Prayer Requests

One important purpose of the church family is to pray (Ephesians 6:18; James 5:16; Acts 1:14). How can we pray for one another if we don't know what to pray?

This is a place where we'll keep a list of current things we are praying for. In a separate blog, we'll keep a list of praise reports regarding answered prayers. If you want to be added to the list, you can reply to this blog with your prayer request, email FarrisHolyfield @ Gmail . com, or just show up at our prayer sessions at around 6:30PM after Sunday night service. We're really looking forward to documenting how the Lord is going to move when we really start to dig in and pray.

Things we're praying for currently:

General Church Needs

1. The growth of the church. Lighthouse exists to be a harbor to the lost. Pray that the Lord leads unsaved or unchurched people into our doors and that the members and regular attenders are welcoming to them. Pray that if they go to the altar, they never go alone.

2. The pastor and board, that they would continue to make good decisions for our church family.

3. The Ignite Young Adults group itself. Our age group is the age group least likely to attend church. So many people our age are out in the world doing their thing rather than in the church doing God's thing. Pray for the growth of the group, both in numbers and in love and fellowship. Pray that as we gather together to have a good time, we also gain strength to follow God. It is not easy to be a young adult, so please pray for strength for each of us so that we might discern and live out the calling God has for our lives.

4. All the workers and volunteers of the church, whether they work with children or youth or the Hands team or the choir or the nursery or the Missionettes (Impact Girls) or the Royal Rangers or another ministry. Pray that they have the strength and patience to continue in their service, and that God will arrange their schedules to make it so. For those who have not found a way to give of their time in the church, make a way for them schedule-wise and help them find a place where they feel comfortable serving. Also pray that their service is an effective witness to others.

Specific/Personal Needs

1. Bruce White, that his broken leg will heal quickly and he'll be up and walking again soon without crutches.

2. Anonymous, an unspoken family need regarding an infant

3. An anonymous couple, a relationship need

4. Ethan Powell, an infant at St. Jude who had leukemia and was originally given only a 15% chance of survival. He has received an experimental treatment that's only been done on eight other people in the history of the world. Currently, we are praying for no side effects from this experimental procedure, no return of leukemia cells to his blood or bone marrow, and no infection in his body because he has a vulnerable immune system. Also, pray for his parents' strength as they continue to go through all this. As Ethan's dad says, BELIEVE. PRAYER WORKS.

5. Shauna Caldwell, as she enters the mission field. Shauna, Lighthouse's first missionary associate, just began a mission of at least a year in Moldova, home educating the children of a missionary couple who run a center for exploited women. Pray for a hedge of protection around her in the mission field, strength in her body to do God's work, that her work is an effective witness, for the continued financial support of her sponsors, for comfort when she may get lonely or homesick, and for personal growth in her relationship with Christ.

6. Farris and Lori Holyfield, as they continue to try to grow their family.

7. For the missions team currently planning a return trip to Romania in June 2008. Paul Joseph Gallina is organizing this trip. Start praying NOW for the Lord to reveal His sovereign will and to prepare the way for this trip.

8. Matt Little. He left August 20th for South Carolina due to being called up by the Marine Corps. Pray for his safety and that he will not suffer from loneliness or homesickness. If you'd like to write to him, we have his address and we're sure he'd be glad to have letters from home to encourage him.

Praise Reports

We were praying very hard that the Lord would provide a wonderful youth pastor to lead our youth group. Well, he's here and he's definitely great! Pastor Pablo and his wife Sarah are doing so well already. They just fit right in, and they're digging in and hopefully changing lives. We're so glad to have them and their children join our church family. Praise the Lord!

For the most part, Bruce White's recovery from his leg-breaking incident has been really good, and it looks like he'll be back on both feet relatively soon. (He also has cool scars to show off in the future.) But seriously, because of the surgery he had, Bruce was at risk for infection, but he seems to be doing fine. Praise God!

Ethan Powell is just doing better and better! When he was born, his parents were told he only had a 15% chance of survival, but he's ten months old now, and things are really looking up! Praise the Lord!

Shauna Caldwell is doing great away from home, serving God in the mission field. It seems that she's adjusting to cultural differences with relatively little difficulty, including a total lack of air conditioning at home or church. You should pop on over to her blog and say hello! Shauna is aiding a missionary couple as they minister to women who have been trafficked. Their ministry is touching many lives, and we continue to keep them in prayer. Praise God!

November 16: Thoughts on Job 1:13-22

"One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."
~Job 1:13-22

The basic story of Job is this: God and Satan were having a chat one day, and God pointed out Job, saying, "Hey, Satan, have you seen my servant Job? He's really great – he's righteous, he respects me, and he stays away from evil things." Satan responds, "Well, yeah, but you've given him everything. You've blessed him. Of course he loves you! But watch – if you withdraw your blessing from Job, he'll turn his back on you, I guarantee it." God then gave Satan permission to do anything to Job that he wanted, in order to prove Job's loyalty.

Satan immediately started his attacks. Job's servants, sheep, camels are harmed. Job reacts pretty well to these. After all, they are just material possessions. Then, the worst of all, Job finds out that all his children have died at the same time. Job is pretty upset about this, so he gets up and shaves his head and tears his robe (these are considered signs of mourning). He mourns. We all understand that, right? Who wouldn't be sad? But what's amazing is what Job does next. He falls to the ground in worship of God and essentially says, "Well, I didn't come into this world with anything and I'm not taking any of it with me. God gives. God takes away. Either way, blessed be the name of the Lord (NIV reads "may the name of the LORD be praised)."

When we're grieving, so often we want to be angry with God. I will confess to a little bit of that today. Like Job, I'm mourning the loss of a child. I was pregnant, but we lost the baby in April. Tomorrow was my due date. It's sort of painful to think about how if everything had been all right, I would have been holding a baby in my arms tomorrow. It's easy to blame God or to question Him, and to ask why God allows things to happen to us (and Job does that later, too, and the Bible says Job didn't sin with his lips, so it's not wrong to do that). But what's startling to me is that in the midst of his grief, Job was able to have such great perspective.

Job was a man who saw the big picture. He understood that we're not entitled to anything. We didn't come into this world with anything, and we're not taking anything of it out. God blesses us, and sometimes, God takes things away from us. That doesn't change the unchangeable, though: God is worthy of our praise! And Job was able to see that, and perhaps even praise God for what was happening to him, because he knew, as a servant of God, that the Lord works all things together for those that love Him, even though that Scripture wasn't written yet. Job didn't know his future, he didn't know that God intended to restore everything back to him. He didn't know any of it, but he didn't have to. Why? Because he knew God. He knew that God's basic character is one of goodness and fairness. He trusted that God's ways were higher than his own ways, that God knew better than he did. And shouldn't we all?

I don't know when I'll get to a place of spiritual maturity where I'm able to kneel down in the ashes of my pain and say, "Either way, praise God!" But maybe someday, I'll even be able to praise God for my pain, not just in the midst of it, but actually praise Him for my pain , because I'll finally understand that all things really do happen for a reason and that He's really, truly in control. He knows the big picture. He has the end in mind. He only means good for His people. He has plans to prosper and not to harm us. He's wonderful. He's the Creator of the universe, and thus He's entitled to do whatever He wants however He wants. In my head, I know all these things. I confess they are somewhat harder on my heart.

It's easy to praise God when things are going well, but when things are rough, it's hard to praise Him sometimes. Still, we are supposed to continually offer God a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 34:1). That doesn't mean just when times are good. We're still supposed to praise God, even when praise is a sacrifice, even when praising God hurts or costs us something. God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, is equally entitled to our praise yesterday, today, and forever. No matter what we go through, God always was and always will be worthy of our praise, even when it's somewhat hard to offer it.

Today, for me, I'm not ashamed to admit that praising God is a sacrifice. Still, I will agree with Job: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

November 14: Thoughts on Hebrews 12:7-11

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
~Hebrews 12:7-11

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

As Christians, we've been given the power to become sons and daughters of God (John 1:12). God is our Heavenly Father, and as such, He deals with us as His children. Earthly fathers love and provide for their children. They also discipline their children and teach them. The same is true with our Heavenly Father. Though He loves us and provides for our needs, He also disciplines us to make us stronger in the faith and in righteousness.

If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

What is an illegitimate child? It is a child without a father. So if we aren't being disciplined (enduring hardship) for God, we need to consider whether or not we're actually children of the Heavenly Father (i.e. whether we are actually Christians). The Bible doesn't tell us that when we come to Jesus, all will be well and our lives are perfect from then on out. On the contrary, we're told that once we become Christians, we will go through two types of hardship attacks of the Enemy and discipline from God.

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

While we might not have seen it at the time, I think we've all come to a place as young adults where we understand that our earthly parents disciplined us because they loved us, and that their discipline has helped shape us into the people we are today. Just as we've come to understand our parents a little better, after we get through the times of trial in our lives, we tend to be able to look back and see what God was doing with us better than we do when we're in the middle of it. It's hard to recognize that sometimes the Lord is the author of our hardship, but we have to accept that as the Creator of all, He knows better than we do.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Right now, what you're going through might seem very painful. It might seem that life is not fair, and you might be tempted to ask God why He is allowing things to happen to you. But try not to. Know that God is righteous, and He is just, and He is good. Know that because He wants you to share in His holiness, you will be tried and face hardship, but the good news is that you'll come out of your trials with a harvest of righteousness and peace.

When you're facing hardship, instead of grumbling at God for the bad things in your life, rejoice instead that God loves you enough to deal with you as His son or daughter!

November 19: Thoughts on Micah 7:2-7

"The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net. Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire— they all conspire together…Now is the time of their confusion. Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man's enemies are the members of his own household. But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me."
~Micah 7:2-7

Do you ever feel like we're living in the middle of this passage? Our society is filled with unrighteousness and with people who either deny God or hate Him, or both. Brother turns against brother. Our rulers demand gifts and ceremonies, our government officials accept bribes (at least some of them), and the powerful dictate what they want without regard for those without power. Everybody conspires together to do evil. Confusion, about God and morality, is rampant. We can't trust some of our neighbors. They'll steal from us before we even know it. Those we call friends and lovers betray us, too. Families are turned against one another. The family, once the sacred center and basis of all society, is shattering into a million pieces right before our eyes. It's a horrifying sight, and most of us want to hide our eyes. We vote, but what good does it do? We pray, but murder and crime and hatred are still widespread.
But in the middle of all this, there's hope.

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

The Lord is the only hope for a lost and dying generation. It's our responsibility to share His love, and though we can devise programs and committees and patrols, God is the only true method we have for lasting change in our world. God our Savior will hear us. We have that hope. Like Micah, we watch in hope for the Lord and wait upon Him, and we will renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31).

November 9: Thoughts on Romans 14:20

"Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food."
~Romans 14:20a

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.

Paul's ministry, as laid out in the New Testament, was an interesting mix. As he tells us in Romans 1:16, his ministry of the Gospel was "to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile." Because Paul was a converted Jew, he had a passion for taking the Gospel to the Jews, but he knew also that Christ's death made a way for the Gentiles to be saved as well. So his ministry was made up of both Jews and Gentiles.

Judaism has many, many laws about food. Pork, shellfish, catfish and the like are all considered unclean to them, even today. Meat slaughtered improperly (i.e. not through a kosher process) and meat sacrificed to idols are both forbidden to Jews. Obviously, the majority of Rome was not Jewish. A basic history lesson tells us that pork was the primary staple of the Roman diet. Also, because much of Rome served false gods and idols, there was probably a good deal of meat in the market that had been sacrificed to idols.

What Paul had was a cultural conflict. The Jews were disgusted by the diet of the Gentile Romans, the Romans were frustrated by the restrictiveness of the Jews, and there was a serious rift forming in the church. That's what Paul is addressing here. He's saying, "Hello? Y'all are tearing apart the church over food? What's wrong with you? Isn't the work of God a lot more important than food?"

But we're doing this too these days. What have we made more important than God? Have we kept people out of church because of how they look? Because of the clothes they wear or the music they listen to? Have we broken fellowship with other groups because of small doctrinal differences between us?

Christianity is a diverse place. Some believe it is wrong for a woman to cut her hair. Others cut their hair on a monthly basis. Some have a problem with birth control. Others believe it is a wise stewardship of their family's resources. Some believe it is a sin for a woman to work outside the home. Others believe that God has called them to a career outside the home. Some believe public schooling is the Christian choice because their children can "be a light," some believe Christian private schooling is more appropriate, and some choose some believe God wants them to homeschool their children. Some vote Republican, some vote Democratic, and some don't vote at all.

The point is that these differences, while sometimes large, are ultimately unimportant. What's really important here is the message of the Cross. When you picture Jesus upon the Cross and think about everything He did for you there, the rest of it sort of fades away, doesn't it? Cultural differences pale in comparison with the significance of the Gospel.

So the next time you see that new girl in church whose shirt is maybe a touch too short, or that guy with all those tattoos, try to overlook all that and see what God sees: somebody He loves and wants to save. The same goes for the guy getting very drunk at the bar of your favorite restaurant, or the girl who blasts obscene music in her car as she drives down the street.

God is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11), meaning that He doesn't like or love one person more than another. He doesn't care who you are, He still loves you. He's also not willing that anybody should perish (2 Peter 3:9), and that includes people who are culturally different from us, or people whose sins are different from ours. We shouldn't condemn people for their sins, because we were sinners once too. Instead, we should share with them, gently and with love, that there is forgiveness for their sins.

Jesus prayed for unity among believers (John 17:20-23). Paul declared in his letter to the Galatians that "there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). God wants us to set aside our minor differences and keep the main thing the main thing. In this case, the main thing is Jesus, and anything else just distorts the message.

November 7: Thoughts on 1 Timothy 4:12-13

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching."
~1 Timothy 4:12-13

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young

People grow in wisdom as they age because experience teaches them how things work. However, it's a mistake to say that young people are necessarily unwise in spiritual matters. We are all guided by the same Holy Spirit, after all, aren't we? That's not to say that we shouldn't look to our elders for their spiritual wisdom. Of course we should. 1 Timothy 5 and Titus 2 lay out for us the way God wants our elders to pass their wisdom down to us.

However, there is a tendency, at least for some people, to feel uncomfortable in leadership roles because of their age. These people are often afraid that they don't have enough life experience or wisdom to teach others. The part of the picture they're missing, though, is that God calls the people He calls for a reason. Just as Moses was worried about his speech impediment, so many of us are worried that our young age will prevent us from being good teachers or preachers or leaders or whatever. And just as Moses was wrong, we're wrong too.

When God calls us to do something, He calls us for the here and now, and He calls us knowing our abilities and limitations even more clearly than we do. God knows what He is doing, and if God has told you to do something, you shouldn't let your age disqualify you. If God puts you somewhere, He will equip you for service, so don't be afraid.

set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity

This is the other half of the coin. Here, Paul's saying, don't let anybody look down on you for being young and inexperienced, but also don't try to use your youth as an excuse for bad behavior. He's saying if you want other people to take you seriously as he outlined above, you have to also set a good example.

If we want people (elders or not) to see us as serious Christians who are worth listening to on spiritual matters, we have to be careful of the way we speak (not just the things we say but how we say them), the way we live our lives (in a way that is pleasing to the Lord), in love (love is an identifying characteristic of a Christian – John 13:35), in faith (faith is what saves us - Ephesians 2:8-9), and in purity (which is often an issue for young adult Christians, but very important if we expect to be taken seriously).

And elders aren't the only ones who won't take us seriously if we aren't careful in these areas. In fact, I think the biggest impact of slipping in one of these areas is actually on your Christian witness. If we aren't careful of the way we speak, the way we live our lives, the way we love one another (holy love, not lust), the way we live out our faith, and the way we guard our purity (sexual and otherwise), the world looks at us and thinks, "Hey, they're no different than anybody else. Why would I want to be a part of that?"

It's very important, especially because we're young, to be careful about our behavior because it has a significant impact on how others view us, in the church. Outside the church, our behavior can even have an impact on how people see Christianity and even Christ Himself. We can't forget we're supposed to look different from the world so that no one can find fault with the ministry (2 Corinthians 6:3-18). We have to live in such a way that people won't think badly of the Lord or our church or ministry. But here's the good news: the Lord never allows us to be tempted beyond what we're capable of resisting, and He always helps us resist by providing a way our and helping us stand against sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). He's with us all the way!

November 5: Thoughts on 2 Cor. 5:17-19

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."
~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

The dictionary defines reconciliation as "the act of bringing into agreement or harmony, making compatible or consistent." We were once enemies of God (Romans 5:10), through Christ we are brought into agreement with God and His nature so that His Holy Spirit can dwell within us. While once we were at war with God, now we are at peace with Him (Romans 5:1).

Sin and God are incompatible. God hates sin. It disgusts Him and it grieves Him. Before we are saved through faith in Christ, our relationship with God is broken. Through the blood of Jesus, though, we are cleansed of our sins and our relationship with God is healed. God doesn't count our sins against us anymore. We can rely on Jesus sacrificial death on our behalf to wash away our sins if we ask the Lord for forgiveness.

And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation

This is the message we're supposed to be spreading: that God, who has every right to punish us for our sins, is offering the free gift of salvation, of reconciliation. That's the central message of Christianity. Most people know their own sins. They know right from wrong, yet they still choose wrong at least some of the time. For the most part, they also know that a perfect God wants nothing to do with sin. They are aware of their separation from God. Deep down, they know all the bad news.

Our job is to share the good news, that faith in Jesus brings the forgiveness of sins and a renewed unity with God, that the Christian life is better than the secular life, that a relationship with God is better than anything the world has to offer. So often, we don't do this because of fear of rejection, alienation, or even retribution. However, if we truly care about those around us, we have to overcome our fears and proclaim the message of the Cross with boldness.

If you heard about a federal program that would pay off anybody's debt for free, wouldn't you tell all your friends about it? Be honest. Wouldn't you? You'd email everybody you knew to make sure they got in on this before the government changed its mind. You'd call your family and friends and possibly your teachers from elementary school.

Well, we all owe a spiritual debt that can only be paid one of two ways: through spiritual death and hell (Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 6:23) or through the faith in the atoning power of the blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:33; Ephesians 2:8). Jesus stands with His offer to pay off anybody's spiritual debt for free, and He's not going to change His mind.

Financial debt goes away when you die, but spiritual debt is eternal. Clearly, Jesus' offer of salvation is far greater than anything the government could come up with, and it's more pressing. While death forgives financial debt, death is only the beginning point of us paying our spiritual debt. I don't know about you, but on Judgment Day I would prefer it if my debt was marked Paid In Full. I would also prefer it if all my friends had the same thing done for them.

As people who have been forgiven, we have an obligation to share with others how they too can be forgiven. We have a "ministry of reconciliation." So get to sharing! Spread the news!

November 2: Thoughts on Colossians 3:5-10

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."
~ Colossians 3:5-10

Okay, so we're Christians. We're saved. And we confess our sins and pray our prayers and hey, sometimes we even go to church and read our Bibles. But you know what? That's not living the fullness of the Christian life. Beyond the moment of salvation, God continues to shape us and form us to be more like Him. It's a process of separation from sin called sanctification. (Note to theology buffs: we're sanctified at the moment of salvation, but then a process of sanctification follows even that, as we learn to allow the Spirit to guide us.)

In order to become more like God, in order to live a life worthy of our relationship with Him, we must put off the old earthly man and put on the new man. We have to throw away our selfish, fleshly desires and behaviors, but we don't have to do it alone. The Holy Spirit is with us, helping us grow.

So how do we begin to change the behaviors that continue to disappoint God? First, we have to recognize what they are. Of course there are more sins than those listed above, but they make a good representative list to start with.

Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires

I know this won't be popular, but then again, the truth rarely is. Sexual expression is limited to the marriage relationship. Marriage is the only acceptable outlet for shared sexuality. Premarital sex is not okay with God. Porn is not okay with God. Lusting after your beautiful boss is not okay with God. But here's the thing. God's not cruel. He's not out to rain on your parade. He knew what He was doing when He set out these guidelines for us. He created your sexuality and He knows how it functions best. He knows what helps and what hurts.

If your parents gave you a brand new cell phone for Christmas, but you chose to throw it into the swimming pool, the phone wouldn't work right anymore and you would have messed up your gift. Of course, through a purification process (in this case taking the phone to the repair shop), your gift could be repaired, but why go through all that pain when you could have just avoided the swimming pool in the first place? Point being, your sexuality is a gift from God. Don't abuse it. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says that "any other sin that a human being commits lies outside the body; but he who commits fornication sins against his own body." And if you have abused your sexuality in the past, go to the repair shop. Tell God you're sorry and ask for His help in doing better and staying away from temptation. I promise, if you try to do it yourself, you'll definitely mess it up even worse. It's only with the Holy Spirit's help that you can overcome your sinful nature. If we didn't need God's help to overcome sin, then Jesus wouldn't ever have had to die. But we do.

Greed, which is idolatry

Wow. Greed. Aren't we greedy people, as a society? We all know we aren't supposed to be greedy. From our early childhood, we're taught to share with other people and not be stingy. But innately, as part of our sinful nature, we're greedy. We want to get what we want and we don't want to wait for God's timing. Okay, so we know that greed is bad.

But here's the part that floored me. It literally jumped right off the page at me. Greed is idolatry. When we're greedy, we make an idol out of money (or food, or whatever we're being greedy about). How many people in our society serve their employer more than God, or love receiving their paycheck more than they love giving to the Lord? How many are holding back from God what is rightfully his, just so they can watch TV on a bigger screen? When God said not to have any other gods before Him (Exodus 20:1-3), He wasn't just talking about Vishnu or Krishna or Buddha. He was talking about the little gods we set up in our lives, the things we allow to become more important than our relationship with Him: money, cars, houses, our boyfriends and girlfriends, etc. Nothing should come before God. He's 1.

Anger, rage

So anger and rage are bad. They make us look bad, for one thing. But what's so bad about them?

Did you know that the Bible says that if you're angry without a good reason, that's just as bad as murder (Matthew 5:21-26)? This passage also incidentally has some interesting things to say about name-calling, but that's for another day. Getting angry and staying that way just isn't what God expects of a believer.

What if God stayed angry with us for everything we've done to displease Him? He absolutely doesn't, though. He is faithful and just to forgive us when we repent. Our God is a God of love and forgiveness and reconciliation. In the process of becoming more like Jesus, we have to love and forgive and be willing to reconcile.

Malice, slander, and filthy language; do not lie to each other

The Word of God talks a lot about what we do with our lips. Proverbs 12:22 tells us that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord (this means the Lord hates lying). We're told that one day, we'll have to give an account to God of all the idle words we've spoken. If you know me (Lori), you know that I'm quite a talkative person. The idea that one day God's going to hold me accountable for everything I've ever said terrifies me. I'm trying to learn to be more careful about what I say and how I say it, because I don't want my words to reflect badly on my Lord. Obviously, malice (meanness) and slander are out because they hurt other people. Filthy language is simply unbecoming of someone who claims to follow God, since God is totally pure.

Another thing we shouldn't do with our lips isn't mentioned in today's verse, but it's important enough to mention. We're not supposed to take the name of the Lord in vain. That doesn't just mean not saying the GD word, as some apparently believe. It also means not saying "Oh, God" when you're tired of listening to something or "Oh, Lord" when you hear about your friend's latest problem or "Jesus!" when you drop something on your toe. God's name is beautiful and sacred, and we should only use it when talking to Him or about Him. It's not just a stand-in word for when you can't think of anything else to say.

"you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator"

Part of the Christian life is taking off your old self with its old habits (porn, gossip, gluttony, profanity, whatever) and putting on the new man in the image of God (love, kind words, self-control, sanctity, etc.). We can't do this on our own, of course, but if we ask God, He will definitely help us get ourselves cleaned up.

September 12: Thoughts on Isaiah 41:10

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
~ Isaiah 41:10

Life can be pretty scary sometimes. We have to make huge decisions (and little ones) with huge potential consequences (and little ones).

This week, we're making a big decision in the Holyfield household. We're purchasing our first home. We're so excited, but you know what? We're also scared out of our minds. It's not that we don't trust God to take care of us. We absolutely do. It's just that we also know that we're not supposed to tempt God, and we have to make sure that this purchase is within His will and that it is a financially sound choice.

God calls us to be stewards of what we've been given. If we were to buy an overly extravagant home, or one we can't afford, or one where we'd be tempted to lower our level of giving to the church, that would be sin. So we've been very careful in this decision making process to seek the Lord at each turn, to trust in Him while seeking His heart and His will for us.

So we're convinced that buying this home is God's will for us at this time. And...we're still (or at least I'm still) really, really anxious about it. Afraid. I mean, of course, anytime you sign a loan for six figures, there's going to be a little bit of trepidation, right?

But this verse encourages us. It tells us that wherever we go, God's right there with us. He's not going to leave us or abandon us, and if I need help in my life or encouragement, He's always going to be there. He's my God. MY God – like personally! He's with me, my Creator, my Protector, my Friend. And when I'm tired and frustrated, He'll give me strength. When I'm weak and falling, He'll hold me up. He'll be with us to lead us and guide us and love us when we need Him.

And really, why should we be afraid? Why should we worry about tomorrow? I once read somewhere that for every minute you worry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness. The Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow, but to let tomorrow worry about itself (Matthew 6:34). If you really think about it, the whole Bible is about God's relationship with people, about how God wants to take care of us and provide for us.

I guess, for my part, I need to work on having faith in God's promises. He tells us not to worry and that He will provide. He tells us not to be afraid because He's with us. I just need to sit back and calm down and realize that God is in control. Certainly He's better equipped to do great things in my life than I am.

And maybe I'm not the only one. Maybe you're making a decision about whether to go to school (or back to school) or which job to accept or whether it's time yet to get married. I'm not saying you shouldn't consider the pros and cons of these decisions and take them to God in prayer, but I am saying that we should probably fret less and trust more, that we should let it go and allow the God of Peace to give us peace. Rest in Him. Cast your cares on Him. He'll take care of you, I promise. More importantly, HE promises.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:25-33).

September 10: Thoughts on Romans 2:21-23

"You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?"
~ Romans 2:21-23

Hypocrisy. It's an ugly word. It's a word you often hear thrown around about Christians. It's the excuse a lot of people use for not going to church. Supposedly everybody there is a hypocrite. Christians often don't look any different from the world, so what's the point in becoming one? At least that's what people ask themselves. But the truth is, we can't judge the value of Christianity by looking at individual Christians any more than we can judge the value of being good stewards of our environment by looking at Al Gore.

I know you've probably all heard this, but read it and really think about it:

"The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." ~dc Talk

If we don't look different, how are people to know the love, the peace, the joy of coming to God? When is the last time you shared God at work (and that's pretty much pot-meet-kettle for me to be asking that)? Do you come to work grumbling and angry, or do you show up with a smile on your face, sharing what God has done for you this week? Sometimes we are the only God a person might see in their lives. Are we doing a good job?

If we preach and boast about keeping God's Word, but then don't keep it, we're hypocrites who blaspheme the name of God just like the Jews were in Paul's time were (Romans 2:24). We give God a bad name! God wants us to share His Word with others, but if we do, we need to be warned that we'd better walk the walk as well. Hypocrisy puts a sour taste in the mouths of non-Christians who might be seeking God, and so does judgment. That makes sense, because Jesus didn't bring people to Him through hypocrisy and judgment, but through a righteous life and meeting people where they were.

Jesus didn't boast about all His goodness to everybody, or brag about what a great keeper of the Law He was – and since He wrote the Law, was the Word made flesh, I imagine He kept it best, don't you? He also didn't turn people away just because they weren't perfect or perfectly dressed. I promise, if Jesus had been born in 1990, He wouldn't be hanging out with the well-behaved straight A students (they wouldn't be the ones who needed His help); He'd be out on the streets somewhere healing and touching and loving the unlovable.

So, what are we doing? Have we got this whole "growing the Kingdom of God" thing all backwards? Are we evangelizing the way Jesus would have us evangelize? I don't have the answer to that, but I still think it's a question worth asking. The world's a hurting, dying, dark, painful place. God is the Light in the darkness. Are we really sharing that Light the best way we can?

September 7: Thoughts on 1 John 2:17

"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
~ 1 John 2:17

What do you desire? Really, truly, what do you desire? There are two kinds of desires: Godly desires and worldly desires.

Godly desires might include wanting to grow closer to God, wanting to start a Bible study, wanting to grow closer to your spouse, wanting to find a Godly Christian spouse, wanting to serve in the mission field, wanting to go to Masters Commission, wanting to find a better job so you can give more to God, wanting to increase your devotional and prayer time, and so on.

What about worldly desires? These are desires for things that aren't of God. These could include an intense sexual lust for someone you're not married to (or for anyone, if you're not married), a desire to spend all your money on clothes and a fast car, a desire to go to a party and get fall-down drunk, a desire to date recklessly and without regard for the other person's spiritual condition, and so on.

The tug of worldly desires can be very, very strong. I know we all got those PBS specials about self-esteem and peer pressure in school, but in all honesty, it can be tough to keep our minds on the things of God. Everything around us is competing for our attention and devotion – television, movies, celebrities, friends, family, and God. Out of all those voices, God is usually not the loudest, but of course, His is the right one to be listening to – we just need to tune in more closely to what He has to say! Because worldly desires? We want these things now, but in the grand scheme of things, they're not going to help us (and some of them can even be spiritually harmful to us). They're temporary; they'll end someday. But eternity's forever.

While worldly desires tempt us now, Godly desires are much more profitable for us. It's not in God's will for anyone to spend eternity in Hell (2 Peter 3:9). Those who follow their own way, who focus on the things of the world rather than God, will still live eternally but not happily (see Revelation 14:11, for instance). Those who follow God's will and seek out His offer of salvation through Christ will have eternal life in Heaven.

September 5: Thoughts on Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
~ Romans 6:23

This verse is basically the Gospel in a nutshell, isn't it? Since Randy Raysbrook does a much better job of this than I do, why don't you run right over to the One Verse Evangelism site and take a gander?

It's really amazing what you can get out of one little verse. Normally I would just copy and paste the material here, but the page in question has images, and I just feel it's better for formatting and, you know, not hotlinking, if I just link you to the page in question.

Again, that's http://www.navigators.org/us/resources/illustrations/items/One%20Verse%20Evangelism.

September 3: Thoughts on Romans 6:15-18

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
~ Romans 6:15-18

People sometimes say that Christianity is limiting, that it keeps us from doing what we want to do, that God is a killjoy who doesn't want us to have any fun. I've heard atheists say that even if there is a God, if God is like Christianity portrays Him, they'd rather burn in Hell than serve a tyrant.

I see a couple of problems with this kind of argument, though. First, they ignore that if they don't serve God, they're serving Satan. To paraphrase Bob Dylan, it might be the devil, or it might be the Lord, but we've all gotta serve somebody. We may not consciously choose to serve Satan, but if we're not with God, we're against Him. So it's not a choice between serving a so-called “tyrant” (God) versus going to Hell. It's a choice between serving the loving Creator or the hateful Destroyer, and we shouldn't forget that.

Second, they assume that God's Biblical guidelines for our lives are there because He doesn't want us to be happy, which is so not true. They're there to protect us. If you have kids, this makes sense. If you don't, pretend for a minute. You're burning a candle in the living room. It's pretty, it smells good, and your two year old wants to touch it, maybe even put it in her mouth. You tell her not to touch it or she'll get burned. She doesn't really understand why she shouldn't touch it. To her it's just pretty and maybe it smells like apples or something and she wants to reach out and taste it, because that's what two year olds do. The problem is, you know it's bad for her and she doesn't. So when you tell her not to touch the candle, you're setting that guideline out of love. You're guiding her because you care about her and about what happens to her.

And really, it's the same way God is with us. His Word and His Holy Spirit serve as guidelines and standards for our lives, because He loves us and wants us to be happy – not because He's a tyrant who wants to ruin our fun. God knows what we don't: that some things that look like fun (premarital sex, drug use, gossip) are actually carefully orchestrated tricks of Satan that lead to destruction (STDs and abortion, death from overdose, trashed relationships). God warns us to stay away from sin not only because it has consequences here on earth, but because it drives a wedge into our relationship with Him. Sin is what separates us from God and from eternal life.

Thankfully, we don't live under the Law anymore. Under the Law, if we violated just one part of it, we broke the whole Law. It was nearly impossible to be found righteous by God's standards (who hasn't, for instance, told a white lie in their entire life?).

So what did Jesus come to do? He came to fulfill the Law so that we would not be bound by it anymore. He came so that we could get rid of the distance between God and ourselves and be reunited with Him. Because of His sacrifice, He can extend His grace to us instead of binding us by the Law.

Still, Paul is warning us here that freedom from the Law is not the same thing as a license to sin. Either we're slaves to God or slaves to Satan, slaves to righteousness or slaves to sin.
We can't serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), but we're going to have to serve somebody.

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

Seems to me you've got a choice to make. (We all do.) Today, think about who you're serving in your day to day life. Are you a slave to sin, or to righteousness? Are you serving the devil or the Lord? Whose team are you on?

(Note: I read all the way to the end of the Book, and God totally wins. Just something to think about...)

August 31: Thoughts on Isaiah 2:22

"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?"
~ Isaiah 2:22

Chapter 2 of Isaiah talks about the Day of the Lord that is coming, in which God's glory will be revealed and and humankind will be humbled, a day in which "the eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day" (v. 11). The Day of the Lord is a day in which men will throw away their idols and hide from God, just as Adam and Eve hid from God because of their sin against Him.

But we can't really hide our sin from God, can we? Sure, we can keep our sins from others, we can maintain our perfect image. On the outside we can wear perfectly spotless white clothes, put on our makeup perfectly, and iron our jeans until they have that dorky little crease, but if the condition of our heart is not right, we aren't fooling God. He knows us intimately, and He can see past the image we put forth to others right to the center of our being. Rest assured, you can't hide your sin from the Lord. He knows everything, including what you did last summer (TM).

The craziest part about this little revelation is this: it's actually good news! You'd think that would be bad, that we can't disguise our sin from God, but it actually isn't, and here's why. When we sin, we know we sinned, and God knows we sinned. This isn't like breaking one of your parents' rules, where you go through the awkward stage of how to tell them what you did, because God already knows. Doesn't that make confession at least ten times easier? God already knows what you did wrong; you just need to confess it to Him and tell Him you're sorry, and because He's faithful and just, He'll forgive you (1 John 1:9).

So no matter what you've done, there are two important things to realize here:

1. God already knows about it.
2. God will forgive you if you tell Him you're sorry and ask for His forgiveness.

Now, to the actual Scripture that started this devotional. Isaiah 2:22 is telling us to stop putting our trust in other people, because in the end, people aren't very important compared to eternity. Isaiah isn't telling us not to trust other people. Instead, he's telling us that ultimately, though we trust other people, they're not as important as the Lord, and they are going to let us down eventually because no one is perfect except God. There is a difference between trusting someone and putting your trust in that person. While we should trust other people in our lives who have earned it, we should never put our trust fully in anyone but God. We can't, for instance, trust anyone but God to provide our salvation.

We should trust in the Lord, not in fallible human beings. People will only let us down, but the Lord is good and faithful and steadfast, and He's always true to His Word.

August 29: Thoughts on James 2:15-18

"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."
~ James 2:15-18

Here, James is trying to draw a comparison for us.

We can say compassionate things all we want, like "I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but if we don't act out of that compassion, is it really compassion? If we say to someone, "Gosh, I wish you didn't have to walk around in those awful tattered clothes," but we don't provide them with the clothes even if we have the money to help them out, do we really care about them?

In the same way, if we claim to have faith in God and love Him, but we don't do anything about it, what kind of faith is that? If we really believe that God is the Creator of the universe and the Savior of mankind, why aren't we doing more to further His will? The Gospel is not the kind of thing you can just sit back and listen to and smile about, you know? We're to be doers of the Word of God, and not hearers only (James 1:22).

Faith demands a response, demands action.

What have you done as a result of your faith lately? How have you served the Lord?

August 27: Thoughts on Psalm 27:14

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart, and wait for the LORD."
~ Psalm 27:14

It seems most of us are waiting on God for something, whether it's a job, or a spouse, or a child, or simply a revelation about what His will for us is. We cry out to God because we don't know what to do. We ask for stuff, or for His guidance, and sometimes it seems like it's slow in coming.

If I'm being honest, sometimes I feel like telling God to get with the program. But then I have to sit down and have a little talk with myself, because, well, He's God - and He kind of wrote the program. In moments like those, I have to realize that I'm the one who needs to get with it. God knows what He's doing, even if I don't.

Here's what happens when we wait for the Lord's timing:

"Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it." (Psalm 37:34)

"Do not say, 'I'll pay you back for this wrong!' Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you." (Proverbs 20:22)

"But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

What happens when we try to take control for ourselves instead of waiting on God's perfect timing?

In Genesis 16, Abram's wife Sarai, who is infertile, gives her servant Hagar to her husband in order that he might have a child with her. She does this even though God has already promised her that she and Abram will eventually have a child together. She's tired of waiting on the Lord, so she takes matters into her own hands. Abram, following Sarai's directions, gets with Hagar, who winds up pregnant. As you can imagine, Sarai's not too pleased about this, even though it was her idea in the first place, and she was really harsh and rude to Hagar (as though this was somehow Hagar's fault). Of Ishmael, the Lord says, "He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers" (Genesis 16:12). Wow, Ishmael sounds like a model child, right? That went well, didn't it? Not really. And why? Because Ishmael wasn't the child God intended for this couple to have.

So, fast forward 13 or 14 years. It's finally God's time for this couple. He renames them Abraham and Sarah. Abraham is 100 years old, and Sarah's old too, but it doesn't matter; it is God's time for this couple. So God gives them a child (the original child they were promised), and they name him Isaac. Isaac is the one that the covenant of Abraham goes through. Isaac is Abraham's heir. Isaac is the child God intended for Abraham and Sarah, and if they hadn't disobeyed God and tried to work around His will, who's to say they might not have had him sooner? And now they have this extra child to worry about, and Sarah casts Hagar and Ishmael out of her household because they offend her...and the whole situation is just bad.

If they had just waited in obedience on God's timing, it wouldn't have had to be that way.

There's a bit of a contrast here. If we wait on the Lord, good things happen. If we don't wait on the Lord, not-so-good things happen. It's clear that we'll be better off if we wait on God's timing for our lives. We should be strong against the temptation to take matters in our own hands, take heart that the Lord has our best interests in mind, and wait for His perfect timing for things to happen in our lives.

August 24: Thoughts on James 4:13-14

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."
~ James 4:13-14

Our lives aren't endless. Because we are young, it is likely that we will wake up tomorrow morning and the sun will rise on another day of our lives, but it's not guaranteed.

There's only a small percent chance that you will die tomorrow. However, there is a 100% chance that you will die. It's what we all have in common. Everybody dies.

A lot of people, particularly young adults, think they can live their lives however they want to because they're young, and that they'll give their lives to Christ when they're older. This isn't such a good idea, for a couple of reasons.

First, it's not a good idea because you don't know for sure that you'll make it to be an old person. Death is relatively rare among young adults, but it does happen. The death rate per year of people between the ages of 20 and 24 is 101 deaths per 100,000 people. That's about a .1% chance of dying in any given year, which doesn't sound like much. And it isn't - unless you happen to be one of those 18,000 Americans between 20 and 24 who pass away every year. For them, it's everything.

Ask yourself - and I'm not trying to be morbid, but it's an important question - if you went to sleep tonight and didn't wake up in the morning, where would you spend eternity (and why)? If you got to the pearly gates and the Lord asked you why you deserved to be let into Heaven, what would you tell Him?

Certainly, I don't think there's anything I've done that makes me worthy of entering into His glory, so my only answer would be that I've been washed in the Blood of Jesus, and the God's Word says that's enough (a whole bunch of Scriptures). God's not a liar, and His Word won't return void (Isaiah 55:11), so I know that He'll have to let me in. But what would you say? Do you truly have a personal relationship with Jesus? Have you accepted His sacrifice for your sins?

The second reason it's a bad idea to wait until later in your life to turn to God is that it's not always possible for you to do so. The longer that you're apart from God, the harder your heart becomes against Him. Let's take, for instance, Ephesians 4:17-19: "So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more."

The longer you are in sin, the longer you're away from God, the more you forget about and the less you desire the things of God, until eventually your heart becomes hard and foolish and you begin saying things to yourself like, "God doesn't really exist" or "there's a God, but He can't care about me after all I've done" or "yeah, God is real, but I'd rather spend my life having a good time than serving Him" or "maybe Hell is a real place, but the future isn't important; right now is what matters."

That's utter foolishness. Think about it. You are going to be dead a lot longer than you are going to be alive. We live but for a season, 120 years at the absolute maximum. But after we die, what is there? Eternity. And eternity, by its very definition, is eternal - it lasts forever. So isn't concerning ourselves with what we're going to be doing forever and ever and ever a little more sensible than trying to have a very short good time while we're here on earth? Isn't it worth considering eternal things, considering God?

We're a mist that appears for a little while on the earth and then vanishes. A million years from now, it won't matter where you went to school, what your grades were like, who you dated, what fraternity you joined - but it will matter whether you loved and served the Lord of all creation and who you shared the Gospel with.

As young adults, we have this sort of overwhelming tendency to think about what makes us happy right now, but maybe we should stop for a moment and just ponder the eternal meanings of our everyday lives. Are we giving our all to God and sharing Him with others, or, in being busy busy busy, are we barely managing to acknowledge Him at all?

August 22: Thoughts on Psalm 119:9-16

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word."
~ Psalm 119:9-16

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word."

As young adults, we struggle with purity. There's disgusting, filthy sin all around us, and it's readily available to us everywhere we turn. It is not as though we have to seek out sin to be tempted; it seeks us out!

For instance, the Ignite MySpace originally listed its gender as male. Within days of being created, messages started showing up in its inbox and friend requests started pouring in. Why? Well, these were fake profiles created by women who appeared to be peddling porn. The messages would say things like "If you like my pictures, there are more where these came from, but they were too racy for MySpace" - and they would link to what was essentially a porn site! It's not as though the Ignite MySpace did anything to make anyone think we were pro-pornography. Rather, our presence as a presumed young male on MySpace was enough to send temptation our way. (Apparently this is just the way things work, because while Farris does get these messages on his own MySpace, Lori doesn't get them on hers - and this is presumably because Lori is female and Farris is male.) This is the main reason we changed the gender of the Ignite MySpace, by the way - the messages and friend requests were just time-consuming and frustrating.
Anyway, this is just one example of how Satan targets temptation to exploit our vulnerabilities and undermine our purity. Sin seeks us out (heck, sometimes it even does market research), and we have to resist temptation to maintain purity. How can we do this? By living according to God's Word.

"I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches."

Sometimes we don't really think about what a great gift the Bible is to us, but it really is. When we think about Bible study or spending time in the Word, it often feels like a chore, something we have to slog through to be a good Christian. But if you look at what the Word of God truly is - which is, come on, the Word of God, the actual words that come out of God's mouth. It's a way for the God of the universe to communicate with us.

And when you think about it that way, even having the Word of God available to us - the idea that the great God of all creation would stop for a moment and reveal Himself to us in written form - well, studying that is a privilege, not a chore! The Word of God itself is great riches. Keeping the Word of God, following God's laws and statutes, is an even greater privilege.

"I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word."

Because He's given us His Word, we should not neglect to study it. It's one of the amazing ways He's given us to learn about Him. We should rejoice that we have a God who loves us enough to draw boundaries for us, and who cares about us enough to reveal Himself to us through His Word.

August 20: Thoughts on John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
~ John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches"

Have you ever seen a vine in nature? The way it works is that the vine runs along the ground, and little branches branch off the vine and hold the fruit (in this case, a tomato - and yes, a tomato is a fruit).

(image taken with thanks from seedman.com, but not hotlinked, tyvm)

See how there's a main vine there, and little branches branching off the vine and holding the tomatoes?

Okay, so Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. He's our source. We're dependent upon Him, but He's self-sufficient. His roots gather up nourishment and water for us and deliver them to us. We are the branches, offshoots of Him. Without Him, we can't live, can't bear fruit, because we wouldn't have a source of strength and energy and sustenance.

"If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit"

The branches of a vine bear fruit. We see this in nature. It's not the main vine itself that produces the fruit. Rather, the main vine provides support to the branches so that they can produce the fruit.

So, if we remain in Christ (that is, we keep the faith and do our best to follow the Lord) and Christ remains in us (and He tells us in John 6:37 that He won't cast us out if we come to Him, though we can cast ourselves out by turning our backs on Him), we'll do what? Bear fruit. And not just a little bit of fruit, but much fruit. That's a LOT of fruit, not just a single tomato, but maybe more like a whole bunch of grapes, I don't know.

So, we're supposed to be bearing fruit if we remain in Christ. What does it mean to bear fruit? Well, the fruits of the Spirit are "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

Okay, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say I'm kind of good at some of those. I can do love. I even like loving. I can do joy, kindness, and gentleness. But patience? Peace? Faithfulness? I'm not so very good at those. I think my lack of patience contributes to my lack of peace sometimes. Self-control? Well, that's a hard thing. For instance, I can't keep a secret to save my life. Well, maybe to save my life, but you know what I mean. And "goodness"? Fuhgeddaboutit.

But see, here's the thing. God doesn't want us to have just one kind of fruit. We have the seed of the Holy Spirit within us, right? So theoretically, if we allow ourselves to be fertile ground for the Spirit's work within us, we should bear all the fruits of the Spirit, right? But most of us, me included, don't, at least not all the time.

Why? Maybe because we've allowed the root of bitterness to get in. Maybe because we've allowed Satan to spray pesticide on us (when we should actually be the ones spraying pesticide on him, because he's the real pest, right?). Maybe because we've started to turn away from Jesus, allowing our connection to Him to get weaker and weaker, until it's difficult for us to get all the nutrients we need from Him. Maybe unconfessed or unrepentant sin is clogging up the pathway the nutrients would be passing through.

"apart from me you can do nothing"

Wow. So here, Jesus is telling us that apart from Him, we won't be able to bear fruit. We wouldn't be able to get anything done at all! That's a stark contrast to Mark 9:23, which tells us that all things are possible to those who believe, and Phillippians 4:13, which tells us that we can do all things through Christ.

So, we can't do anything without Christ, but with Him, we can do anything! That's pretty amazing, isn't it? The Lord is our strength and our sustenance. He gives us our nutrients and water and His Spirit and His love, because He is truly good.