Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision,
but keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)
For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.
You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
(from 1 Corinthians 7, ESV)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
You Will Go Out In Joy!
"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD" (Is. 55:8).
God is revealing this to me more and more every day. I do not have a clue what God has planned in my life, nor do I understand what he is doing with me right now. I do, however, know that God is good. He is faithful and trustworthy.
"'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts"'(Is. 55:9).
Particularly over the past year I have found myself less and less content with the society I live in. I am no longer all right with giving large portions of my time and energy to things that are simply expected of me. This goes for areas of my life such as my education, as well as my lifestyle and the way I act and treat others. God is teaching more of the gospel to me and revealing more of the life he has freed me to live. Paul explains to the Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" (5:1). I am only now beginning to realize how little of this freedom I understand, and much less that I actually live in. Paul continues: "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Our flesh has been born into and raised in bondage to sin. But Christ has redeemed us from death and brought us into life through his sacrifice. I did not earn it. I did not deserve it. There was nothing beautiful about me, in and of myself, that would cause God's heart to soften towards me.
But God in his grace demonstrated his love toward you and me, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).
God was pleased to save us while we were wretched and filthy. He was glorified in this redemption.I do not understand the gospel. I do not know why God chose to rescue me, even when I tried to rob him of his due glory by making my life about me. Yet God is glorified anyway. I do not understand the doors God is opening and closing in my life.
"'As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it'" (Is. 55:10-11).
He is opening doors and presenting oppprtunities I have never imagined or dreamed of. Granting me things I never thought to ask for. From teaching English in a Korean school, to working with highschool students, to the opportuity to live in Brasil, God has not ceased to surprise me in the past 8 months. He is stirring new desires in me, molding my heart to become more aligned with his own. He is teaching me to live and to enjoy his presence.
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:3-4).
As my desires become his desires, and as I learn to delight in living as his free and beloved daughter, I am satisfied simply by being with him. I am fulfilled and lack no good thing.
"'You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands"'(Is. 55:12).
I still struggle with wanting to hold in my hand all that I can, with my fingers closed tightly. I have no idea what tomorrow holds. I'm still scared of a lot of things. I still have unfulfilleed dreams and desires, for some of which I see no change in the near future.
BUT
Do not miss out on this.
To my friends who do not know my God, there is nothing on this earth that can fulfill us. But God can. And he does. And he invites you to live. Not only eternal, never dying life in Heaven, but real life- actual alive LIFE here and now on earth. It is absolutely worth giving up all the other stuff for it.To my friends who know and serve my God, do not miss this. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world..." It is worthless, and it will not fulfill you. "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Rom. 12:2). This is good. God wants to give this LIFE to you. He desires to remove every ounce of our flesh and our old selves from us and replace it with him- his character, his heart. He invites us to surrender all that we are to dress ourselves in all that he is. To experience him in every part of life. Jim Elliot wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship" (Rom. 12:1).
God is revealing this to me more and more every day. I do not have a clue what God has planned in my life, nor do I understand what he is doing with me right now. I do, however, know that God is good. He is faithful and trustworthy.
"'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts"'(Is. 55:9).
Particularly over the past year I have found myself less and less content with the society I live in. I am no longer all right with giving large portions of my time and energy to things that are simply expected of me. This goes for areas of my life such as my education, as well as my lifestyle and the way I act and treat others. God is teaching more of the gospel to me and revealing more of the life he has freed me to live. Paul explains to the Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" (5:1). I am only now beginning to realize how little of this freedom I understand, and much less that I actually live in. Paul continues: "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Our flesh has been born into and raised in bondage to sin. But Christ has redeemed us from death and brought us into life through his sacrifice. I did not earn it. I did not deserve it. There was nothing beautiful about me, in and of myself, that would cause God's heart to soften towards me.
But God in his grace demonstrated his love toward you and me, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).
God was pleased to save us while we were wretched and filthy. He was glorified in this redemption.I do not understand the gospel. I do not know why God chose to rescue me, even when I tried to rob him of his due glory by making my life about me. Yet God is glorified anyway. I do not understand the doors God is opening and closing in my life.
"'As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it'" (Is. 55:10-11).
He is opening doors and presenting oppprtunities I have never imagined or dreamed of. Granting me things I never thought to ask for. From teaching English in a Korean school, to working with highschool students, to the opportuity to live in Brasil, God has not ceased to surprise me in the past 8 months. He is stirring new desires in me, molding my heart to become more aligned with his own. He is teaching me to live and to enjoy his presence.
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:3-4).
As my desires become his desires, and as I learn to delight in living as his free and beloved daughter, I am satisfied simply by being with him. I am fulfilled and lack no good thing.
"'You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands"'(Is. 55:12).
I still struggle with wanting to hold in my hand all that I can, with my fingers closed tightly. I have no idea what tomorrow holds. I'm still scared of a lot of things. I still have unfulfilleed dreams and desires, for some of which I see no change in the near future.
BUT
Do not miss out on this.
To my friends who do not know my God, there is nothing on this earth that can fulfill us. But God can. And he does. And he invites you to live. Not only eternal, never dying life in Heaven, but real life- actual alive LIFE here and now on earth. It is absolutely worth giving up all the other stuff for it.To my friends who know and serve my God, do not miss this. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world..." It is worthless, and it will not fulfill you. "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Rom. 12:2). This is good. God wants to give this LIFE to you. He desires to remove every ounce of our flesh and our old selves from us and replace it with him- his character, his heart. He invites us to surrender all that we are to dress ourselves in all that he is. To experience him in every part of life. Jim Elliot wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship" (Rom. 12:1).
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