unchangeable

My Student Life 31 devotional this morning was so cool. Here's what it said:

Have you ever ridden the New York subway on a busy day? It's definitely interesting. People march in lines to their destinations like little ants. You're basically carried by the crowds. If you want a challenge, try to walk in the opposite direction of the way people are moving. It's no easy task to walk against the flow, and you'll soon find that people aren't happy when you get in their way. It's actually a pretty good picture of how it looks when a believer walks with Christ through this world.

Read Matthew 10:17-23.

"Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

Jesus was really honest with His disciples. He told them the world was a hard place and that following Him wasn't exactly the popular thing to do. They would face betrayal, persecution, and hatred. People-possibly family, friends, even government officials-would hate them because of Christ.But if they held fast through the trials, Christ would hold on tightly to them. When the disciples spoke of following Christ-a revolutionary teaching of selflessness on every level-it didn't sit well with an extremely selfish world.

You and I face that same world. Jesus has warned that though His message is one of unconditional love, the world won't like it. When you walk against the flow, people will put up a fight because it gets in the way of their sinful agendas. You will face trials of many kinds in the name of Christ, but He says not to fear. The Holy Spirit is with you and will give you the words to speak. Christ will go with you, and the life you find walking in Him is much greater than walking in step with this world.

1. What did Christ warn the disciples that they would face because of following Him?

2. How might the teachings of Christ (and the way you live because of them) clash with the world around you?

3.What opposition will you face from those around you?

4.In what ways do you seek the approval of others? Take a minute to ask Christ to transform your heart so that you seek Him first and have the strength to walk against the crowd.


and then my Scripture reading for today was Psalm 59.

"My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies."
v. 10

the note in my Bible on this verse said:

David was hunted by those whose love had turned to jealousy, and this was driving them to try to murder him. Trusted friends, and even his son, had turned against him. What changeable love! But David knew that God's love for him was changeless "His love endures forever!" (Psalm 100:5) God's mercy to all who trust Him is just as permanent as his mercy to David, When the love of others fails or disappoints us, we can rest in God's enduring love.

i just love it when God puts things together in a way that fits perfectly and makes sense and is relevant to our current situations. These are the times i learn to trust in is plans. He's got everything under control and knows how everything works.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

"He is before all things and in Him all things hold together."
Colossians 1:17

praise be to the unchangeable God! and that God...He's my God!

Ezekiel 36:26-28 (English Standard Version)
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

what a promise. to know that God completely redesigned my insides, carving me like a pumpkin and cleaning out all the guts. He puts a new spirit inside me to light the way for me to follow...

thank You, Father.

i heard this saying recently:

my Father knows the way through the wilderness. all i have to do is follow Him.

how comforting and true! we don't have to figure the Way out for ourselves. God has put the Spirit inside us and It's always there with us, teaching us God's will and guiding us in the making of decisions and speaking to us when all the other false gods are vying for our affections. but are you listening?

and good friend gave this illustration at FCA once:

imagine a huge lake with trees all around. it's a peaceful, calm day. an acorn falls from a tree next to you into the water and you watch, fascinated by the ripples made on the surface. over the next few months you get busy with school, work and your friends and family. you barely have time anymore to sit by the lake and think. but you still manage to make it out once or twice a week. one day, a storm brews up. winds begin whipping the trees and stirring up the surf. an acorn falls, but this time, you didn't even notice. the storm was too powerful and consumed your attention.

sometimes, we think we're doing so well in our spiritual walk. and we get lax and forget what's important in our day. you have one bad day that simply wipes your energy away and your time with God that day isn't as long or deep as it normally is. soon, this becomes a pattern, then a habit. we get so wrapped up in the material and terminal things in our lives that we miss God's little hints and when He speaks to us through His Spirit.

my life as of late can be describe in this way. i've lost sight of the purpose of my life. my quiet times have been forced and not as edifying. i'm seeking to mend this and it's not an easy task. one i will be working on for quite some time in order to restore it to the way it used to be. but God's love is steadfast. he will not leave me.

praise be unto You, Father. Solo deo gloria!

completely to You

You stood before creation
forever within Your hand
You spoke all life into motion
my soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
carried the cross for my shame
my sin weighed upon Your shoulders
my soul now to stand

so what can i say
what can i do
but offer this heart o God
completely to You

so i'll walk upon salvation
Your spirit alive in me
this life to declare Your promise
my soul now to stand

so what can i say
what can i do
but offer this heart o God
completely to You

so i'll stand
with arms high and heart abandoned
in awe of the One who gave it all

so i'll stand
my soul Lord to You surrendered
all i am is Yours

-Hillsong United The Stand

in a couple of weeks, i'll be speaking at FCA at school. i've been nervous for a while, not knowing what to say when i get up there...all the time knowing that God would give me the words in that hour (Matthew 10:19), although it's usually a little sooner than that. This week, He delivered. i was fixing breakfast one morning before school, listening to the radio. The host of this program said that the sermon that would be playing that morning was from the 1970s. i thought, "Oh great! Some completely irrelevant message given by some old guy i've never even heard of. Time to switch to 88.5." Well, the only thing i was right about was the old guy part...but i started listening to him, and it was perfect material to talk about at FCA. So, once again, i'm wrong and God's right (duh!).

The guy asked the questions: "Are you doing God's will or your own will? And if you're doing God's will, are you trying to do it by His power and His way or by your own power and the way you want to do it?" Ouch! Right through the heart. Now this message was not just for FCA, but for me personally. i started taking notes of the scripture he used...

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29(ESV)

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7(ESV)

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor...
Isaiah 61:1...(ESV)

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Acts 1:8 (ESV)

"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."
Acts 4:29-33(ESV)

God has a plan to use each and every one of His children. and He will give us whatever we are in need of to fulfil His plan. we don't need to pray for boldness of strength or the words to speak. He will provide those things.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

So trust Him and lift your hands high. Abandon your heart. Abandon this world and it's lies. Surrender to Him...completely to Him.

we are nothing compared to His greatness. we are weaklings compared to His power.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
1 Corinthians 1:25 (NIV)

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Philippians 3:12

Psalm 36

Psalm 36 (NIV)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.

1 An oracle is within my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself
too much to detect or hate his sin.
3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 Even on his bed he plots evil;
he commits himself to a sinful course
and does not reject what is wrong.
5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, You preserve both man and beast.
7 How priceless is Your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of Your house;
you give them drink from Your river of delights.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10 Continue Your love to those who know You,
Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
thrown down, not able to rise!

This psalm is so rich, especially considering that, apart from Christ, i am the wicked person described in vs. 1-4. i wonder how many people read this psalm and think of Christ. It would be interesting to see if it is listed as a Messianic psalm (my study Bible doesn't list them). v.1 speaks of an "oracle." The original Hebrew word used there is neum meaning "declaration, oracle, utterance; often a marker introducing or punctuating prophetic discourse." i love the night-and-day difference between the first four verses and the next five. That difference...is Christ. He paid the ultimate, the ONLY, price for us, the wicked, evil people of vs.1-4. And how true it is that i am wicked!

"...he...does not reject what is wrong." (v. 4)

Do i always reject what i know to be wrong? NO WAY! i make the wrong/unwise decision all the time, probably once every day! But even the most wicked of sinners cannot escape God's love if HE chooses him.

"He is jealous for me
loves like a hurricane,
i am a tree, bending beneath the weight of HIS wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden
i am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory.
And i realize just how beautiful You are
and how great Your affections are for me "
-David Crowder Band How He Loves

Give to God all that you are. He loves you. He is jealous for you. He doesn't want part of you or the majority or you. He wants ALL of you, even the parts that aren't so pretty or you haven't cleaned up yet. He wants your impure past, malicious thoughts, stupid choices and mistakes...because He can fix those things and give to you purity, kindness and wisdom. ONLY He can bring those things to you.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that HE may be glorified."
Isaiah 61:1-3 (ESV)

HE LOVES you. LOVE HIM.

so because Jessica reminded me that i haven't been blogging, i shall write a blog now. thanks Jessica.

so if you've ever studied, or even read Job, you've gotten a glimpse of what extreme suffering looks like, whether you've ever experienced it for yourself.

Job had no idea what was going on in heaven between God and Satan. But he still trusted God. Though loss of family, livestock, possessions, and health. Though his "friends" mocked him and wrongly scrutinized him for things he hadn't done. Though his wife tried to persuade him to curse God...through all of that, Job remained faithful.

i admire Job and his faith in God's hoped-for deliverance. Job probably never thought, "Wow. What i'm going through really stinks, but someone out there is writing my story down in the history books and one day, Jordan Smith is going read about me and be encouraged." but God knew.

be encouraged. when the going gets tough, God doesn't leave you behind or let you rot away. He's bring you through this world and on to something more wonderful than we can even fathom. He brings us to Himself. He has saved us into community with Himself, which is exactly what we need and truly crave...and He knows it.

all praise be to You, God, my light and my salvation!

Glory to God alone!

Manifesto

i declare that i will love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind and love my neighbor (including my enemy) as myself (Matthew.22:37-39).

I will practice the things that stir my affections for Christ and turn away from the things that rob me of those affections.

i will be intentional to pursue godliness, striving toward Christ. i will walk with the LORD daily in His Word and in prayer. i will hide God's Word in my heart that i might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).

when i sin, i will confess my sins to Christ and ask His forgiveness, trusting His Word: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) i will not only turn from my old, sinful ways, but turn toward Christ, seeking His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

i will give forgiveness always and i will seek forgiveness when i have wronged another.

i will look for God in all that i do, giving Him the glory, for i know that He is Creator and all things that are good, are good because He is good.

i will, by the grace of God, live as an ambassador for Christ, no longer conforming to the ways of this world (Romans 12:2), but setting my mind on the worth of knowing Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8).

i will choose to praise God and give thanks to His holy Name in all circumstances.

i will trust the Lord for tomorrow: college, a career, a family...for he knows the plans He has for me (Jeremiah 29:11).

i will honor and obey my parents.

i will "not despise the LORD’s discipline...for the LORD reproves him whom He loves." (Proverbs 3:11,12)

Mystery and Victory

"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery.) We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and) the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

"Death is swallowed up in victory."
"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:50-58

what a promise! i read that this morning and thought it should be shared. i really don't have a lot to say about this except HALLELUJAH!