God's Infinity

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
Ephesians 1:18-19

Scripture is so obvious that all of God's attributes are limitless. Most people, even non-Christians, affirm and believe that He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere. I affirm all these things, but I am still learning to reflect this knowledge in my behavior towards God, able to fully trust and depend on Him. Because God is the Greatest Being in all the universe, that He is the only being not created, with neither beginning nor end, all of His attributes can be described also by His infinity. He is infinitely powerful, infinitely wise, infinitely knowledgeable, infinitely merciful, gracious, kind and loving.

So why do I doubt Him? "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Sometimes I give in to temptation and to sin, so it causes me to consider that God's grace has a limit. But that's not true. If God's grace is sufficient to free me from the slavery to my sinful nature, then it has the ability to perfect me in Christ. God's grace is sufficient. Perhaps I rely on my own strength when I'm tempted to give into sinful desires. How would I ever learn to trust, lean and depend on God's grace if I'm trusting in my own strength, which fails? God's grace is infinite. His power is limitless. There is no extent to the depths of His knowledge. And His perfections are infinitely perfect. How Great Is Our God!

Joy Through Sacrifice

Earlier today I considered how there is much joy that comes as a result of personal sacrifice.  One instance would be how much of a joy I consider the opportunity to stay home and raise our children.  Even in college, where students are trained in specific vocations, I briefly mused over the idea and blessing of keeping a home.  I understand how pursuing a career really leaves many women dissatisfied and empty (and with a big school debt).  Why? Because that investment is not in people.  It is in people where our legacy endures.  And the joy comes from embracing our God-given role as women.  We were created to be helpers, mothers, nurturers and teachers.  There is great freedom within the realm of our divine task.  The joy in it comes from knowing that we are living in obedience to Christ, modeling the incredible relationship between Him and His Bride.

But how does this joy come?  Through sacrifice.  Many would consider that I had to sacrifice my dream of becoming a professional musician to remain home.  On the contrary, I would have been enslaved to rigid practice schedules, insurmountable competition, threats of insufficient funds for the arts, and persistent back, neck and shoulder pain.  How is it possible that I can stay home?  Jeramy and I sacrifice daily in order to do so.  We do not live luxuriously so that (1.) I can stay home and (2.) we can look forward to the purchase of our own home.  But it's so counter-cultural; so completely opposed to the desires of our flesh that always seek instant gratification.  But in sacrifice we obtain our greatest joy in Christ.  Our joy comes in the practice of our sacrifice, in watching our children grow, and our joy will be even greater when we see the fruits of it years later, to the glory of God.

But what about Christ?  Scripture says that as we consider all the great examples of faithful followers who have gone before us that now we fix "our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)  Christ sacrificed Himself, taking on the full wrath of God, because of the joy that would come afterward, sitting triumphantly at the right hand of God, "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come." (Ephesians 1:21)  When we give gifts, we sacrifice time, money and mind-power for the joy of giving and watching that person receive it with love and gratitude.

So . . . sacrifice now, wait patiently and joyfully receive the end results - the reward of seeing more clearly the glories of God in our sanctification.

Share the Joy!

When something wonderful happens to someone you love and care about, it is such a blessing to be able to share the joy with that person.  It really means a lot to your brothers and sister in Christ to be able to do that.  Some of our dear friends just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and it was such a privilege to be able to bring a meal and visit.  Some other friends we have are recently getting married and it's such a blessing to share in that by excitedly talk about wedding plans and attending bridal showers.  Or what about birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, etc. when you really think and pray about what gift would be meaningful and appropriate.  You make the purchase or make it yourself and upon the opening of that present, to see the gratitude, thoughtfulness, appreciation, love and joy come from that person, just makes all the effort seem miniscule in comparison to the joy of celebrating with that person.  It really is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35) because you can share in the joy and gratitude of the other person with a joy from Christ that is inexpressible.  

One time, two years ago, I withheld sharing some joy with a couple of friends of ours because I was afraid of how they might react - would they be upset, angry, sad, jealous?  They found out through other resources and were quite hurt that we didn't relay our joy directly to them.  But now, I understand how important it is to laugh with those who laugh and weep with those who weep.  Their joy is our joy and their pain is our pain.  It is the unity we have in Christ, the love of God we share with one another.  I can't imagine what it must have been like before the Fall to constantly share nothing but joy together!  How incredible that seems to me - that's what it will be like in heaven.

There is an appointed time for everything.  

And there is a time for every event under heaven--

A time to weep and a time to laugh; 

a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 4

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.  You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

Philippians 2:17-18

God the Creator

I was reading a little in Calvin's Institutes and this quote stuck out to me, in reference to God as the Creator and how this relates to salvation for followers in Christ,

In conclusion, whenever we call God the Creator of heaven and earth, let us remember that he can give us whatever he chooses and that we are his children, whom he has undertaken to care for and bring to himself.  We can expect good things from him alone and have full assurance that he will never let us be without everything necessary for salvation, so that we have to turn elsewhere.  We can turn to him in prayer with all our longings and see his hand in every blessing.  As we praise him, drawn by his great goodness and generosity, we must apply ourselves wholeheartedly to love and to serve him.

It impacted me because it goes along with Ephesians chapter 1.  In verse 3 Paul speaks of how blessed God is and how He has "blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."  And the remainder of the chapter lists those blessings: 

• our choosing in Christ before the world was created, 
  
• our justification before the judgment seat, 
  
• our predestination and adoption into the family of God out of His love, 
  
• His grace that He freely bestowed on us in Christ, 
  
• redemption through Christ, 
  
• the forgiveness of our trespasses, 
  
• how we've had God's grace lavished on us, 
  
• the knowledge of the will of God, 
  
• in Christ we have an inheritance b/c of our predestination, 
  
• our existence is for the praise of God's glory, 
  
• how our salvation has been sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee,
  
• we are God's own possession,
  
• we have hope in our calling,
  
• we have glorious riches of God's inheritance, as saints,
  
• the surpassing greatness of God's power is at work in us who believe,
  
• because Christ is raised from the dead, we partake in the resurrection also.
  
• In Christ we are not subject to earthly rule, authority, power or dominion in the spiritual realm.
  
• We are the Body who has Christ as our Head, we are the fullness of Him
  
• and He fills all in all.
  

These blessings are incredible!  We don't have to turn anywhere else, including ourselves, for anything necessary for salvation - including the ability to believe, which we never possessed until God changed our hearts so that we could believe.  What an encouragement!  How grateful we should be for all these things that we don't deserve.  God was not obligated to give us any of these things; He could have left me hardened in my sin, but He chose to save me.  What a great Creator, originator, Savior and regenerator!

(John Calvin, The Institutes of Christian Religion. Edited by Tony Lane and Hilary Osborne. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1986. Baker Book House: Fifteenth printing, 2004. Book 1, Chapter 14, Paragraph 22, pp. 59-60.) ISBN 0-8010-2524-9

Funny Friday

Here are some funny comedy videos of Tim Hawkins, Christian comedian.  These are some of my favorites you might also enjoy.

Things You Don't Say to Your Wife

Cletus Take the Reel

Holding Hands

I Can Only Eat Margarine

Tim Hawkins on Products

Playground Mishaps