For the Honor of His Name

Last week we talked about Tabitha and how she was known for "abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did." We discussed different aspects of this kindness and considered what we ourselves are known for. Today, I would like to talk about the motivation of this kindness and the motivation that we should have for everything that we say and do.

In his commentary, Matthew Henry remarked, "While we live upon the fullness of Christ for our whole salvation, we should desire to be full of good works, for the honor of his name, and for the benefit of his saints. Such characters as Dorcas are useful where they dwell, as showing the excellency of the word of truth by their lives. How mean then the cares of the numerous females who seek no distinction but outward decoration, and who waste their lives in the trifling pursuits of dress and vanity!"

Strong words! Tabitha lived a life of extreme kindness "for the honor of His Name." Everything that we do should be with this incentive in mind. Does it honor the Lord? The answer should be a deciding factor in whether or not it is done. Does it bring glory to His Name? If yes, pursue it wholeheartedly! If no, find a different route that does.

The second motivation was to do the acts of kindness "for the benefit of His saints." We should be looking for practical ways in which we can benefit those to whom our Lord has shown ultimate grace and mercy. We should be asking ourselves questions like, "What can I do to benefit my sisters in Christ today? What can I do to benefit my husband and children today? What can I do to benefit my elders, my church family, and my friends?" When we purposefully ask ourselves questions like these and actively seek out opportunities to show kindness in order to benefit those that the Lord loves, we are sure to find them.

I'd like to briefly mention some things that were NOT motivators behind Tabitha's kindness. She was NOT motivated by:

• A desire to be well looked on by others
• A desire to be thought well of
• A desire to promote her own name
• A desire to garner owned favors
• A sense of duty or responsibility
• A way to avoid feelings of guilt
  

Ladies, we have been blessed beyond imagination in our salvation. We hold the keys to the knowledge of eternal life, lasting joy, ultimate security, and unconditional love. It is essential that our lives are lived in such a way that makes this obvious! We have been given ever kindness by our Heavenly Father and if we really believe this to be true then our lives should reflect it.

What are some ways that you live in order to show the glorious truth of your salvation?

Colossians 3:12-15
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

I have been meditating on and praying through this particular passage of scripture, desiring for my life to be marked by compassion, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and above all love.
I desire to be one known for pursuing the unity that we have been called to through our savior Jesus Christ. As I go before my heavenly Father in prayer today with this in mind, the Valley of Vision is guiding my prayers and thoughts, and repentance through this particular prayer:

Mighty God,
I humble myself for faculties misused, opportunities neglected, words ill-advised,
I repent of folly and inconsiderate ways, my broken resolutions, untrue service, and backsliding steps, my vain thought.

O bury my sin in the ocean of Jesus' blood and let no evil result from my fretful temper, unseemly behavior , provoking pettiness.

If by unkindness I have wounded or hurt another, do thou pour in the balm of heavenly consolation; if I have turned coldly from need, misery, grief, do not in just anger forsake me: If I have withheld relief from penury pain, do not withhold thy gracious bounty from me.

If I have shunned those who have offended me, keep open the door of thy heart to my need.

Fill me with an over-flowing ocean of compassion, the reign of love my motive, the law of love my rule.

O thou God of all grace, make me more thankful, more humble; inspire me with a deep sense of unworthiness arising from the depravity of my nature, my omitted duties, my unimproved advantages, thy commands violated by me. With all my calls to to gratitude and joy may I remember that I have reason for sorrow and humiliation; O give me repentance unto life; cement my oneness with my blessed Lord, that faith may adhere to Him more immovably, that love may entwine itself round more tightly, that His Spirit may pervade more fiber of my being.

Then send me out to make Him known to my fellow-men.

Thank You

Dear Church Family,

We are known as Christians by our love for one another and when my grandfather passed away recently, your great out-pouring of love was abundantly evident. We received phone calls, cards, and meals. Some of you came to visit my grandma and encourage her, weep with her, and pray with her. And I have been living with the result of that. Grandma Bev is doing so well. As deep as her grief is in missing her husband, she has felt the comfort and peace of God through all of you; we all have.

The weekend Gramps passed away, we had my Aunts and Uncles and their families, my brothers and sisters and their families or significant others and I didn't cook a single meal! Four people brought food over for dinner Friday night, enough to feed all these people for the entire weekend. And then, we received meals all week long. Sometimes, two or three people would show up with food. This food fed many guests in our home that week, family and friends in Christ and not in Christ.

You spoke the gospel through your love for us. Much of my family was taken aback at your generosity throughout the week and in preparation for the memorial service. None of us in the family made a single thing or spent a dime on food for the memorial service. The luncheon after the service was abundant and completely provided for us.

Not only did you give us as a family more opportunities to speak of Jesus Christ to our unbelieving family members, but you encouraged us in our walks with the Lord. You were spurring us on to love and good deeds as we received comfort and relief from God through your hands. You truly were the hands and feet of Christ.

Thank you, we love you deeply.

I also want to thank our physical family from different churches but are part of the true Body of Christ, even from other states. Rick's family made food and expressed much love to us during this time. His youngest brother and his family even came home for the weekend from Kentucky and came to Gramp's memorial service.

This is what God does in and through His people. He loved us through you all and we are truly grateful.

February

Today is the first day of February. When I think of this month I think about Valentine's Day and how it is a special time of the year to let people you love know how special they are.

This year I am not only thinking about earthly relationships but, also of my relationship with God. I think about the best Valentine there ever was: Jesus gave His life for me! I think about how Jesus died a horrible death to pay the penalty for my sin. Now that is love!

I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to show your love to others on Valentine's Day, and every other day of the year. But, please take some time to reflect on the greatest Valentine this year. Jesus our Savior.

His Love Will Never Fail

I do not ask to see the way
My feet will have to tread;
But only that my soul may feed
Upon the living Bread.
’Tis better far that I should walk
By faith close to His side;
I may not know the way I go,
But oh, I know my Guide.

His love can never fail,
His love can never fail,
My soul is satisfied to know
His love can never fail.

And if my feet would go astray,
They cannot, for I know
That Jesus guides my falt’ring steps,
As joyfully I go.
And tho’ I may not see His face,
My faith is strong and clear,
That in each hour of sore distress
My Savior will be near.

His love can never fail,
His love can never fail,
My soul is satisfied to know
His love can never fail.

I will not fear, tho’ darkness come
Abroad o’er all the land,
If I may only feel the touch
Of His own loving hand.
And tho’ I tremble when I think
How weak I am, and frail,
My soul is satisfied to know
His love can never fail.

His love can never fail,
His love can never fail,
My soul is satisfied to know
His love can never fail.

I am approaching my final months as a student. In year 2010 I will officially have graduated from Parkside. And although this thought fills me with excitement and joy, it also brings fear. For I "do not know the way I go" after school.

For as long as I can remember I have been in school. I have many fond memories learning to read and add with my mom. I can tell stories of my two years in an actual school before being homeschooled through my high school graduation. I can wax long and eloquently on my homeschooling experience. I have great anecdotes from my time in college. And although I have faced many changes throught my carreer as a student, one thing has remainded the same - I was always a student! My main occupation was going to school! And that is about to change.

I will be entering into a totally unknown stage of my life. Lord willing, I will find a job and will be able to continue to support myself. Otherwise, I guess I will always have Tenutas! :) Anyone who has ever been in my position can associate with the fear and trembling that goes along with the college graduation.

The point of all this? "I do not know the way I go, But oh, I know my Guide!" I love this phrase! I cannot tell you how my heart sours when I hear these words for they are so true!

We have all been in, or are in, or will be in a time of serious change. My parents are facing their first child's marriage. My sister Bekah is facing marriage (which is bigger than graduation!) I can think of many instances where I have seen all of you go through various changes, some good, some hard.

What a joy it is to know that even in our unstable world that is constantly changing, we serve an unchanging God! And His love truly shall never fail. Let us find our satisfaction in this truth as we face the challenges and changes the Lord has for us this week.

Ponderings

In a book I am reading on evangelism, John Stott comments on the challenge and opportunity that all Christians face when striving to make visible the gospel of the invisible God.

This is what he says: 'The invisibility of God is a great problem. It was already a problem to God's people in the Old Testament days. Their pagan neighbors would taunt them, saying, "Where is now your God?" Their gods were visible and tangible, but Israel's God was neither. Today in our scientific culture young people are taught not to believe in anything which is not open to empirical investigation. How then has God solved the problem of His own invisibility? The first answer is of course "in Christ." Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. John 1:18: " No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son has made Him known." "That's wonderful," people say, "but that was 2000 years ago. Is there no way by which the invisible God makes Himself visible today?" There is. We return to 1 John 4:12: "No one has ever seen God." It is precisely the same introductory statement. But instead of continuing with reference to the Son of God, it continues: "If we love one another, God dwells in us." In other words, the invisible God who once made Himself visible in Christ, now makes Himself visible in Christians., if we love one another. It is a breathtaking claim. The local church cannot evangelize, proclaiming the gospel of love, if it is not itself a community of love.' (emphasis mine)

I have a bunch of thoughts pin-balling all over in my brain after reading something like this. Maybe at some point I can make them (my thoughts) coherent, but for now I am just soaking in what Mr. Stott is saying. As I seek to go forth as a gospel-bearer are those that I am engaging able to see a community of love? When I take them back to Jesus' body, is Jesus really Who they are seeing? Or am I going out and bringing them back to something that simply hides who Jesus truly is? By hides I mean, looks good, clean, knowledgeable, but is still seeking what the world seeks- what the Church does for me? Or is love reigning supreme in our local church so that the gospel is visible?

Our church just finished a series on using our spiritual gifts for the edification and unification of the body in love. Now we have moved on to learning what it means, at least in the minds of our elders, to be a missional church. I am very much looking forward to hearing the rest of this series, but as I read this commentary if you will, I hope we will not lose sight (at least that I won't lose sight) of putting into practice seeing the body of Jesus as so important that we would invest ourselves in building it up, by loving our brothers and sisters by using the gifts God has given us for each others good; so that we can out of the overflow of that love be missionaries manifesting that love to those around us and truly bring them into a community of lovers of God and others. You see, I can't separate the previous sermon series from this present one. So at least in my mind they are fitted together and that is where my thinking is taking me as I consider all that I am being challenged in.

Do I Treat Others The Way I Want To Be Treated?

Calvin came up to me a while ago and said very seriously, "Mom, I don't know how to treat others the way I want to be treated". Really!? Hmm....

The fact is, he knew how he wanted to be treated, but admittedly had no clue how to translate that into how he should live with and respond to other people, in particular his brothers and sister.

Of course this made me think. He is not the only person in the room that has this problem, he was just more honest about it, in the very Calvin (some of you know what I mean) way that he thinks and talks.

I'm not talking about my other children, I am talking about me. I mean, if I'm honest with myself I know exactly how I want to be treated, it just doesn't always connect to others. To be honest with myself and with you, I want to be thought of in a certain way, spoken of a certain way, talked to a certain way. I want to be shown common courtesy, shared with, cared for, asked about, and treated with respect. The problem is... well I might want those things too much. That is clearly a problem and is manifested in whining, complaining, responding in anger or some such thing if I am not treated this way. But I think there is another problem that it far more subtle and easy to avoid confronting in my own life, and perhaps some of you have experienced it as well. That problem is not thinking that I should think of, speak of, speak to and about others the very same way I want them to do to me! I might not think anything of treating certain people with disrespect or disdain, but if they did that to me I would be upset.

How often do find yourself angry, dumbfounded, or frustrated with how rudely someone treated you, how bluntly and graceless someone spoke to you, or how indifferently someone spoke about you? Have you ever been just incredulous that you gave someone good counsel and they didn't listen? Maybe they mocked you? Rolled their eyes at you? Argued with you? Maybe they just belittled the counsel to others and went their own way anyway?

How about this question? How often have you rolled your eyes, argued, mocked, belittled, or did what you wanted anyway, when someone gave you counsel? How often have you treated someone rudely, spoken bluntly without grace, spoken about someone with indifference, treated someone as less than you? When doing these things we usually don't think to ourselves, I am not going to treat others the way I want to be treated. We know we ought to treat others the way we want to be treated. The Bible says it, our parents told this to us everyday of our lives, but it got lost in translation! We apply it to us, as in, we expect certain treatment from other people. But, we do not actively think of ways to treat others in the same manner. It does not come naturally and yet somehow we act as if it does!

I am discovering that I must be very purposeful if I am going to live out the golden rule. I need to think before I act and speak.

If I love God with all I am and my neighbor as myself through the wonderful sustaining grace of our loving Lord than I will treat others the way I want to be treated. That is what loving God and people looks like.

It's All About........

"It's all about me!" I don't ever recall saying something like this, but is this indeed how I live?
How much time do I spend thinking about how what others say and do effect me?

The reason I complain, whine, fight, and speak out arrogantly against others because I am the center of my world and in reality I am saying: It's all about me!

But the truth is, it's about God! We are willing to say that. We proclaim it loudly, and sing about it and try to lead others to think that way, but is that the way we live? Is it really what we are saying? An illustration/story from a book I'm reading, Crazy Love, was helpful to me and has me thinking. I'd like to share it with you.

Francis Chan, the man who wrote this book, says, so many of us think and live like the movie of life is all bout us....... Now consider the movie of life............

God creates the world. (Were you alive then? Was God talking to you when He proclaimed "It is good" about all He just made?)
Then people rebelled against God (who, if you haven't realized yet, is the main character in the movie), and God floods the earth to rid it of the mess people made of it.
Several generations later, God singles out a ninety-nine-year- old man called Abram and makes him the father of a nation (did you have anything to do with this?).
Later, along come Joseph and Moses and many other ordinary and inadequate people that the movie is not about. God is the one who picks them and directs them and works miracles through them. In the next scene, God sends judges and prophets to His nation because the people can't seem to give Him the one thing He asks of them (obedience).
And then, the climax: The Son of God is born among the people whom God still somehow loves. While in this world, the son teaches His followers what true love looks like. Then the Son of God dies and is resurrected and goes back up to be with God.

And even though the movie isn't quite finished yet, we know what the last scene holds. It's a scene Fracis Chan describes in chapter one of his book: the throne room of God. Here every being worships God who sits on the throne, for he alone is worthy to be praised.

The author goes on to say, that from start to finish, the movie is obviously about God. He is the main character in the movie. How is it possible that we live as though it is about us? Our scene in the movie, our brief lives, fall somewhere between the time Jesus ascends into heaven (Acts) and when we will all worship God on His throne in heaven (Revelation). We have only our two-fifths of a second long scene to live. Then he challenges us to ask whether we are going to make our two-fifth of a second about us or about God?

It is after all about God. It is God's movie, His world, His gift.

Who is your life about? Is your life lived like God has captured your heart , soul, mind, and strength? Are enamoured with Him or yourself? What does a life captivated, thrilled, and wrapped up in God look like?

These are things I am evaluating and ask that you join me on this journey.

What are you doing to purposefully cultivate a deeper love for God? Please feel free to share how you are doing this and perhaps we can encourage one another to make much Him.

My New Years Resolution

Whenever the New Year approaches I like asking what people are resolving to do this coming year. It is always interesting, you hear everything from losing weight, to more consistent Bible reading, to renewing relationships lost or you may get a little " bah, I don't do resolutions because nobody actually keeps those anyway" response. But I remain interested in where people feel the need to improve or where interests are picked up or renewed.

For me when I use this time of reflection on the past year my sins and weaknesses seem overwhelming so I am often battling that with remembering the cross especially around this time. I then resolve to read "The Cross Centered Life" again. And hence my journey begins in reminding myself and preaching the gospel to myself everyday for the next year. I start my Bible reading plan yet again and I realize that in general I have the same resolutions every single year. Some kept, some not, like the " I'm going to run every single day all year long" resolution. But the constant ones that I can't help but resolve to do, and then do, is read the word and meditate on the gospel. I hope that many of us will be encouraged and keep in mind Betsy's post on the value of being daily in the Word as we battle against our flesh.

I am also still reflecting, evaluating and losing/ winning in areas that I reflected on last year on my Xanga, so I am not going to be giving a huge list of personal resolutions when I am still working on the same stuff from last year! :)

The one new thing I am determined to do this year though is do a more thorough study on love in the Bible. I do not want to study it for the sake of more knowledge, but I do want my love to abound more and more.(Phil.1:9) And I want the Lord to increase my love for others.(1Thess.3:12)
One Bible commentator said, The Christian may not rest in any measure of attainment, however great, but must always be stretching out after a closer approximation to the standard, which is Christ. Hence, I wish to become more intimately acquainted with the love of Jesus so my heart can all the more sing: More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee! I am moved by the words of Maurice Robert, Then let every Christian take up the duty of Christian love with tenfold seriousness. Our life's work must be to call down heaven's help upon ourselves that we may bend towards the great command to love one another. So there you have it, I want to learn about and pray for more love. I plan on doing this through marking what I read on love during my normal Bible reading as well as reading some good books that take up this subject. I am already almost done with Love or Die by Alexander Strauch, which has a short study guide with it that I am going to use.

What about you? I am interested in your reflections and resolutions. I am also interested in any suggested reading on the subject of love, or any thoughts from those who have done more study in this area. Thank you!

Meditation on Love and Foster Care

Pastor Matt just preached a sermon on Love out of 1 Cor. 13, known as the love chapter. ( It isn't on sermon audio yet, but I hope to see it there soon) We have heard much about love over the years in sermons including a few from Rick. This one comes to mind as one I would like to listen to again. The difference this time for me is having an outlet for discussion in small group. It allowed me not only to listen to, but interact with and take to heart and examine much more carefully the areas that I can see where I struggle to live out Corinthians 13. Notice I said the areas I can see. I am sure that there are more that I am not seeing, but I have been able to reflect on a few things and be challenged a bit at a time.... praise God.

Recently Rick has been promoting foster care here at TBC and many of my thoughts lead me right back to this very subject. Rick and I have never actually done official foster parenting, so we have no real experience and can only go by what we are told by those who have been heavily involved. But much to my shame, when I think of foster care I think of how hard it might be. You see I love myself too much. Back when we only had two kids and were pregnant with our third we had what is called a "voluntary placement" and my friends, it was one nightmare after another. Much effort, time, and tears were put into this young lady and her family both before and after her time living with us and from start to finish it was an emotional, physical, and spiritual roller coaster that was anything but exciting. And, though to this day I think and care for this family, it left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. So much put in, nothing in return but heartache! Then I think, are we crazy to try to become foster parents??? What about my 4 going on 5 children? I won't be able to parent foster children the same way I do my own; there are rules and guidelines which must be followed. These are extremely self- focused thoughts, not loving at all. True love acts with expectation of nothing in return. Fostering isn't about building your family. It is a way Rick and I, if the Lord wills, desire to impact our community with the gospel and it will have to be done with real gospel love. It will have to be done in a Corinthians 13 manner. Rick has convinced me through his self-sacrificing example and hopeful attitude that this is something we should be doing, again if the Lord permits. And, I would like to encourage any of you that perhaps brushed it out of your mind because it might cost you and your family too much, to reconsider. Please don't pursue it for your own sake. It won't work, because it isn't going to be a real family building experience, it might hurt emotionally and be physically draining. Remember that sacrifice even unto death doesn't matter if love isn't present; but for the glory of God and in genuine love might this be a way to evangelize Kenosha, Milwaukee and Racine? We have talked much in our church recently about becoming more outfacing and some of you are much more active in evangelizing than I am, but how are we at TBC loving our community in such a way that it spotlights Jesus? I have admired Dave Fantl's involvement with the handicapped at Shepherds Ministries (I mention this because he is one I know that has established a witness in the community through something tangible like this) and it seems to me that fostering is another way (for Rick and I anyway) to love like Jesus and give good news to a hopeless community. I plead with you again to consider if this may be a way to love for sake of Jesus Christ. Remember that if you commit to the meeting to learn more about foster care it is not a commitment to do foster care. In fact, getting certified doesn't mean you have to take children, so please consider this opportunity and join the many who have gone before us to help other families in our community. God bless!

Please come back tomorrow for more thoughts on foster care from Nichole.

Needing a Hero…

Recently I watched the move “The Guardian” (which is about Coast Guard rescue swimmers) at the recommendation of my brother-in-law Johnny (who is a Coast Guard helicopter mechanic who also rides third seat and operates the winch in the rescue helicopters). This movie really stirs up your emotions and also causes me to really respect the heroic actions of the men and women of our military. It raises in me a longing for a hero.

What is a hero? Well in this movie it is someone who ultimately sacrifices everything to rescue the person who is drowning or shipwrecked, etc. They undergo harsh training and long hours of exposure to the elements in order to be made ready/capable of doing their job of being a rescue swimmer… of being a hero. These people don’t get great pay or lots of recognition but they do the really important job of saving lives. In this particular movie at least one character dies so that they can save someone else’s life. Watching this gets a mixed reaction from me. First (of course) I cry… how sad that he had to die to rescue the other person. Second, I try to solve the situation that brought about his death… “What if they had just done… then no one would have had to die”. Third, I am filled with a sense of honor for the real hero’s in this world.

Then my mind turns to spiritual things. I know of a real hero. I too was rescued from spiritual death. My hero was Jesus. My hero had to undergo harsh training and long hours of exposure to the elements, as well as temptation and hardship as part of His preparation for the task of rescuing the lost ones. He had to sacrifice everything in order to fulfill His calling of being the Hero. He didn’t just leave some cozy house to jump into a freezing cold ocean to rescue peoples’ lives; He left Heaven and all His glory in order to come to earth to rescue peoples’ souls and to exalt the justice of God to His glory. He wasn’t one sinful guy dying to rescue another sinful guy, He was a sinless God/Man who would die to save the sinful guy and in the process make him righteous. He’s a Hero on a MUCH BIGGER LEVEL! He doesn’t just save a guy and set him loose to do his own thing; He saves him and makes him new. He gives him a new heart, new desires and the Holy Spirit to guide him, and then sets him loose into society to go out and rescue the perishing with His words of life, too.

Now remember my reaction to the movie? I have a similar reaction to these thoughts. First I am sad… how sad (on a much grander scale) that Jesus had to die to rescue/save me and all the rest of His sheep. Second, I try to solve it… “If we just hadn’t sinned in the garden…" (Stupid, I know). Third, I am filled with a sense of honor and respect for Jesus my hero… the REAL hero. But there are other effects, too. I am humbled that the mighty one, the perfect one would sacrifice so much to save one so worthless. I am filled with thanks and praise that my Heavenly Father would give up His Beloved Son Jesus to save us prodigal children: filthy, vile, rebellious, slanderous enemies that we were. I am reminded and as such encouraged in remembering that Jesus doesn’t save us and then leave us to return to our past lives of sin. He sent the Holy Spirit to guide and convict us, so I can trust that He is at work in me and the fellow believers around me… which puts to rest my fears and anxieties.

I am reminded of a few verses… Matthew 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” This reminds me that it’s not the physical that is so important but the spiritual and God is the one I am accountable to. As well as ... Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" This reminds me that God was willing to send His own Son to be our Hero… so He’ll also send everything else that we need. He really is a finisher! He saves us fully and completes His work. What an awesome God we serve and what an awesome Hero, Jesus is!