My God Loves Me!

God's love is so amazing to me! Jeremiah 31:3 says, "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." That is so overwhelming to me...that God really loves me! It's pretty easy for me to see God's power, but if God was all powerful and didn't love me, that would not be a good thing. I'm so thankful for the God that I have.

His love is perfect. Nothing that I do will make God love me more or less...He already loves me with perfect love. "If I hear 'well done thou good and faithful servant,' it's not because my godliness is so stunning, but because my heavenly Father loves me" (Jim Berg). Psalm 18:19b says, "He delivered me, because He delights in me." That is incredible...He delights and takes pleasure in me! I can't understand that.

I need to be constantly reminding myself about what is true about God, and thinking about it. When I remember how much God loves me, it stops my worry in its tracks. I need to pray for God to show me his love and to help me understand it, like Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:18-19, that I "may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

I love the hymn, "Blessed Assurance." The last verse says:

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

I pray that I would understand more and more of God's love for me. That I would continually be "looking above, filled with His goodness and lost in His love."

Marvelous, Infinite, Matchless Grace

First, I would like to reintroduce myself to the group. Perhaps some are new and do not remember me. Perhaps some who have gone before have forgotton about me. I left the youth group in 2001 when I graduated HS and attended NBBC for 4 years. In the summer of 2003 I interned under Pastor Scott Olson. In the summer of '04 I was a youth sponsor. In 2005 I graudated and moved to Minneapolis, got married and started work on a MDiv from Central Baptist Seminary. If you don't remember me, I'm the guy that used to write the devotionals for camp/camps.

Now I am writing to respond to a post by Billy a few weeks ago. Billy posted some great theology on the topic of grace. I completely agree with what he said, but I feel that more must be added to the post to give a fuller exposition of grace. The reason that I feel that I must post this fact, is that I have had several friends, roomates, and peers (whom I previously ministered with in different ways) focus so strongly on grace, that they took grace as a license for what could be perceived as sinful behavior (drinking, etc.). Of course Romans 6 lays out the fact the we should not sin in order for grace to abound. I actually believe that there is a stronger set of verses in Scripture that give a fuller explanation of the function of grace in the life of a Christian.

Titus 2:11-15 states:
11) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15) These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Billy has already explained v. 11 in his post, so that I have no need to repeat his statements.

This passage really gives to us one point on what grace teaches the believer. Grace teaches the believer that we ought to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world. The word "teach" is the verb form of the word that was used by the ancient Greeks (both classical, such as Plato, and contemporary with the New Testament, such as Plutarch) for education. Grace formally educates us as in a school.

Grace educates us to live:
Soberly - look at all of the uses of the word "sober" in Titus 2. You would think that Paul had a serious point to make with the word "sober." Sober, simply put, is right thinking (orthodoxy) that leads to right feelings.

Righteously - Our judicial (legal) position before God the father through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ. We are to live in the light of the righteousness that has been given to us.

Godly - Piety - speaking of our personal relationship with God.

"in this present world" - literally "in the now age" - Speaks of in this present time, or in this dispensation of the church. Here's how we ought to live in the church age because of Grace.

But how do we live in a manner that thinks right, that works in its legal position of righteousness, and in a pious relationship with God? Paul tells us two ways:

1. By means of denying ungodliness and worldly lusts. Ungodliness is a negative word with the same root word as "godliness" in v 12. That is to say, "impiety," or that which causes a rift in the relationship with the father. Worldly lusts are lusts and temptations that lead us away from the relatioship. Deny anything that gets in the way with your relationship with God.

2. By means of looking for Christ's return. Jesus is coming again! He is coming to take His glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, with Him into the clouds, to wed to His beloved Bride! This is the blessed hope of the believer. He is also returning bodily to the earth to set up His kingdom which will last for a thousand years, and then ushering in the eternal age. This is the glorious appearing. Are you looking and waiting earnestly for Christ to return? Are you living your life in a manner that if Christ would return today he would find you watching and waiting?

(As an interesting side note: There is a grammatical construction in the original that makes "God" and "Savior" describe the same person: Jesus Christ - thus giving a clear reference that Christ Jesus is God/Deity.)

Are you living in the lessons of Grace? Are you living while thinking right with right affectiosn towards God? Are you living in light of your legal position before God? Are you living in a right relationship with Him? Have you denied yourself everything that gets in the way with a relationship with Him? Are you looking and waiting and living in a manner that if Christ returned TODAY he would say, "Well Done?"

I hope you are. The grace that brings salvation is wonderful! The lessons that we learn from that grace lead us to live more piously day by day before God.

Thank God

We need to thank the Lord for everything He has done for us. Sending His only Son to die on the cross for our sins so we don't have to take the punishment of sin. Loving us everyday even though we sin and don't always obey Him. Keeping us. Giving us things we need. Putting things in our life that help us grow in Him. Always keeping His promises. Giving us a great family and friends and people who love us. Protecting us through hard and good times. And lots more things that I can mention. We should be thankful for what God has given us and be content with what we have.

Psalms 75:1
Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks,unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.

Psalms 106:1
Praise ye the Lord.O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.

2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.

Pray always

Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

We should always pray to the Lord.We can tell Him anything.He should be our best friend.We can ask Him anything.He is always there for us and He wants to hear from us.We might get mad if one of our friends doesn't talk to us one day at school or something.How do you think God feels when we don't talk to Him at all for more than one day.Except maybe when we eat we say a quick pray just so you can eat dinner.

The Lord wants to hear from you. Even though He knows everything He still wants you to pray to Him.He also wants you to ask for things.When you ask for things you need to believe that we will receive it.

Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe the ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Comparing

God has been reminding me lately not to compare myself with other people, but just to use all the talents He has given me for His glory. In 1 Corinthians 10:12b it says, "but they meausuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." It's easy for me to get intimidated when I see someone else doing something so much better than I will ever be able to do it. God has given all the abilities that He wants me to have, and I need to be using them all for Him, even if humanly speaking I'm "not the best." I think it's encouraging that in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), Jesus rewarded the man with five talents just the same as the man with two talents, because they had both been faithful. Jesus wasn't concerned about the ammount of talents, but with what being done with the talents.

1 Peter 4:10-11 says, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the abilitiy which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever."

I just need to humbly serve God through the strength that He gives, and be a good steward of the talents and abilitities I've been given, for God's glory.

Elijah – A Portrait of God’s Sovereignty

One of the dire needs that Christians have is to feast and meditate upon the truths of God’s Word that are given to us in a worship service setting. It is common for a believer to be listening attentively, devouring the truths of God’s Word, but then to promptly forget what was said as soon as the final “Amen” is spoken and the other cares of life quickly reenter the picture.

Understanding this own need in my own life, I try to make a habit of taking notes that can be reflected upon later. Another thing that I believe would be helpful is to discuss what the Lord has taught us or reminded us of when His Word is shared. With that thought in mind, I would like to encourage a regular reflection upon the preached Word of God here at this blog. This does not mean that every sermon needs to be completely rehashed or even mentioned, but it is a call for us to meditate on what we have heard so that we might not soon forget what God is seeking to teach us. This is another area that I trust will not be something that is confined to this blog, but that will reach the lunch table, sidewalk, etc.

This previous Sunday morning, Pastor Schaal’s insight on the sovereignty of God in the episode in Elijah’s life recorded in 1 Kings 17 was a wonderful reminder to me concerning the depth of God’s sovereignty. Specifically concerning vv. 3-7, this statement jumped out at me: “God’s hand is in both the provision and the lack of provision.” What a concept to meditate upon! Elijah was in God’s will, both when the brook was flowing and when it had dried!

Sometimes, God’s sovereignty is something that Christians “deal with” instead of rejoice in. What a shame! Elijah learned so much about his God through that episode that I am sure he never forgot. I hope that you and I will not forget that truth either. Your view of God has a significant impact on how you view you current situation, whether it be “good” or “bad.”

For further study on this subject, I would highly recommend that you purchase and read Not By Chance: Learning to Trust a Sovereign God by Layton Talbert, a seminary professor at Bob Jones University. It may be the best book outside of the Bible that I have ever read. I believe it is currently available in the church bookstore, and if it is not, it can be ordered.

Praise - Valentine Banquet

I am so thankful that the Valentine banquet turned out well! I was nervous about the music and the skit, because I didn't feel like I'd had a lot of time to prepare, but God just gave so much grace and strength. There weren't any major flops, and everything went smoothly.

Devotion Ideas

I know that people are constantly reminding you of the necessity of staying in God’s Word and spending time with the Lord in prayer—something we normally refer to as having devotions (because we are seeking to show our devotion to the Lord). I have had some ask me about various ideas for Bible-study and prayer, and I am always happy to help others out. But it occurred to me that those of you in the youth group could possibly be a help to each other in this area. Not only do you have the opportunity to share with others the things the Lord is teaching you, but you can also share ideas for studying the Bible, creating a prayer list, etc.

So, that being said, I wanted to make a post that you guys could add comments to with answers to some of the following questions: What are some things that you have specifically done during your devotions that you have found helpful for you? What books or other tools have been a blessing? Are there any particular studies that you have done that were especially enjoyable to you and that brought you closer to the Lord? What are some ideas that you have toyed with, but have not tried? (Maybe someone else has tried it, and can tell you about it.) How do you try to structure your prayer time?

The purpose for this is not to promote anyone’s own spirituality or the time they spend in devotions; rather, it is to help one another. I am actually interested in some of your ideas for my own sake, and I may occasionally throw in an idea or two myself. Keep building one another up, seeking to help each other see Christ better so that we might “remember Him” more than ever.

Trust God

I just wanted to remind you all that God is in control and you need to trust Him through every step of your life.

God might have put something hard in your life, but He knows what He is doing. He will never give you something that you can't get through. He is always with you and will protect you. Don't be bitter against Him because He did something to you, your friends,or family. God does things for a reason. Though at the moment you might not know why He did it or you might never know why, but all you have to do is trust God and He will guide you through the hard times.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths.

2 Samuel 22:3
The God of my rock, in Him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my Salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my Saviour; thou savest me from violence.

2 Samuel 33:31
As for God, His way is perfect; the word or the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all that trust in Him.

Giving Up That Which Costs - Leviticus 1:1-2

Leviticus 1:1-2
1) And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

You may have at some point heard a saying along these lines: “A thing is worth only as much as you are willing to pay for it.” It is generally true that most people take better care of the things that they purchased for themselves than they do those things which are given to them. When a person counts the cost and then makes a decision to part with his money, he is demonstrating that he believes the money he is giving up is of equal or lesser value than the product he is purchasing.

This leads me to ask myself: What is my relationship to the Lord worth? What am I willing to give up for the sake of my Lord? In Leviticus 1:2, the children of Israel are commanded to bring an animal sacrifice to the Lord, but it could not be just any animal sacrifice. They were to bring an “offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.” This statement indicates that they were limited to sacrificing their own domesticated livestock (The Reformation Study Bible, p. 156), not just a wild animal or someone else’s animals. They had to decide whether or not it was worth it to give up that animal they had raised and poured so much of their resources into. It was a significant monetary sacrifice to obey the Lord. It cost them something.

So, what is my relationship to the Lord worth? What am I willing to sacrifice for Him? At this point, it is easy for me (and maybe you too) to think of all the things that I have “sacrificed” for the Lord (though it is not really a sacrifice to give up something for God because there is nobody or nothing that has more real value than He does). Even this past Sunday, Pastor Schaal mentioned how tempting it can be to think highly of ourselves for sacrificing something in our lives that may be a more difficult for someone else to give up theirs. We think critically of them in order to think better of ourselves. For example, if you look at my user profile on this blog, you will see that I am not really into watching movies. It is not that I despise them or think they are inherently wrong. There are just many other things that I would rather do. Now, it would be easy for me to look down on another Christian who cannot control his movie-watching habits, maybe even to the point that he is watching that which clearly does not please the Lord. I could think that I am something special because I do not have the same struggle. But does that make me more spiritual? Hardly. Where that believer may be struggling in one particular area, there are areas in my life that I have the same difficulty surrendering in order to prioritize my relationship to the Lord. It does not have to be something that is inherently wrong; just something that I have allowed to become a god in my life. Am I willing to give up whatever it is in order to be completely obedient to God? Am I willing to sacrifice something that has value to me so I may be more submissive to Christ? Am I willing to give up that which costs me something?

Oh, that we who know Christ would quit giving Christ lip-service in our sacrifice, and instead, give Him preeminence (Col. 1:18)!

Biography of God

I remember a few years ago, (I think it was in a Meat Chew), I learned about making a Biography of God. I thought it was a good idea, so I started one, and it has been one of the most helpful things I have done over a long period of time in my devotions. I’ll admit there have been times when I’ve just been excited about “adding a new verse,” but God doesn’t care the number of verses in my Biography of God, He cares that I really know Him, not just know about Him. If I really know God, it will change me. When I get worried, I am completely forgetting what kind of God I have…a God who loves me, who gives me grace, who is always in control of all things, who always forgives my sins, who is always trustworthy, etc. When I really understand and meditate on what God is like, it brings so much peace in my life.

I am doing this Bible study right now called Quieting a Noisy Soul, and a big focus of it is to know God, and how we need to realize that God is more than enough for us, and that knowing Him will bring peace and stability. “Grace and peace be multiplied until you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” II Peter 1:2-3. I’ve been learning a lot from it, and over the next few weeks I’ll probably post more specifically about certain attributes of God that have really meant a lot to me.

By the way, did any of you make a Biography of God way back when we learned about it, and if so, do you still have it/use it?