The last appeal

Stephen’s last appeal to the hard hearts of the Pharisees…

“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 

“Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 

“Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.” *

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Circumcision was one of the Pharisees' most important laws and ceremonies, so to call them uncircumcised was a huge disgrace. And in their heart and ears?

They also took great pride in the prophets, but they killed each of them that foretold of the Messiah, and then they ended up killing Him too.

The law was their pride and joy, but as Stephen pointed out, in reality, they had not kept it, even though their whole point of being Pharisees was that they were strictly law-keepers.

How easily we can profess to be and do something (and be proud of it!), but actually not be faithful in those very things...

*Acts 7:51-53

Timothy

A touching story...

that requires action.

Watch, and see if you don't shed a few tears yourself...


Timothy from Reel Mission Productions on Vimeo.

(thanks, Schane.)

The little stuff

It's the little things that really brighten life. I keep a list of simple things that cheer me and remind me of God's ever-present love. Here's a condensed version:

• Adobe InDesign.
• Music alarms on my iPod.
• Scripture Typer.
• An organized to do list.
• Encouraging blogposts (especially missions or practical and applicable spiritual truths).
• Old songbooks (ever heard of Literature Evangelists Sing?).
• Sleeping in.
• Special nuggets from studying God's Word.
• Expecting packages in the mail.
• Listening to owls hooting in the woods.
• Productive Sundays.
• Being the last house on a country road (in other words, the middle of nowhere).
• Starting memorization on a new chapter in Acts.
• Friends who know just how to cheer me up.
• Summer.
• A pile of books to read.
• The mail-order library (where the above books come from.)
• Full moon brightness.
• My cozy little bedroom.
• Hot dogs over the fire.
• Having plenty of time to simply READ (rare, indeed).
• Homemade laundry soap.
• Christmas peacefulness.
• Missionary friends to pray for.
• Church Christmas programs (especially cute kiddos who steal the show).
• Busy work days.
• Sitting next to a wiggly 4-year-old (and then he flings arms round you and proclaims, "I love you!").
• Design assistants.
• Reading back through my journal and seeing how God has led.
• A warm kitty girl sleeping by my feet all night.
• Diminishing my list of memorization review left to do.

Mission in the moment

The big picture is important, but individual moments are what counts:

The Mission in the Moment (Jeffrey Dean) from gotandem on Vimeo.

Thinking back on yesterday

Funny how a month and day can seem completely normal and mundane to one person, and yet hold year-to-year meaning for another...

It's amazing just how much can occur in the time frame of just one revolution around the sun. And yet, if today is in the context of just yesterday, or the day before, I don't see much change. I have to flip the pages of my journal all the way back to February 24 of last year and see just what has been recorded since then.

The question is posed again: Am I any different than I was last year? My journal reminds me that the answer is yes. Absolutely yes. Lessons learned, challenges embarked on, new burdens placed on my heart, all morph to change the very core of this body and mind that is me.

God has changed me. It's not the end of the journey by any means, but I am encouraged to see His working so clearly.

This year's goal: surrender. To know Him more, so fully that nothing can separate. To be able to read my journal a year from now and see once again that God has molded me to be an even closer resemblance to His beautiful character of love.

Are you watching?

What will it profit us to cherish pride of spirit... 
and pray for humility? 

What will it profit to seek eagerly the friendship and applause of the world...
and pray for heavenly affections?

What will it profit to indulge in passionate temper and un-Christlike words...
and then ask for the meekness of Christ? 

This is not watching unto prayer.

In the lack of that faith that works by love and purifies the soul 
lies the secret of unanswered prayer.

If the church will arise in the strength of God to meet her responsibilities, 
consecrating to God every power,
the Spirit of the Lord will be poured out in rich abundance.

—from Manuscript 35, January 8, 1893, "Publishing Work."


Oh, to know Him... to know His grace.

Believe. Trust. Obey.

They didn't know who God was. If they did, they wouldn't have said it.

"Because the LORD hated us, He hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us."*

It's not even possible for God to hate; He only loves. So why did they even think this? Their interpretation was influenced by their unbelief, distrust, and fear.

They didn't believe the giants could be overcome. Because of this, they lost the promise.

Their error? They didn't believe. They didn't obey. They didn't trust the God who had led them so far already (as Moses reminded them).

They lost the promise, and as soon as they heard it, they were repentant. But God would no longer listen. He was among them no longer. He told them not to try to fight the giants, because His power wasn't with them.

They fought anyway. But the victory went to the Amorites, as God had already said. They didn't believe Him - again. (Just shows that they weren't really repentant the first time they said it)

God knows what He's talking about. He knows what is best. The task might look difficult, even life-threatening, but He knows.

Believe Him. Trust Him.

And not only that...

Obey Him (right away).

*Deuteronomy 1:27