The Gospel

The Gospel is (or at least should be) central to everything we say and do. This past year I read a book called Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick with the girls on the core team for Index. If nothing else, this book reiterated to me my failure to realise the amazingness of the gospel. I mean... what a message! What a hope! What forgiveness! What love! What truth... if it really is what it is, which it is, it should affect my everything. One of the men who preaches at Carrubbers often says "We were rebel sinners, but we were wonderfully saved!" Some of my friends and I often repeat this to one another very regularly because it is a soundbite that captures Eric Scott so well. But the truth in that statement is phenomenal. Even more phenomenal than Irn-Bru, and that is phenomenal. Sinners. Doomed. Going to hell. Lost. Without hope. No purpose. But saved. No reason for this other that God, the creator of the universe having such compassion on lost souls. What grace. What love. What hope. And he didn't just click His fingers to make it happen. He could have. He is God after all. But He chose to show his love for us in a way that cost Him. He gave His one and only Son. He sent the one He was in closest relationship with to the Earth, this horrid place amongst sinners, and gave Him a life full of humiliation, rejection and hurt to give us life. And Jesus did it, willingly, joyfully, obediently. He died the most dishonorable death, that of a slave or tractor. It was slow, excruciating and public. He wanted out, and was honest with His Father about this. Yet in this desire, He held fast to God knowing His will was best, and said "Not my will but yours." Jesus died this death, and was buried. But, behold, He rose again. Death could not conquer. This sinless sacrifice that paid the price of our sin defeated death, and in so doing gave us life also. Do we live each day believing this? I know I often just get on with life. I believe it, but don't let it affect every detail of my life, all my choices. I forget. I do not tell myself the Gospel daily. I should. The book I mentioned earlier challenged me to. I am trying. (Titus 2:11-14) Such a truth and a hope cannot go untold. Why then do we sit through so many sermons, even sometimes whole services without this Gospel being told? Every sermon should contain this message, regardless of the topic. If the Gospel cannot be fitted in to the talk, may I suggest that the topic is off-topic? Romans 5:19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

So good.

My God is so good. There is nothing else that I am more certain of. My God is good. Our God is good. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, rich in love. Abounding in Love. The reason I say this, is because I am a sinner. I have hurt Him more than I have been hurt, ever. I have rejected Him over and over. I run back to Him for an instant, and then, yet again I turn my back on Him, and act as though I hate Him. God allows in His wisdom that which He could easily prevent by His power. And so, I am here to serve with joy.

Get Married

For a while now I have been reading Candice Watters' (amongst others) articles on the Boundless webzine. At first, I thought she was a little extreme, but as time has gone by, my mind is changed and I agree with most of what she has to say in these articles. It is for this reason and this reason only that I decided to buy her new book Get Married: What Women Can Do To Help It Happen. Such a title would normally make me snicker, say something along the lines of "Dear oh dear" and move on to the next thing. For a while, that was my exact reaction. But after a few months of deliberation, I decided to buy it with some of the Amazon vouchers I was given for my birthday. And I think it was a good move. There are parts of the book that I am unsure about, and though most everything is back up by Bible verses and the context of these verses, I am not sure her interpretation of these verses is necessarily correct. But there are things that I do believe are true and were helpful to me. Which is why I have decided to share. Reading the introduction, two things jumped out at me. The first is something I've had a hunch about for a while. The culture we live in is anti-marriage. My friend Christine and I got to talking about this a few weeks back, and came to the conclusion that the Regency Period or Pre-industrial times would have been a good time that promoted marriage and none of this lovey-dovey you have to be head over heels in love with someone before you can marry them Hollywood Disney rubbish. But actually, since 1970, the marriage rate has declined by 50% and the proportion of American women ages 25-29 who have never married has quadrupled. So we only needed to go back 40 years... The emphasis has shifted from "Marriage equals adulthood" to "Marriage, nice if it happens" to "Marriage, one of many lifestyle options." And the second is something that I had not realised and which helps. Candice says, "There's a difference between making it happen and helping it happen." There is a difference between initiating and asking a guy to initiate. What I mean by this is that it is for example asking a guy out is different from asking a guy to consider making a relationship official and helping him realise that hanging out for ages and not doing anything about it is not gentlemanly and not honouring and respectful to the woman he is hanging out with. That is our role. To help. Obviously, give a guy a chance to initiate, but if he doesn't, helping him to initiate is biblical. That was helpful beyond belief. And I think it helps us help men to grow up, be less cowardly, and more manly. The first couple of chapters showed me that still nowadays, marriage is a worthwhile and holy pursuit. It is something that I am allowed to want. Just as some people have a career they dream about and aspire to, getting married and raising children is just as good a dream and aspiration. It is ok to want to be married. More than ok, it is good. It is not something to be ashamed of as I have been until now. There are many who promote this idea that if you desire marriage, it is an idol. But Colossians 3:4-5 says "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." A godly marriage is actually an antidote to most of these. Another issue is that of dishonouring messages about marriage. It is easy to despise something you can't get, even when it's what you want most of all. Nowhere in scripture or in the lives of heroic singles do we see a pattern of demeaning marriage to make singles feel better about their marital status. People will say things like, "It is better to be single and wish you were married than to be married and wish you were single." People who marry well and are committed to their marriages don't wish they were single again. And single people don't find consolation in married people wishing they were single. Most admit that marriage is still something they desire. Marriage has never been perfect, ripples of the fall have always affected it, as well as everything else in this life. And in spite of all I have said here, it is a sure thing that nothing will satisfy like the Lord Jesus. Yes, He chooses to sometimes give those blessings for which we desire. But, NOTHING NOTHING will satisfy and provide us with true joy except our Savior God. Not that perfect job, beautiful house, fancy car, close friendships, money....not even those children, not a husband, not a wife, not a fiancé, not a boyfriend/girlfriend, not a diploma, not a degree, not a perfect figure… you name it. But here's the exciting news! Get excited, because you have a God that can feel every deep longing of that precious heart of yours. In fact, He knows your heart so well, because He created you and He loves you. The book has much more to say about things like having a network of people to help in the process of finding a mate, what a godly marriage is and is not, pulling a Ruth and living like you're planning (ie intending) to marry. "Marriage is the proper reward for the real lover, and he is not mercenary for desiring it." - C.S Lewis.

God Surprises

Day One of asking God to surprise me, and He has. I've gone back recently to feelings of depression which I hadn't had in about 4 1/2 years, and insomnia and a lack of appetite. And I need God to help me out of these things. I have no strength to fight. But He has all the strength in the world and defeated Satan already. I have hope. Thankfulness and prayer are good tools to keep up the fight. When I woke up yesterday I asked God to surprise me. I had that prayer in my head all day. And He did. * On my way to choir rehearsal I was listening to music and having it in my head with the earphones was so powerful. It immediately lifted me. The first song that came on was Hosanna by Paul Baloche. It's a song I tend to sing without thinking about it. But having it in my head (I mean loud because of the earphones and no space for anything else) made me realise the power and relevance of some of the words: "When we see you we have strength to face the day. In your presence all our fears are washed away." It was such a great reminder and a lovely surprise! What will he surprise me with today?

True Beauty

The world feeds us lies day after day to make up buy things. Magazines, ads, tvs series, films... A psychological study in 1995 found that three minutes spent looking at a fashion magazine caused 70 percent of women to feel depressed, guilty, and shameful. Twenty years ago, the average fashion model weighed 8 percent less than the average woman. Today, they weigh 23 percent less. Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop, started a campaign in 1998 that caught on in the UK, Australia, Asia and the US. It sported Ruby, a plastic doll soon named the anti-Barbie. Mattel sent The Body Shop a cease-and-desist order, demanding they pull the images of Ruby from American shop windows. Their reason: Ruby was making Barbie look bad. That was the point. And in Hong Kong, posters of Ruby were banned on the City Transit Railways because it was thought that she would offend passengers. Dove also started an ad campaign showing what processes a woman's face went through before appearing in a beauty magazine... It is appalling. As great as all these efforts are to counteract culture and reinstate a good and healthy body image, and how helpful they are to young women, what I have found to be even more helpful is to fill your mind with verses that tell me just how much I am loved by the creator of the universe, and my Father. I have a daddy who gets angry when men take advantage of me, or don't treat me the way they should, with all the honour and respect they would give to a sister. He loves me eternally, so much so that He sent His son to die, that I might live for eternity with Him. I have a daddy who weeps with me when I weep and holds me so close, comforts me and loves me. He loves me with an immeasurable, unchangeable, undeserved, unconditional, unconventional, underrated, understated, tangible, groovy, big love. He loves me just the way I am. Some verses that helped me to understand this as a teenager include the following. Psalm 2:7 (God is my Dad!) I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. John 15:15 (Jesus is the best friend I could ever hope for.) I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. Romans 5:1 (I'm 'right' in God's sight.) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:16 (Chin up, I can go to God whatever.) Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (I am part of God's family.) Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. Ephesians 1:5 (I am a 'girl of God') He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Colossians 1:14 (My sin is taken care of.) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Zephaniah 3:17 (God thinks I rock!) The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Genesis 1:26, 31 (God likes me.) Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Jeremiah 29:11-13 (My future is sorted.) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Romans 8:1-2 (Jesus removed all my guilt.) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:28 (God is in control, on the mountaintop and in the valley.) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:31 (God is on my side.) What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:35-39 (God's passion for me cannot be stopped.) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (I am God's!) Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Philippians 3:20 (Heaven is my home!) But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 1:7 (I can be bold, not scared.) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. John 8:36 (I have freedom beyond compare.) So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Deuteronomy 33:12 (The Lord holds me in safety.) About Benjamin he said: "Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders." Isaiah 43:1 (God knows my name.) But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. John 15:16 (God chose me.) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Acts 1:8 (I have God's power in me.) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (I have God's spirit in me.) Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 2 Corinthians 5:17 (I am brand new!) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Ephesians 2:10 (God made me.) For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Philippians 4:13 (I am enabled.) I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 1:6 (God will keep going and keep me going.) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Psalm 139 (I am God's work of art.) 1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. 19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.