In a perfect world...

My friends have said,

• why don't you ever talk about your problems? Your life must be perfect.

I personally interpret this as them believing it is true, that they assume that it is true, that nothing I can teach them is applicable to their problems.

Others say,

• nothing good happens to me. My life is horrible. The only reason I am still standing is because of this, or that.

• Nothing good happens to me, so this can't be happening.

My friend who I'll leave unnamed explained it this way

• "We each deal with different things in different ways. I wish you the best of luck really" 

Another friend explained it

• "Its really no big deal. Different strokes for different folks. I have my beliefs that work for me and you have yours that work for you :)"

I'm not going to deny the fact that people don't see what I suffer through, that my trust isn't always in the right place, and that I TOO am intimidated by other Christians who's lives seem flawless. But what example would we be setting living for Christ if our flaws were blatantly obvious for all to see? 
Personally, I agree and disagree with the last statement. I find the best speakers the one's that I can relate to, the one's that share their burdens and show how God got them through each battlefield. That's why people who have had 360 life changes become motivational speakers... because their lives have to be relatively worse than ours, don't they?


When I speak faith to people, faith in Jesus Christ, I am exposing myself, my heart. Every time I stand up against someone for Christ, I am hoping to see change that gives me the strength to continue. Giving more than people want to hear stresses me out, but when was Jesus not stressed for us? Didn't he suffer through every trial for us? Jesus was a gift to us, but do we ever look at our lives as a trial of faith for Him?


I, like everyone else, can live every day believing I am not good enough. I, like everyone else, can mope about leaving everyone I love for a career. But does that change anything? No, it just adds to the stress. When I lean on God, I am fearless. 


I know from experience that I hate when people say... Satan is manipulating you, but really, if you looked at every choice you made, how many of them would Jesus have made to the same end?

1 Peter 1:6-7

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

If you think about your past experiences, what has or hasn't bettered you? What has or hasn't made you stronger? Is it easier for you to block out God and trust no one?

 Matthew 13:14 You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.


In Kay Arthur's book "Lord Only You Can Change Me" (which, admittedly I was lent over a year ago and am finally getting to the end of it because I too, didn't want to hear what it had to say because it is sometimes easier to resist change and stay angry) I have learned so much of the sufferings of Christians. 

Haralan Popov wrote about communism terrorizing believers in attempt of destroying the Christian faith:

"As the fires of persecution grew, they burned away the chaff and stubble and left only the golden wheat. The suffering purified the church and united the believers in a wonderful spirit of brotherly love such as must have existed in the early church. Petty differences were put aside. Brethren loved and cared for one another and carried one another's burdens. There were no nominal or 'lukewarm' believers" (Popov in Arthur 217)

So, I might ask, why can't we lean on each other and share each other's burdens? Why do we fight to compete instead of embracing each other? Why do we have to do it alone? 
The answer is, 
We don't have to do it alone. But when we suffer our own grievances instead of giving them over to God, we can't embrace our sisters and brothers in Christ who need us most. What if God allowed Satan to take away from us the one thing that was holding us together? Who would we lean on then?

This is my prayer...

Ephesians 3:16-21

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Wednesday NT90X

Wednesday May 18 

Matthew 10:16-17

Jesus to his disciples "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in synagogues.

Matthew 11:16-17

To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 

'We played the pipe for you, 

and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge,

and you did not mourn.' (This is me without the spirit)

Matthew 11:20

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent

  ^11:25-30 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

NT90X Verses that move

Monday May 16

Matthew 7:21  

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven." 

Tuesday May 17

Matthew 8:3 

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone.

Matthew 9:16-17

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

NT90X, Fish with the spiritual water of life

Its been nearly a month. It's been since Easter that I have had anything to say. Everyday since school got out I've been mopey. Sleeping till forever, not relying on God for my strength in packing and this move. I've decided to do NT90X , reading the entire new testament in 90 days over the summer. I think my lack of willingness to do this before has kept me from trusting fully. I have chosen a few verses every day to post  from the reading. Since I didn't start posting verses on here, I will copy what I posted from facebook here. I have chosen verses to make people think. To understand. The Bible is written for all to understand and believe, but the verses are only fully understood in context, so I recommend you read the New Testament, Matthew- Revelation, with me, in your own time or over the summer as I am. The old testament defines the prophesy of Jesus to come, the New Testament is Jesus fullfilling the Old Testament's prophesy.

Sunday May 15 

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:19

Following reading Matthew 1-4 Monday night (a day late) I had a dream. My good friend Cory and I, who recently graduated from Plant Pathology at MSU, wanted to be student teachers at a school. I inquired through talking to the Principal of the school and Cory talked to a teacher directly. The irony was this was an internship position. Neither of us would get paid. we wanted to serve. Cory, who talked to a teacher directly, got in, the principal wanted nothing to do with me. I decided to inquire at a private school and got in.
I had a dream that my neighbor's mother became a teacher at that school and I was going to be her assistant. The first day, she wanted me to share the story of Jesus. I decided to bring in my pet fish.
Upon entering the school, I realized my once full tank was out of water. My fish were hardly alive.  I remember in the dream how easy it seemed to talk about Jesus who I loved so much.
This was my analogy for class.
"Children, we are fishers for men as Jesus's disciples. Men are like fish, without the spiritual water given to us by Jesus, we die. My fish, without water, were close to death. This is our spiritual condition without Christ. Today I will give you each one of my fish, to keep on your desk, to feed to livelyhood. With renewed spiritual water, we can bring those around us to the life we have found through the spiritual water- just like the fish did."

An Easter poem

With love Jesus bound
His body to a tree
His perfection the battle ground
Kneeling to God did He.
The thorns and needles took
His skin of bleeding sweat
Through love his surrender shook
Forgiving sinners' repentance.
For lying not in the grave
After 3 days did He
Arise from the dead and save
Lives exponentially.

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDZU5wZydBo
 Written for my baptism Nov 1 2009:
http://emmie-lynne.deviantart.com/art/Baptism-Poem-142065388

Getting what we want

I was surprised to learn something new at church today when I've heard the story of Christ dying on the cross yet again, but I shouldn't be. Today it was a lesson of the heart. I would like to thank Noel Heikkinen for doing such a great job at opening my heart. The reason I have been unhappy over the last week is due to a feeling of failure I have put on myself to carry the spirit. I had a yearning to be closer to God, but I thought the only way I could do that was through going to Summer Project far away from home. My depression wasn't from displeasing Christ, but from feeling I have disappointed others and would also fail to show Christ's love without proper training. While part of these things are true, I also felt responsible for my family. I couldn't tell my father that I was going to do things my way in order to please God. My earthly family needs my assistance this summer, and to abandon them is a sin.

1 Timothy 5:8

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 

Therefore, I should not feel guilt or feel overly apologetic for having applied for summer project and having to turn down acceptance. Instead, I should view it and the application process as a time of cleansing:

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 

God does not make mistakes. I would like to recognize the kindness I received when I felt I was letting Chicago Summer Project down:

Thank you so much for letting me know, Emmie.  I'm sorry you won't be joining us but I do understand how something like this could happen.  I wish you the best and trust with you that God has something sweet in store for your summer.  Please be in touch if anything changes.

~nancy :)

My friend mentioned that her advisor said she was being vague with her life, not choosing something and sticking with it. While dedicating our lives to a passion, it doesn't mean we don't mistakes, and it doesn't mean we spending every waking hour on what we choose will make us any more fit to be successful. My boyfriend warned me of getting burnt out early. I wanted so badly to seek Christ first, and with one disappointment I became lazy and depressed. I missed class on Friday, was late to meet with a friend Friday night, was idle Saturday, and was late for church today. Laziness is a sin.

Proverbs 19:15

Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.

What are we going hungry for? Is it a lack of working at a job that results in literal hunger? Is it carelessness in our homework resulting in poor grades? or is it an overall emptiness left by the absence of Christ who we ignore when we choose our way over His? What is satisfying us?

Matthew 19:25

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Though this verse makes a generalization about rich people, it also recognizes a satisfaction the wealthy have in their actions. They deem money the root of their success, not in their spiritual contentment found in relying on God.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Ecclesiastes 10:18

Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks.

So, away from my tangent to key verses I'd like to reflect on in the sermon.

Just a reminder, Jesus knew the old testament well, so he knew what was coming even before his death.

Old testament- before Christ- prophesy of what would happen to Jesus
Psalm 22:14-15
I am poured out like water,  
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;  
it has melted within me.
My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,  
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;  
you lay me in the dust of death.

New Testament-Jesus's crucifiction

John 19:28

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”
One of Noel's comments was that most Christians view putting the sponge up to Christ's lips as an act of compassion or pity, but after speaking to his friend who knew more of the historical significance of a sponge on a stick, this action can be looked at as mockery or disgrace. In rich people bathrooms back in those times, perfectly shaped holes were made in a concrete slab for sitting on and a hole in the front of the concrete slabs - between the legs- allowed the person to access running water. This running water was used to clean oneself after going to the bathroom.Their long clothing covered them from exposure as all these people would sit in a row with no walls between them. The sponge on a stick was used with the running water by slaves to make a little extra cash by wiping the people's butts. Due to using the same sponge on many people, infection developed and they began using sour wine instead.
Since Jesus spoke I am thirsty to fulfill the prophesy and not to be quenched by mankind, how do you look at Jesus's sacrifice any differently? Noel related sin to taxes, and sin to death, both which are guaranteed by this world. Death is a punishment or tax for sin by God. But through sending Jesus Christ to die for us, we no longer must pay that tax. The bible calls this "Tetelestai" which means "it is finished," Jesus's last words in John 19:30. This was stamped on paid tax papers to show that the tax had been collected. "It is finished" was like Jesus saying "mission accomplished," once for all time. SO, do we represent this picture of Christ? choosing to live for Christ instead of our own desires? Where do we fall when our relationship with our families are analyzed? Do we speak truth at all times? Do we blame others for our own condition?

Deuteronomy 24:16

Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.

Colossians 2:13-15

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.



image:

http://www.christianwallpapers.net/wallpapers/crucifixion_of_jesus_christ_with_dramatic_sky_and_lightning-800x600.jpg

Patience, judgement, and love

 Love

Romans 13:8

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Judgement
Genesis 31:37

Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.

Forgiveness
John 8:4-8 

and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

Patience

Proverbs 14:29

Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

Proverbs 19:11

A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.