Who is on the Throne?

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit" (Judges 17:6; 21:25)

At the end of the Book of Judges, we are given examples of Israel no longer following God's Law; but, instead coming up with their own false religion by corrupting true faith, intermixing elements from true worship with pagan religious practices.  In so doing, they deceived themselves into thinking that they were still worshiping God and that He would still bless them.  But, in reality, what they were doing was making up their own religion to fit their own way.  Essentially, they put themselves on the throne and each person made himself king over his own life; instead of submitting to authority and ultimately God as the One True King. 

This is what we are seeing with all the false religions today; and even with those who have made up their own worldview as a selection from a smorgasbord of religious practices and views.  This is the danger of not knowing the TRUTH and falling into the deceptions of false religions.

Romantic at Heart

I've been reading a couple of books by Annie Gracie and have found that her stories are wonderfully written, exemplifying the virtues of character and filled with witty humor.  A few lines from the books really touched me, like when one of the heroines Prudence was told "Dear, noble little creature.  You lack your sisters' looks, but you have a truly beautiful soul.".    That reflects a Scriptural view of true beauty.  And then, a later description of another one of the heroines:  "Her sister was like a rose, who, having spent most of her life in a harsh and bitter environment, emerged into sunlight unfurling her delicate petals, untainted by the vicissitudes of the past."  That's a beautiful picture of hope and the results of refinement by fire.  I find this author's stories touching, for I am undoubtedly a Romantic at Heart.

Fellowship

Fellowship with godly friends is truly a blessing.  Last night, I met with my friend at a nice Cuban restaurant (Felix Continental Cuisine) in Old Towne Orange.  We were able to share about what God has done in our lives and what He has been teaching us, to laugh together, and to encourage one another.  It is affirming when we are able to understand what the other is going through, when we share agreement in perspective, and when we find that the other person is "in the same boat" or "in our camp".  What I appreciate most about this friend, is her sincere love for God, her intelligence, and her kindred spirit.  She also gave me a basket that she brought back from Kenya - gifts from foreign countries are some of my most valued and precious possessions, for they remind me to broaden my perspective to include the rest of the world, since it is too easy to be focused on just my immediate surroundings.

Holiness

For Christians, Holiness is similar to what the Nazirite vow was for Samson - to be set apart for God.  Learning from Samson's life, we see that not only should we know our weaknesses and prepare defenses against Satan's attacks; but, we should also know our strengths and seek how they can be most effectively used for God.

So, what are my strengths?   I have good organizational and administrative abilities; and  God has given me the gifts of teaching, helps, and giving.  I am also goal-oriented, persistent, and faithful. I am using my gifts and strengths to serve HIM; and my prayer is that He will continue to use me for His Work and His Plans.

We also served at COA this past week.   The verse that came to me this week is "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has done." (Prov 19:17)   I do wonder about the stories of those who were there, how they got to where they are.  There were a few who actually stood out and were young, intelligent (even witty), had charisma, etc.  My prayer is that God will touch the hearts and minds of those we serve, particularly when they listen to the music and the message during the worship service portion.

Give it to God

We've all heard the saying, "If you love something, set it free...."  While the phrase may typically refer to a different perspective, it actually applies to the whole concept of burnt offering to the LORD.  Maybe I would rephrase it as "If you love something, give it to God."

But, another thing that I saw clearly today, was that, when I think of giving a burnt offering to the LORD, it seems to be implied that when we let it go, we think that we have to give it up.  However, in reality, while we are giving it to the LORD, it doesn't necessarily mean we have to give it up; because beauty for ashes means that He can give it back, sometimes even more beautifully.  I think I kind of understood that; and that is the hope that we have.  However, in regards to my thorn, I seemed to think that when I offered it as a burnt offering, I needed to assume that I will always feel the pain of it.  But, even the apostle Paul prayed that God would take the thorn away.  And so it is with me.  In the last couple of weeks, God seems to have been telling me to pray that He would take away my Thorn.

Besides, when we offer something as a burnt offering to God, it doesn't mean we know what the outcome is.  We just give it to HIM, and trust HIM to do with it as He Wills.  So, it may very well be that He decides to take away the Thorn, instead of having me live with it the rest of my life.   I just don't know.  So, I will pray with an attitude of humility, recognizing that He is sovereign and knows what is best for me.  Amen.

Power of Words

I finished reading "How to Get a Smart Mouth - The Power of Using Your Words Wisely" by Robin Chaddock.  It was a good reminder of how important it is to balance between speaking up and keeping silent; of the positive effects of encouragement and the negative effects of gossip, and of the need to understand what influences the words that come out of our mouths.  What really stood out, is that a clear illustration of the power of words comes from Genesis, where God brought the world into being through His words.  He spoke, and it was.  And then, of course, in the New Testament, Christ is referred to as The Word.

As I was looking back on some of my recent blog posts, I noticed that in my own life, I have experienced what was written in the book.  "The Word I Would Say" song clearly illustrates encouragement through words.  My blog enty on "Words" shows how words can have a negative effect as well.  And the book of James, which we studied in class, says a lot about the Tongue.

A verse that now comes to mind is Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."

God's Presence

"But he did not know that the LORD had left him"  (Judges 16:20b)

This may be one of the saddest verses in the story of Samson's life.   I wonder how he must have felt when he realized that the Spirit, whose presence he has taken for granted all his life, was no longer with him.   I would imagine that it would be a dose of reality, somewhat of a shock, and maybe a sense of loss.

But, as often is the case with God, we are given a hint of hope in vs 22, that the Spirit might return as Samson's hair begins to grow back.  At the end, Samson is able to kill more Philistines "when he died than while he lived" (vs 30b); and his prayer to the Sovereign LORD may reveal that his relationship to God may have grown and developed some, during his time of blindness in prison; although, he seemed to still carry around his vengeful spirit (vs 28).

In our lives, we negatively affect our relationship with God when we sin; and as we hide from God's holy presence, we may feel furthest away from HIM.   From the story of Samson's life, we can learn that it is important to be committed to being set apart for HIM staying away from temptation, to seek His Plan, and to allow Him to use us most effectively not wasting the abilities and gifts He has given to us.

Pirate's Dinner Adventure

For my brother's Birthday celebration, we went to Pirate's Dinner Adventure.   The "stage" setup was nice, with all the dinner tables surrounding a stage that resembled a pirate ship.   And the show was entertaining.

However, it certainly felt like a tourist attraction designed to extract as much money as possible from those willing to spend while on vacation.  As soon as you walk in, you are bombarded with opportunities to buy pirate peraphernalia from flags to wave during the show, to bandanas to wear, to light-up swords for kids, etc.  They have you take a picture with a pirate, to later sell to you during dinner.  And, before the show starts, while they serve you appetizers, you are able to buy, most likely overpriced, drinks.  Oh, and there is the opportunity to add to the already expensive basic cost of the ticket, to guarantee better seating or for an upgraded meal.  Afterwards, the requested gratuity, from an average dinner, again reflects the high cost of the ticket price.  This is all a clear display of capitalism at work.

I suppose it does create that vacation atmosphere, and is something to do to make a celebration different.  However, good stewardship would dictate that this is something to only be done rarely for "special occasions".

Remembrance

This was the second weekend in a row, sadly, that I've had to attend a funeral for a family friend.  I have known both of these people since I was a child.   When faced with the reality of death, it is always a reminder to live our lives with our eyes on the hope of glory.  This world is temporal, and we have God's work to do while we are here on earth.

Yesterday, was also Communion Sunday, in Remembrance of what He did on the cross for us.   I do hope that when I am gone, the memories of my life will point to my Savior.   I hope to be remembered for serving Him, for having compassion on others, for loving His Word, and for living my life faithfully for HIM.

I thought about what I might want my memorial service to include; but, the service really should be more for those left behind, so they should be able to choose what would bring them the most comfort and provide the best closure to the book of my life.   I just hope that they will see my love for God and my love for them and others.

Roaring Lion

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."  (1 Peter 5:8)

As I was contemplating the story of Samson, I could see that his major falls came because of his weakness for women.  This made me think of our enemy, the devil.  Since he prowls around like a roaring lion, I imagine that he did not want Samson to succeed as God's deliverer and judge; so, what more effective way to interfere with that than to attack his weaknesses?   It makes me wonder how differently Samson's life might have turned out if he had recognized his weakness and did all he did to avoid falling into temptation and giving into it.

The lesson for me, is to know my weaknesses; and with prayer, prepare myself to defend against the attacks of the enemy, the devil.   My greatest weaknesses are likely those related to my thorn.  Thus far, the most effective defense has been to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6):  buckle the belt of Truth around my waist by constantly going back to Scripture; to stand firm in righteousness and faith; and constantly look to the hope I have through salvation.

Questions about Prayer

This week, when a person in my class asked about prayer, as I replied, I realized that being able to talk to GOD is so amazing and astounding that it's not a surprise that likely none of us are able to fully grasp and understand all aspects of it.  Nor is it a surprise that the detailed specifics of prayer may sometimes not be very clear, which could result in some differing views and perspectives.

However, Scripture does talk a lot about Prayer; so, while we may not understand it fully, I do think there are some things that we can know:

• God does want us to pray, and He has said that He will do it, if we ask in faith and it is according to His Will ("You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."  John 14:14; "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22)
• There are examples of Moses and Abraham pleading with God, showing that it is possible to change an outcome or have an impact ("Then the Lord changed His mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." Exodus 32:14; or Genesis 18:16-33)

As for prayer for a person's salvation, I believe that when we pray, God can cause events and situations that are conducive to drawing the person to HIM, while leaving the ultimate freewill decision to the person.  And since God desires all men to be saved, I would think that He would always want us to be praying for the lost.  So, we shouldn't give up hope nor stop praying for them.

We do have a LOVING God Who is GOOD, and has given us direct access to HIM in prayer.
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  (Hebrews 4:16)

Below the Surface

On the surface, I'd like to think that I portray an image that is consistent with what's "below the surface"; for the characteristics of integrity, sincerity, and honesty are important to me.   However, I recognize that, as in nature, the iceberg below the water surface may include a lot more than what can be seen above the surface.  The content and matter may be the same above and below  (that's the integrity and consistency part); but, it makes sense that only a few closest to me catch a glimpse of the mass below.

Above the surface, I think that people would be able to see that my life is built on the solid foundation of my faith, and that I am responsible, disciplined, and self-controlled.   I hope that they can see the joy of Christ radiated in my life, my compassion, and my desire to walk in wisdom.  And that, as a result, I am able to serve faithfully, that I am reliable and trustworthy, and maintain proper balance between career, family and friends, church, etc.

Below the surface, I am still all those things:  life built on solid foundation of faith, responsible, disciplined, self-controlled, generally joyful, compassionate, balanced, etc.    However, from doing the health evaluation survey I took today from my healthcare provider, I can see that the outcome displayed on the surface does not reveal the full picture of the struggles that I overcome below the surface.   For example, while I have served faithfully in teaching class and am prepared every Sunday, few have actually seen the discipline and time I have put into the preparation during the week and the effort in overcoming insecurities, feelings of inadequacy, occasional lack of motivation, challenges of time and energy management, etc.  Or while I generally maintain a healthy weight, few see the challenges I face or the work I put into trying to eat right and exercise regularly.  There are those who see that I have a good career and work environment, but don't see the stresses and politics that I have to handle.

Similar to the lyrics in Twila Paris'  "Warrior is a Child", while I do wear the armour of God, deep inside, the warrior IS a child, who has often had to "[run] home when I fall down", and  experience God "[picking] me up when no one is around".

Thirst

"Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the LORD.."  (Judges 15:18a)  

This is the first time recorded in Scripture that Samson actually calls out to God.  Despite experiencing the Spirit of the Lord working in his life since childhood, it appears that it is not until Samson is dying of thirst, that he finally recognizes his dependency upon God and cries out to Him for help.  Right afterwards, we then see the verse that we have expected, which we have seen with the previous judges of Israel: "Samson led Israel for twenty years..."  (15:20a)   This seems to indicate that it was not until Samson acknowledged God that he was able to lead Israel, which was his calling.   While the next chapter will show that Samson still falls prey to his weaknesses, we remember that he is honored in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:32).

This is another example that sometimes it takes being in deepest need in a dire situation to make us realize that we need to turn to God.   Up until this point, Samson did not truly live his life as a Nazirite, consecrated to God, but instead, his vengeful attitude was actually not very different from the uncircumcised Philistines (Judges 15:10,11).   It is convicting to be reminded that, as believers, we are each to be holy, consecrated to God; and should not be conformed to this world.

Our God

Chris Tomlin's song "Our God" really has a catchy tune, which I have often would keep singing in my head after hearing it played on the radio.  And, it is a comfort to be reminded that our God is greater than anything we have to face in our lives.  Besides that, a verse in the first stanza even fits right in with my theme this year.

Following are the lyrics of the song:
Water You turned into wine
Open the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You

Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You

CHORUS
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

BRIDGE
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?

Piano Concert

Last night was another piano concert at my church by Ross Jutsum of State of the Heart ministries.   In a quietly subtle way without the "flash", he plays well, and I always love hearing sacred music on the piano.  However, what I appreciate is his sincere faith, and love for God and others, and the one thing that stood out the most was how gracious he was.   He had such kind words to say about so many people; and gave such a great compliment to our sound person who also tuned the piano.  He said that of all pianos in all the churches he ever played in all over the world, that was the most in tune. I did buy 4 of his 5 CDs in the Easy Listening Series, of just piano music; to support the ministry.  May God continue to bless the ministry.   I did like his stories of how he reaches out to nursing homes and retirement communities.

DC for the Fourth

Washington DC is a great place to spend the Fourth of July Holiday.  I just got back, and the highlight of my trip was watching the fireworks over the Washington Monument.   With all the July 4th celebrations around the city (e.g. parade, fireworks, concert at the Capitol, activities at the White House visitor center, etc), it was easy to get into a patriotic mood.

Although it was hot (over 100 deg F on some days) and humid, and I got tired out from all the walking; I am grateful that I had a chance to see our Nation's Capital.   It was great to be able to stay at a hotel close to the White House and the National Mall.  And, the Metro Transportation is convenient, easy to use, and well-organized.  It was just unfortunate that prices went up right before we went there (e.g. $3.10 to $6.00 for the Metrobus 05a from Dulles to downtown DC; and ~$6.50 to $9.00 for a one-day metro rail farecard). As for food, while many of the places were more expensive than average, we did find a good BBQ place (Capital Q Texan BBQ), had noodles in Chinatown, frequented the food court at Union Station, and ate at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

We did a tour of the Capitol, and the building is probably one of the most impressive.  The architecture of many of the other government buildings, like the White House, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress,  were also really neat.  One of the surprises we stumbled upon, was the Tower tour in the old Postal Pavilion, where we were able to get a view of the city from on high; and the building also had a food court.  We also did get a chance to do a tour of the Kennedy Center, although we didn't get to catch a performance there (Mary Poppins was playing, and there were daily free performances on the Millennium Stage).   While on the tour, though, we did get to hear a jazz ensemble warming up for their evening concert.

The Smithsonian museums were great, and it was especially nice that admission was free.   We were able to go through most of them, though, the Air and Space museum the only one in the detail we would have liked.  We visited the Castle, saw the Sackler Gallery, was impressed with the Peacock room at the Freer Gallery, was baffled by the contemporary art at the Hirshhorn Museum, liked the exhibits at the Natural History Museum, thought that the American History Museum could've been more impressive, liked the Presidential gallery at the American Art Museum Portrait Gallery, really liked the variety and design of the American Indian Museum, and enjoyed the Postal Museum.  The National Gallery of Art also has an impressive collection from many different time periods, of which the Renaissance is probably my favorite.  While we also really liked the Smithsonian gardens, the most beautiful one was the U.S. Botanic Gardens.  We weren't able to find our way to the footpath from the Metro station, but, Theodore Roosevelt Island sounds like it would've been a nice place to hike through also.   When we visited the National Zoo, it was record high temperatures, and so we unfortunately didn't get to see a lot of the animals out and about.

We, of course, went to many of the memorials and monuments:  Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, DC War Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, FDR Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Marine Corps War Memorial, and the 9-11 Memorial at the Pentagon.  The Marine Corps Iwo Jima Memorial was really well-made, and it was interesting to have a real flag hanging atop the bronze statue and flagpole.   The FDR Memorial covered a lot of area and told a story of his administration during the depression; and it was really beautiful with it's many fountains.  At Arlington, we were able to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, JFK gravesite, Robert E Lee Memorial/Arlington House, Tomb of L'enfant (who designed the city layout), and a few of the other memorials.

A couple of times, we also did happen to hear some live Christian music from different groups that looked like they were doing outreach, one at the National Mall and the other at a park between the Capitol and Union Station.  There were many places where we saw references to God and also to the religious history of our country  (e.g. quotes on the wall at the Jefferson Memorial, room at the Kennedy Center with Bible verse and depictions of the history of Israel, crosses at Arlington, many church buildings, artwork depicting the Biblical stories, etc).  Overall, it was a full trip; and a good experience.