Spurge

Spurgeon uses the best illustrations...read these this morning as I read a sermon by him called "Faith Illustrated". Here are 3 illustrations he gave...

"I saw the other day a remarkable picture, which I shall use as an illustration of the way of salvation by faith in Jesus. An offender had committed a crime for which he must die, but it was in the olden time when churches were considered to be sanctuaries in which criminals might hide themselves and so escape. See the transgressor—he rushes towards the church, the guards pursue him with their drawn swords, all athirst for his blood, they pursue him even to the church door. He rushes up the steps, and just as they are about to overtake him and hew him in pieces on the threshhold of the church, out comes the Bishop, and holding up the crucifix he cries, "Back, back! stain not the precincts of God's house with blood! stand back!" and the guards at once respect the emblem and stand back, while the poor fugitive hides himself behind the robes of the priest. It is even so with Christ. The guilty sinner flies to the cross—flies straight away to Jesus, and though Justice pursues him, Christ lifts up his wounded hands and cries to Justice, "Stand back! stand back! I shelter this sinner; in the secret place of my tabernacle do I hide him; I will not suffer him to perish, for he puts his trust in me." Sinner, fly to Christ!"

"I have now explained that act which is after all the only one which marks the day of salvation to the soul. I will give one or two figures however to set it in a clearer light. When a man hath gold and silver in his house, he fears lest some thief may break through and steal, and therefore if he be a wise man he seeks out a bank in which to store his money. He makes a deposit of his gold and his silver; he says in effect, "Take that, sir, keep it for me. To-night I shall sleep securely; I shall have no thought of thieves; my treasure is in your hands. Take care of that for me, when I need it, at your hands shall I require it." Now in faith we do just the same with our blessed Redeemer. We bring our soul just as it is and give it up to him. "Lord, I cannot keep it; sin and Satan will be sure to ruin it—take it and keep it for me, and in that day when God shall require the treasure, stand my sponsor, and on my behalf return my soul to my Maker kept and preserved to the end." Or take another figure. When your adventurous spirit hath sought to climb some lofty mountain, delighted with the prospect you scale many and many a steep; onward you climb up the rocky crags until at last you arrive at the verge of the snow and ice. There in the midst of precipices that scarcely know a bottom and of summits that seem inaccessible, you are suddenly surrounded with a fog. Perhaps it becomes worse and worse until a snow-storm completes your bewilderment. You cannot see a step before you: your track is lost. A guide appears: "I know this mountain," says he. "In my early days have I climbed it with my father. O'er each of these crags have I leaped in pursuit of the chamois; I know every chasm and cavern. If you will follow me even through the darkness I will find the path and bring you down; but mark, before I undertake to guide you in safety, I demand of you implicit trust. You must not plant your feet where you think it safest, but where I shall bid you. Wherever I bid you climb or descend you must implicitly obey, and I undertake on my part to bring you safely down to your house again." You do so—you have many temptations to prefer your own judgment to his but you resist them—and you are safe. Even so must you do with Christ. Lost to-day and utterly bewildered Christ appears. "Let me guide you, let me be an eye to thee through the thick darkness; let me be thy foot, lean on me in the slippery place, let me be thy very life; let me wrap thee in my crimson vest to keep thee from the tempest and the storm." Will you now trust him; rely entirely, simply, and implicitly upon him? If so, the grand act of your life is done and you are a saved man, and on the terra firma of heaven you shall one day plant your delighted feet and praise the name of him who saved you from your sins."

Consume this consumer's heart

Materialism becomes and all consuming fire…but not like God. The type of fire that leaves burns and nothing to show for itself and ashes that remind me only of the hurt and the waste. I don’t want a heart in ashes. I don’t want a soul cracked and scorched.

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and this let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

This consumer’s heart needs consuming. Desperately. I get so rutted here! So wanting and envious and tricked into thinking I “need” something. What the heck could I possibly “need”? I need my heart consumed by God and hell wants to consume it with the flames of want and confused “needs.” There is a kingdom that cannot be shaken! Why am I still shaking my wallet for loose change and shaking my head as a judge people left and right and shaking my soul as I feast on worthless idols that don’t satisfy? They don’t talk back. They crumble. They become ashes and dust. From dust to dust. Just like me.

THERE IS SOMETHING BETTER.

A kingdom that cannot be shaken! I shake, but He who holds me has a tight grip and won’t let go no matter how much I tremble. When I think and I get anxious and care so much about the thoughts of others…shaky as my faith may be…HE CANNOT BE SHAKEN.

“THEREFORE”… there is a response. There is something I am shown in this passage that elicits a response.  I am to do something because of it. This truth is meant to change me. I am to offer acceptable worship. What does it mean to offer acceptable worship to the Almighty who has already accepted me in Christ? Perhaps it’s just that…to be consumed by just how loved and accepted I am in Christ. Loved and accepted...for WHO I AM! For WHO CHRIST IS! FOR WHO GOD HAS PROCLAIMED ME TO BE IN CHRIST. I am mud God chose to give life to and grow up and teach and give a particular shape to and a personality in order for Him to say, “Yes! Just as I had planned her. My sweet daughter and design. My Kate.”

Why do I look around at the other pots? God made me and dried this particular pot just as He saw fit, in His all-consuming fire. Consume me with the truth of this fire!

I desperately need the reverence and awe that accompanies this truth. Reverence to God and awe of who He is. To allow my heart to be so consumed I stop focusing so much on being a consumer. To stop consuming things and money and relationships and calories and time and to allow myself to BE CONSUMED…by love and grace and beauty and what matters!

I was made and designed by God.

I am loved and chosen by God.

I can be still and know that He is God.

My days are numbered by God.

My hairs are numbered by God.

Each nerve in my body is known by God.

No synapse in my brain happens apart from God.

The list goes on and on and on…

I have got to take time to look up before I consume myself with everything  and everyone around me. To ask God what He thinks of me before I even dare to ask what I think of myself. TO BE CONSUMED. Not like a fire that demolishes a house, but rather like silver consumed in flames. Not destroyed, but purified and renewed. Made brighter, reflecting more Light. 

Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote, “God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6 MSG)

Amen. 

Learning about a gracious God in Orlando...

This season of life has brought me back to the home away from home…Orlando. “Hotlando,” as I like to call it. I was really nervous going into this summer, not knowing what it would be like and not feeling super excited about it. Little did I know just how GRACIOUS He was being to me…I feel so cared and thought for!!! Why would I have ever thought any differently?!

Here's a few of many...

1.    Community…24/7… friends to talk to and gain perspective from.

2.    Waking up to emails from Nate

3.    our staff team! such a fun group of people to be around. being with them doesn't feel like work. 

4.    the Celebration gym…Best. Gym. Ever.

5.    digging in the Word with students. Incredible. They have such fresh eyes!!

6.    getting to sit by the pool and read a good story

7.    baby Hart… he’s so awesome and smiley

8.    flowers… passing by them sitting pretty on the table

9.    learning new pasta salad recipes

10. living with “Linda,” a constant encouragement, and praying with her at night

11. morning prayer. students grouped to ask God for big things.

12. hangouts with Megan and Lindsey, missing the other 3 world travelers, and our email thread.

13. lighting a candle and Acoustic Guitar Radio in the room

14. prank calls after hours, laughing in hysteria!

15. the sweetness of God’s word and what He has shown me in…

--Psalm 62…the slight but important difference in vs. 1 and 5

--Romans 8:31-32…God is FOR US

--Job 26:14…the thunder of His power!!

16. Coffee in the mornings. and Starbucks. no matter where I am, there’s a Starbucks!

17. Face time. And iPhones. iPhones are the BEST. text messages that travel across the world!

18. the thankfulness mirror in our room, slowly covering up the “mirror of vanity”

19. phone calls from my Momma and Poppa

20. The Orlando sunsets…absolutely breathtaking!

21. girls night with Meg, Betsy, Tiffany, Linds, and the Team Leaders

22. Field day…aka the Hunger Games.  

23. the Dwiggins being here and getting to spend time with them

24. Sunday night meetings and the things I am learning through the talks

25. City Church and the preaching there. showing us how much Exodus points to Jesus. and the worship there.

26. Grady’s talk on God the Father, looking at John 3:16-17

27. Dressing up for project socials

28. The ways I have been so loved and encouraged in such specific ways by the UNC girls, and the sweet gift from my D group

29. Naps at 11pm in order to stay up past curfew

30. Getting to see the UNC disciple girls grow in knowing God!

#8...flowers on the table

#27...old women at the Walmart

#24 Sunday night theme meetings

#28...the sweet gift from my D group

#22...Effie and Seneca

#17...Facetime with this guy

#9...pasta salad!

#18...the thankfulness mirror

Looking back: 100 things I am thankful for this year...

" ...give thanks in all circumstances..." (1 Thess 5:14)

1.     Living with Marve in Apartment #5

2.     Meg, Mags, Mols, Lisa, and Linda….wouldn’t have made it through the year without these friends

3.     Chapel Hill, where every season is lovely

4.     My incredible family….cherish every phone call with them

5.     Foster’s Coffee, Whole Foods coffee…free refills!

6.     Packages from Mama

7.     8-10am… digging in the Word

8.     hanging out with Mason and Grant

9.     Anna Holcombe, Steph Key, SJ Fox, and Abby Haithcock….4 girls that have absolutely blessed me this year

10.   Being with Sydney Andrews in her senior year

11.   The discovery of almond milk

12.   3 way phone calls with Hannah and Natalie

13.   Momma teaching me recipes via phone

14.   Learning to cook and wearing and apron

15.   Envelopes in the mail from Chaway, simply saying "Kate My Love, it is time for you to come home"

16.   The discovery of rainymoods.com

17.   Working out with Holcombe, SJ, and Chooks

18.   Having Anna Dwiggins spend Easter with me

19.   My little brother coming to Tangle in the Triangle

20.   Spending a weekend in Richmond with Albert

21.   Taking Shades to Charleston…every single moment of that trip

22.   Ann Voskamp’s book and blog

23.   Discovery of Acoustic Guitar Radio on Pandora

24.   Sweet time with Coco Mihaich and Beanie and seeing them off at the airport before Malaysia

25.   The beach weekend for Molly’s birthday! Perfect weather with incredible friends

26.   Tim Keller Sermons

27.   The Summit Church

28.   Allergy meds and advil

29.   Getting to make each of our friends feel loved and special on their birthday

30.   Erik and Katie McKee, grace overflowed from them to me

31.   When Grant spills his coffee and we all get a good laugh…daily

32.   Night runs with Mason

33.   Learning to name flowers

34.   Duke Gardens

35.   Learning... chess, tennis, and about the world wars, and French

36.   Outside time and sketching and volleyball

37.   Visiting Grant before his ACL surgery and spending time with his family

38.   Ben Uthe becoming a Christian

39.   The trip to Wilmington in August…SO fun!

40.   Paige Reeves and Deb Lee, two of my dearest friends this year

41.   Katie McCabe, Jess Jordan,  and Anna Noone…one of the friendliest suites in the world

42.   Starbucks at Ram’s Head

43.   Walking to whole foods to get a nice salad with Shades

44.   The cool breeze in the Fall and Spring

45.   Summit Tee’s… softest things in the world

46.   The Summit Staff Retreat and being treated so well

47.   The Thompson Family…David and Jen, I adore them

48.   Taco Thursdays with the D group

49.   Getting to see sailboats

50.   I really am thankful for my iphone, its really cool!

51.   Trojans winning District champs, O’s baseball… and Shades’ excitement at both

52.   Times with Hannah Love, long or short, picking up where we left off

53.   Durham Bulls baseball game for Maggie’s birthday

54.   Sleepovers in Durham and Peace St.

55.   Staff training, a whole week with my favorite people!

56.   Brooke Fraser Radio

57.   Getting to watch to wonderful friends fall in love and get married, Hannah and Nathan Wheeler

58.   Dark chocolate covered raisins

59.   Trader Joe’s delicacies

60.   Psalm 119 and what it’s teaching me

61.   New journals

62.   My supporters…faithful and loving givers...providing for me

63.   Seeing someone understand the Gospel

64.   Students taking a Friday night to attend a worship night

65.   The new light Mason installed outside of my front door…I feel safer : )

66.   My neighbor Candice and her dog Charlie

67.   Signing the lease on a new apartment

68.   The staff retreat in Blowing Rock…restful beyond imagination, and spoiled there

69.   Time at Erik and Katie’s house…fun and refreshing

70.   Watching Reece Butler grow up, couldn’t adore a baby more

71.   Natalie McKinney falling in love and getting engaged

72.   Spotify radio, and that John Mayer song, “In Your Atmosphere (live)”

73.   “It’s a Shore Thing Weekend”…sharing the closet with Sydney, the scary storm, shagging on the beach

74.   Bowe Butler, leading us and loving us so well; his patience

75.   Getting to live so close to Ashley Butler

76.   Grant, CJ, and Mason’s spontaneous trip to Charleston in December…so fun, and Albert loved it best!

77.   The balcony at UNC and getting a text from Dwiggins that simply says “balc” and knowing just what that means

78.   My awesome bike

79.   Getting to meet Emmy Van Iten for the first time and hugging Ally

80.   The ride to Natcon with Maggie May

81.   The senior girls at UNC, Dwigs, and Boat…all people I feel so comfortable around

82.   Sunsets when driving from Raleigh to Chapel Hill

83.   Sunsets and Shiki (Suki) Sushi with Shades

84.   The opening of Sweet Frog in Chapel Hill

85.   Watching Seabiscuit, the first good movie I’ve seen in a while

86.   taking girls home for SB2012

87.   Church with Poppa when I’m home, and every time I get to go home and see my parents and siblings

88.   Quinn Wells and McKenzie Byrd…2 people that make Charleston less lonely for me!

89.   Watching Charles play rugby

90.   Maple View to watch the stars with the D group

91.   My car, Big Bertha: having it frequently hold 7+ people

92.   Being out of control and learning to pray for things

93.   Valentine’s day raisins and a rose

94.   Learning to love evaluations

95.   Sitting on a porch when it’s raining

96.   Faux Fire on the computer in the winter

97.   The CO Office Staff and their patience with my questions

98.   Lunches with Steph Strickland

99.   Prayer cards

100. my boyfriend

BELONG...

belong |biˈlô ng |

verb [ intrans. ]

1 [with adverbial of place ] (of a thing) be rightly placed in a specified position : learning to place the blame where it belongs.

• be rightly classified in or assigned to a specified category : bony fish: the vast majority of living fish belong here.

2 [usu. with adverbial of place ] (of a person) fit in a specified place or environment : she is a stranger, and doesn't belong here | you and me, we belong together | [as n. ] ( belonging) we feel a real sense of belonging.

• have the right personal or social qualities to be a member of a particular group : young people are generally very anxious to belong.

• ( belong to) be a member or part of (a particular group, organization, or class) : they belong to garden and bridge clubs.

3 ( belong to) be the property of : the vehicle did not belong to him.

• be the rightful possession of; be due to : most of the credit belongs to Paul.

• (of a contest or period of time) be dominated by : the race belonged completely to Ferguson.

Romans 1:6.....including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

Hosea 3:3....And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.”

1 Corinthians 15:23....But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

1 Thess. 5:8....But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

We now “have the right personal or social qualities to be a member of a particular group”...that group being the family of Christ. We “are the property of” our Heavenly Father, and “are dominated by” His love. We are “rightly placed in this specified position” because Jesus is rightly placed at the right hand of the Father. Jesus belonged to the Father…was one with the Father…and gave up that right place of belonging He deserved in order to make us…sinners…“belong.”

The hard, enduring, dare I say “thankless” practice of giving thanks…

This past week God has been showing me something really awesome. Really convicting. Much needed…(Like when you look in the mirror and you see you have pepper in your teeth, and you hate that it was ever there, but oh man are you thankful to see it and try and get rid of it). So…I return again to the place of thanksgiving. Back up the mountain I trudge. How did I forget that it is a practice?

practice |ˈpraktəs|

noun

1 the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to theories about such application or use; • the customary, habitual, or expected procedure of something; 2 repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it

verb [ trans. ] ( Brit. practise)

1 perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency; • actively pursue or be engaged in (a particular profession or occupation)

what the heck have I been doing?

NOT practicing. NOT enduring. NOT actually applying. NOT “performing repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one’s proficiency”

Did I say it was hard? I think it is. I think the reason it’s hard for me is because when I give thanks I take my eyes off of myself and put them on Someone much, much greater than me. I take the glory (so hopelessly misplaced) off of myself and point it back to where it belongs. To its Origin. To Good. To God.

Goodbye navel-gazing, Hello God-praising.

This morning I read Ephesians 1:3-14. I really came to it in a cool way. A dear friend sent me an email with the words “praise God for this truth this morning,” followed by the verse…quite ironically, it was an email she sent me in order the THANK me for something.

Herein lies a magnificent truth…

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

This passage, which is chock full of splendid sincerity, states three times the phrase “to the praise of His glory/His glorious grace.” Coincidence? Of course not. Nothing in the Word of God ever is.

I want to seek this. To sniff it out and chase it down. To hunt it like treasure. “X” marks the spot and that “X” is thanks. Praise to the Father. Praise for His glory, His mercy, His grace. Praise to the Son. Praise to the Holy Spirit.

11 things I am thankful for in those 11 verses...

1. that I have been blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing

2. to be chosen by God and predestined in love for adoption through Christ

3. to have redemption through His blood

4. the forgiveness of my trespasses

5. to have His grace lavished upon me (lavished…WOW! What an awesome word! I would put it right up there with Tolkien’s love for “cellar door”)

6. for His making known to me the purpose of His will

7. that He wishes to unite all things to Himself

8. I have obtained an inheritance in Him

9. that I have been predestined according to His will

10. that I am to the praise of His glory

11. that I have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit

In these 11 verses, there are so many more reasons to be thankful. I pray that it will last beyond this hour, beyond this blog entry, beyond when the coffee shakes wear off, beyond myself.

Psalm 136

Psalm 100