My Purpose

I haven't shared from my personal daily readings for a long time.  But this morning I can't help it.  This captures our reason and focus for living--and I continue to be incredibly blessed by my journey through the book of Revelation.

Here's a thought from today's reading:

Monday, July 23, 2012 
Revelation 15

v. 4-6: Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”  After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.  And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and
having their chests girded with golden bands.

Impression:  God’s judgment results in our worship.  And those who administer His justice do so in holiness and righteousness.  There is nothing dirty, shameful, wrong, or self-exalting in the angels God sends to deliver His wrath.

Application:  I am not God’s instrument of wrath.  God has agents designed for that purpose.  My purpose, along with all the saints is to fear, glorify and worship God (v. 4).  I am a lowly creature whose vision is limited, whose ability is finite, whose loyalty is divided.  But God has chosen me to glorify Him.  I have the opportunity each day, each hour, to honor and exalt Him with what He’s given.  Am I willing to do that in my home?  In our marriage?  Our community?  Our church?  With my gifts? With our resources?

Oh, God, grant me a heart of worship, hands of service, and wholehearted devotion.  I am incapable of any of these apart from your faithful, loving, guiding Hand.

"He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Vacation Bible School

We are hosting Vacation Bible School this week.  When someone in our neighborhood or church mentions Vacation Bible School (VBS), we don't just nod and say, "Oh, yes, it's about time for VBS."  We say, "VBS sure is fun!" and think of the explosion that 's about to take place.

Pastor Waldron has a vision to reach children.  The children of our neighborhood specifically.  We run an all-day, every day VBS for about 150 children each summer with about 40 volunteer staff.  We're not a large congregation.  We may have 180 for Sunday worship, so VBS numbers rival our total attendance.

Yesterday the emphasis was on sin.  Defining it, giving specific Scripture and examples.  At one point, a fellow worker came and got me to help counsel a young girl who responded to the Bible story.  As we talked about sin, tears rolled down her face and she hid behind her fists. We looked at 1 Peter 3:18 where Peter wrote about Jesus, the just, dying once for the unjust, to bring us to God.  After asking for God's forgiveness and confessing belief in Jesus she looked at me with large wet eyes, "I just don't want to be a sinner anymore."  I couldn't agree more.  What a beautiful picture of redemption!

God is doing a work.  It's not our work, it's His, but we are laboring in partnership with Him for the gospel this week, for the eternity of souls.  Please pray with and for us.

Doing Battle

One night last week at Jr. High camp, I lay awake praying.  And praying.  Opposition from the girls was fierce—their disinterest in chapel services, constant arguing, conflict, and resistance to instructions.  On that particular night a fourth girl in our cabin made a profession of faith.  When we got back to the room after post-chapel counseling, the others were stewing and steaming.  Someone bumped a mirror and it shattered on the cement floor.  My bedside light was unplugged.  Plugging it in resulted in a hiss, pop, and show of sparks.  We lost power.  Girls screamed and jumped at each other, calling out names from horror movies.

I slept after power was restored and having read from Psalms, but awoke at 2:30a.m., restless.   At some point I found myself musing over the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and was thankful for the many sermons and illustrations over the years.

My first thought was for my head and mind.  I had a very real need for the helmet of salvation.  Not only would it protect my ability to think and function, it was a very real barrier between life and death.  I was comforted by its weight and fit.  It did not shift.  It would not impair my vision or ability to fight.

I remembered the belt of truth.  Gathering the uncertainties and self-doubt rumbling in my mind, I quoted Scripture.  Taking hold of untruth and pulling reality into folds, I rearranged and tucked it in where it belonged so deceit would no longer hinder my freedom to act in faith.

Next, the breastplate of righteousness.  Not mine, Christ’s.  As sin and guilt surfaced, I confessed my sin and asked God for the gift of repentance.  My vital spiritual organs are vulnerable—my emotions, my memories, my inner workings—but in Christ they are covered , beyond the reach of the adversary.  Christ Himself stands between my guilt, my sin, my shame and the accusations of the evil one.

Oh, the gospel of peace.  I desperately needed and asked for this.  In my fight against rulers, powers, world forces of darkness and spiritual forces of wickedness, I recognized my weakness to strike out at people and circumstances.  I needed spiritual feet that could stand, settled and confident, fully resting in God’s ability to wage war while I stood rooted in peace and serenity toward those around me.

Even as I prayed, the shield of faith was moving, darting, blocking distracting thoughts, thwarting excuses, justification for my own sinful choices, and random musings.  How necessary to know, to believe, to take hold of, God.  He was.  He is.  He will be.  And He provides the faith necessary to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

With the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, in hand, I prayed.  For those who had trusted in Christ, for those who hadn’t, for my weakness and tendency to sin, for those around me, for the speakers, for my family at home.  It was a couple of hours before I had peace and rested into morning.  And now, on this side of that specific battle, I have a greater understanding of the armor of God.  How necessary each piece is and how God has armed us to stand firm.  And having done all, to stand.