Ahh...Reading Days...

So this week is Reading Days at Southern (in other educational circles this is known as Spring Break) and, as usual, I have lofty goals: write three papers and read as much as possible as well as work extra hours. I just just finished one paper. It took me about ten hours (eek!), but I learned so much in the process. This paper is for Church History 2 and we had to write it on a Baptist person or event and how they related to a particular issue in US history. After some research (I don't know my Baptist history!), I decided to write about Luther Rice. He had a passion for sharing the Gospel with the nations and for Lord. He was originally a Congregationalist but converted to the Baptist faith after becoming convinced through prayer and the Scriptures of their position on baptism. In short, God used him to single-handedly unite the Baptist denomination during his time and raise awareness for the needs to share the Gospel outside the US. His ideas are seen today in the SBC and Cooperative Program. I knew nothing about this guy before, but do now! It is ashamed how overshadowed he is by the legendary William Carey and Adoniram Judson. I am so thankful for Rice's work here in the States and for the chance to learn about him!

On a separate note, last Wednesday marked the 8th year since I became a follower of Christ (it also marked the 226th birthday of Luther Rice!). I am been reflecting on His work in my life over these past few days. This morning's sermon, in particular, as stirred my thoughts. At RF, Pastor Andy is preaching a sermon series called the Gifts of Easter. Today's focus was on the Gift of Grace. One of the points of the sermon was that "God's grace is our hope to overcome the past." As he was speaking, the Lord flooded my thoughts with things He has overcome in my past: my near disdain for the church, a sub-clinical eating disorder and my refusal to submit to His right to reign in my life. BUT God has been so gracious in overcoming each of these by: replacing my rejection of His church with an overwhelming love and passion for it; freeing me from my warped views of food and body image; and, most of all, breaking my will so that I would see my utter need for Christ and surrender to His gracious will for my life. These ways along with so many others are how God has chosen to reveal His grace in me. Isn't His grace beautiful?! What is better yet, one glorious Day, His work of grace will be completed in me and I will see Him FACE to FACE! (1 John 3:2, 1 2 Corinthians 3:18, Romans 8:29).

"Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin."

Christmas in March!

I received one of my Christmas presents in the mail a couple of weeks ago. It was the new ESV Study Bible. I am very blessed and still so excited to have it! I have been reading through the Gospels (very slowly and repeatedly) this year. I started with Mark and after reading through it four times, I am now in Luke. This new study Bible has helped me slowed down my pace even more which has helped me to see how each parable and account relates to each other. I am so thankful for God's Word!

My mom also received one of her Christmas gifts a couple of weeks ago. My sister and I bought her the new Tomb Raider video game (trust me, she really wanted this!). It was scheduled to release in late January so I made a little poem to put under the tree in its place. Well, as you have probably figured out, the release date was a little delayed...but she did get in just in time for her birthday! By the way, my mom has already beat the entire game...after only have it two weeks! Hilarity.

Taking a Breather

This week is shaping up to be pretty low-key which is so nice since last week was so stressful. Hence my frequent blog posts. :) I have been to the Dollar Theater three nights in a row. Crazy. I have been to more movies since last summer than in all my other years combined. Last night, my roommate and I saw Inkheart. It is about a guy who has the "gift" of making literary characters come to life when he reads a book out loud. I really enjoyed this movie. I was especially hit by the loyalty of the family members to one another (I am big on loyalty). There was a certain part, however, that really got me thinking. Midway through the movie, one of the characters that was brought to life from the book met the actual author of the book. The character, however, rejected the author. He got right up in his face and asserted that the author wasn't his God and didn't control his fate. This was the author that created him and wrote his story. Without the author, this character would not have existed. For me, this scene was a powerful picture of our rebellion against God the Father. He created us and sovereinly reigns in our lives, but we asserted our independence. In essence, we reject Him as our God and tell Him He has no right to our lives just like the character in this movie did. The truth is, however, that God created each of us and, as our Creator, has every right to our lives. Thankfully, He doesn't reject us as we reject Him. He instead took the initiative to reconcile us to Himself. Even though we don't desire Him (Romans 1-2), He desires us to know Him and paved the way for us to get to Him through Jesus Christ. For our sake, God made Jesus to be sin, though He was sinless, so that in Jesus we might become the righteousness of God.

Also yesterday, my roommate and I got to hang out with a young lady from the bank we both use. I am so thankful for this new relationship and look forward to seeing what the Lord does in it.

The Other Prodigal

So I was reading in Will Metzger's book To Tell the Truth for my Personal Evangelism class the other day and he was retelling the Prodigal Son story from the Gospel of Luke from the older son's perspective. His account was really eye-opening for me. The older son, for me, is kind of an after thought to the story, which is also the way he is portrayed in most of the sermons I have heard. From this biblical account we learn the older son is the "good" son. He stays home with his father while his younger brother leaves home and lives a wild and sensuous lifestyle. The older son does all the right things - helps around the house, stays out of trouble, and does what his father says - but even though he appears to be the perfect son, his heart is as far away from the father as the younger son is physically farther away. At the end of the parable, we can see this clearly. When the younger son came home, the father threw a huge party for him. This made the elder son very angry and jealous. He thought he deserved a party. He had "earned" the right to have one. You see, when I used to read this story, I saw it in generic terms. The younger son corresponds to each person who has rebelled against God but have now repented and accepted Christ. While this is true, I had trouble relating to the younger son. I have never been a partier or drinker or anything else that is outwardly rebellious. I can, on the other hand, relate to the older son. He focused on doing what was right. He wanted to be a "good person." He seemed to have it all together but he was still rebellious. He was a rebel on the inside. He typifies the Pharisees and anyone else that thinks they can earn their way to heaven. I can relate to him. BUT what is so great (and something I never really noticed before) is that the father went looking for him too. When the elder son was not at the party, the father went out to find him. Both the younger and older sons think that they are going to make their own way, but the father searches for both of them. This is what God the Father does for us. This is what He did for me nearly 8 years ago. I grew up in a Christian home but did not understand my need for Jesus Christ as my Savior. I was a "good" girl, why wouldn't God want me? The Lord revealed to me, however, that my rebellion festered within. I had my own plans and wanted complete control of my life. BUT God who is rich in mercy, knowing that I could never choose Him on my own, took the intiative and called me to Himself (Ephesians 1:3-15, Ephesians 2:4-8 & Romans 5:8). This is the Good News of Jesus Christ. God took the initiative by sending His Son to live the perfect life we are supposed to live but cannot and by having His Son to die a brutal death on the cross and then raise from the dead 3 days later. God takes the initiative now by offering salvation to each of us and by sending His Holy Spirit to convict our hearts of our need for Jesus as our Savior. For Jesus is the only way to God and He is everything we need.

In other news...

• I taught my lesson yesterday. It went well. The Lord was graciously with me and His Word did not return void. I may have even enjoyed teaching...
• I finished my application to serve overseas next fall. I have a couple more references to get in before it will be officially complete. Then, we will have to see what the Lord has in store. :)
• The Lord prompted me to call my aunt last night. I hesitated at first because I didn't know what I was going to say, but the Lord reassured me that He would give me the words to say. He was faithful...I have probably never spoken the Gospel so clearly in my life. This is the same aunt that I shared the Gospel with last fall. My sister and I have her a Bible. I asked her if she had read any of it and she said no. I shared the Gospel with her again. Please pray for her. I want her to believe so much that it brings me to tears...yet I know that that is not my job. Only the Holy Spirit can open her eyes to her need for Christ. She believes in the facts about Jesus but does not personally know Him. In our conversation, I repeatedly stressed the inability of good works to save us. She has been greatly influenced (negatively) by the legalistic and judgmental believers in my family. Please pray for her and her two sons.

Unsatisfied with the Ordinary

I heard this phrase in an ad today regarding teaching ESL in Asia. It made me think: am I satisfied with the ordinary? It is something so easy to do--getting too comfortable with the way things are. I have found in my own life that God seems to always start changing things up when I start getting "satisfied" with the ordinary. A year and half ago, God called me to seminary; away from everything that was familiar. Now seminary has become the new ordinary. I take it for granted because it is what I am used to. Its amazing how quickly things become routine.

But is this the way it is supposed to be? As a child of God, I don't think so. We should never be satisfied with a life of complacency. This is not to say that we should not be content (because we should!) but we should be always reaching towards the prize (Philippians 3:14)--towards Christlikeness in character and action. We should always be listening for God's leading and watching for Him at work around us. We should always be ready and willing to "go."

Anyway I will stop my rambling...this week is very busy. Two tests, lots of reading, teaching a lesson (!), serving at church and whatever else the Lord has in store. I completed my lesson plan for Titus 2:6-10. I am focusing on the need for Christians to be an example with their words. I believe this is the area of our lives that we become the laziest in. Whether sarcasm (guilty!), criticizing, complaining or the like, we need to be careful of what we are communicating. As Christians we are teachers and we are teaching somebody, whether we realize it or not. The book of Proverbs and James have much to say on this topic.

Finally, I would like to share something I came across in the book I am reading about the Reformers. This is the first time I have been really exposed to them which has it ups (I am not completely blind to their faults and do not regard them too highly as some do) and downs (they taught and explained some great truths from Scripture). Currently, I am learning about John Calvin. This is what he had to say on why Christ is and had to be God:

"for it was His task to swallow up death. Who but Life could do this? It was His task to conquer sin. Who but very Righteousness could do this? It was His task rout the powers of the world and air. Who but a power higher than the world and air could do this? Therefore our most merciful God, when He willed that we be redeemed, made Himself our Redeemer in the person of His only-begotten Son."

We serve an extra-ordinary God!