuck my hand back in my pocket, but nothing was there. I looked on the ground around me, but nothing was there. Then I realized what had happened. My key is broken and sometimes falls off, and while I was getting the Bibles out of the trunk, my key fell off into the trunk, which was now closed and which I had no way to get into. Ugh. So I called Hannah to let her know what was up, then I called AAA to see if they had any suggestions. They told me that they could only get me into the car but not the trunk. Which did me no good. So then I called Hannah again and told here that my only option was to have her come rescue me. It had been more than a half an hour since lunch had begun and I was hot and annoyed and holding a pile of ten Bibles. The air was certainly out of my balloon. So I set the Bible on the roof of my car and prayed and thanked God for the humbling experience. Then I prayed for three nice folks and told them that God loved them. I also had a very refreshing short talk with a very old man who was also a Christian. Then Hannah rescued me. It was a good, but humbling lunch time :-).

Riley's Bedtime Routine

1. Bath/Shower
2. Brush teeth and get dressed
3. Watch "The Miracles of Jesus" DVD
4. Carry up to bed
5. Snuggle together
6. Pray to Jesus
7. Sing (1) Winken, Blinken, and Nod (2) Puff the Magic Dragon (3) I'll Never Let Go of Your Hand
8. Give her a kiss and tell her goodnight

The Kingdom of God

"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." Matthew 12:28

I have just been so blown away by what the Spirit has been teaching me over the last week. He has been filling me with an understanding of who I am in Christ, and with that new identity, what I have been called to do. But not just me as an individual, the whole body of Christ! I was reading in Matthew and anyone who knows Matthew knows that the key phrase in the book is "Kingdom of Heaven" which is most literally translated "Kingdom of the Heavens." That kingdom is not spiritual, it is not "heavenly" as some might think, but it is all created matter from the third heaven down to the lowest heaven where earth is. But Matthew does not only talk about the kingdom of "heaven" in his book, but five times he uses the term "kingdom of God." That makes those few moments particularly stand out from the book as special. So what is Spirit teaching us through these passages? Well, rather than look at them all, I want to focus on this one verse where Jesus basically is saying that by the signs He is doing, the people in Israel see that the "Kingdom of God" is upon them! But what is the Kingdom of God? Well, it is a spiritual kingdom, it is the kingdom of all those spiritual being who have submitted themselves to Him. But because it is a spiritual kingdom, the people of this earth have no way of seeing it. That is what was so awesome about what Jesus was doing here! He was literally showing the people of Israel the Kingdom of God! By the signs He was performing, He was manifesting the Kingdom of God before their eyes! The unseen was being seen!

As believers, we are all part of the "Kingdom of God." And being part of that unseen spiritual kingdom, it is our responsibility to manifest it to the world. We are literally ambassadors for God on the earth! When we were born again, we were literally made a new creation in order that we can be fitting ambassadors for God to this world! When God sees us, He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ! And with that righteousness we are therefore able to properly represent God! And you know what? He wants us to represent Him! As Jesus showed the Israelites the Kingdom of God, we must as ambassadors for God show the world the Kingdom of God! We must show them the love and power of God! This involved humbly submitting to the work of Holy Spirit in our lives. We should live our lives in such a way that people look at us and say, "What is this? What are you?" And we can say, "We are ambassadors for God, redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ and living for His glory." Wow! Imagine that witness! Rather than the Gospel being words we speak, it becomes a life we live! The world will see the Gospel lived out in our lives! THAT IS WHAT WE AS THE CHURCH, AS THE BODY OF CHRIST ARE CALLED TO DO!!! We have been bought at a great price, sanctified and called to make disciples of all nations, SO LET'S DO IT! Let's live our Gospel to the world! Let's be the ambassadors we have been born to be! Let's come to the realization that everywhere we go now becomes an embassy for the Kingdom of God, and everywhere we go, we are shining examples for Him! Let us not live contrary to the new nature that has been given us by God, but instead let us live fully in the reality of who we are in Jesus Christ!!! We are born-again righteous ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, who are being transformed and sanctified every day for the glory of God!

And what is the point? Apart from the purpose of showing the glory of God, in doing this we are giving people a taste of the kingdom that is to come. When Jesus returns, the Kingdom of Heaven (all created matter) will merge with God's perfect spiritual kingdom, the Kingdom of God! In that time, the world will be restored to its Edenic perfection and the Kingdom of God will not longer be unseen, but visible to every people on the earth! Praise the Lord!!! THAT will be an awesome day! As Jesus did, we are giving people a taste of the coming perfect Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Isn't that an awesome responsibility!?!?!!?! Oh how I praise God for it!!!

Refreshed in the Spirit

There are no words to explain the gratitude I have for what God has been doing in my heart recently. Since last February it is as if He has just cracked my heart open and is excitingly pouring out His Word and His Spirit directly into me. It is as if I am being given a blood transfusion by God Himself, replacing my fleshly self with Himself so for the first time in my life, He is flowing through me as my lifeblood. All praise be to Him. So many things which I have felt for years are now coming into focus as He is now making His will clear in my life. The frustrations I have had in the past are melting away and the hopes I have desperately held to are now coming to fruition. As for God's wonderful Word, it is as if he has taken the scales off my eyes and allowed me to see the truth in the words and have it stick to my brain. The Scriptures make sense to me like never before and I hear the Spirit whispering into my ear even as I am reading and praying. All praise be to God for the glorious work He is doing in my life, for His glory. My life is His and I am excitedly moving forward in Him. All praise be to Him!

Refreshing

I watched this video at CBN News this morning and was very refreshed by it. I love seeing the Spirit at work :-).



I am reminded of John 14, where Jesus said,

11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."