This is a picture of the guys in my dorm this semester, so as you read my blog please be praying for us as we sit under the Word of God and seek to be utterly transformed by God's Spirit through It.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
The Provisions of God
Wow so I haven't done a blog update in about 2 months, my apologies for that. School has been kind of hectic, but this semester has been incredible. From the get go God has been challenging my worldview and how I live out my walk with God. We have had classes on 1st and 2nd Peter, 2nd Corinthians, Missions in Church History, and Galatians. I have come to grips with how much of a legalistic person I can be and how my view of other people's walk with God is measured by performance. It has been so good though to be sitting under the Word of God and have these things revealed. It has been cool to see how much God cares about the man I become, so much so that his purpose in my life is to conform me to the image of his Son (Romans 8:28).
Probably the most impactful class this semester has been our class on the book of Romans which we are still currently in. As I mentioned before I have a very legalistic attitude that has been revealed this semester and have struggled with the process of sanctification. I have a tendency to view sanctification as a process of works and therefore measure my own walk and the walks of others by their performance or adherence to certain things. When we studied through Chapters 6-8 of Romans, I learned about many truths about who I am in the person of Christ that I had already known or heard about but I have been learning so much about the implications that these truths should have on my life. In chapter 6 Paul talks about the believer's relation to sin now that he has been justified by Christ. We have been declared as dead to sin and alive to Christ. Therefore, sin no longer has authority and power over us, we have been set free! In Chapter 7 Paul talks about our relation to the law and we have been set free from law, not just the Mosaic law, but law as a means of life! We are under grace not a list of rules and regulations because the law does not sanctify but it shows sin and kills (7:7-13). Paul ends Chapter 7 talking about the reality of the battle that goes on within us all. We have been set free from sin and the law but why do we still struggle with sin? Paul answers and shows that there is a war going on inside his being, a law of the flesh which wages war against the law of his mind which desires to serve God. Paul exclaims "Who will save me from this body of death!" He knows he is free from sin but cannot seem to break free from the power that sin has on his life. In Chapter 8 Paul outlines all the amazing provisions that God has made for us to live free from sin. He has given us his Spirit to depend on to live the Christian Life. It is not our power by which we serve God but it is by the power He provides. God has provided me with adoption as sons, with assurance, with security, with confidence. I can now live the Christian Life from the perspective of a son because Romans 8 tells me that I am God's son and a co-heir with Christ. Romans 8 tells me that I have a future hope of glory with Christ Jesus, the redemption of my body! Therefore the sufferings I experience do not compare to my future glory. Romans 8 also tells me that nothing in all of creation can ever separate me from the love of God. NOTHING. If God is for me who can be against me? I can live with God with assurance and security knowing that I am secure in the love of God and he is for me conforming to Christ's image. So I ask you the question I have been asking myself: Since God has provided EVERYTHING we need to live this newness of life that he has given us, why do we rely on a list of rules or make up a Christian life, why do we try and live this life on our own power? He has provided the resources.
Prayer Requests
1. I recently applied for an internship here at school after I graduate in the maintenance department so please pray for the future in that and for the time period between Bible school and the next step of training.
2. Prayer for my legalism. As I sit under the Word I know God is desiring to use His view of me to impact how I view others. So please pray that the legalism would continue to be revealed and that grace would define how I view my relationship and walk with God as well as others.
3. Pray for prison ministry! We are halfway through Ephesians and it is going well. We have 12 new applications in to get cleared so please pray for fast clearances and for the new teachers coming in. Also for the hearts of the men being taught as well as for the Word to be penetrating our hearts as teachers.
You're partnership in my growth and time here at Bible school as well as in my prison ministry has been invaluable. I covet your prayers for they are always needed. If you would like to receive any mail in updates which should be coming in towards the end of this semester or my prayer card, please email me in jsheridan03@gmail.com. Grace and peace to you!
Probably the most impactful class this semester has been our class on the book of Romans which we are still currently in. As I mentioned before I have a very legalistic attitude that has been revealed this semester and have struggled with the process of sanctification. I have a tendency to view sanctification as a process of works and therefore measure my own walk and the walks of others by their performance or adherence to certain things. When we studied through Chapters 6-8 of Romans, I learned about many truths about who I am in the person of Christ that I had already known or heard about but I have been learning so much about the implications that these truths should have on my life. In chapter 6 Paul talks about the believer's relation to sin now that he has been justified by Christ. We have been declared as dead to sin and alive to Christ. Therefore, sin no longer has authority and power over us, we have been set free! In Chapter 7 Paul talks about our relation to the law and we have been set free from law, not just the Mosaic law, but law as a means of life! We are under grace not a list of rules and regulations because the law does not sanctify but it shows sin and kills (7:7-13). Paul ends Chapter 7 talking about the reality of the battle that goes on within us all. We have been set free from sin and the law but why do we still struggle with sin? Paul answers and shows that there is a war going on inside his being, a law of the flesh which wages war against the law of his mind which desires to serve God. Paul exclaims "Who will save me from this body of death!" He knows he is free from sin but cannot seem to break free from the power that sin has on his life. In Chapter 8 Paul outlines all the amazing provisions that God has made for us to live free from sin. He has given us his Spirit to depend on to live the Christian Life. It is not our power by which we serve God but it is by the power He provides. God has provided me with adoption as sons, with assurance, with security, with confidence. I can now live the Christian Life from the perspective of a son because Romans 8 tells me that I am God's son and a co-heir with Christ. Romans 8 tells me that I have a future hope of glory with Christ Jesus, the redemption of my body! Therefore the sufferings I experience do not compare to my future glory. Romans 8 also tells me that nothing in all of creation can ever separate me from the love of God. NOTHING. If God is for me who can be against me? I can live with God with assurance and security knowing that I am secure in the love of God and he is for me conforming to Christ's image. So I ask you the question I have been asking myself: Since God has provided EVERYTHING we need to live this newness of life that he has given us, why do we rely on a list of rules or make up a Christian life, why do we try and live this life on our own power? He has provided the resources.
Prayer Requests
1. I recently applied for an internship here at school after I graduate in the maintenance department so please pray for the future in that and for the time period between Bible school and the next step of training.
2. Prayer for my legalism. As I sit under the Word I know God is desiring to use His view of me to impact how I view others. So please pray that the legalism would continue to be revealed and that grace would define how I view my relationship and walk with God as well as others.
3. Pray for prison ministry! We are halfway through Ephesians and it is going well. We have 12 new applications in to get cleared so please pray for fast clearances and for the new teachers coming in. Also for the hearts of the men being taught as well as for the Word to be penetrating our hearts as teachers.
You're partnership in my growth and time here at Bible school as well as in my prison ministry has been invaluable. I covet your prayers for they are always needed. If you would like to receive any mail in updates which should be coming in towards the end of this semester or my prayer card, please email me in jsheridan03@gmail.com. Grace and peace to you!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Facing the Trials of Life
Wow, the summer is almost over, it has flown by. It seems like just yesterday I got back here in Arizona and started off my summer back home. It has been an amazing summer where the Lord has been so faithful and so good. I mean it was a challenging and tiring summer, but despite circumstances, God is bigger and taught me so much. Thank you for your support and prayers this summer, it has been and will be greatly needed.
To update you on all I've been involved in and asked you to pray for I'll start with my work. I finished up working my construction job last week and man this week has been super nice as I rest from 2 months of waking up at 4 am haha. The Lord totally taught me a ton thru my job from humbling me in not knowing exactly what I was doing, to evangelism in sharing the gospel of Christ with them. Even though I'm done working there, please continue to pray for the 7 men I worked with, that God would bring to mind the conversations we had this summer and just that they would stop living in ignorance and would realize they need a Savior. As for my adult small group, tonight is my last group before I leave Arizona and my group has been amazing. Seriously, I've told them that if I didn't have that community of believers to be encouraged, challenged and invested by every Thursday, I would've been my own island this summer. But God has really taught me a ton about why I, and every believer, needs to be in community with other believers because that is how he designed the Church. We are one body, but many members, and our purpose amongst each other is to edify each other and to grow as a body into "all the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13). Also just an update on how my meeting went with my missions pastor, it went super well! I really appreciate him and his work with the church and for him coming alongside a 20 year old, wanting to see him succeed in where God is leading me. Also he offered more support financially for school for the next two semesters so praise God for that! I'm just so grateful for a church that is getting behind me when they can to assist me in getting to the mission field, so thanks for praying!
As for what I'm learning right now, I am learning a ton, which I guess is expected when the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is at work in you haha. I'm still studying through Ephesians, but recently I've been reading some Psalms in the morning and it has been super refreshing. It seems like I've been learning a lot about the perspective of facing trials and suffering as my church is teaching through 1st Peter and then discussing it in my small group. And the other day I read Psalm 31 and was just struck with David's writing. He talks about the affliction against him, the distress he's in. He talks about grief, sorrow, sighing. He says that amongst others he feels as one forgotten, one dead, amongst people who plot to take his life (v.13). So David was or currently is going through some sort of trial, suffering, distress and is reflecting on his situation, but he says something incredibly profound in 31:14 that despite all this "I trust in you, O LORD, I say 'You are my God.'" Like Paul's perspective on suffering in Philippians, David is much the same, that despite the circumstances that we can see, God is bigger and worth trusting in. The Lord has been teaching me that in suffering, true joy and contentment is found because God is all you have. In trials, you find that God is enough, that despite how terrible the situation that you can see is, God is bigger, faithful, trustworthy, unchanging, our Father and therefore is worth rejoicing in. So I ask, is God enough?
I want to thank all of you for your continued prayers and support for me as I walk on the narrow way. I am getting a newsletter mailing list together of people who will commit to support me in praying for me, so if you would like to receive 6 month updates in the mail, along with my prayer card and would pray for me, please either comment below or email me at jsheridan03@gmail.com with your address.
Pray Requests:
1. For my visit back to New Jersey before school. That I'd have some good time with my Dad, sharing truth about what it is to walk with the Lord.
2. For the upcoming school semester that the Lord would continue to bring in many freshman to study God's Word. Also that he would be preparing my heart and all the students heart for a semester of studying his Word and being transformed.
3. I'm taking over the prison ministry at school this Fall where we teach every Thursday night to believers. We're teaching through Ephesians this semester and so I'd appreciate prayer for the hearts of the men in jail and for us the teachers.
4. Humility. I really struggle with this and I could use prayer for the Lord to teach me that without him I'm nothing and that I need him every day and for everything I hope to achieve this semester.
5. Finances. For school but also beyond as I look to discuss with people as to what is next after school. Praise God that he is faithful always, but please pray that I would trust in Him and be content to know that he is faithful.
To update you on all I've been involved in and asked you to pray for I'll start with my work. I finished up working my construction job last week and man this week has been super nice as I rest from 2 months of waking up at 4 am haha. The Lord totally taught me a ton thru my job from humbling me in not knowing exactly what I was doing, to evangelism in sharing the gospel of Christ with them. Even though I'm done working there, please continue to pray for the 7 men I worked with, that God would bring to mind the conversations we had this summer and just that they would stop living in ignorance and would realize they need a Savior. As for my adult small group, tonight is my last group before I leave Arizona and my group has been amazing. Seriously, I've told them that if I didn't have that community of believers to be encouraged, challenged and invested by every Thursday, I would've been my own island this summer. But God has really taught me a ton about why I, and every believer, needs to be in community with other believers because that is how he designed the Church. We are one body, but many members, and our purpose amongst each other is to edify each other and to grow as a body into "all the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13). Also just an update on how my meeting went with my missions pastor, it went super well! I really appreciate him and his work with the church and for him coming alongside a 20 year old, wanting to see him succeed in where God is leading me. Also he offered more support financially for school for the next two semesters so praise God for that! I'm just so grateful for a church that is getting behind me when they can to assist me in getting to the mission field, so thanks for praying!
As for what I'm learning right now, I am learning a ton, which I guess is expected when the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is at work in you haha. I'm still studying through Ephesians, but recently I've been reading some Psalms in the morning and it has been super refreshing. It seems like I've been learning a lot about the perspective of facing trials and suffering as my church is teaching through 1st Peter and then discussing it in my small group. And the other day I read Psalm 31 and was just struck with David's writing. He talks about the affliction against him, the distress he's in. He talks about grief, sorrow, sighing. He says that amongst others he feels as one forgotten, one dead, amongst people who plot to take his life (v.13). So David was or currently is going through some sort of trial, suffering, distress and is reflecting on his situation, but he says something incredibly profound in 31:14 that despite all this "I trust in you, O LORD, I say 'You are my God.'" Like Paul's perspective on suffering in Philippians, David is much the same, that despite the circumstances that we can see, God is bigger and worth trusting in. The Lord has been teaching me that in suffering, true joy and contentment is found because God is all you have. In trials, you find that God is enough, that despite how terrible the situation that you can see is, God is bigger, faithful, trustworthy, unchanging, our Father and therefore is worth rejoicing in. So I ask, is God enough?
I want to thank all of you for your continued prayers and support for me as I walk on the narrow way. I am getting a newsletter mailing list together of people who will commit to support me in praying for me, so if you would like to receive 6 month updates in the mail, along with my prayer card and would pray for me, please either comment below or email me at jsheridan03@gmail.com with your address.
Pray Requests:
1. For my visit back to New Jersey before school. That I'd have some good time with my Dad, sharing truth about what it is to walk with the Lord.
2. For the upcoming school semester that the Lord would continue to bring in many freshman to study God's Word. Also that he would be preparing my heart and all the students heart for a semester of studying his Word and being transformed.
3. I'm taking over the prison ministry at school this Fall where we teach every Thursday night to believers. We're teaching through Ephesians this semester and so I'd appreciate prayer for the hearts of the men in jail and for us the teachers.
4. Humility. I really struggle with this and I could use prayer for the Lord to teach me that without him I'm nothing and that I need him every day and for everything I hope to achieve this semester.
5. Finances. For school but also beyond as I look to discuss with people as to what is next after school. Praise God that he is faithful always, but please pray that I would trust in Him and be content to know that he is faithful.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
I pray this update finds you well and encourages you as your prayers and words of encouragement have greatly encouraged me. I update again from Arizona. about halfway through my summer here and it's been a hot, tiring summer, but God has been faithful consistently to grow me even through uncomfortable and challenging circumstances.
For an update on church stuff, it's going well. There were a few things I wanted to get involved in this summer and the Lord has been extremely faithful to provide me with many opportunities in my church. I've been going to a small group on Thursday nights with adults and we're studying through 1st Peter along with the sermons on Sundays. It's been really encouraging to hang out with other believers and dig into the Word. I really wanted to be invested in by others this summer while home and I have really enjoyed the fellowship with other believers and have them invest in my life. I also joined a college-age small group on Tuesday nights and that's been sweet too. There's a couple people from high school that came in there after they graduated from the high school ministry and it's just been encouraging to talk with others the same age as me about our love for the Lord. There's a couple people that I've talked to about New Tribes and about coming to school so please pray for Kyle and Lorraine. They're a young married couple who love the Lord and I got to share about New Tribes with them and they said they were going to look it up. I've also been serving on Saturday mornings, helping clean the church campus. It's nice to be able to give back to the church that is walking alongside me as I move towards full-time church planting among unreached people groups.
As for my construction job, that's going great! That's the hot and tiring part of my summer as it was 117 degrees yesterday! The picture below is of the first house I built with these guys back in the last week of May, it's had some work done preparing it to be stuccoed.
Also yesterday I had a funny thing happen. One of the guys went to work on another house and got pulled over by the cops and had his car impounded because he doesn't have a US license. So my foreman asked me to go pick him up. Except he forgot to tell me that the guy had tools and a ladder so I'm in a Cadillac Sedan picking him up. This is what we looked like driving 5 miles down the road. I told the guys it's what I learned in Tijuana haha.
For an update on church stuff, it's going well. There were a few things I wanted to get involved in this summer and the Lord has been extremely faithful to provide me with many opportunities in my church. I've been going to a small group on Thursday nights with adults and we're studying through 1st Peter along with the sermons on Sundays. It's been really encouraging to hang out with other believers and dig into the Word. I really wanted to be invested in by others this summer while home and I have really enjoyed the fellowship with other believers and have them invest in my life. I also joined a college-age small group on Tuesday nights and that's been sweet too. There's a couple people from high school that came in there after they graduated from the high school ministry and it's just been encouraging to talk with others the same age as me about our love for the Lord. There's a couple people that I've talked to about New Tribes and about coming to school so please pray for Kyle and Lorraine. They're a young married couple who love the Lord and I got to share about New Tribes with them and they said they were going to look it up. I've also been serving on Saturday mornings, helping clean the church campus. It's nice to be able to give back to the church that is walking alongside me as I move towards full-time church planting among unreached people groups.
As for my construction job, that's going great! That's the hot and tiring part of my summer as it was 117 degrees yesterday! The picture below is of the first house I built with these guys back in the last week of May, it's had some work done preparing it to be stuccoed.
Along with all the things I'm involved in, God has been teaching me incredibly through my work with my co-workers. It has been incredibly frustrating and humbling to say the least. I've been encountering a Catholic worldview mixed with apathy. I'm desiring to see the gospel come to bear in these guys life but as I speak truth or consistently share the gospel I'll get responses such as "I know I'm going to go to Hell, and I'm okay with that" to "The holy water in the church saves right?" And these responses are sad and every day I'm pleading with God to please open their hearts to the grace of God that meets man's depravity. So please pray for them, their names are Victor, Cesar, Luis, Carlos, Sergio, Jaime, and Geros. But one morning before I went to work I read this is 1st Cor. 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." In the context, Paul is responding to the idea that there will be no bodily resurrection for believers. Paul answers this question thoroughly and in essence says that because Christ rose from the dead bodily, we all will experience a bodily resurrection and receive our glorified body. We have a future hope that far exceeds this world's. I read that and was SO encouraged that all God is asking me to do is to remain faithful with the ministry of reconciliation that he has given me, He will do the rest. He is control and has simply asked me to be a faithful steward. Because I have the hope of eternal life in Heaven and others do not, I need to remain steadfast and immovable, knowing that my position is in Christ not in my earthly circumstances and therefore continue to abound in the work of the Lord, knowing full well that it will not be in vain. How encouraging is our God?
Prayer Requests:
1. Please pray that I would be daily seeking the Lord, seeking His wisdom, and seeking to know Him more.
2. Prayer for my co-workers, that in my life they would see the life of Christ and that they would have ears to hear the good news of Christ.
3. I have a meeting on July 6th with my missions pastor so please pray for a fruitful meeting, where our relationship continues to grow and deepen as we discuss future partnerships, finances, and missions.
4. Pray for my small groups that strong partnerships would continue to develop and that by being in those groups, I would be encouraged, challenged, and stretched.
5. The world: over 2 billion people that have never heard of Christ and won't hear if the Church continues to remain unfaithful with reaching them.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Summertime in Arizona!
Hey there! So I finished up my first year at New Tribes Bible Institute and man it flew by! I absolutely love it, and it's a great place for me to grow in the grace and knowledge of God through knowing His Word. We finished up with classes on the Bible Basis for Missions which, though I already am convinced that missions is something every believer needs to be involved in, was so good to revisit the biblical basis for the Church. We also had a class on 1st Corinthians which was really challenging and humbling to see in the lives of these Corinthian believers the incredible tendency that we have to walk in the flesh if we're not walking with the Lord.
For the summer, I'm back in Arizona with my mom and stepdad and I'm super excited for what the Lord has in store this summer. I'm working full time here, 40 hours a week for a contractor friend of my that goes to my church. I'm working with all Mexican men which is pretty sweet because if you know me you know I love Mexico and speaking Spanish and so it's been cool working with these guys and having to communicate with these guys in another language. It's been challenging though because I desire to share the gospel with these men because they need to know Jesus, but the Mexican culture is a lot different than here in America. They are a lot more respect oriented and therefore as an gringo trying to learn how to build houses, I need to earn their respect and prove myself or else they won't listen to anything I have to say. So that's been humbling, realizing I need to work my butt off for the gospel's sake so that I have the credibility to speak Truth to them. I'm also planning to join an adult small group from my church this week, so I could use prayer for that. I'm desiring to branch out and network to get to know more people, specifically adults in my church and build partnerships with them as I continue on to overseas church planting among unreached people groups. I'm also wanting to join a college aged small group this summer and be poured into spiritually both from them and from the adults in my adult small group. I have a meeting in July with my missions pastor and am looking to meet with both my senior pastor and with the man in charge of the small groups at my church, in order to get to know as many people in leadership at my church as I can. So there is a lot I need pray for this summer as I seek to walk by faith with the Lord and trust him to make this a fruitful summer.
Next semester I'm taking over the prison ministry at school, where we go in every Thursday night and have a Bible study with the believers in jail. We're going to be teaching through the book of Ephesians, Lord willing, and so I'm studying through it this summer and it's been really encouraging. Paul spends the first 3 chapters discussing the position of these Ephesian believer in Christ before he exhorts them and that's what has been so encouraging to me. In Ephesian 1:3-14, this is what Paul says we are and what we have in Christ: every spiritual blessing, adoption as sons, redemption the forgiveness of sins, the riches of grace lavished on us, a glorious inheritance, we're the praise of his glory, and we have the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our salvation and eternal life. He goes on to say that although we were dead, in Christ we are now alive and are seated in the heavenlies with Christ. How gracious is the love of God, just look at what he has made us in Christ! Paul makes a lengthy discussion of all that is true of believers in Christ even before he makes any exhortation to these believers in chapters 4-6. In 4:1 he says "therefore". He harkens back to all that he just said and he says, because of your new position in Christ and in the Church and because of all God's done for you out of the abundance of his grace, walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. Let me just encourage you in how the Lord has been encouraging me: That a walk of faith, a walk worthy of the Lord is always first and foremost grounded in what God has done and who we are Christ, not by what we do. Christ's work has made us righteous and has made us new and on that basis Paul consistently urges us to walk as Christ walked. Take some time to study and understood the depths of God's grace in Christ, only there can we walk in a worthy way with the Lord.
Prayer Requests:
1. Please pray Ephesians 1:17-19 and 3:16-19
2. Pray for my time in smalls groups this summer, that the Lord would help me build strong initial partnerships with people in my church.
3. Meetings with leadership within my church, for fruitful relationships to continue to grow with them.
4. That the Lord would continue to humble me and teach me that I need him every single day, and every moment of every day.
5. For opportunities to come about to share with the men I work with every day. That they would see that I work my butt off for more then money, but for the Lord.
For the summer, I'm back in Arizona with my mom and stepdad and I'm super excited for what the Lord has in store this summer. I'm working full time here, 40 hours a week for a contractor friend of my that goes to my church. I'm working with all Mexican men which is pretty sweet because if you know me you know I love Mexico and speaking Spanish and so it's been cool working with these guys and having to communicate with these guys in another language. It's been challenging though because I desire to share the gospel with these men because they need to know Jesus, but the Mexican culture is a lot different than here in America. They are a lot more respect oriented and therefore as an gringo trying to learn how to build houses, I need to earn their respect and prove myself or else they won't listen to anything I have to say. So that's been humbling, realizing I need to work my butt off for the gospel's sake so that I have the credibility to speak Truth to them. I'm also planning to join an adult small group from my church this week, so I could use prayer for that. I'm desiring to branch out and network to get to know more people, specifically adults in my church and build partnerships with them as I continue on to overseas church planting among unreached people groups. I'm also wanting to join a college aged small group this summer and be poured into spiritually both from them and from the adults in my adult small group. I have a meeting in July with my missions pastor and am looking to meet with both my senior pastor and with the man in charge of the small groups at my church, in order to get to know as many people in leadership at my church as I can. So there is a lot I need pray for this summer as I seek to walk by faith with the Lord and trust him to make this a fruitful summer.
Next semester I'm taking over the prison ministry at school, where we go in every Thursday night and have a Bible study with the believers in jail. We're going to be teaching through the book of Ephesians, Lord willing, and so I'm studying through it this summer and it's been really encouraging. Paul spends the first 3 chapters discussing the position of these Ephesian believer in Christ before he exhorts them and that's what has been so encouraging to me. In Ephesian 1:3-14, this is what Paul says we are and what we have in Christ: every spiritual blessing, adoption as sons, redemption the forgiveness of sins, the riches of grace lavished on us, a glorious inheritance, we're the praise of his glory, and we have the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our salvation and eternal life. He goes on to say that although we were dead, in Christ we are now alive and are seated in the heavenlies with Christ. How gracious is the love of God, just look at what he has made us in Christ! Paul makes a lengthy discussion of all that is true of believers in Christ even before he makes any exhortation to these believers in chapters 4-6. In 4:1 he says "therefore". He harkens back to all that he just said and he says, because of your new position in Christ and in the Church and because of all God's done for you out of the abundance of his grace, walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. Let me just encourage you in how the Lord has been encouraging me: That a walk of faith, a walk worthy of the Lord is always first and foremost grounded in what God has done and who we are Christ, not by what we do. Christ's work has made us righteous and has made us new and on that basis Paul consistently urges us to walk as Christ walked. Take some time to study and understood the depths of God's grace in Christ, only there can we walk in a worthy way with the Lord.
Prayer Requests:
1. Please pray Ephesians 1:17-19 and 3:16-19
2. Pray for my time in smalls groups this summer, that the Lord would help me build strong initial partnerships with people in my church.
3. Meetings with leadership within my church, for fruitful relationships to continue to grow with them.
4. That the Lord would continue to humble me and teach me that I need him every single day, and every moment of every day.
5. For opportunities to come about to share with the men I work with every day. That they would see that I work my butt off for more then money, but for the Lord.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Do We Care?
Wow, so I'm almost done with my 1st year here at New Tribes Bible Institute and it's been saweet!! This semester has been incredible as I've taken the following classes: Hermenetutics II (Dispensations), Prophets, Anthropology/Hamartiology (Theology of Man and Sin), Gospels, Basic Theology, Christology, and Acts with classes on Bible Basis for Missions and 1st Corinthians to come. It's been a real busy and sometimes overwhelming semester, but I've continued to learn experientially what it is to submit and rely upon the Lord and trust him with my shortcomings and failures. I've learned over and over again what it is to rest in the Lord. But I'm going to talk about something that's been challenging me and my thinking and may possibly challenge yours.
I've titled this blog "Do We Care?" because I've been challenged with my culture around me and especially my Christian culture. I see in our culture this way of thinking that seems to have a disdain for knowledge and understanding cultivated by laziness. I ask people the questions "What is truth or reality?" or "Where did we, the world and creation come from?", and these are adult people mind you, and these are questions that they say they've never thought of before, IN THEIR LIFE. People will say they believe in science but a vast majority has never taken the time to study into why they believe it and therefore don't know why they believe it. Take atheists, they claim to believe their is no God or deity or anything, yet again the vast majority have never investigated the claims Christianity make, or the validity of the Bible. We, as a culture just don't seem to care about knowledge or knowing what we believe, we just believe because we do. We've been told to pursue this mystical philosophy and reason and have thrown using our brains to the side in exchange for laziness and feelings. And we don't care. Even worse, we don't care that we don't care. This is where it got challenging to me, was when I thought about my faith and my Christian culture. I'll just throw some simple truths out there that I've been thinking through:
Firstly, I think we'd all agree that God's Word is important and that we need and should know it. We were created to be in a relationship and fellowship with God, and to pursue God is to know him in how he has revealed himself in His Word. Yet, I myself am guilty of pushing His Word away, of not wanting to know it, of writing it off as not important and I think it is similar in our Christian culture where the Bible is seen as some big laborious task to read. The Bible should be of supreme value in our lives, yet most often it is not. Yet do we care? Do we care that the Word of God is not held in high esteem? 2nd Peter 3:9 states that God is slow in keeping his promises but he is being patient, not desiring any to perish, but that call come to repentance. We see God's heart for the world, that all would come to know him, we know as see in Romans 1-3 that those that do not know Jesus will spend eternity separated from him in Hell because God's wrath has been revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, and we know that God has given us (the Church and believers) the responsibility to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt. 28:18-20, Lk. 24:46-48, 2nd Cor. 5:18-20). Yet there are at least 2500 unreached people groups all over the world and every day people from these are dying and going to Hell. Do we care? Do we care enough to take the gospel to these people? Or do many of us sit on the gospel and keep it for ourselves? There are many other truths, but one last one is John 15 where Jesus presents us the importance of abiding in The Vine. He stresses the importance of abiding in him because without abiding we can do nothing of eternal value, there is no joy and there is no fruit. Yet many of us, myself included do not rest in the fellowship of God, we care to live our lives the way we want to even though are life isn't our life anymore (1st Cor. 6:20). Yet do we care? Because it looks an awful lot like we enjoy pursing the American Dream, retirement and what we want to do instead of losing ourselves in the purposes and will of God who has bought us with a price. I don't know where you're at with this but it is worth some thought to think where are perspective is and where it needs to be corrected by the Word of God because we need to care and if we don't there are incredible implications and ramifications. Let's think it over and conform our thinking to God's and act like the lights that we ought to be. Take a look at Romans 12:1-2 it challenges me daily.
Prayer Requests:
1. I teach with the prison ministry at school in jail in two weeks on the end of Romans. Pray for the Spirit to speak through me and speak truth.
2. For me to finish strong this semester and seek God daily.
3. I return home on May 20th for the summer looking to serve my church and build relationships there. Prayer would be most appreciated for God to foster those relationships and strengthen the relationship between my home church and I.
4. Pray for more laborers! And for unreached people groups around the world that need the Gospel!
I've titled this blog "Do We Care?" because I've been challenged with my culture around me and especially my Christian culture. I see in our culture this way of thinking that seems to have a disdain for knowledge and understanding cultivated by laziness. I ask people the questions "What is truth or reality?" or "Where did we, the world and creation come from?", and these are adult people mind you, and these are questions that they say they've never thought of before, IN THEIR LIFE. People will say they believe in science but a vast majority has never taken the time to study into why they believe it and therefore don't know why they believe it. Take atheists, they claim to believe their is no God or deity or anything, yet again the vast majority have never investigated the claims Christianity make, or the validity of the Bible. We, as a culture just don't seem to care about knowledge or knowing what we believe, we just believe because we do. We've been told to pursue this mystical philosophy and reason and have thrown using our brains to the side in exchange for laziness and feelings. And we don't care. Even worse, we don't care that we don't care. This is where it got challenging to me, was when I thought about my faith and my Christian culture. I'll just throw some simple truths out there that I've been thinking through:
Firstly, I think we'd all agree that God's Word is important and that we need and should know it. We were created to be in a relationship and fellowship with God, and to pursue God is to know him in how he has revealed himself in His Word. Yet, I myself am guilty of pushing His Word away, of not wanting to know it, of writing it off as not important and I think it is similar in our Christian culture where the Bible is seen as some big laborious task to read. The Bible should be of supreme value in our lives, yet most often it is not. Yet do we care? Do we care that the Word of God is not held in high esteem? 2nd Peter 3:9 states that God is slow in keeping his promises but he is being patient, not desiring any to perish, but that call come to repentance. We see God's heart for the world, that all would come to know him, we know as see in Romans 1-3 that those that do not know Jesus will spend eternity separated from him in Hell because God's wrath has been revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, and we know that God has given us (the Church and believers) the responsibility to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt. 28:18-20, Lk. 24:46-48, 2nd Cor. 5:18-20). Yet there are at least 2500 unreached people groups all over the world and every day people from these are dying and going to Hell. Do we care? Do we care enough to take the gospel to these people? Or do many of us sit on the gospel and keep it for ourselves? There are many other truths, but one last one is John 15 where Jesus presents us the importance of abiding in The Vine. He stresses the importance of abiding in him because without abiding we can do nothing of eternal value, there is no joy and there is no fruit. Yet many of us, myself included do not rest in the fellowship of God, we care to live our lives the way we want to even though are life isn't our life anymore (1st Cor. 6:20). Yet do we care? Because it looks an awful lot like we enjoy pursing the American Dream, retirement and what we want to do instead of losing ourselves in the purposes and will of God who has bought us with a price. I don't know where you're at with this but it is worth some thought to think where are perspective is and where it needs to be corrected by the Word of God because we need to care and if we don't there are incredible implications and ramifications. Let's think it over and conform our thinking to God's and act like the lights that we ought to be. Take a look at Romans 12:1-2 it challenges me daily.
Prayer Requests:
1. I teach with the prison ministry at school in jail in two weeks on the end of Romans. Pray for the Spirit to speak through me and speak truth.
2. For me to finish strong this semester and seek God daily.
3. I return home on May 20th for the summer looking to serve my church and build relationships there. Prayer would be most appreciated for God to foster those relationships and strengthen the relationship between my home church and I.
4. Pray for more laborers! And for unreached people groups around the world that need the Gospel!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Beauty of Justification
Man, so I'm getting slammed with so much truth here at New Tribes. God's Word is indeed living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. It is penetrating and revealing my constant need for dependence on God to conform me more and more to the image of Christ. Praise God he's faithful to do that!
So far this semester has been stacked full of stuff. It's all good stuff, but I'm pretty busy a lot. This semester I'm working in the Admissions Office for my student work job and I get to make phone calls to people who are interested in the school or have already applied and I get to give tours and talk with visitors that come to check out school. The deans also made me an RA this semester so there's a lot of responsibilities that come with that, but I enjoy it, the Lord is growing me a ton through my interactions with my dorm mates. I'm still working over at the hospital and have been able to speak truth into the lives of some of my co-workers as they talk about certain things or ask questions so praise God! I'm also working with the prison ministry here at school where we go into the prison every Thursday and teach the body of believers there. This semester we're going through the book of Romans, but I'll get to that in a moment. Here at school right now I'm in three classes for this block. Anthropology/Harmartiology (theology of man and sin), Prophets (major and minor), and the Life of Christ. It's been a real humbling semester thus far, seeing my constant need for God and to utter depend on him because I'm still a sinner and need his grace every day to live a life glorifying to him.
So we are teaching through the book of Romans right now in prison and it has been amazing just studying through it on my own time. Romans 1:18-3:20 talks mainly about the condemnation on those who do not believe. However, Romans 3 discusses how no one is righteous, no one does good, there is no fear of God in anyone, there is none who seek God. Paul goes into the fact that in our sin nature apart from Christ we are all under the wrath of God, destined for Hell. He lays this out before he goes into our justification by Christ's blood through faith in Romans 3:21-5:21 because knowing what we deserve apart from Christ, condemnation, Hell and punishment, makes us understand our position in Christ. Our sinfulness and deserved condemnation makes us understand the beauty of justification. Romans 3:22b-25a, "For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom Christ put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith." Paul explains that all of us sin and fall short of the glory of God and deserve the wrath of God. But God set Christ forward as a gift and a propitiation, to turn away the wrath of God and take it upon himself so that those who believe are justified and declared righteous by the blood of Christ. Romans 5:9-10, "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." Since God has done the greater, sending his Son to die for sinners so that those who believe would be justified by his grace and blood, much more then will he also save us from the wrath of God by his life. In Romans 5:12-21 Paul contrasts the death that was brought into the world through Adam and his sin that infected all of mankind with the life and justification that Christ brought to all who believe through his blood. My friends, remember the beauty of justification. You and I were absolutely dead. Destined for Hell, with no hope. But Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, so that those who believe might be freely justified and declared righteous before the Father by his blood, his mercy and his grace. We were criminals headed to destruction standing before the Judge, and have been saved by the blood of Christ. Praise God for his love displayed in sending himself to die for us, to provide a covering, the righteous blood of Christ for us undeserving wretches.
So far this semester has been stacked full of stuff. It's all good stuff, but I'm pretty busy a lot. This semester I'm working in the Admissions Office for my student work job and I get to make phone calls to people who are interested in the school or have already applied and I get to give tours and talk with visitors that come to check out school. The deans also made me an RA this semester so there's a lot of responsibilities that come with that, but I enjoy it, the Lord is growing me a ton through my interactions with my dorm mates. I'm still working over at the hospital and have been able to speak truth into the lives of some of my co-workers as they talk about certain things or ask questions so praise God! I'm also working with the prison ministry here at school where we go into the prison every Thursday and teach the body of believers there. This semester we're going through the book of Romans, but I'll get to that in a moment. Here at school right now I'm in three classes for this block. Anthropology/Harmartiology (theology of man and sin), Prophets (major and minor), and the Life of Christ. It's been a real humbling semester thus far, seeing my constant need for God and to utter depend on him because I'm still a sinner and need his grace every day to live a life glorifying to him.
So we are teaching through the book of Romans right now in prison and it has been amazing just studying through it on my own time. Romans 1:18-3:20 talks mainly about the condemnation on those who do not believe. However, Romans 3 discusses how no one is righteous, no one does good, there is no fear of God in anyone, there is none who seek God. Paul goes into the fact that in our sin nature apart from Christ we are all under the wrath of God, destined for Hell. He lays this out before he goes into our justification by Christ's blood through faith in Romans 3:21-5:21 because knowing what we deserve apart from Christ, condemnation, Hell and punishment, makes us understand our position in Christ. Our sinfulness and deserved condemnation makes us understand the beauty of justification. Romans 3:22b-25a, "For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom Christ put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith." Paul explains that all of us sin and fall short of the glory of God and deserve the wrath of God. But God set Christ forward as a gift and a propitiation, to turn away the wrath of God and take it upon himself so that those who believe are justified and declared righteous by the blood of Christ. Romans 5:9-10, "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." Since God has done the greater, sending his Son to die for sinners so that those who believe would be justified by his grace and blood, much more then will he also save us from the wrath of God by his life. In Romans 5:12-21 Paul contrasts the death that was brought into the world through Adam and his sin that infected all of mankind with the life and justification that Christ brought to all who believe through his blood. My friends, remember the beauty of justification. You and I were absolutely dead. Destined for Hell, with no hope. But Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, so that those who believe might be freely justified and declared righteous before the Father by his blood, his mercy and his grace. We were criminals headed to destruction standing before the Judge, and have been saved by the blood of Christ. Praise God for his love displayed in sending himself to die for us, to provide a covering, the righteous blood of Christ for us undeserving wretches.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Our Infinite God
Wow, so it has been 2 weeks since I've been back here at New Tribes Bible Institute. Break was really good, I was able to see a lot of family and have some very good conversations with family and friends about God and salvation, amongst other things. All in all it was a fruitful break that the Lord used to refresh me in Him and His Word, but I sure am glad to be here at school. I love this place and I love God and His Word and I'm in such an incredible place being taught on the Word for two whole years.
Currently, I'm in two classes for this first block, Hermeneutics II and Prophets. In Herm II we are learning a lot about Dispensations, which are basically the different "ages" that God has dealt with humanity, such as The Mosaic Law, which Israel was under, and Grace, which the Church is under now. Also, we've been learning about the distinction between Israel and the Church and the future for the nation of Israel because of God's covenant made with them. Prophets class has been amazing as well. I've never read many of the prophets, only Jeremiah and Jonah, but never understood the context in which they were writing or what God was trying to communicate through them. So far, I've studied through Amos, Jonah, Hosea, Micah and the beginning of Isaiah and I have learned so much. I have learned a lot about God's future for Israel, that he will restore a remnant to the land that he promised to them. Through this I have learned more and more about how faithful God is to his covenants. He made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and he will be faithful to keep his promises. I'm looking forward to studying more and more into the Prophets and know that the Lord will continue to teach me through His Word.
I have continued to study through the Bible and I recently read Job when I was home over break. One passage in particular that stood out to me was Job 26, where Job writes about how great God is. He talks about how God created the earth out of nothing and how powerful and glorious he is. The chapter ends with Job writing:
"Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?"
Job is saying that creation, as great as it is, and how God created it, these ways are just an outskirt of how he works. The Lord was reminding me that everything I know about him, which is beyond my comprehension, is just a small whisper of who he actually is. And how I have seen him work in my life and in the lives of others, that's just the outskirts of how he works. I was reminded that God is infinite. I will be learning more about him for the rest of my life and into eternity. I will never know him fully and will never get to the end of him. So to encourage you all, consume yourself and pursue the knowledge of God, because God is amazing and he is infinite. You will never exhaust knowing him, you will keep learning more and more about how amazing he is. In Colossian 1:10 Paul urges the saints to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to bear fruit in every good way, and to INCREASE in the knowledge of God. Continue to seek him out, he will amaze you.
Prayer Requests
1. A fruitful semester, that I would lose myself in knowing God
2. Continued opportunities to share with people at work- I've been growing in boldness
3. Friends Lane and Emily from school, who had a serious accident over break, Lane is recovering but slowly. He is breathing on his own, but has yet to move fully or gain his voice back from having his breathing device removed.
4. Finances and that I would trust in the Lord's faithfulness
5. I am an RA now here so just a prayer that I would depend on God and that he would unify the dorm under Him and His Word
Currently, I'm in two classes for this first block, Hermeneutics II and Prophets. In Herm II we are learning a lot about Dispensations, which are basically the different "ages" that God has dealt with humanity, such as The Mosaic Law, which Israel was under, and Grace, which the Church is under now. Also, we've been learning about the distinction between Israel and the Church and the future for the nation of Israel because of God's covenant made with them. Prophets class has been amazing as well. I've never read many of the prophets, only Jeremiah and Jonah, but never understood the context in which they were writing or what God was trying to communicate through them. So far, I've studied through Amos, Jonah, Hosea, Micah and the beginning of Isaiah and I have learned so much. I have learned a lot about God's future for Israel, that he will restore a remnant to the land that he promised to them. Through this I have learned more and more about how faithful God is to his covenants. He made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and he will be faithful to keep his promises. I'm looking forward to studying more and more into the Prophets and know that the Lord will continue to teach me through His Word.
I have continued to study through the Bible and I recently read Job when I was home over break. One passage in particular that stood out to me was Job 26, where Job writes about how great God is. He talks about how God created the earth out of nothing and how powerful and glorious he is. The chapter ends with Job writing:
"Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?"
Job is saying that creation, as great as it is, and how God created it, these ways are just an outskirt of how he works. The Lord was reminding me that everything I know about him, which is beyond my comprehension, is just a small whisper of who he actually is. And how I have seen him work in my life and in the lives of others, that's just the outskirts of how he works. I was reminded that God is infinite. I will be learning more about him for the rest of my life and into eternity. I will never know him fully and will never get to the end of him. So to encourage you all, consume yourself and pursue the knowledge of God, because God is amazing and he is infinite. You will never exhaust knowing him, you will keep learning more and more about how amazing he is. In Colossian 1:10 Paul urges the saints to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to bear fruit in every good way, and to INCREASE in the knowledge of God. Continue to seek him out, he will amaze you.
Prayer Requests
1. A fruitful semester, that I would lose myself in knowing God
2. Continued opportunities to share with people at work- I've been growing in boldness
3. Friends Lane and Emily from school, who had a serious accident over break, Lane is recovering but slowly. He is breathing on his own, but has yet to move fully or gain his voice back from having his breathing device removed.
4. Finances and that I would trust in the Lord's faithfulness
5. I am an RA now here so just a prayer that I would depend on God and that he would unify the dorm under Him and His Word
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