Recovered In Christ

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Most of us have been terribly afraid of dealing with real emotional pain…phobic in fact. But all of our attempts to hide and flee from soul stretching pain does nothing except cause those wounds to fester. Christ’s healing power does not remove the sting of our pain in order that we may experience transcendent joy…rather, his glory is revealed in the darkest places of our pain. Our joy is in finding him in the loneliest places of ourselves.

“In my deepest wound I saw your glory, and it dazzled me.”
– Augustine of Hippo

Read Full Post »

People who mock and deride the Bible’s account of creation remind me of my extended peasant family in the villages outside of Damascus, Syria, who could not grasp the simple idea of a microwave…”But…but how is it possible to cook something in a matter of minutes that fire would need hours to do??…how is it possible that the inner walls of the microwave are not hot to the touch even though the food is? Surely you are not serious!!” Trying to explain to them the behavior of water molecules and electromagnetic waves produces the same look in their eyes that talking about God’s sovereignty over time and space produces in even the brightest of non believers.

They think it takes a turning away from science and ‘reason’ to accept the possibility that God created the universe in the way he says he did in Genesis…when the truth is, their blind faith in the impossibility of a God who works outside the confines of their understanding is truly the most unscientific attitude there is.

It is as insane to deny an intelligent creator as it is for my friends down at the mental institution to deny that there are trees and grass in the park we sit in – trees and grass that we can plainly see but that they are unable to. It is not for lack of evidence. But lack of sanity. Spiritual sanity.

On the flip side – ‘believers’ who mock and deride those who cannot accept God at his word – do not understand the nature of fallen man and his inability to see the truth of the Gospel, to see what is so plain to a believer. He has substituted God’s supernatural work of grace that has dropped the scales from his eyes for a prideful jeering. Careful brother, for it is God’s mercy alone that enables you to see. It is God’s power alone that has corrected your perverted vision. Make sure your footing is stable lest it be you that slips.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,  because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”  Romans 1:18-24

Read Full Post »

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

St. Valentine…
I hope you remember the real story of St. Valentine today…that because he worshipped Jesus openly as his King…back in those times, that was viewed by the emperor as treason…Valentine was beheaded when he refused to renounce Christ as His Only King, not because he was so brave, but because he literally could no longer deny the Love of his life! The story goes, that while waiting for his execution he healed the jailor’s daughter who was a deaf mute…..can you imagine, the kind of love it takes to literally give up your human life because you are that much in Love with Jesus….can you imagine having that much love…that you would heal your jailor’s daughter??

Now, can you imagine the burning Love and agonizing passion it would take for God to give up his life so that we could go free?

That is THE real meaning of Love…you can’t get it, you can only receive it!

I pray that today you experience the burning zeal, yet utter peace and clarity that can only be experienced through the presence of the King, Jesus the Christ.

“Authentic love involves sacrifice. Love involves the total giving of self.”

 Love can even mean “laying down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13)

“There is transcendent meaning in sacrifice and suffering. If endured for the good of others, it is truly sanctifying (1) and salvific (2). To a world that tries to avoid discomfort of any sort, this seems ridiculous. Instead, it is just one of countless examples of how the way of Truth runs counter to human expectations. This, by the way, has always been the case. The first people to hear the story of Jesus were just as struck as we are today at the strangeness of it. Saint Paul wrote 2,000 years ago, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians:18)”

“Passion stems from the Latin work pati, meaning “to suffer.” The stem pass comes from the word passive meaning “capable of suffering.” Pass was coined in the early 16th century to denote “the suffering of Christ on the cross.” English also acquired the word through the Old French word passion meaning “strength of feeling.” This has been transferred in our modern times to denote sexual attraction and anger. Webster states the word passion “is a strong feeling, especially of anger, love or desire.” It says that passion “is an emotion, an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.” It also says that passion “is the sufferings of Christ between the night of the last supper and His death.” Interestingly enough one version states, “it is also the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces.” What stronger force is there then God? Wasn’t it God who wanted “The passion of Jesus” to be a reality?”

Read Full Post »

“Behold, I am with you always” says Jesus Christ. This has been a verse close to my heart since the moment I heard it years ago. Its meaning to me has changed significantly since scripture stopped being my custom made band aid anytime I was wounded (usually by self inflicted spiritual wounds) and instead, became what it really is – the word of God.

In obeying Christ’s command of being discipled and baptized in His Name, and being taught to obey everything he taught the apostles and early disciples…I have become absolutely convinced of the perfection and reason for his following words…and surely/behold/lo….I am with you always, to the very end.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 18-20

Only those who have been truly born again and are heart committed to doing the will of the Father in bringing souls to Christ and welcoming them to his ONE family…ONE kingdom and ONE body will truly appreciate the need of the Lord being with us in our efforts to win them to Christ rather than to our particular group or church.

Below are some excerpts from one of the greatest teachers of God – Charles Spurgeon, who deals with this with true grace and simplicity. I have attached a link to his full sermon below, I pray that God will use it to bless you and enlighten you and encourage you as you read it.

Much Love
Layla

“Now, in the course of our ministry, we shall meet with many failures in this matter of soul-winning. There are many birds that I have thought I had caught; I have even managed to put salt on their tails, but they have gone flying off after all. I remember one man, whom I will call Tom Careless. He was the terror of the village in which he lived. There were many incendiary fires in the region, and most people attributed them to him. Sometimes, he would be drunk for two or three weeks at a spell, and then he raved and raged like a madman. That man came to hear me; I recollect the sensation that went through the little chapel when he came in. He sat there, and fell in love with me; I think that was the only conversion that he experienced, but he professed to be converted.

He had, apparently, been the subject of genuine repentance, and he became outwardly quite a changed character, gave up his drinking and swearing, and was in many respects an exemplary individual. I remember seeing him tugging a barge, with perhaps a hundred people on board, whom he was drawing up to a place where I was going to preach; and he was glorying in the work, and singing as gladly and happily as any one of them. If anybody spoke a word against the Lord or His servant, he did not hesitate a moment, but knocked him over. Before I left the district, I was afraid that there was no real work of grace in him; he was a wild Red Indian sort of a man. I have heard of him taking a bird, plucking it, and eating it raw in the field. This is not the act of a Christian man, it is not one of the things that are comely, and of good repute. After I left the neighbourhood, I asked after him, and I could hear nothing good of him; the spirit that kept him outwardly right was gone, and he became worse than he was before, if that was possible; certainly, he was no better, he was unreachable by any agency.

That work of mine did not stand the fire; it would not bear even ordinary temptation, you see, after the person who had influence over the man was gone away. When you move from the village or town where you have been preaching, it is very likely that some, who did run well, will go back. They have an affection for you, and your words have a kind of mesmeric influence over them; and when you are gone, the dog will return to his vomit, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Do not be in a hurry to count these supposed converts; do not take them into the church too soon; do not be too proud of their enthusiasm if it is not accompanied with some degree of softening, and tenderness, to show that the Holy Spirit has really been at work within them.

I remember another case of quite a different sort. I will call this person Miss Mary Shallow, for she was a young lady, who was never blessed with many brains; but living in the same house with several Christian young ladies she also professed to be converted. When I conversed with her, there was apparently everything that one could wish for. I thought of proposing her to the church; but it was judged best to give her a little trial first. After a while, she left the associations of the place where she had lived, and went where she had nothing much to help her; and I never heard anything more of her except that her whole time was spent in dressing herself as smartly as she could, and in frequenting gay society. She is a type of those who have not much mental furniture; and if the grace of God does not take possession of the empty space, they very soon go back into the world.

I have known several like a young man whom I will call Charlie Clever, uncommonly clever fellows at anything and everything, very clever at counterfeiting religion when they took up with it. They prayed very fluently; they tried to preach, and did it very well; whatever they did, they did it off-hand, it was as easy to them as kissing their hand. Do not be in a hurry to take such people into the church; they have known no humiliation on account of sin, no brokenness of heart, no sense of divine grace. They cry, “All serene!” and away they go; but you will find that they will never repay you for your labour and trouble. They will be able to use the language of God’s people as well as the best of His saints, they will even talk of their doubts and fears, and they will get up a deep experience in five minutes. They are a little too clever, and they are calculated to do much mischief when they get into the church; so keep them out if you possibly can.

I remember one who was very saintly in his talk, I will call him John Fairspeech. Oh! how cunningly he could act the hypocrite, getting among our young men, and leading them into all manner of sin and iniquity, and yet he would call and see me, and have half-an-hour’s spiritual conversation! An abominable wretch, who was living in open sin at the very time that he was seeking to come to the Lord’s table, and joining our societies, and anxious to be a leading man in every good work. Keep your weather eye open, brethren! They will come to you with money in their hands, like Peter’s fish with the silver in its mouth; and they will be so helpful in the work! They speak so softly, and they are such perfect gentlemen! Yes, I believe Judas was a man exactly of that kind, very clever at deceiving those around him. We must mind that we do not get any of these into the church if we can anyhow keep them out. You may say to yourself; at the close of a service, “Here is a splendid haul of fish!” Wait a bit.

Remember our Saviour’s words, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind; which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.” Do not number your fishes before they are broiled; nor count your converts before you have tested and tried them. This process may make your work somewhat slow; but then, brethren, it will be sure. Do your work steadily and well, so that those who come after you may not have to say that it was far more trouble to them to clear the church of those who ought never to have been admitted than it was to you to admit them. If God enables you to build three thousand bricks into His spiritual temple in one day, you may do it; but Peter has been the only bricklayer who has accomplished that feat up to the present. Do not go and paint the wooden wall as if it were solid stone; but let all your building be real, substantial, and true, for only this kind of work is worth the doing. Let all your building for God be like that of the apostle Paul, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

“We do not regard it to be soul-winning to steal members out of churches already established, and train them to utter our peculiar Shibboleth (a distinguishing custom or principle): we aim rather at bringing souls to Christ than at making converts to our synagogue….

….There is such a thing as selfishness in our eagerness for the aggrandizement of our own party; and from this evil spirit may grace deliver us! The increase of the kingdom is more to be desired than the growth of a clan. We would do a great deal to make a Paedobaptist brother into a Baptist, for we value our Lord’s ordinances; we would labour earnestly to raise a believer in salvation by free-will into a believer in salvation by grace, for we long to see all religious teaching built upon the solid rock of truth, and not upon the sand of imagination; but, at the same time, our grand object is not the revision of opinions, but the regeneration of natures. We would bring men to Christ and not to our own peculiar views of Christianity. Our first care must be that the sheep should be gathered to the great Shepherd; there will be time enough afterwards to secure them for our various folds. To make proselytes, is a suitable labour for Pharisees: to beget men unto God, is the honourable aim of ministers of Christ…

…By all means let us bring true converts into the church, for it is a part of our work to teach them to observe all things whatsoever Christ has commanded them; but still, this is to be done to disciples, and not to mere professors; and if care be not used, we may do more harm than good at this point. To introduce unconverted persons to the church, is to weaken and degrade it; and therefore an apparent gain may be a real loss…

…It is a serious injury to a person to receive him into the number of the faithful unless there is good reason to believe that he is really regenerate. I am sure it is so, for I speak after careful observation. Some of the most glaring sinners known to me were once members of a church; and were, as I believe, led to make a profession by undue pressure, well-meant but ill-judged. Do not, therefore, consider that soul-winning is or can be secured by the multiplication of baptisms, and the swelling of the size of your church…

…To try to win a soul for Christ by keeping that soul in ignorance of any truth, is contrary to the mind of the Spirit; and to endeavour to save men by mere claptrap, or excitement, or oratorical display, is as foolish as to hope to hold an angel with bird-lime, or lure a star with music. The best attraction is the gospel in its purity. The weapon with which the Lord conquers men is the truth as it is in Jesus. The gospel will be found equal to every emergency; an arrow which can pierce the hardest heart, a balm which will heal the deadliest wound. Preach it, and preach nothing else. Rely implicitly upon the old, old gospel. You need no other nets when you fish for men; those your Master has given you are strong enough for the great fishes, and have meshes fine enough to hold the little ones. Spread these nets and no others, and you need not fear the fulfilment of His Word, “I will make you fishers of men…

…First, regeneration will be shown in conviction of sin. This we believe to be an indispensable mark of the Spirit’s work; the new life as it enters the heart causes intense inward pain as one of its first effects. Though nowadays we hear of persons being healed before they have been wounded, and brought into a certainty of justification without ever having lamented their condemnation, we are very dubious as to the value of such healings and justifyings. This style of things is not according to the truth. God never clothes men until He has first stripped them, nor does He quicken them by the gospel till first they are slain by the law. When you meet with persons in whom there is no trace of conviction of sin, you may be quite sure that they have not been wrought upon by the Holy Spirit; for “when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” When the Spirit of the Lord breathes on us, He withers all the glory of man, which is but as the flower of grass, and then He reveals a higher and abiding glory. Do not be astonished if you find this conviction of sin to be very acute and alarming; but, on the other hand, do not condemn those in whom it is less intense, for so long as sin is mourned over, confessed, forsaken, and abhorred, you have an evident fruit of the Spirit. Much of the horror and unbelief which goes with conviction is not of the Spirit of God, but comes of Satan or corrupt nature; yet there must be true and deep conviction of sin, and this the preacher must labour to produce, for where this is not felt the new birth has not taken place.” – Charles Spurgeon

FULL Sermon: “What Is It To Win A Soul”
http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/sw01.htm

Read Full Post »

The #1 ministry that God has given me – is my son. It is the number one ministry that he gives to every mother. Everything else follows, motherhood may be closely linked to and a part of our church life, evangelism and outreach, but God in His infinite wisdom and wonderful grace has given mothers a very specific ministry, and it has been my obedience to His will in this that has taught me and trained me in what true ministry work really is.

This isn’t a blog post defending the much debased and ridiculed traditional roles of women, rather it is a springboard for what real discipleship looks like. There are hundreds of “believers” that I come in contact with every year that are hungry, seeking discipleship, mentorship, community. They “want what I have” and are impassioned to follow in my footsteps and in the footsteps of my close brethren who walk this walk with me. Invariably the majority fall away..looking for quick fixes..avoiding the painful work that is required to truly grow. They run from the very thing they have been searching for.

The problem, is that the very qualities and dynamics necessary for proper biblical discipleship and community are absent from most of what these people have been presented with for years, and so when they come in contact with real community, real accountability, REAL relationships, they buckle.

There is a reason why my 12 year old son has more emotional maturity, more spiritual stability than people 3 times his age, and demonstrates a startling discernment absent from most – it is not because “as my son” he reads the Bible 24/7, it isn’t because he stalks my every post cutting and pasting my wisdom to his wall, it isn’t because he attends spiritual retreats and compulsively downloads sermon podcasts. It is quite simply that he walks with the wise. He walks with us.

That is what real ministry is, it is a daily walk with Christ, a daily walk with those you claim to be taught by…daily…consistently…continuously walking…working…praying…reading….growing.

Through great times and scary transitions. Through thick and thin, everything that  I am is poured out for my son everyday, that was the beginning of my ministry. That is the only kind of ministry that disciples and grows real, mature Christians.

In our fast paced, disposable culture of throwing away friendships in a click of a Facebook button, of walking away from anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable, of hopping from teacher to teacher and church to church – these droves of “believers” are stuck in a delusion of what community, fellowship and Christ’s family actually is. They have drunk from the cup of spiritual pride that has seduced them into thinking they can recreate the body of Christ. Because they think that by blocking and deleting and hiding from people who challenge them, and by shunning churches that refuse to hand over the keys to a new convert, they are trailblazers…when in reality…you are foolish children.

My prayer for you is that you would set aside the burning rebellion and chokehold of pride that grips you – it seems impossible, but you can do it, and pray for genuine humility and a teachable heart.

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” Proverbs 13:20

Read Full Post »

If you would seek God’s opinion of who you are and no one else’s – you would never again need to ask the question. Ever! Many people have asked me over the years where my confidence comes from, in hopes of discovering my “secret formula” for some kind of self-esteem boost, or in the hopes of reassuring themselves that I’m just delusional in their attempt to avoid the discomfort of being challenged! In so many cases, even the most devout Christians who come into “agreement” with me – are still trying to figure out how to own the authority that I have. Is it belief? Is it faith? Is it grandiose narcissism? 🙂

The truth is – ALL my life I have listened to the voices in the world, and to the voices in control of the world, not realizing what was at play… not thinking anything of it! From my earliest memories I have been surrounded by the most vicious and brutal opinions of me that I’ve ever heard of. My nickname since I was 4 or 5 years old was ugly. whore. stupid. garbage…..given to me by the people closest to me. Try to imagine hearing that every single day. Feeling it. Owning it. Being it! As my bones and flesh and hair grew..so did the power of those opinions about me….the ones given to me and the ones I formed independently. We could pause here and chat about nature vs nurture? Did I become a monster because of the evil that surrounded me? Would I have become the depraved sociopath I became regardless of who’s opinion was fed to me?

The truth is – I was destined to be fused as a villain and a victim from the moment I was born…there is no separation…on through the years of my life…I can’t tell you how many different opinions about me I have heard….to some I have been a saint, there are people right now in my community of believers who would take a bullet for me…who adore me to pieces…and there are others who loathe me…who actually threaten to physically harm me…who think I am a monster. What is the point of me telling you this?

I know you think you see it coming…how I’m going to launch into telling you some Bible quotes about my identity in Christ…and how I’m forgiven…and how I am redeemed and how I’ve really convinced myself that I’m forgiven and that all those opinions about me whether true or false don’t really matter because I only listen to God’s opinion.

I could tell you that! It’s all true! But I don’t think it will really help you – see, I’m worried about the person who is reading this, who really is like the boy whistling in the dark pretending not to be afraid of the shadows he sees around him…I’m worried for you, because I know that so many of you…DEEP DEEP down don’t really believe you’re anything other than what the world has told you that you are. Even those of you who love to come into fellowship with us and quote extensively to us about how God does not see your sin anymore, he only sees Jesus in you…or how you believe you are redeemed….I don’t believe you. Despite how many affirmations you memorize and how many excuses you make for yourself that it’s ok not to be perfect…and how many pictures of rainbows with quotes about being worthy you post…I don’t believe that you believe you are who God says you are.

It’s in your eyes. It’s how you carry yourself. It’s how you act. It’s oozing out of you! It’s like a grown man wearing a young boy’s outfit…you wouldn’t be fooled that he’s a kid just because of the clothes he’s wearing….I can see it in you, you are old and weary and truly believe and behave that you are worthless…I want nothing more than for you to TRULY see yourself the way that I see myself…through the eyes of the only guy’s opinion that counts – Jesus.

The truth is, that is never ever going to happen, so long as you continue to try and talk yourself into “standing on the word of God”…there is no way around it, you have got to get real with God. Will you do a dare? I dare you to ask God to reveal to you all your self-deception. Do it. Ask Him! Ask Him to reveal to you who you really are!!!!

The truth is, of all the nasty, horrible opinions of me that are floating around out there…there is no opinion of me that is worse than the truth about me.

That is who God revealed to me. The totally depraved, hopeless person that I AM in and of myself. Period. And what He did to redeem me through His Son Jesus Christ is my identity. I was literally born again in spirit through Jesus Christ. Born again. Every single iota of my spiritual DNA has been created new in Jesus Christ. THAT is who I am. I have learned, like a newborn baby to depend on God’s voice to be my milk, my protection, my dad. He is the voice I know. I have grown up in a new house, with a new family, in a new body, with a new mind in a new place, with God as THE ONLY voice that I will listen to. I know my father’s voice. It doesn’t matter how well clothed you are in scripture…I can tell who’s voice is in you.

So please, think about this, if I was willing to turn my back on the opinion of the people closest to me, and learned to wean myself off of needing their approval and acceptance….if I was willing to forsake the love of this world….do you really think that I am going to stop now? Stop coming…stop pushing? Stop standing? Stop pressing into the enemy’s territory? No. Very simply. No. It is one of the greatest weapons that God has ever given me. The quiet and unafraid “No”.

Every voice that comes into my life that has tried to destroy me, I can simply and yet irrevocably say No!

Every attempt to turn me against the broken people of this world through accusations, slander and malice towards me….I say No!

Every assignment, every dart and every which way the Enemy has tried to seduce me into turning against God….I say No!

Tell God the truth. Ask Him in all honesty to reveal to you what you are most afraid of having confirmed about you – ask him! Say YES to Christ’s offer to take on to His Cross that Sin that you keep dancing around – and I promise – you will calmly and powerfully look EVERY single storm that comes into your life and simply tell it…No.

“Buffeted, knocked down but never knocked out, cast down but never in despair, persecuted but never forsaken, because – praise the Lord! – you have found the answer to what it takes to stand in the ministry you have received: a clear view of Jesus, in contemplation; in reflection of His glory in the midst of the battle; and then being made like unto Him as day by day your heart is lifted up to the Lord Jesus as He imparts to your life the sweetness and loveliness of His character.” 
– Alan Redpath

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Colossians 2:13-14 

(Re-blogged – Fan Favourite )

Read Full Post »