I had planned on writing about Back to Church Sunday in September. I kept hearing people say they couldn't possibly go back to church because the roof might fall in on them. I didn't write it in a timely manner and thought I would just drop it because it wasn't as relevant due to the time lapse.
Yet here I am writing about it now. This sentiment of feeling so far gone--the idea that you are so far from God that you can't come back or that He wouldn't want you--seems to be all around. I've heard it from people I know, acquaintances, and even saw facebook posts from people I'd never talked to before.
My initial thought was, even if you did something so terrible that God didn't want you back, why would the roof fall in on good people just because of one bad person? Afterall, even regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord compromised with Abraham. Genesis 18:32 says, "He answered, 'For the sake of ten [righteous people], I will not destroy it.'"
God provides opportunities to people to turn away from the bad and draw close to Him once again. The city of Ninevah seemed like it would face a fate similar to Sodom and Gomorrah. Jonah finally accepted his call and warned the people to repent or face God's wrath. Jonah 3:10 says, "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened."
God doesn't simply refrain from punishment; He demonstrates His concern for His people. God's concern is illustrated by comparing it to Jonah's affection for a plant that brings him comfort: "But the Lord said, 'You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Ninevah, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right and from their left--and also many animals?'"
God's concern, caring, and compassion for His people are repeated throughout the Bible.
At the Women of Faith conference in Pittsburgh, Sheila Walsh reminded me of another story that exemplifies how much God wants us back.
Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of
them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds
it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends
and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the
same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine
righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:3-7
Sheila spoke of a loving, caring shepherd that sought out the lost sheep. A shepherd that was consumed with joy over the sheep's return. She said, "You can't do anything to make Him love you. And there's nothing you can do to make him stop loving you."
This put into perspective once again that it is not what we do, but what Christ did. This is the pivotal event. Such things as pride, ego, guilt, shame make us lose sight of this.
Christ died for our sins. God welcomes us back and provides us opportunities to draw near to Him. We only have to be found, to say, "Lord, here I am."
~Hollie
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
The Main Attraction
Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 150:1-6 (NIV)
I admit that I did little to prepare myself for the Women of Faith conference in Pittsburgh last weekend. I anticipated going, but with my friend Jamie planning everything, my task was simply to be present. As excited as I was to attend, I didn't look at the schedule. So when it was announced that after lunch break, Third Day would be in concert, I couldn't help but grin widely.
I had seen Third Day in concert before, probably several times, but this Third Day concert was different from the numerous other Christian concerts I attended.
My first concert set the tone for all the others. While in junior high, I went with a few friends to a local Christian college to see the Newsboys, of whom I had never heard. After an electric performance, we stayed to meet the band, pose for pictures, garner autographs. Whereas I listened to lyrics about God, I embraced a bit of a groupie mentality.
The other concerts were the same--a bucket list, a series of who's whos, a game of "bigger and better" (a game which, ironically, I did learn while camping at Creation).
When this Third Day concert began, though, I experienced something different--calm through the commotion, communing with the Holy Spirit, an atmosphere of adoration. I realized that I had matured since my former concerts.
The speakers, the worship team, and the prayers had all prepared my spirit for its purpose: praise.
How exhilarating it was to worship God with Third Day! During the concert, my only thought was, "To the glory of God!"
Now I can't imagine going to a concert and it being about the band. Clearly God is the main attraction.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Eyes on the Prize
Food for thought: Whether I have a superiority complex or an inferiority complex, I am focusing on myself, not on God.
This morning when I woke at 5:00, the first thing I heard was the rain. I groaned when I realized I would have to drive in the rain and in the dark. I don't see well in those conditions, so driving feels frightening and unsafe. I considered climbing back into a warm bed, getting more much-needed sleep, and skipping my trip altogether. I'd only invested $25, and I reasoned that if I wrecked my car...well, I couldn't afford to wreck my car.
A voice inside asked me, "If you can't face the rain and the dark to do something you want to do now, how will you ever do the harder things you're asked to do? Besides, there is a reason for you to be there."
I lay back down in bed and stared at my alarm clock's red numbers. And got back up again.
I am so thankful I did.
On my way to the Women of Faith conference in Pittsburgh, I faced little rain. I watched an obstructed sunrise brighten the horizon as "10,000 Reasons" played on K-LOVE. I drove south toward the city and an entire foggy sky turned into a lovely golden haze so I was surrounded by light.
I didn't even get frustrated about getting lost once...and almost getting lost a second time.
Sheryl Brady reiterated that there was a reason each of us was present. Through the combined messages of Tullian Tchividjian and Sheila Walsh I needed to hear that it was okay I didn't get a "promotion" at work earlier this year. I struggled first with an issue of pride when it happened, and more recently with an issue of self-worth.
Fortunately, God doesn't judge my worth by my failure to get promoted or by reputation at work, and neither should I. Tchividjian further asserted that I am not defined by how my kids behave, how clean my house is, or how happy my marriage is, especially when compared to someone else's. I learned that striving for perfection in these areas in my life is a way of defining myself, and defining myself by any of these things is the equivalent of trying to save myself, which will only leave me exhausted.
This lesson reminded me of the lyrics to two different songs. First, Big Daddy Weave's Redeemed professes: "Seems like all I could see was the struggle // Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past // Bound up in shackles of all my failures // Wondering how long is this gonna last // Then You look at this prisoner and say to me // 'Son, stop fighting a fight that's already been won'." In the second song, The Struggle, Tenth Avenue North proclaims, "Hallelujah // We are free to struggle // We're not struggling to be free // Your blood bough and // Makes us children // Children drop your chains and sing."
I've heard these messages again and again, but today it really sank in: Jesus freed me, and I can fail as much or as little as I do; it's not what I do that defines me, it's what Jesus did. Tchividjian emphasized the same "inexhaustible grace" that finds it way into the subtitle of his book, "One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World."
I don't want to be exhausted anymore. I don't want a superiority complex or an inferiority complex. Either way, my focus was not in the right place. I have to keep my eyes on the prize, which has "already been won."
So for this reason, and many more that will likely be elaborated through future blogs, I am glad I ventured out this morning. Instead of returning to my cozy bed, I affirmed, "Lord, here I am."
~Hollie
This morning when I woke at 5:00, the first thing I heard was the rain. I groaned when I realized I would have to drive in the rain and in the dark. I don't see well in those conditions, so driving feels frightening and unsafe. I considered climbing back into a warm bed, getting more much-needed sleep, and skipping my trip altogether. I'd only invested $25, and I reasoned that if I wrecked my car...well, I couldn't afford to wreck my car.
A voice inside asked me, "If you can't face the rain and the dark to do something you want to do now, how will you ever do the harder things you're asked to do? Besides, there is a reason for you to be there."
I lay back down in bed and stared at my alarm clock's red numbers. And got back up again.
I am so thankful I did.
On my way to the Women of Faith conference in Pittsburgh, I faced little rain. I watched an obstructed sunrise brighten the horizon as "10,000 Reasons" played on K-LOVE. I drove south toward the city and an entire foggy sky turned into a lovely golden haze so I was surrounded by light.
I didn't even get frustrated about getting lost once...and almost getting lost a second time.
Sheryl Brady reiterated that there was a reason each of us was present. Through the combined messages of Tullian Tchividjian and Sheila Walsh I needed to hear that it was okay I didn't get a "promotion" at work earlier this year. I struggled first with an issue of pride when it happened, and more recently with an issue of self-worth.
Fortunately, God doesn't judge my worth by my failure to get promoted or by reputation at work, and neither should I. Tchividjian further asserted that I am not defined by how my kids behave, how clean my house is, or how happy my marriage is, especially when compared to someone else's. I learned that striving for perfection in these areas in my life is a way of defining myself, and defining myself by any of these things is the equivalent of trying to save myself, which will only leave me exhausted.
This lesson reminded me of the lyrics to two different songs. First, Big Daddy Weave's Redeemed professes: "Seems like all I could see was the struggle // Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past // Bound up in shackles of all my failures // Wondering how long is this gonna last // Then You look at this prisoner and say to me // 'Son, stop fighting a fight that's already been won'." In the second song, The Struggle, Tenth Avenue North proclaims, "Hallelujah // We are free to struggle // We're not struggling to be free // Your blood bough and // Makes us children // Children drop your chains and sing."
I've heard these messages again and again, but today it really sank in: Jesus freed me, and I can fail as much or as little as I do; it's not what I do that defines me, it's what Jesus did. Tchividjian emphasized the same "inexhaustible grace" that finds it way into the subtitle of his book, "One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World."
I don't want to be exhausted anymore. I don't want a superiority complex or an inferiority complex. Either way, my focus was not in the right place. I have to keep my eyes on the prize, which has "already been won."
So for this reason, and many more that will likely be elaborated through future blogs, I am glad I ventured out this morning. Instead of returning to my cozy bed, I affirmed, "Lord, here I am."
~Hollie
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