successful sorrow

When the Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, it is thought to have been #2 in a sequence of 4 letters. 2 Corinthians is thought to have been letter #4 of 4 total letters.

And so consider:
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God... I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds...Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter....
(from 2 Corinthians chapter 7 NIV)

In 1 Corinthians, Paul is both reminding the Corinthians and attempting to correct them because he dearly loves and adores them. Paul helped start the church at Corinth, and had invested a great deal of time and relationships into this church. It wasn't just another church down the road. There was a very real, true commitment and deep relationship between Paul and the church at Corinth.

The Corinthians in time got away from devotion to God, and were wronging God and each other. Living for themselves and pursuing selfish ends. Paul took personal offense to this, and probably had feelings of sadness and anger and disappointment that his children and family members were reveling in wild living and casting off the truth of God for wordly pursuits.

This passage in 2 Corinthians seems to be an affirmation passage. It seems that something did click with Paul's corrective attempts, and the Corinthians genuinely felt sorrowful for their previous behavior.

Paul is sorry that he hurt his beloved family members, but realizes that it ends up benefiting them and strengthening them. Sorrow in this case helped wake up the Corinthians.

I think there's a good take away for our modern-day culture. We typically see sorrow and sadness as bad things. They're not necessarily desirable. Nobody wants to be sad. Yet, if sadness brings about forgiveness or reconciliation, where there had previously been sin or brokenness, then sorrow has acted successfully.

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation.."

burning with a passion for Jesus

This song, among others, by Shane and Shane (who rock by the way) has been getting me to think.

What does it look like to burn with a passion for Jesus, today, in America, in 2009?

I don't necessarily have the answer, but I do want to burn on the inside.

Holy design
this place in time
that i might seek and find my God
my God

Lord i want to yearn for You
i want to burn with passion
over You and only You
Lord i want to yearn

Your joy is mine
yet why am i fine
with all my singing and bringing grain
in light of Him

oh You give life and breath
through Him You give all things
in Him we live and move
that's why i sing

"And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring." (Acts 17:25-28 NIV)

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29 NIV)

God's Health Care Plan

The health care debate in America is "blowin' up" and getting out of control. Sanity please!

I’m not proposing that I know God’s heart when it comes to health care for America. Public option. Grandma death panels. Increased taxes for small business. I’m not sure what God thinks of those things, but His Word does talk about some really important things that I think are being missed or glossed over during this national debate.

“Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:13-17)

First of all, it’s kind of funny that Peter wrote this. The same Peter who wanted to fight the authority forces of power that came to arrest Jesus (and did, cutting off an ear). The same Peter at wits end for denying Jesus three times and then hearing the cock crow (Luke 22). The same Peter who met on the beach with the resurrected Christ (John 21), promising to follow Jesus and striving towards bringing His kingdom here to earth, even if it would cost his life (and it did).

Jesus changed Peter tremendously.

Maybe it was coincidence that Peter, with no medical training, became an amazing physician himself, healing a lifelong cripple in an instant (Acts 3). No, it wasn’t an accident. Christ was the reason that Peter was empowered to take care of such a sick man.

I point this passage and Peter’s story out to ask: are Christ followers doing and being health care in America, or are they just arguing, complaining, and debating like the rest of the world?

The passage in 1 Peter emphasizes “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men…Love the brotherhood of believers.”

When was the last time Christ followers took care of widows and orphans? (James 1:27)

Are Christ followers serving the needy out of a desire for wordly recognition or a passion to love Jesus? (Matthew 6:1-4)

Do Christ followers pray in the morning that their leaders during the day will be seeking to make health care decisions that are after God’s own heart? (1 Timothy 2:1) Doing this because they know that the Lord Mighty God is completely in control?

Are Christ followers giving more of themselves to others, losing their life by the world’s standards, than they are expecting or taking from others? (Luke 9:23-27)

It’s great to be zealous and passionate about certain proposals regarding the future of health care in America. Yet, Christ followers can set a greater and more powerful example for health care reform by living out Jesus’ example and His teachings on health care, and not just debating it.

celebrating what is right

"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

This I command you, that you love one another." (John 15:9-17 NASB)

Christ's love is the perfect love to which our hearts aspire. The perfect love in which our hearts, souls, and minds find perfect peace. Amidst the backdrop of this passage, I think I'm getting a deeper picture of Christ's love, and the joys as well as the limitations of a dating relationship.

Christ emphasizes that we humans love only because it's made possible through and by His love. "I have also loved you..." "just as I have loved you..." "You did not choose Me but I chose you..."

This passage to me makes it clear that we can only abide in any sort of love on this earth AFTER and dependent upon the love relationship with Christ.

Don't get me wrong. I personally have been really fortunate to progress into a deeper season of becoming greater friends with a really great girl. The jury is still out on if it's love or not, I can't say...but a lot of things seem to be clicking as right and honorable. It's an experience of thoughts, emotions, and events that is quite fun, exciting, and unique. Christ speaks, in this very passage, about how greater love is closely related to the idea of deep friendship. "No longer do I call you slaves...but I have called you friends..."

The earthly dating relationship never will, and never should surpass the primary love relationship with Christ. I don't think marriage should either. That sounds almost defeatist at first, definitely counter-cultural to not pour out everything into this other person, this great friend, and to put your primary hope in this other human.

That should never be the case and if I project that as a boyfriend or future husband, I am failing as a friend and a brother. Not to mention, I am selling short the love of Christ and cheapening it.

It needs to be remembered that both humans involved in that relationship have their own individual sin that they bring to the table. That fact will never allow the intimacy and a purity of love that can be experienced with Jesus, the holy and perfect One. Don't get me wrong, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends can have pretty awesome relationships that are fulfilling, honoring, and glorifying to the Lord. At their best, they can approach something less than the love of Christ. That's not a bad thing though, falling somewhat short of perfection can still be pretty darn good.

a life verse?

I've never really been one for "life verses" or a "verse of the week." I'm not sure why. Maybe because I've thought that the ONE verse for the week or the life is too limiting. God's genius and wisdom is found in much more than just one verse...

but if I had a life verse, or perhaps, a life outlook, I think it might could be Proverbs 30:7-9:

"Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, 'Who is the LORD ?'
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God."

I only ask that I would know only Christ and His truth as my truth, and that Christ would sustain me sufficiently as each day comes. My daily bread in relationships...trials, discipline, finances, opportunities to glorify Him, chances to serve for His name...Christ and Christ alone.

the way I speak

I was realizing something the other day, so I thought I'd write a post on it in case it resonates with anyone else.

The world is boastful, arrogant, loud, it wants to be known and gain recognition. I pick up on this example and end up doing the same thing. It translates into speech and thoughts which aren't always God-honoring. I'll sometimes joke, or gossip, or speak about someone behind their back in a negative way to affirm myself in the conversation, or in some weird way I'm trying to gain approval if I concede to talk about something or someone in a way that is not building up or encouraging.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

It's a big deal because it hurts the person I'm talking unwholesomely talking about, and it is a poor testimony on my part to Christ, for others are listening "..that it may benefit those who listen."

In contrast, those who are quiet and peaceful (who I dare to sometimes judge that they need to be more "active" or "vocal" about their faith)...know something I seem to forget too often.

"...that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Timothy 2:26 NIV)

"Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (1 Peter 3:4)

The people who are quiet and gentle have a firm and bold peace and understanding that their salvation is found in the boldness and sovereignty of Christ. In light of this, they have no need to be load and boastful, or have a need to be heard by the world.

I should take notice of this example.