B what U R

"Become what you already are in Christ." - Mike Harding

I heard Pastor Mike Harding in a challenge on his churches 75th anniversary mention that his greatest desire for his church is that they would become what they are in Christ. That is good stuff.

What a powerful thought! Become what you already are in Christ. Man, I thwart what I am supposed to be...a lot. Selfishness rears its head...the flesh is just a breath away. My pride burps a word of self-sufficiency. I even ignore God and His grace when I'm trying to be spiritual, or even worse, when I'm "worshipping." Ouch. And all this when I could be enjoying the blessings of a Christ-centered heart. A life that accurately reflects what Christ made me to be; a new creation, old things gone, all things new. That's what I am designed to be. And in that design by God's grace, its the best place in the world for me! I don't know if you are like me, but I really need to see that my life is simply a fight-like-heaven-(as John Piper says) war to be what Christ saved me to be--a progressively-sanctified faith-filled grace-dependent believer. But mostly, I'm just a prone-to-wanderer.

Now, if I could just have that war cry before my eyes more often. Spirit, teach me to see your blueprint for my life, and help me to value your reward above all else.

@WAR

Ever since I read Randy Alcorn's Lord Foulgrin's Letters(check it out if you can, it is awesome!) a few months ago, I've been more and more burdened to see the spiritual warfare that goes on around me. As I mulled it over in my life the last few months, I felt that this was great stuff to meet the needs of my teens. Well, we just started the series @WAR, and God has been showing me in more facets that I imagined just how sovereign He really is. There is none beside Him. He is over all, and by Him all things consist. In all things, He has the preeminence. Even in His enemies. God uses Satan for His glory at every turn. Wow.

I put some of my thoughts into a couple of devotionals for the teens. Here is one of them...

Do you ever wonder why Satan is around on this earth? Why he is able to torment and tempt? Why God allows him to devour and destroy? Why doesn’t God just do away with Him once and for all anyway? He doesn’t do it for one main reason, and it’s the same reason He does everything He does. He wants the greatest glory. For one thing, He wants to get the glory when a sinner is taken from the devil’s power. When “the sting of death [ends in] victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Satan is a disarmed foe when an unsaved person is converted. God wins. But, not only that, God wants to be glorified when we choose His will over Satan’s will in time of temptation. God’s purpose for every situation in your life is completely opposite to Satan’s purpose for your life--God’s always being good, and Satan’s always being evil. God wants your heart. Satan wants your heart to focus on anything but God. Therefore the battle in temptation is God’s glory or Satan’s. But, think of how bright God’s glory shines when we choose to renounce the promises of Satan and trust in the gospel’s power, taking pleasure in the greater glory of Christ over Satan. Your fight against sin is a fight to show off the glory of God. Take up arms. Struggle. Endure. Fight the good fight for God’s glory.

Tally em up

Taken from Holiness by Grace by Bryan Chapell:

Said the angel to the man, “Here’s how this works. You need a hundred points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things that you have done, and I will give you a certain number of points for each of them. The more good there is in the work that you cite, the more points you will get for it. When you get to a hundred points, you get in.”

“Okay,” the man said, “I was married to the same woman for fifty years and never cheated on her, even in my heart.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Gabriel, “that’s worth three points.”

“Three points?” said the man incredulously. “Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my money and service.”

“Terrific!” said Gabriel, “that’s certainly worth a point.”

“One Point!” said the man with his eyes beginning to show a bit of panic. “Well, how about this: I opened a shelter for the homeless in my city, and fed needy people by the hundreds during the holidays.”

“Fantastic, That’s good for two more points,” said the angel.

“TWO POINTS!!” cried the man in desperation. “At this rate the only way that I will get into heaven is by the grace of God.”

“Come on in,” said Gabriel.

Our human nature needs no help trying to man-ize the gospel, does it. We think that somehow the things we do and don't do earn us favor with God.

Standards - Point, me.

Haven't messed up like so-and-so - Nice. Point, please.

Getting up to read my Bible - oop. Another point, me.

Resisted temptation - sweet. I'm on a roll...

I'm guilty of looking at myself as having more points than others when God is saying, "You are nothing without me!" The grace of God is a wonderful thing. Oh, how I need to learn to glorify God for His wonderful grace, rather than sit back and look at myself and others comparing scores.

Josh Harris said about this quote: "Of course, if this story were more accurate, the 'point total' needed would be in the billions, we’d start with a negative score in the billions, and because of our guilt before God every good work would only take points off the board! That’s what our best works are worth! Thank God for his undeserved favor and mercy. Thank God for the blessed exchange of Christ’s righteousness for our sinfulness."

Our God is so good, isn't He?