Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Heart's Desire

So, I know I haven't kept up with this writing stuff lately, but that's actually a really good thing.

You see, God changed my life.... Again.

Have you ever noticed that there's a lot in the Bible about God giving us what we want?  I'm not joking!

John says whatsoever we ask in His name, that will He do.
Ye have not because ye ask not.
Delight thy self in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Well, I don't know about you, but I ask.. a lot.... I'm still waiting on that new cherry red, convertable, Ford Mustang....

And really, who hasn't done that? If God gave us what we want, we would win the lottery once a year or so, have a perfect boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/best friend, and get to be president to boot!

So what gives?  Or what doesn't give?

So I want you to think about when you were first saved. At that time, what would you have given anything to do/have.  I was saved when I was eight. All I wanted to do was be a ballerina. If you were saved at a young age, you likely had a similar desire. A firefighter, gymnast, Lego artist....

Something I've come to realize is that God doesn't necessarily give us what we want, He gives us the wants to want.

Say what?

God changes our heart's desires. Now, you might just call that growing up, but let me show you how God made this change in my life.

After I got saved, I decided to surrender my life to God at a summer camp (honestly, that was a confusing decision to make when I was that young, as I really had no idea what that even meant). By the time I was 12, I had picked up the violin and changed my heart's desire to be simply the world's greatest concert violinist. Fast forward 4 years, and the concert violinist desire had morphed into just teaching violin. I turned 18 and graduated from high school, got myself a boyfriend, and had my first taste of real freedom by spending half of a summer.....  working at the camp where I had made the decision to follow God. 

And here is where I see the most dramatic difference. In less then 5 years, my heart's desire completely changed. I learned, through serving in camp ministry, what Psalm 37:4 meant:

 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
~Psalm 37:4~

When your life becomes completely and totally about God, you realize that nothing is more important then Him. If you learn this lesson before you go through college and beginning a career, you will save yourself so much time and stress. My God is near!  He is able to be found when we have sought Him! 

A year and a half ago, I began to seriously pray about going into full-time camp ministry. I didn't know where exactly in the camp ministry I wanted to serve (the resident preacher didn't seem to fit :) ), but camp had become where my heart was at.  Over the next year, I spent a lot of time praying about where God would have me and talking to friends who were involved in camp ministry. God gave me a fantastic job which allowed me to continue in college throughout the past two semesters, even if it was only part time. 


For a long time, I had wanted beyond so many things, to be able to attend Bob Jones University as a full time student, but had always joked that I would need to win the lottery to be able to do it.  I never really thought it would happen.

This past summer, after I had finally placed my silly desire for violin mastery in God's Hands in exchange for the better desire for camp ministry, I began to pray about BJU again. I don't really need to have a degree in order to be able to work at a camp full time, but I do believe that if we have the opportunity to gain more tools, we ought to take it. I crunched the numbers and I was about $2,000 short for one semester. Enh, so what. I'm gonna apply. I get home from working at camp, and I have 6 weeks until my sister's wedding. AAHHH!!!! So, I plan a bridal shower and all the other fun stuff that's involved with being Maid of Honor, and frantically look for a job.

Nothing, absolutely nothing. Ok, maybe God doesn't want me at BJU. No problem. I wanted to go, but hadn't really been counting on it. 

As a fluke, my mom hears of an interview with a Christmas card company a few weeks before the wedding. Well, I walk in, with way less experience then I needed, and get a customer service job...  that started two weeks after the wedding and offers as much overtime as I could possibly ask for.

The reason I haven't been writing?  Well, as a result of God changing my life, I spent pretty much the past 6 weeks working up to 80 hours a week....

And I'm going to college.

Had God allowed me to have the money I wanted to go to college when I wanted it at 18, I would be done, or almost done with a degree in violin pedagogy and I would have never gone back to work at that camp for the past two summers.

My delight is in the Lord. I will magnify Him with my life, for He alone deserves the glory, honor, and praise for the great things He has done! 

Because of Him,
Missa

Monday, October 29, 2012

Clear As Water

If we were to be completely honest with ourselves, everything we live for is about appearances. Even those who intentionally rebel or are obnoxious are doing it to create the look they want.

As a society, we have gotten very good at a habit of lying. We smile to one person's face, then tear them to shreds behind their back... or in our heads. But, we want the image of looking good and polite, so we don't really think it's a problem. Ultimately, God is the One we answer to. And He really doesn't care what we look like on the outside, He's concerned with our heart. He knows what we think about.

Psalm 139 is a horrible Psalm for those who are content with their life. It invites the One who sees our innermost thoughts to bring them to light and purge them with the intent of changing one's life. I dare anyone who reads this to truly pray and apply this Psalm to their life.

Someone told me this summer that coveting is the only one of the Ten Commandments that you can break in your head. Have you ever had something that really just nagged and bothered you? Yeah, this has been that thing for me.

It's clear in Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28 (Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.... Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.) That we can sin in our minds. Proverbs 23:7 tells us that what we say in our heart is who we truly are.

So, with all that said, let me tell you how it applied to my own personal life. 

I've been taught my whole life that the only thing required of myself in my family was obedience. That's what the Bible said. I remember a bunch of messages as a kid directed toward what obedience is and what it is not, and I got really good at it. Yeah, I messed up occasionally, but I am pretty much the model daughter. 

But trouble was brewing in my heart. Though no one could tell from the outside smile, in my heart I was disobeying. 


In my head I'm standing up
I had traded true respect and submission for obedience. The thing that caught my attention was that this attitude was spreading in my life. Content to obey so long as I could complain in my head. Whether it was about teachers assigning too much homework, not getting the people I wanted on my crew at camp, not getting even the job I wanted when I wanted it. All around me are people who hold some claim to authority in my life. Some I've voluntarily allowed, like my boss, others are defaulted, like my parents. But there is One who've I've voluntarily allowed to be my defaulted authority.  (He's my authority whether I were saved or not, but I chose to live by His authority while I'm still alive). 

Sin is like blue food coloring in water. It starts out stark and noticeable, only affecting a small part of the water when first dropped in, but soon diffuses itself to the entire cup. Only a drop, you would never think it were there unless you looked for it. 

But that's what God does. He looks, not just for the rock at the bottom of the cup which can be quickly removed, but for the subtle stuff that is much harder to filter out. He wants our lives to be pure, and clear so that others can see Him through our lives, not a tainted image. 

Praise Him for continually drawing us to Himself!

Psalm 139

O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.


Because of Him,
Missa

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Mirror Image

Mirrors are interesting things. Why did God create something that would show an image of oneself? Reflective surfaces are something we take for granted.... yet have you considered how much of a miracle they are?

I once heard a pastor say that everything is a sermon illustration...

Maybe that's why God created mirrors.



I was reading James 1 this weekend, and this verse caught my eye:

James 1:23-24 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Common enough verse... I've read it a dozen times, memorized it in elementary school, yeah, I got this.

Well, this week this verse took on a whole new meaning to me. 

Mirrors tend to be a bit bigger than one's face. This generally means that you can see more than just yourself... you can see what's behind you. 

If you were spend all the time you have dedicated to the mirror focusing on every single person behind you, you might not look your best. In fact your flaws may not have been improved in the least.  You walked away... not knowing what matter of man you are.

What I'm trying to get at, is I have a huge personal flaw. When I look at God's Word, instead of looking for imperfections I need to fix, I instead see the uglies of everyone else.

"If only _____ could see that verse"
"Well ______ needs to change that"
"______ would be under such conviction if they had the dedication to learning that I do"

As Lucile Ball would say:

Ewwwwww

Wow. Where does that pride come from? I'm gazing at the written word that communicates the essence of God, and all I can do is play god by matching the verse to it's obvious recipient (i.e. NOT ME).

So, you will probably never (not very often) hear me say this again. When you are studying your Bible on your own, this is the time to focus on yourself..... in the most non-self-focused way possible. One of the purposes of Bible study is to grow your relationship with God. We can use the mirror of the Scripture to see where our blemishes are, what sin is it that's keeping us from God. It's a time to examine ourselves.... and let One who knows us better then we do examine us (Psalm 139:23-24). God's Word demands a response. We have the ability for that response to be ignoring our ugliness, or our response can be to clean ourselves up.

Will my life reflect what the Holy Spirit has done in my heart?

Because of Him,
Missa

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Unattainable Quality?

Some things I don't understand.

Like Baseball on TV... Really!  Who decided that was remotely entertaining?
And letting 3rd graders learn how to "play" the Recorder....  Worst screeching noise ever.... like a dying Banshee.

But I want to know why one of the most desirable Christian qualities seems to be unattainable. Just when you think you've got it... you've lost it.

I'm talking, of course, of humility.

First, to examine the opposite characteristic: that of pride.  Pride is referred to multiple times, particularly in the Proverbs, as being an abomination to God. There seems to be no middle ground to cling to.  You are either humble or proud. So is this a sin that we are constantly in servitude to?  Can we never gain victory over it? If our relationship with God is constantly out of whack... are we never to enjoy the privileges of children of God?

Sounds extreme.... but... well... it makes sense if you follow the thought to it's natural conclusion....

You know what... it's hopeless. We all fail at Christianity. Let's quit trying!.... to do it ourselves....

And now that that is out of our system, we can figure out how to "attain" the unattainable....

And. you. can't. do. it.

This is where God comes in. Actually, He should have been at the beginning, if we were to truly put Him in His rightful place.

We have before us, the best example of humility to be found anywhere. There are 4 biographical books written on Him in the New Testament. Of course I am referring to our Lord, Jesus Christ, Creator of the universe.

One thing that stands out to us, as it has to Christians for millennia is the incident when He washes the disciples' feet. God, kneeling down to wash filth off of the lowest of the low's feet.  Wow. This is humility.

It still feels a bit ambiguous to me, though. Here's some definitions/anti definitions of humility.

  • Humility is not insisting you don't deserve something. Christ never set that example anywhere that I can see. He deserved everything, and yet gave up all... which leads to my next point
  • Humility is knowing what you deserve, and yet giving all up for the benefit of another.
  • Humility is when we realize that life is not all about us, but rather about God, which leads us to serve others.
  • Humility and confidence are not mutually exclusive
When your life becomes about something Bigger than your life, it will change your life. What humility really is is a switch of focus. Pride is complete focus on yourself, Humility is focus on God, which produces the fruit of service.

One final facet of humility comes with confession of sin. In our pride, we rationalize all of our sin: the blatant outward sins on bad days or other people, the quiet inner sins that "didn't affect anyone else". I wrote a post here about being willing to apologize for your "justifiable" sin, but before our relationship with others can be mended, we need to repair the relationship with God. It takes a lot of humility to view yourself in the light that God views you and your sin.

So, is humility unattainable? Yes... in your own strength. God gives us the proper tenderness of heart for us to properly represent Him in this world with humility.

Because of Him,
Missa

Friday, September 14, 2012

Definition: Complaining

So in continuation of my previous post, I've been thinking a lot about what complaining actually is.  I was reading the Psalms lately and in several of them, it looks like David is complaining:

Psalm 10:1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? 
Psalm 11:1-3 In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? 
Psalm 13:1-3  How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 
Psalm 22:1-2 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 

Whoa!  Where did that come from? David is a man after God's own heart, and he complains and doubts God?

Is he really complaining?  Psalm 13 puts it the most succinctly:

How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
  
What I've discovered is that the focus is what matters here.  Complaining is completely focused on oneself, looking for sympathy, pity, more special treatment, a justification, and a judge to make it all "fair".  The children of Israel complained. Why? Because they were tired of what God had given them, they wanted comfort, they wanted Moses to give them give them sympathy.  I call it looking for the "aww, baby" syndrome.

But we, as people,  really do have problems! We have health needs, irritating family members, loved ones who don't know the Lord, friends who make wrong choices.  There's bad hair days and just plain old bad days.  But what is our focus when we are praying about these issues?  

God uses everything to bring our focus back to Him. So, we can give Him our burdens, He welcomes it! (1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.) But our focus should be steadfastly fixed on Him, learning what it is He has for us.  Contrary to popular belief, we don't just learn about our God in the 15 minutes we take for devotions, He's always there, always drawing us!

And He has given us the gift of godly Christian friends who listen to us and bear our burdens as well. It is such a comfort to have friends who join in with us in entreaties to the Most High, to have friends who point you back to the One who is in control of the tough situation, to have friends who are willing to ask the tough questions in order to take the focus off yourself and place it back on the Marvelous One. (Galatians 6:2, Matthew 18:20)

When we have the correct definition of Sin, and a perspective on Grace, life is so much the better for it.

Because of Him,
Missa

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Content to Whine

"I'm bored!!!!"

This is the most frequently used set of words among 10 year old Americans.

Well, at least I think it is....  I hear it all the time. Whether it's in Wal-mart, or when I'm babysitting....

Or on Facebook....

Take that back - that phrase is the most commonly used phrase in America. Even if we don't say it in those exact words, we think it and act on it all the time (this is the only reason why they put Baseball on TV.)

But instead of doing something productive in our lives, we tend to be content to whine about it, and then use time-wasters like Facebook, watching TV, or eating.

And this week, I realized how content I was to whine to God.

If any of ya'll have ever worked in camp ministry or any other short term full time ministry, and then have to "come home" at the end, you'll understand my plight. It is so hard to keep a proper focus on God and His Word! Even though I have absolutely wonderful friends who keep me "accountable" it's so easy to switch back to the old checklist mode.

And my prayer life dynamic changes.  I become a whiner to God.

"Where do You want me to go?"
"What do You want me to do?"
"I want a job!"
or even
"Why aren't I growing?"

Now, these are good questions... unless we refuse to do something about it.  These shouldn't be an ongoing, recurring theme! 

But, that's what I've kinda been doing lately. How can I know what to do or where to go if I'm not actively living a Christian life? This Christian laziness is just so much easier. When I was a kid, it was dangerous to say I'm bored because that meant that mom would find something for us to do.... and normally it wasn't anything fun like TV or a game or toys... it always was chores. We were not allowed to sit and whine when there was stuff that could be done.

The problem is, as Christians, we're good at doing stuff....  just not growing in His grace. We give up way too easily, take our focus off of Him, and steadfastly gaze at ourselves. It's then that we whine.  I've discovered that the times I've grown the most was when I just didn't have time to make myself look like a Christian, but I had to keep my focus on Him. It takes more time and effort, but the effects are so worth it.

Let's stop being couch potato Christians. 

Because of Him,
Missa

Monday, September 3, 2012

Facebook Followers (of Christ)

I've just realized a harsh truth.

You can't believe everything you read on the internet.

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble. I was just Googling quotes for a project I'm doing and this one just captured the essence of my problem:

"The problem with quotes on the internet is that it is very difficult to verify their authenticity."
 ~Abraham Lincoln

And Facebook is the worst as far as falsified info goes. The point of Facebook is to have friends, make people like you, and show (the best parts) of your personality. There are very few people who are "real" on Facebook. I kinda think about it like a date. For an hour and a half you and the other person are on their very best behavior.  Girls spend literally hours on hair, makeup, and wardrobe - and I'm sure guys at least take a few extra minutes to apply deodorant..... maybe.  :)

The problem is, the only thing you see is the very best, and most of the time it's not the real person. 

Are we, as a society, turning into Facebook Followers (of Christ)? What's super popular right now is to share nice pictures with "Christianese" quotes:




I really think the last one is so sad. Really? I don't love God if I don't share this picture? Wow, what a horrible person I am! 

There are pages "Like if you love Jesus!" "Jesus is my Superman!" "I love Jesus Online"

Just so everyone knows, if you don't have an awesome blog like mine, post at least once a month, and share this link with 100 of your best friends, God will deny you before the angels at the final judgment! 

How ridiculous!!!!!!!

And here's the thing, these things are posted by people who then go on to live like the rest of the world.  

I want to see REAL Christians. What did you read in your Bible today, and how does it apply to your life?  What has God been teaching you through (insert name of any person in your life)? 

I'm not saying you shouldn't maintain a Christian testimony,but maybe we need to re-learn what it means to be a Christian. 

Oh, and this doesn't just apply to Facebook.  If you have a Christian bumper sticker on your car, drive like a Christian. Instead of taking the social time at Church complaining (or bragging) about your past week, take time to encourage the other believers. If our lives are changed and we are doing all things to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31, Col 3:17, etc), then we really need to live it.

Being a Christian is a 24/7 responsibility.  Stop letting Facebook be your daily Christianity "date".

Because of Him,
Missa

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Get the Picture?

A good biblical counselor always brings people back to.......

What? The Bible?

Yes, but try and go deeper.

Look at this picture and tell me what the subject is:

What? You don't see it?

It sounds weird, but maybe, sometimes, oftentimes, we take God out of the Bible.

How can you do that?

Well, how often do we open God's Word and neglect to seek out the wisdom that only comes from Him via the Holy Spirit? We have the author of the Bible living in us, and yet when we read, we do not pray as we ought. It becomes merely checking the chore off the list, and we leave no wiser then when we began.

Then, for those of us that have opened the Bible for the purpose of instructing others (which, by the way, should be all Christians) We give commands, and verses that are meant to convict and instruct, but in all honesty, we might as well be opening a law book for all we do. Say, for example, you are discussing an issue of lying. You open up to Exodus 20, read commandment 9, pray an I'm sorry prayer, and move on with life, changing nothing.

It is God who is working in us to draw us closer to Himself, we come under conviction, and somehow manage to forget Him when we are actually looking at what His word says!

A good Biblical counselor should bring people back to the Character of God.

So how is that different from bringing people back to the Bible?

Well, it gives us a reason why we should change.  Our  goal in life is to be Christlike:

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16)

So if we are gazing upon the character of God, our own evil tendencies are brought to light and we understand Who it is we are trying to exemplify and how to do it based on the Word of God.

Referring back to the example of the picture. When I take the subject out, it makes no sense. Without God, our life, even when we read the Bible, makes no sense.  It's just rules.

Oh, and because I love this picture so much, I'll show you what it looks like.



Because of Him,
Missa

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Tense words

God has forgiven us: past tense for future offense.

I first thought of this phrase a year ago at the end of last summer here at camp. I was trying to figure out why this truth is important.

So here's my thought process. Christ died for our sins. All of them. He forgives us at the point of our salvation (Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;). He blots out that which we have done and forgives us.  And yet we still are instructed to confess our sins for the purpose of obtaining forgiveness. (1 John 1:9 but if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness) The aforementioned passage is clearly speaking to saved people based on context.


So how do we combine confession with full assurance of our secured salvation?

It really all boils down to a relationship. Our Christian life is not just a quickie "fire insurance" experience. It is an ongoing daily relationship built on love and gratitude.  Unfortunately, though we have been saved and gloriously redeemed, we still sin. Most of us on a daily basis. Most of us more often then that, even!

The problem is a lot of us struggle with this. How can I be saved and still do bad things? Maybe I didn't really get saved that first time.

And then begins a cycle of doubt, "re-salvation", good feelings, doubt, "re-salvation", good feelings.....

But our salvation is not based on us. We are saved. God has saved us and forgiven us from our sins.  However, our relationship with God suffers when we sin. When we lie to our parents, we are still their child, and yet there are still consequences. They no longer trust us and the relationship has been damaged.

John 10:28-29 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand. 

No man means no man... not even you can cause you to lose your salvation.

Because of Him,
Missa

Saturday, July 21, 2012

♪♫ I don't need anything......... But You ♫♪

What do we need to have everything?  What will satisfy us?  When will we be perfect?  When have we achieved the dream life?

I've been thinking a lot about Colossians 2:10 "and ye are complete in Him[Christ], which is the head of all principality and power."

It's easy to fall into the trap as a Christian to become all consumed with "what's next". If only I had ..... that car, that job, that boyfriend/girlfriend, the latest electronic, or whatever it is you or I may want, then I could be content.  But the thing is, you will never be content if you are continuing to dwell on "what's next". There will always be something new, and until you rest in the contentment of knowing Christ.

Now that is a very good thought indeed, but, alas, although the above is definitely something taught in Scripture (see Exodus 20:17), that's not exactly what this passage means. Consider the context:

For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Colossians 2:1-10


I propose that completeness is God, is completeness in His wisdom and knowledge. Our insufficiency is never more manifest when compared to God's all-sufficiency.  We have direct access to Him through prayer. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5

I was speaking with a friend at lunch, and he told me how he was learning that one must be aware of one's insufficiency, and at the same time be willing to minister.  It seems that one is either aware of their inefficiencies or ministering, not both. But that's not the point of the Christian life, to be forever bobbing on highs and lows spiritually. When we get saved, we must humbly admit that we are insufficient, and accept God's grace freely offered to us.  Now, as we live and thrive in this new life, we must continue to "...walk humbly with our God"  (Micah 6:8)

 Complete in Thee
(Aaron Wolfe)

Complete in Thee! No work of mine
May take, dear Lord, the place of Thine;
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And I am now complete in Thee.

Refrain:
Yea, justified! O blessed thought!
And sanctified! Salvation wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And glorified, I too, shall be!

Complete in Thee! No more shall sin,
Thy grace hath conquered, reign within;
Thy voice shall bid the tempter flee,
And I shall stand complete in Thee.

Complete in Thee—each want supplied,
And no good thing to me denied;
Since Thou my portion, Lord, wilt be,
I ask no more, complete in Thee.

Dear Savior, when before Thy bar
All tribes and tongues assembled are,
Among Thy chosen will I be,
At Thy right hand, complete in Thee.


Because of Him,
Missa

Sunday, July 8, 2012

That I May Know Him


At the beginning of the summer, during one of our meetings, someone threw out the term “knowing God” and that just brought a huge slew of questions:

Why do I want to know God?
If we have all eternity with Him, does it really matter?
Does it matter if I don’t want to know Him? Other than being ungrateful, I mean.

I had been meditating on this off and on for six weeks, and hadn’t really come to a definite conclusion other than that I knew I wanted to know Him more, and I am completely insufficient in my knowledge.

But during this morning’s staff renewal message, I hit upon the answer, or at least the first part of the answer.  I’m pretty sure I’ll be learning more and more of the answer.

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Philippians 3:8-10  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.

We should want to know Him because He loves us, because we are nothing without Him, because He is working in us by His power. Knowledge of God is the highest goal in a Christian’s life. It is a continuing unending goal. I wonder if even with all eternity it is even possible for us begin to comprehend the mind of God, and how He works all things together.

And consider 1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.  Knowing God and allowing that knowledge to change us, gives us a glimpse of that life which is waiting for us in heaven. We can develop our body, but in all honesty, our body will die, and it is our soul which will continue on.  I know people who spend hours daily at the gym, building up  something that has a chronic condition of decay which all suffer from, and which cannot be reversed.  We shouldn’t neglect the temple of God, but can we  put at least as much effort into growing spiritually?



I’m not there yet. I have not attained, but God is working in me, both to will and to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13)

Because of Him,
Missa

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Splinter Stories

Wow. I've been here at camp for 5 weeks now.  Sometimes it seems like we just got here.... and then it feels like I've been here forever.

God is good.  I am constantly amazed by His sustaining grace, His guiding grace, His humbling grace to me.  I don't deserve it, I haven't earned it. He loves me, and that is all I need. Now and forever.

I'd like to share with you a little story about His teaching grace.

The week before last was crazy, loud, insane, explosive, and crazy. Did I mention it was loud and crazy? The junior camp was humongous with over 120 kids. And my church was here, which meant I was willing to risk harm to my eardrums by braving the rabid mob.

But the kids were not a group. They were individuals. Each with a story, personality, and decisions to make of their own.



On Thursday evening, the preacher challenged the lot of them about complaining.  One of the girls in my prayer partner's cabin had been a magnet for splinters. She could walk down a concrete sidewalk surrounded with brick buildings and still get a splinter.

Well, in the middle of the sermon, kinda as a joke, kinda not, the preacher mentioned how instead of saying ouch and complaining if you got a splinter during the trek to the lake, to instead think 'Ok, God, what are you trying to teach me by this? Oh, and thank you for the splinter.' Well the little girl I told you about came out during the invitation along with another girl from the cabin. I counseled both of them about the decision and they both prayed for God to help them and they both ended their prayer with

"Oh, and thank you God for splinters."

The next day, while cleaning up something, I walked past those two and they ran up to me and told me that they thanked God for splinters that morning.

They got it. They truly understood and got the decision. And they convicted me.

How many times do I allow the minor irritants to bug me? Or do I ignore the teaching God has for me through them?  It could be anything: splinters, my siblings, my parents, a dirty bathroom, or my alarm clock. I'm still working through it, and I won't be perfect for a while, but...

Thank you God for splinters

And loud campers.

Because of Him,
Missa

Friday, June 8, 2012

London Bridge is Falling Down


I love music. I’m always singing (or humming if there’s anyone nearby) and during the middle of the day when I’m working and the middle of the night when I’m supposed to be sleeping I find myself longing to play my violin. God gave us the gift of music, and like pretty much everything else, it is to be used for His glory and praise.  Some people are not gifted musically, and that’s ok. In Psalms it says to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. I not a very good singer, so playing my instrument beautifully is something that brings overflowing joy to my life as a way to worship my God.

This week, I was temporarily deprived of that pleasure. Working here at camp, every evening before the service, the staff present a musical special. I haven’t been able to participate in it for the past few years due to my work schedule during the evenings working in the kitchen, but this year I get to accompany two songs!  I was so excited, so nervous, and just a bit stressed (I got the music two days before the first performance, which was only going to be for staff, but still…) I spent all of my break Saturday and Sunday practicing, which amounted to over six hours of practice. I was transposing a piece, learning to read Bass clef, and play in B Major (which is a REALLY bad key for strings). It was so hard, but I was able to play it beautifully after all that time. I’m finally tuning up to play with the counselors for the first time and….

SNAP!

My bridge collapsed. And as a result, my sound post (what makes the instrument actually make sound) fell over. My violin was suddenly unplayable, I’m in the middle of the desert, and I have no earthly idea how I was going to get this fixed.

But, as a result, I got to see how God provides, even before my need could be known.  A week before I left, some dear friends of mine gave me $100, to be used however I saw fit. I was planning on putting it on my scholarship account, since I was planning on using it for school anyway, but I held off and just stuck it in my violin case and forgot to turn it in.  Well, now I had an expensive repair that was paid for! But where to get it fixed? I looked into shipping it back to the guy I normally go to for repairs, but after calculating all the shipping… It was going to be pushing $200, plus a $50 repair, and plus about 2 weeks of time.  I really couldn’t afford that, but God is faithful. I was able to find a violin repair shop that was near where one of the resident staff had to make a stop on Tuesday.

I’m still waiting on it to be finished (apparently they needed to order parts…), but God has provided exceeding abundantly above that I could ask or think, or even before I could ask or think. 

Getting ready for this summer, this promise is going to be big for me. I will need strength I do not have, wisdom I do not understand, love I do not possess, and patience with those who are “unpatientable” (as well as protection from those who dislike those of us who make up words…). : )

It is because of Him that I can play a violin, and because of Him, I can serve Him with it this summer.

Because of Him,
Missa