Small Mustard Seed

Sorry, I'm not keeping up on this very well. And I have to admit, it's been my own fault. Yes, I have been crazy busy (you can read about it on my other blog) but I also have no excuse if I truly feel this is an area in my life that God has called me to. If He's called me to it, He'll give me the energy and strength to do it!

Still, right now I'm not posting a huge, preachy, scripture-based concept. Just a small thought. One that I am often engrossed with and spend many hours debating about in my head. If we are Christians, how can we be so incredibly all about ourselves so often? Yes, we are to care for our family, but does that mean that is what we spend ALL our time doing? Isn't it good for our children to see us taking time to serve God first and then serve them? After all, we should introduce the idea spoken about in Matthew 5 about putting others before ourselves. Or better yet, can't we take our children with us while serving or include them in areas of service? This "family-centered" lifestyle is very much the "Christian" thing to do in America these days... it's even the non-Christian way of life too... family first. But the bible doesn't ever say family first, it says Jesus' kingdom & work first, then family. I really believe that when you dedicate your time to serving the Lord (which is often at home first) He will bless your endeavors to serve your family. I'm not saying let your kids go hungry while you read your bible... I'm saying think twice and pray often before assuming that spending all your time at home and making your home a nest is the exact thing God wants you to do.

Really, I just look at missionaries and people actively involved with spreading the gospel, attending to the poor and afflicted, and I just don't understand why so many of us American church-goers are not involved in any of it. Do any of us really want to know why? Do we even take 10 minutes a month to think about how this can be happening?

Just food for thought, very important though for any of us claiming to serve Jesus.

I've been reading this book called "Future Grace" by John Piper and I'm loving it. It's all about trusting in God's promises and how this is what drives us to continue serving the Lord. It also goes into some deeper theological issues that I am not ready to handle yet... I'm beginning to understand them better, but not quite ready to write about them or explain them - guess you'll have to keep coming back and reading my blog ;)

So, this book is divided into 31 chapters. He did this to help keep the reader immersed in this subject for a more extended amount of time, instead of letting the reader read, and be done with the entire book in a day or two. I must admit, I've really enjoyed it! It's great to have some continuity in my reading and it's been good to have along with my bible reading... I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy this book for many of my friends and family members... I might even do a giveaway soon!

Anyway, my point is on this subject of contentment. I read in one of the recent chapters about discontentment, or rather, covetousness, being one of the deepest issues a believer has to come to terms with - or rather, an issue they have to allow God to work out in each of us. The root of the issue is this - all covetousness is an unbelief in the future grace of God. At first I thought "Really?" but the more I think about it and the more I read, the more I see this to be true.

If we are discontent, we are wishing that we had more of something the world can offer - more of what someone else has got. We are letting our desire for earthly pleasures and gains rule over our faith in the provisions that God has made for us and will make for us. We are saying "What I could have here on earth is better than what I could have in God." Am I wrong? Here is what Paul says to Timothy about this issue...

"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into this world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."
1 Timothy 6:6-10

Wanting any earthly possession will get us nowhere. And if we are not careful, we can foster this desire for stuff and money and allow it to lead us away from the faith, ruining our eternity. And if you're wondering... no, I do not believe the "once saved, always saved" mentality to be biblical... there are too many warnings about keeping the faith, enduring to the end, not wandering away... but this is one of those heavy, theological issues I will likely deal with later in the year.

What I want to hash out is this issue of discontentment. Discontentment shows us that we really don't believe God's good intentions for His followers. If I believed 100% that all of my circumstances were ultimately going to lead me to the most important thing to ever happen in my life, why would I have any reason to not be filled with joy? If I truly understood, that even in difficulty, God was working out my circumstances to be for my own benefit both here on earth and in eternity, wouldn't I be foolish to be anxious or worried or upset? But isn't this the same promise we are given if we keep the faith and remain true to the Lord? God has given us so many promises - some conditional (another issue I'll tackle later) and some with the only requirement being that we turn to Him. But if you call yourself a Christian, there is not one good reason for you to ever be discontent - I mean it! God has made every provision for you to have a blessed eternity with Him. And not only that, He continues to make earthly provisions for you to be comfortable, have food, clothing, enjoy relationships... there are endless lists.

In light of all this, I would encourage of you Christian readers to take a look at your life and ask God to reveal areas of discontentment. Because while some small areas may not lead to flagrant sin - such as murder or theft or sexual immorality - any area of discontentment has the potential to. And why risk it? Especially when we can be so blessed with a joy and contentment that can make a difference in so many lives around us. Especially since when we are content with where God has us, we will see Him and His purposes more clearly, fueling our passion for Him and filling our hearts so we will never be lacking.

Enjoy a few verses giving us encouragement for the things God has promised to those who follow Him.

"And we know that all things work together for good, for those who love God, for those that are called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?"
Romans 8:32

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. Or which of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?"
Matthew 7:7-11

"if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
James 1:5-8 -
This one is a good example of a conditional promise - God will give wisdom to anyone who asks, supposing that he asks in complete faith that God is willing and able to provide.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9

Sometimes, I read something or hear something that really hits me. Today, I read a section from the Book Radical by David Platt. He was explaining that Jesus didn't sweat blood b/c He was afraid of torture and death... this something I hadn't even thought about... many preachers have simply taught that Christ was scared of the physical pain He knew He would be enduring. Anyway, Platt explains that many a martyr have gone to their torturous death with joy and singing, very different from the idea we are given about Jesus before His death. Jesus didn't die just because He loved us and He wasn't fearful of physical death - Jesus knew the truth about what it would be like to endure the massive amount of God's wrath that was due the history of man... that's what made Him sweat blood.

"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights of the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain."
Philippians 2:14-16

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:10

These are going to be my cornerstone verses this year. These two concepts - complaining and discontentment - are things I constantly struggle with. But they have no place in my life if I claim to know the Lord. If I say that I believe in the healing power of Christ, and if I believe that Jesus rose from the grave and defeated sin, then I absolutely believe that He can have power in my life over these sins.

Here lies a problem tho, Christians today don't really believe that being discontent or complaining are actually sin! Seriously, I just said that!! Sure, most Christians would say they aren't good, but if you really looked at our lives and witnessed how much most of us Christians complain about daily circumstances or how unhappy we are with all of those circumstances, well, that there is evidence enough that we either take sin lightly, or we don't really think it's sinning.

Let me tell you, my complaining spirit and discontent for the life God has given me have been robbing my joy for most of my life. And I won't have it any longer! God has given us everything! And as an American, God has given me more than 90% of the people currently living on the planet, probably more than 99% of the people who have ever lived in the history of the earth! Sincerely though, knowing Christ and knowing that my future in eternal goodness is sealed in His sacrificial love gives me no reason to complain EVER. I mean it, EVER!!

No matter how much pain, suffering, ridicule, poverty, hunger, anything bad or uncomfortable that I should come to suffer, it will be a small puff of smoke in the long run. My desire for this year is to know this truth so deeply, that it is unshakeable by anything Satan can do. That no matter what unbelieving friends or strangers say or do to me, I desire to still take joy in God's promises. I want to understand the gravity of my ungratefulness and lack of faith to a degree that shames me so much for this way of past living, that I will NEVER go back there. And I know God can do it. It's almost scary to say this, but I believe He will! There is so much joy in saying that! There's also a small ounce of fear, b/c that means this year, I can be sure that Satan will put it to the test.

And I hope that you will too! Please, friends and family who know me, hold me accountable to this! I will also be doing some studying, praying and writing about these concepts more, in the hope that God will use it to solidify my faith in Him, and possibly, to solidify your faith in Him as well. No one in the history of the earth has made the promises and predictions that God has, and every prediction He has made so far had come to fruition! Wow. This gives me a lot to pray about. Please pray with me, for me and for your family. It's time that we come together as Christians and take a stand against sin, especially these sins that undermine our own faith and testimony. Believe that God's future grace can help you overcome any obstacles that comes your way and you will certainly see the evidence of this truth in your life!

Here are just a couple verses to leave you with.

"He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?"
Romans 8:32

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."
Ephesians 1:3

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him."
Hebrews 11:6

"These all died in faith (speaking of Old Testament followers of God), not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city."
Hebrews 11:13-16

These verses all speak to me in different ways. I hope to do some studying and writing on the idea of being dead to ourselves and this world we live in... I think this has amazing relevance to what God called Abraham and the Israelites to in the Old Testament... to be strangers in a foreign land... trusting God to take them there in His time, in His way.

Hope this new year brings you closer to God and understanding the gravity and surety of His love and promises for you! Stay in touch!

I'm not totally sure what drew me to the Thessalonians today. There are 2 books of Thessalonians in the bible (1st and 2nd - duh), and I was just thinking how I didn't really know anything about them. So, out of curiosity (and I'm sure a bit of divine guidance) I opened the bible app on my iPhone and started reading.

I was really surprised. Paul speaks so highly of these people, not admonishing them in anything really, more just encouraging them and teaching a few things. At first it struck me funny, thinking about what they must have been like. But now, looking at all the wonderful things Paul says about this group of people it's starting to make sense. He states over and over that they genuinely love others around them.  That their love continues to increase!

Then this verse - one I'm familiar with but never really knew where it was - caught my eyes.

"As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good." 2 Thessalonians 3:13

There's actually another verse with this same phrasing...

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

I guess I'm starting to see more of a connection between truly understanding the love God has for us and what His love can do through us, with the commitment to serve others around us. In our church body now, we are growing in numbers in our Sunday service, but decreasing in our numbers of people who are serving! It's truly frustrating. I cannot convince someone to give up more of their time to serve the church and the people here in McMinnville. Our pastor can't, our women's leadership can't, our youth group can't... you get the picture?

Only God can strike a persons heart to serve. And from looking at a VERY general overview of the Thessalonians, it appears that when we truly understand God's intentions, we will desire to serve and show His love more. It can be so tough to serve without "getting a break." I don't even serve as much as pastors or their wives, but I often grow weary with the few duties I've chosen to take on. Obligation can start to set in, feeling like no one else is doing anything or resentment towards those who don't participate can creep in and make me sour. But really, I should retain this confidence: if I can continue serving God and His body with the same love I would give to myself, relying on His strength to support me and His Spirit to move in others, I can continue serving despite the worst circumstances, fully trusting that I will reap a harvest one fine day.

Understanding God's promise of eternal glory is completely inseparable from having joy. There are so many tangents I could go onto from the few verses I am going to share, but today I'll stick with this... if we truly trust God for eternal salvation and our current sustenance, we have no other option than to be utterly joyful. True? It needs to be. The bible says there is nothing of greater value than our eternal salvation.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading kept in Heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:3-9

This is a weighty set of verses. There are so many concepts in here that are IMPORTANT and need more studying on my part and on all believers' parts. Really though, what I want to point out is the concept that our joy is evidence of our salvation. Not in a "If you're happy, people will want what you want." Or the "God fixes things in believers lives and makes us joyful" sense either. But in relation to the 1st commandment God gave the people of Israel: "You shall have no other God's before me." Exodus 20:3.

That may seem strange at first - idolatry and the issue of joy? But trust me, it is pivotal. You see, if you are putting something as higher priority than God, your joy will not be complete. If you desire ANYTHING else more than knowing God, this joy in eternity is not going to cut it. After reading this over and over I continue to be struck by the disastrous state of my own heart. Why is it we so easily find something else to fill God's place in our hearts? Peter tells us that when we genuinely believe in Him and His eternal glory, that we will obtain this glorious joy, which is the outcome of our faith, a kind of faith that brings salvation. Complete and genuine joy is evidence of our faith, and THIS kind of faith is where salvation lies. Is there another kind of faith? Nope, not one that God desires.

And that is what leads me to really ponder how well I know God, how much I really trust Him. If my joy is gone, if I cannot say "I will be with Christ someday and that is better than anything else!" despite ANY circumstance I find myself in, do I really believe God? Do I earnestly trust what He says? Because believing God is more than just "knowing" with my head who He is. James 1:19 says "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder!" Can we honestly say we think there is salvation in just saying "I know who God is and I believe Jesus was His son."? There must be a change of heart and a willingness to set aside all else to pursue Him.

The more I read this passage the more I realize how entangled I am in this world. I love the good things that God has blessed me with more than I love Him. I want better earthly objects more than I want to know Him. I want ease and comfort more than I want to learn His ways or help His people. This is the saddest epidemic in Christianity, that we strive to show others the truth and do not genuinely believe it ourselves. If you believe that God is the ruler of all and that Jesus was His son, who came and lived a perfect life, willingly placing Himself on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, I beg you please... do not let another day go by without seeking Him and submitting your heart and life to Him. Even if you don't want to have joy or to change your ways or give up your rights, God can change the coldest of hearts and the hardest heads to bring a joy that is fulfilled in His promise of a glorious eternity. He never fails, in ANYTHING! You will find joy in knowing that He will give you more than you can imagine in your life with Him and it will far outweigh anything we can obtain here before we die.

Interesting passage. Never even noticed it before. So revealing about our human nature.

I first came across the story of Naaman while reading the book "Counterfeit Gods" by Timothy Keller. He shared this story while explaining our tendency to worship our abilities and accomplishments instead of God. The story is found in 2 Kings 5:1-14.

"1Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4So Naaman went in and told his lord, "Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel." 5And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel."

So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me."

8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean." 11But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. 13But his servants came near and said to him, "My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" 14So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."


I think some of why this story really resonates with me is seeing how earnest Naaman was. He did not hide his astonishment or rage, and he heeded the advice of his lowly servants. Now, there are many "issues" in this story - how Naaman tried to pay the king with riches to heal him, how he tried to use his reputation to save himself and how he expected a big show in his being healed - but ultimately it is a story of human nature and what it means to have faith in action. How interesting that he would be so upset at the idea of simply dipping in a river to be cleansed... that he was so stubborn, he actually went to leave without being healed!

We are SO like Naaman. We all know people who "know" about God and Jesus, yet for some reason, they choose not to believe it. They think they believe in God, but not enough to actually be saved. Just how Naaman believed that Elisha's God would heal him, but at first, not enough to actually do the simple task he was explicitly told to do. Naaman knew he was going to die from Leprosy, no questions there, and yet he almost walked away, while fully knowing the cure! We know that every person living on earth will someday die (besides those still alive at the Lord's coming) but we act like there is nothing we need to do about it. Really folks, what do you think will happen if you let sin continue to control your life?

It will certainly not be just the consequences of your actions. Let me challenge you with this: be like Naaman. If you believe there is a God, go find Him! For goodness sake, don't sit there pursuing things in the world that will perish along with your body. Seek after God and He will not let you down. Don't try to be your best while fooling yourself into thinking it will be enough. The answers are in God's word, and if you really think He is God yet continue to put every other thing in life above pursuing Him, you will be very disappointed to say the least. In this life and after your body perishes.

My hope is that you will choose a side and that it would be God's side. Be bold enough to follow Him. There are enough people claiming to be Christians while loving only themselves... the world does not need more of these. The world does not need or benefit from those saying they think there is a God and that's it. Either trust Him as God, as the ultimate authority of life on earth, or reject Him completely. Someday, we will all find, that there is no middle ground. Don't do what Naaman almost did and stay terminally ill. Follow through with the promise God has given. He will never leave us or forsake us, our salvation is coming and we must take action to attain it.