September 5, 2014

Seeing Evidence of Grace in My Life

By Jason

Journal Entry September 5, 2013:

I reflect on the amazing grace in my life as I fill up an entire notebook even before the year is up. This is a first. I have been unable to do this for more than a week at a time in the past. Yet, this time consistency stayed. I don’t say journaling is some superior discipline to be achieved. Its value will be in remembering what the Lord has done for me resulting in more trust and more praise. May it be so. My plan is to begin blogging again starting January 1, 2014. I hope to review the corresponding entry on the same day of the year and use it to write a post. This will have me looking back and remembering and it will help me in writing. Writing in this form will hopefully restart some of those gears that sit idle for the moment. And lastly, I hope the blog will be a help to others. May the grace You have shown me Father be used for your glory!

O Lord, may I see and hear Your word now!

~Jason

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September 4, 2014

Illustration of Grace

By Jason

A story told by one of our elders during members’ class. Of course, all illustrations have their limits but this is very helpful:

Pretend that someone came into my house and killed my only son. If as he was fleeing, I took a shotgun and chased him down and killed him, we would call it revenge. If, [however] I called the police and they arrested him and he was sent to prison, we would call it justice. If I went to the jail and told him I forgave him and did not hold anything against him, we would call it mercy. If I forgave him and got him out of jail and took him home and adopted him into my family and he became my son with all the privileges of sonship and full inheritance rights, we would call it grace. That is exactly what our Lord did. We killed His son and yet He forgives us and adopts us into His family with full inheritance rights. Amazing grace!

~Jason

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September 4, 2014

Still Believing!

By Jason

Journal Entry Tuesday, September 3, 2013

I am still believing today! I am sure I will be tomorrow and the next…not because of me but because of Christ. I need you O God my salvation again today, for my soul is sinking. I feel like letting go. But for some reason I don’t. Therefore, I say to my soul “Why are you downcast? Hope in God, for I will again praise Him.” Waiting….

 

Rise up, be our help and redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness!  

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September 2, 2014

The Temptation of More

By Jason

The title could lead you in multiple directions. So, I need to begin by stating what I mean by “more.” I’m sure you understand what it means to be tempted. You could think from the title that the temptation is about “more” stuff! And that is a common temptation. It is one that needs to be subdued. However, the “more” I speak of is more ministry.

I am going to quote from my journal. The date was September 2, 2013. At that time, I was a member of a church waiting for God to open a door for ministry.

I was renewed yesterday (Sept. 1, 2013) to press on today! O Lord, renew me today that I might press on tomorrow. A quote that was helpful to me: “Nobody made a greater mistake that he who did nothing because he could only do a little” (Edmund Burke). I look at my life and think I am doing nothing for Christ (wasting my life). Yet the enemy would have me believe and desire more, more, more. More, for me, has not come. Therefore, I am tempted to stop what little I do if I can’t have all that I want. O how subtle! Father help me be faithful with the small ministry. May it bear much fruit! May I be content. Grow me in grace. Forgive me for giving in to the “more” temptation. It was consuming me. Lord, if you never give me more than I have right now, I will still follow you.

May I hear from your word today!

Today is a different day. It has much more. I still your grace!

~Jason

Here is something I heard from the word that morning:

From 1 Samuel 26, we again see David patiently waiting for the throne. Though David had lost his place in Saul’s kingdom, he had not lost his place in God’s Kingdom. David was doing nothing for God while hiding from Saul. Yet, God was at work in David. He was being prepared for what was to come!

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June 10, 2014

The Gospel Preached! Hear. Repent. Believe.

By Jason

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May 26, 2014

Freedom Comes With A Cost (Death)

By Jason

It is fitting this day to honor those who have fought for our freedom–many at the cost of their lives. I have to admit that I have never been overly patriotic. I’ve taken for granted the freedom earned for America. I guess I am too far removed from the events of history for them to land on me. I am not a historian. In other words, I hated history. It wasn’t pushed in my family. I would guess that I am not alone in many of these contributing factors. When I look at the zealous patriot, who only talks about honoring freedom, I can easily decide not to be that way. That was until I stepped into Arlington Cemetery and observed the memorial at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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Of course, it did not make me a zealous patriot. However, the reality of those historical events in plain sight landed on me. If possible, every American should make that visit–especially those visual learners like me. Stepping into Arlington was breathtaking. The sight of the magnitude of lives lost was humbling. It’s not a place to be entertained but reverenced. It’s not a place to laugh but to cry. So when you visit, set your mind to be more aware of your demeanor. May it be humble and honorable. 

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Now, if this is humbling how much more the reality that God the Son died for our freedom–the Innocent One for the guilty. Our freedom from sin cost something. It cost Jesus Christ his life. There’s no Arlington Cemetery for Christ because there is no need. The grave could not hold him. However, we can honor him today by not continuing in sin from which we have been freed!

Romans 6:3-7 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” 

~Jason

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May 25, 2014

Prayer and Providence

By Jason

Reading through 2 Samuel reminded me of the topic-Prayer & Providence-because there is an example clearly stated in the text. I think it would be helpful to draw your attention to this. Of course, some want the systematic theology answer. However, others are helped by narrative display. I hope you will be enriched to pray and trust that God is at work. Here are the texts:

But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. (2 Samuel 15:30-34)

Of course, both Ahithophel and Hushai became Absalom’s counselors. As you can see, David asked the LORD to turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. He then asked his friend Hushai to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel with his own counsel to Absalom. However, what else is going on? Where is God in this? We get an explanation a couple of chapters later.

 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom. (2 Samuel 17:14)

Here we see what David had prayed for and sought means to achieve was also ordained by God for a purpose. You may struggle with one side of this issue or the other but here both are present. Both are true. Therefore, we should pray and trust (not completely understand) that God is at work.

Just this morning, I asked my son to do something  that involved reading. He replied, “But I can’t read.” I said to him, “That is not true. You can read. Just because you can’t read everything does not mean you cannot read. If that is so, then I cannot read.” Same goes for this argument. Just because you do not completely understand this does not mean you cannot pray or cannot believe that God ordains. See it here in His holy word and be encouraged!

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May 25, 2014

Essential Resources

By Jason

Dispatches From the Front will encourage you. It has the needed engagement and cultural wake-up call that I am aware of but cannot grasp on my own. It is also good to see other believers trusting in hard places. The videos remind me of the lostness in this world. They display the power of the gospel! Get them for yourself and then loan them out to anyone who will watch them! 

Here is a trailer to flame the fire and the link to the website:

~Jason

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April 29, 2014

Quiet Time with Kids-New Update

By Jason

Several years ago I wrote about scheduling a “quiet time” for our children. At the time they were ages 6, 2, and 15 months. You can click here to read about that, and then an update here.

For now, here’s what works for us. Our two girls share a bedroom, so they take turns with one staying in their room and one going to the living room. Our oldest, 11 years old, reads her Bible, prays, journals, and if time allows, reads some of a missionary biography each day.

Our middle child, 7 years old, reads her Bible, prays, and sings songs from our church’s songbook.

Our youngest, 6 years old, is learning to read, so he sometimes looks in his Bible to find words he knows. Mostly he listens to praise music and looks through his Bible storybooks in his room. Though we may listen to other contemporary Christian music throughout the day (they like it especially when they are cleaning), only certain music is allowed for quiet time. This is a time for singing praises to God versus singing about our walk or various life situations.

Also, our younger ones sometimes color their picture in their Bible coloring book from their devotion with Dad the night before during this time.

I usually give them around 20 minutes. Sometimes more if they ask for more time.

We occasionally ask them how their time is going, what they are doing, and for those that can read, what they are learning. We don’t want this to be something we just do everyday without them knowing the purpose, which is to have a relationship with God.

As a result of this scheduled quiet time, one of our daughters repented and believed in Christ while reading the Word. As she read Ezekiel, the Lord opened her heart to see that the same sentence on Israel for their sin also rested on her. Therefore, she put her trust in Christ alone for salvation.

Looking back from when we first started this, I can see we have come a long way! I am thankful for God’s faithfulness to remind us and give us patience as we are training our children and much fruit already!

~Kimberly

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April 28, 2014

Piper Leading Others To Love Missions

By Jason

An Excerpt from a sermon on January 22,1984

We Must Have Strategies to Pursue the Lost

These three truths lead to an inevitable conclusion about the priorities of Bethlehem Baptist Church.
1.Truth one: God sent his Son into the world to save sinners from every nation so that they would glorify him for his mercy (Romans 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:15).
2.Truth two: this purpose of God has not yet been completed.
3.Truth three: Christ has passed on to the church his mission to seek and save the lost. As long as this age lasts, our charge from Jesus is to tell of his salvation with our lips and show his love with our lives so that people from every tongue and tribe and nation (Revelation 5:9) will be saved by faith and give him glory for his mercy.

The conclusion that follows from these three truths is that strategies and actions to seek and save the lost (especially where they have least opportunity to hear the gospel) must have high priority in the life of our church.

~Jason

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