"I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Psalm 119:11... Have you ever sat down and just absorbed that verse? Put all of your own thoughts aside, sitting somewhere, maybe laying in bed at night, just absorbing what David meant...
I have met so many Christians- including myself- that have said something along the lines of, oh if only I could overcome this sin, I promise Lord to do better next time, etc. etc. etc. It seems that too often we get caught like a hamster in his stupid wheel, spinning and spinning it, running with all our might to escape it, yet never going anywhere. The next step, we say, will free us from our bondage. When it doesn't and we get worn out, we stop for a breather and say to ourselves "I will no longer be in this place, I will be free", only to pick the pace right back up in our little hamster wheel.
Running, running, running. Spinning, spinning, spinning. Going nowhere fast. Our never ending quest to outrun what we cannot.
The truth is that we cannot escape our little hamster wheel on our own. They say that if you do not learn from history you are doomed to repeat it... And sadly, we will keep repeating it. The same spokes of the wheel repeatedly passing under our feet. Because too often we do not learn.
This brings me back to Psalm 119:11. David, ironically, gives us the key to escape our spinning world. "I have hidden Your Word in my heart"...
How do you hide the Word in your heart? By reading it. No, not just merely scanning over a few verses a day. Rather, we must READ it. Absorb it. Meditate on it. Study it. David hid the Word in His heart because it was God's Word, and God's Word is life changing. When we absorb His Word it penetrates the very darkest depths of our soul, and changes us from the inside out, in ways we could never comprehend or accomplish ourselves.
I am not meaning picking and choosing either. I have seen too many people take a verse here or a verse there and build theology from it. But we must guard against that temptation. What David was referring to was not a verse by verse theological argument- he didn't write "I have hidden chapter 10 vs. 2 in my heart" but rather, Thy Word.
Are you stuck in a hamster wheel of repetitious stupidity and sin? My friend, now is the time to step out of it, step away from the norm of the world, step away from the self help advice and replace it all with His Word, in your heart. It's that simple. When you fill up on the Word, when you absorb it, when you hide it in your heart- He will change you.
Step out of the wheel. You are not a hamster, after all...
Showing posts with label word of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label word of God. Show all posts
Friday, September 28, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Ukranian Love Song
Talk about a blast from the past... I was looking at my blog stats tonight, and I couldn't help but notice that someone from Ukraine has been reading my writings... Ah, Ukraine... that country brings back the memories. You see, I went on a short term 2 week mission trip in the grand year of 2000 to a little town called Boradyanka, which is about 50 kilometers outside of the Ukranian capital of Kiev. Kiev is really one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to in my life; it's like the Seattle green on steroids. Of course, it wasn't just the scenery that was so fascinating... the people were extraordinarily nice; the history was exciting to learn about; and the food was excellent!! They serve this dish over there, it is chicken fried in this batter... not like anything I have had here. I wish I could have that recipee. It was simply the best chicken I have ever eaten!
I have so many thoughts about Ukraine. I can honestly say that I often wish that I could visit there again. I wish I could see the people I met again. There was the old pastor of the church I worked out of... Such a nice man, but it was comical in a sense to me how he never missed an after lunch nap. There was the host family- we stayed in their son's house. He was on the Ukranian soccer team, so he wasn't home much. But they took good care of us. They had this crazy dog that hated us though! No kidding, it was like cujo on meth! It wasn't very big, only about knee high- similar in looks to a heeler. But you could not have paid me to go within 10 feet of that thing. It became almost demonic when it would see us... and you could hear the anger in it's voice, almost as if it were saying "come here so I can bite your face off!" in every bark. When I say we, of course I am meaning me and my translator Bobby. He was a great kid, and I loved getting to know him.
I think the thing that has always stuck out most in my mind from Boradyanka, though, was the question. Everyone wanted to know why an American like me would come to po-dunk little tiny Boradyanka. Why would I travel half way around the world to a place with maybe a couple thousand people in population. Everywhere we went, that was the most asked question. The answer, of course, was always the same- I came as a missionary, to tell them about Jesus Christ and what He had done in my life. The good news of the Gospel! They were people I had never met before, may never see again- but God had placed a love in me for them, a desire to take His Word to them, to tell them they could have freedom, love, victory, salvation- a life changing experience...
I remember one woman in particular. I don't remember her name, but she was an older woman in her 60's. The pastor took us to her house, and we sat and talked for a while about life- and about God. It was truly a heartbreaking conversation as the discussion went on... It came to a point where she finally broke down. Through tears she confessed that she wanted to be a Christian but just couldn't be. I asked her why, and her answer was- I don't know. I just know I can't. It took almost an hour of pouring over Scripture, reasoning with her, assuring her, teaching her about the love of Christ... Finally before we left she made the step. She put aside her fears and set down her confusion. Her tears were turned from sadness to joy as she opened her heart to Christ.
There are many stories I could tell from this short time I was away from American soil... And over time I will tell more. But I have something on my mind tonight that needs to be said.
We need a missionary mind here in America. Why is it that we have to travel across the oceans to hear stories like hers? It shouldn't be that way at all... I was reading with my son in the book of Acts recently when I came across this verse: "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." Acts 2:46 I think that this verse holds a key to something that so desperately needs to happen here in America. What is it you ask? "singleness of heart". One heart. Take a look at the churches in China, and ask yourself where is the division of calvanist and armenian. Take a look at the believers in Indonesia and ask yourself where are the Nazarene verses the Baptists. Take a look at the new testament church and ask yourself where were the people who refused to work with each other because they didn't always agree on every little detail. Then compare these churches to the American body of believers, and ask yourself when was the last time we had one heart.
We have walled ourselves in to our buildings, walled ourselves up from each other, forcing the chambers of our heart to beat at differing rythyms, never in synch, risking the health of the Body. All the while, outside our walls lay the broken, the lost, those in desperate need to hear the Gospel. Who will go to them? And when we go what will they see? Will they know we are Christians by the love we have for each other? When we tell them our testimony of how Christ has changed our life, will our words hold any integrity at all?
When I think back to Ukraine, I think of people like that lady, so convinced she could not know the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I think of the boys on the street who had never heard the Gospel before. And I think of all those in America in the same place as them. They are people who will not set foot in a church. They are the people whom we must leave our walls behind to find. And they are the people who need to be reached by a Body of believers, the FAMILY of God, beating with one heart...
Yes, I said family. There are so many broken families these days... don't we have anything better to offer them? People, the time is NOW- we must put down our differences. We must put aside the trivial. No, I did not say put aside truth- for truly some would try and carry this same message but emphasize dropping truth and compromising the Word of God. I am not talking about that. I am talking about true believers, unwilling to replace the word of God, bold in their convictions, going from house to house- or wherever the Spirit leads- in singleness of heart.
Do you want to see revival in America? Do you want to see a spiritual awakening to God's truth in the United States? Do you want to see a Holy Spirit movement that makes this the land not just of the free, but the free from sin, death, shame, the free in Christ? Then my brothers and sisters, it is time that we realize we will be in Heaven for a very long time together, so we better get used to each other now. We are family. We have a nation of lost souls that need us to act on love for each other. Let's get together, one heart, no walls!!!
I have so many thoughts about Ukraine. I can honestly say that I often wish that I could visit there again. I wish I could see the people I met again. There was the old pastor of the church I worked out of... Such a nice man, but it was comical in a sense to me how he never missed an after lunch nap. There was the host family- we stayed in their son's house. He was on the Ukranian soccer team, so he wasn't home much. But they took good care of us. They had this crazy dog that hated us though! No kidding, it was like cujo on meth! It wasn't very big, only about knee high- similar in looks to a heeler. But you could not have paid me to go within 10 feet of that thing. It became almost demonic when it would see us... and you could hear the anger in it's voice, almost as if it were saying "come here so I can bite your face off!" in every bark. When I say we, of course I am meaning me and my translator Bobby. He was a great kid, and I loved getting to know him.
I think the thing that has always stuck out most in my mind from Boradyanka, though, was the question. Everyone wanted to know why an American like me would come to po-dunk little tiny Boradyanka. Why would I travel half way around the world to a place with maybe a couple thousand people in population. Everywhere we went, that was the most asked question. The answer, of course, was always the same- I came as a missionary, to tell them about Jesus Christ and what He had done in my life. The good news of the Gospel! They were people I had never met before, may never see again- but God had placed a love in me for them, a desire to take His Word to them, to tell them they could have freedom, love, victory, salvation- a life changing experience...
I remember one woman in particular. I don't remember her name, but she was an older woman in her 60's. The pastor took us to her house, and we sat and talked for a while about life- and about God. It was truly a heartbreaking conversation as the discussion went on... It came to a point where she finally broke down. Through tears she confessed that she wanted to be a Christian but just couldn't be. I asked her why, and her answer was- I don't know. I just know I can't. It took almost an hour of pouring over Scripture, reasoning with her, assuring her, teaching her about the love of Christ... Finally before we left she made the step. She put aside her fears and set down her confusion. Her tears were turned from sadness to joy as she opened her heart to Christ.
There are many stories I could tell from this short time I was away from American soil... And over time I will tell more. But I have something on my mind tonight that needs to be said.
We need a missionary mind here in America. Why is it that we have to travel across the oceans to hear stories like hers? It shouldn't be that way at all... I was reading with my son in the book of Acts recently when I came across this verse: "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." Acts 2:46 I think that this verse holds a key to something that so desperately needs to happen here in America. What is it you ask? "singleness of heart". One heart. Take a look at the churches in China, and ask yourself where is the division of calvanist and armenian. Take a look at the believers in Indonesia and ask yourself where are the Nazarene verses the Baptists. Take a look at the new testament church and ask yourself where were the people who refused to work with each other because they didn't always agree on every little detail. Then compare these churches to the American body of believers, and ask yourself when was the last time we had one heart.
We have walled ourselves in to our buildings, walled ourselves up from each other, forcing the chambers of our heart to beat at differing rythyms, never in synch, risking the health of the Body. All the while, outside our walls lay the broken, the lost, those in desperate need to hear the Gospel. Who will go to them? And when we go what will they see? Will they know we are Christians by the love we have for each other? When we tell them our testimony of how Christ has changed our life, will our words hold any integrity at all?
When I think back to Ukraine, I think of people like that lady, so convinced she could not know the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I think of the boys on the street who had never heard the Gospel before. And I think of all those in America in the same place as them. They are people who will not set foot in a church. They are the people whom we must leave our walls behind to find. And they are the people who need to be reached by a Body of believers, the FAMILY of God, beating with one heart...
Yes, I said family. There are so many broken families these days... don't we have anything better to offer them? People, the time is NOW- we must put down our differences. We must put aside the trivial. No, I did not say put aside truth- for truly some would try and carry this same message but emphasize dropping truth and compromising the Word of God. I am not talking about that. I am talking about true believers, unwilling to replace the word of God, bold in their convictions, going from house to house- or wherever the Spirit leads- in singleness of heart.
Do you want to see revival in America? Do you want to see a spiritual awakening to God's truth in the United States? Do you want to see a Holy Spirit movement that makes this the land not just of the free, but the free from sin, death, shame, the free in Christ? Then my brothers and sisters, it is time that we realize we will be in Heaven for a very long time together, so we better get used to each other now. We are family. We have a nation of lost souls that need us to act on love for each other. Let's get together, one heart, no walls!!!
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