As i read this morning in Ephesians, (the Lord told me yesterday to read Eph 5) some things stuck out to me.
Starting in verse 3;
3 Don't let sexual sin, perversion of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you. This is not appropriate behavior for God's holy people. 4 It's not right that dirty stories, foolish talk, or obscene jokes should be mentioned among you either. Instead, give thanks [to God].
and then again starting in verse 10
"Determine which things please the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. 12 It is shameful to talk about what some people do in secret. 13 Light exposes the true character of everything 14 because light makes everything easy to see. That's why it says: "Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." 15 So then, be very careful how you live. Don't live like foolish people but like wise people. 16 Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days. 17 So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants."
Only then after making clear his heart for purity and for righteousness does the more familiar phrase "Wake up, sleeper!" come from the lips of the Lord. I have often thought of these things in reference to black and white, along with the more majestic imagery of those of us who have been redeemed vs: those who have not. But when you get past the sexual sin stigmas we have managed to build to make ourselves feel like we've arrived at some level of righteousness before unattained by saints who risked far more than morning coffee to strive for the image of the likeness of Christ, you might find that "sexual sin, and perversion of any kind, or greed" seem quite glaring and obvious. However, if I think (much less pray) about these things, I realize that they are so much more common than we want to think. Perversion of any kind, includes not just sexual perversion, which is a skewing of something holy and righteous but all other flavors of perversion as well. By that token, comittment to a ministry for the kingdom of God could be perverted if taken out of the context of not just God's will, but his WAY. If i were to focus all my heart on my external ministry for the kingdom of God, but neglect in the slightest, my Wife, and my home; that is just as much perversion as the lewdest sexual sin.
When the word says later in the same passage to walk circumspectly (in the KJV, the above is from the ESV translation) as it is defined in strong's greek, "akribos ak-ree-boce' adverb from the same as 196; exactly:--circumspectly, diligently, perfect(-ly)." The part that sticks out to me is the one about dilligently, PERFECTLY". Seems like a high call, and it is. From the beginning of scripture God has asked that we be Holy, because he is holy. Through the Grace of Christ we're enabled to do all things righteous, because we are given already "according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue" II Peter 1:3.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Thursday, February 08, 2007
morning coffee with my wife
Charles Spurgeon said,
"Jesus! the life of all our joys. If there be one name more charming, more precious than another, it is this name. It is woven into the very warp and woof of our psalmody. Many of our hymns begin with it, and scarcely any, that are good for anything, end without it. It is the sum total of all delights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring; a song in a word; an ocean for comprehension, although a drop for brevity; a matchless oratorio in two syllables; a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters. "Jesus, I love Thy charming name, 'Tis music to mine ear."
What worshipper of God would not be laid out by such an accurate description of the Savior? My heart swells at the reading of the excerpt above, and I feel like the Sprit has breathed a new life in me by the remembrance of his heart, and that which he's given me. I look at my life now, and it's so much different than it was a year ago. Last year at this time I was focused on booking tours and working on band stuff. I was oblivious to what was going on later that year. So now fast forward, i'm married to an amazingly beautiful woman who loves the Lord and me. Settled down? Nope...hehe, she is what kinda keeps me from settling down. Her encouragement just musters my desire to get to the place which the Lord has called me to be.
My largest desire lately has been to get back into the groove of my old schedule, but it has occurred to me that it might not be where i'm supposed to be. Now i'm looking to be where my new schedule is. There is a lot of getting settled into married life as far as schedule and routine. I really want to be more regular doing my blogging and journal. I normally write in a text file about really personal stuff, and i'm struggling with wether to make this my only writing source. I figure i could just protect the posts that i would normally put in my other journal.
Colleen and i were talking about something this morning and it reminded me of Romans 8, so as we were reading it something really stuck out to me. Starting in verse 31"31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 Truly He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies.". With marriage being the new position and the major target for any attacks, the concept of being not only God's elect but also that no force can lay anything to our charge, to accuse of failure or inadequacy. I just love the tenderness of the Spirit of God, in the way he constantly courts our hearts to turn to him in greater ways.
"Jesus! the life of all our joys. If there be one name more charming, more precious than another, it is this name. It is woven into the very warp and woof of our psalmody. Many of our hymns begin with it, and scarcely any, that are good for anything, end without it. It is the sum total of all delights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring; a song in a word; an ocean for comprehension, although a drop for brevity; a matchless oratorio in two syllables; a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters. "Jesus, I love Thy charming name, 'Tis music to mine ear."
What worshipper of God would not be laid out by such an accurate description of the Savior? My heart swells at the reading of the excerpt above, and I feel like the Sprit has breathed a new life in me by the remembrance of his heart, and that which he's given me. I look at my life now, and it's so much different than it was a year ago. Last year at this time I was focused on booking tours and working on band stuff. I was oblivious to what was going on later that year. So now fast forward, i'm married to an amazingly beautiful woman who loves the Lord and me. Settled down? Nope...hehe, she is what kinda keeps me from settling down. Her encouragement just musters my desire to get to the place which the Lord has called me to be.
My largest desire lately has been to get back into the groove of my old schedule, but it has occurred to me that it might not be where i'm supposed to be. Now i'm looking to be where my new schedule is. There is a lot of getting settled into married life as far as schedule and routine. I really want to be more regular doing my blogging and journal. I normally write in a text file about really personal stuff, and i'm struggling with wether to make this my only writing source. I figure i could just protect the posts that i would normally put in my other journal.
Colleen and i were talking about something this morning and it reminded me of Romans 8, so as we were reading it something really stuck out to me. Starting in verse 31"31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 Truly He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies.". With marriage being the new position and the major target for any attacks, the concept of being not only God's elect but also that no force can lay anything to our charge, to accuse of failure or inadequacy. I just love the tenderness of the Spirit of God, in the way he constantly courts our hearts to turn to him in greater ways.
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