Captivated

Last Sunday, I spoke to my sister’s Sunday School class regarding the ministry of Scarlet Hope. I have been a part of this ministry for a little over a year now. It’s a very difficult ministry, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is very powerful and God is doing amazing things in the strip clubs throughout Louisville.

When I was considering what I wanted to share, I kept going back to how the women (and men) in the sex industry are captives – captives to sin, captives to money, captives to their messy pasts, captives to a whole host of lies. And, on top of that, they are blind captives. Most of them don’t even see that they’re enslaved to an industry that will devour them nor do they see their need for Christ. The women want out, but they think their answer lies in money or self-improvement or love or (fill in the blank). They are spiritually dead. That may sound harsh, but it is how Scripture describes all people without Christ. I used to be dead too, but God made me alive in Jesus Christ.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-7

You see with God there are only two types of people: people with Christ (spiritually alive) and people without Christ (spiritually dead). There aren’t good people and bad people. There aren’t moral people and immoral people. There are just people alive to God and people dead to God. This is why God has called some of us, His daughters, to enter some of the darkest places in this city. He has more daughters that need to be awakened in the strip clubs of Louisville and He wants to make them alive in Christ and include them in His people (John 10:16). God has called us to this. Why else would we expose ourselves to things we would rather not see and engage with people who sometimes want little to do with us? It is the urgent call of Jesus Christ that beckons us out of our comfortable lives to join Him in the darkness where He is working, where He wants to shine His light through us. God calls us to expose the darkness, but how do we do that? Only by shining the light of Christ. We do not have light in and of ourselves, it is Christ in us that make the difference. He alone can reveal what has been hidden. He alone is the truth that exposes lies. He alone can reach the heart of those trapped in the messiness of life and sin. He alone can bring the dead to life.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
    “Awake, O sleeper,
        and arise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:11-14

There are another set of captives I would like to discuss. These are men not too different from the men I see in the strip clubs. In the past several days, I have read (well really I’ve been bombarded by) several articles about the prevailing problem of pornography among men (including solid Christian men) from the various biblical writers and speakers I follow (Piper, Moore, Mohler). I am so burdened and broken by this growing and ever-present reality. The urgency is so great. I know that I have brothers in Christ (though I don’t know who they are; I just know I have them) who are in this fight and some may feel they are in a losing battle. They are captives.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8

Porn viewers are not really different from the men in the clubs I serve in. It’s the same idol of the heart manifested in different ways – one being more public than the other. Both essentially see women as objects to be used rather than created in the image of God, and both are slaves to the gods of sex and lust. And my heart breaks for them. For those in Christ, they have been set free, but they have subjected themselves to again to the slavery of sin (Galatians 5:1). They have made themselves prisons that only the power of the gospel can break.

    Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
        prisoners in affliction and in irons,
    for they had rebelled against the words of God,
        and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
    So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
        they fell down, with none to help.
    Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
        and he delivered them from their distress.
    He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
        and burst their bonds apart.
    Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
        for his wondrous works to the children of man!
   For he shatters the doors of bronze
        and cuts in two the bars of iron. Psalm 107:10-16

I know what it’s like to be a captive. I had built my own prison of lies and shame and guilt that at the heart level is no different than those who view porn (choosing to treasure something over Christ). But the Lord, in His grace, exposed my hidden sins and set me free (Psalm 107:17-22). Only Christ can do this. So if you are struggling (with porn or any other hidden sin), please reach out to a brother or sister in Christ. Expose the darkness. Only then will freedom and healing be found (James 5:16).

The Safest Place to Be

It’s one of those common Christian sayings that’s floating around (it’s been said to me and I have said it as well):

The safest place to be is in the will of God.

I understand the intent behind the saying, but it’s got me thinking: is it true? There are many sayings that we repeat without thinking about what they mean, but accept them because they’re so common and comfortable and, well, they could be true. When I hear this particular one, something just seems off about it. Is God’s will really the safest place to be? Not necessarily. And I think the Bible and life experience proves otherwise.

First of all, God’s main concern isn’t for our safety. He is primarily concerned with making much of Christ through and in us. So safety isn’t everything. My safety isn’t always my good. (This doesn’t mean that you don’t try to walk in wisdom or that you seek out trouble and hardship, but it does mean that comfort and safety are not to be our primary goals and concern.) Just look at some examples in the Bible. Joseph was sold by his brothers to be a slave in Egypt and then he was imprisoned for something he didn’t do. The Prophet Elijah was on the king and queen’s most wanted list, especially after ridiculing their gods and priests. He had to run for his life. The Apostle Paul was shipwrecked, imprisoned, beaten, bitten by a viper, stoned, mobbed, and the list goes on (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). His life was not one that was characterized by safety. There are many, many other examples. The list could go on and on: David, Daniel, Peter, James, Stephen. All of their lives were meant to display the greatness of Christ and all of the unsafe situations they were in were meant for their good.

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

Then there is Jesus Himself. Jesus, the perfect Man, the Son of God, God in the flesh, was constantly in danger. And He was always perfectly in God’s will (John 8:29). The religious leaders and sometimes the crowds wanted Him dead. Eventually, when the time was right according to God, they got their wish. Jesus was beaten beyond recognition and then nailed to a cross where He died. He was not concerned with safety; He was concerned with accomplishing the Father’s will. And it’s a good thing for us that He was; otherwise, we would be left in our sins, separated from God, destined for hell. But He gives us life. And we believers are called to be like Him in every way.

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40

So, yes, in one sense, the safest place to be is in God’s will. God’s will is for us to know Christ. He alone keeps us eternally safe from the wrath of God. God's will is also for us to make much of Christ and to make Him known, and, sometimes, in order for that to happen, we must suffer, we must be "unsafe." So maybe the better phrase to use would be, “The best place to be is in the will of God.” It’s not easy. It’s not comfortable and it’s definitely not safe. But it is best.

"Is he [Aslan]—quite safe?" […]
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver [...] "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia

Lessons in the Dark :: More Waiting

I have already written about waiting once, but it is one of those continual lessons. God’s people are always in waiting. We are ultimately waiting for Jesus Christ to return and establish God’s Kingdom (Titus 2:13). This is our great hope. We are waiting for our salvation and sanctification to be complete. We are waiting for evil to be fully eradicated. In the short-term, we are also waiting. The Lord has been showing me, as I read His Word and listened to it preached, the many people who waited in the Bible. He made them wait because He loves them and wanted to display His glory in ways that they couldn’t have imagined. The same is true with us.

I am not even sure what the Lord has me waiting for, but for the past year or so, His word has been firm: Wait. He obviously has a lot of preparation to do in me and lessons to teach me more before He reveals what’s next. In the meantime, I am, with the Lord’s strength, trying to be focused on the day at hand and be faithful where He has me. God’s Word is vital in the waiting. Through it, the Lord is teaching me, molding me, rebuking me and encouraging me. It’s easy to get lost in the waiting and to become anxious, but Jesus tells us not to be troubled or anxious (John 14:1). The Lord has been reminding me lately of the Proverbs 31 Woman who laughed at the future (Proverbs 31:25). She laughs not because she is careless or thinks it’s funny, but because she knows her God is in control. And it’s true. God is in complete control, working out His sovereign and good purposes and He has given me the strength and faith to rest in that truth.

Below is a brief catalog of “waiters” from the Bible. These are God’s people who, though not perfect, lived in faithful obedience to Him, but yet they had to wait for God’s perfect timing for some of their prayers as well as God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Abraham & Sarah (Genesis 12-21) – Abraham is described in the Bible as “a friend of God” (James 2:23). He and his wife, Sarah, had faith in God. They were unable to have children, but God promised to give them a son. They waited 25 years before this promise was fulfilled in the birth of Isaac. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

Joseph (Genesis 37-50) – Joseph was the son of Jacob, grandson of Isaac and great-grandson of Abraham. He was the favorite child of his father, which made his ten older brothers jealous of him. They sold him as a slave to Egypt and then he was thrown in an Egyptian prison for something he didn’t do. God gave Joseph dreams when he was a teenager (before all this happened) showing him that he would rule over his family. When he was about 30, he was exalted to the second highest ruling position in Egypt, but Joseph did not see those dreams fully realized until he was in his 40s. This means that he waited at least 30 years for God to fulfill His purposes for him. He had suffered much, but God used him to save his family (God’s people Israel) from famine and death. This is what he told his brothers when they were afraid he would try to take revenge on them after their father died:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

David (1 Samuel 16 & 2 Samuel 2) – God selected David to be king over Israel when he was probably about 20 years old. He didn’t start reigning over Judah (part of Israel) until he was 30 and over the whole nation until he was 37. David waited about 20 years for God’s promise to him and purpose for him to be realized.

Job (Job 1-2; 40) – Job is described as a very righteous man (Job 1:1). He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet he lost everything. All ten of his children died in a tornado; all his wealth (livestock and crops) disappeared; and even his health failed him. He went from the mountaintops to the valley in an instant. Even though Job couldn’t see it, the Lord was at work in his life. God wanted to display His worth to the heavenly realm through Job because Job, even though he lost everything, did not turn away from God. God also wanted to refine Job’s faith and obliterate the hidden pride that manifests itself in the middle chapters. While God was working out these purposes, Job was waiting and suffering. Months and months passed without a word from God (Job 7:3; 29:2). Sometimes we forget that Job’s fortunes were not restored immediately. Even when they are, it took time. The Lord gave him seven sons and three daughters again, but unless his wife had septuplets, this would have taken at least 10 years. So, even though we’re not told how long Job waited for God to restore him, he had to wait while heaven was silent, which is the hardest lesson of all.

Daniel (the Book of Daniel) – Daniel was taken captive along with other Israelites by the Babylonians when he was a teenager. He remained in exile for 70 years. During that time, the Lord displayed His power in and through Daniel in various ways. He also gave him dreams and visions with regard to the end of time. Daniel never saw these visions fulfilled (Hebrews 11:39-40).

The people of Israel (pretty much the entire Old Testament; especially Exodus and the books of the Prophets) – the people of Israel seemed to always be in waiting. Sometimes due to their disobedience and sometimes due to the Lord’s grand purposes. They waited for the Messiah, the Promised One, Jesus Christ, from the glimpse of God's plan given in Genesis 3:15. They waited for 400 years to be rescued from Egypt. They waited for 40 years in the wilderness for the Promised Land while a disobedient generation died off. They waited, in silence, between the Old Testament and New Testament for 400 years.

Blind Beggar (John 9) – While Jesus was traveling with His disciples, they came across a blind beggar. This man had been blind from birth. The disciples asked Jesus whether his blindness was from the sins of his parents or from his own sin. Jesus said it was neither. This man was born blind so that God could show His glory through him. He was born blind so that Jesus could heal him at that moment. And He did. Jesus healed the man and he went away rejoicing. He experienced the healing power and mercy of God and encountered Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He would have missed out on these things had he not suffered blindness. The Bible does not say how old this man is, but he is a grown man, and he had to wait many, many years for God to reveal the purpose of his blindness.

Lazarus (John 11) – Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary, were dear friends of Jesus. One day, Lazarus became very ill, so his sisters sent for Jesus. Jesus, however, did not come. Because He loved them, He ignored them (John 11:5-6) and delayed in coming. During that delay, Lazarus died. By the time Jesus decided to answer the sisters’ call, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Jesus, however, knew what He was doing. He was in control the whole time. With a word, He raised Lazarus back to life. Oh the glory and power of that moment! These sisters as well as Lazarus and the Jews that were with them saw God bring someone back from the dead. But they had to wait four days in grief and misery to understand Jesus’ delayed response. I’m sure they would say it was worth the wait.

The death of Christ (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19) – Jesus Christ is the Promised Savior. It was planned from before time began that He would come to save sinners (Acts 2:23;4:28). His disciples and others that believed in Him and followed Him had placed all their hope in Him. Then He died. He was crucified like a common criminal and buried in a tomb. For three days, they reeled from what they had just seen. Their Hope had just been executed. They were stunned. Then on the first day of the week, the tomb was empty. Jesus was gone. His body wasn’t stolen or misplaced; He was alive. He had conquered death and sin and Satan and was now the glorified Lord that they had believed Him to be. Their hope was now secure and final. Jesus had did for them what no one else could do. And they only had to wait three days.

I could go on and on with examples from the Bible, but I won’t. The waiting continues for us who claim to follow Christ. The disciples and apostles in the New Testament (see the Book of Acts and Revelation) were waiting for Christ to come back. We wait for that too.

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25

resting in the Everlasting Arms

I would have never guessed that I’d be back on the campus of Southern Seminary. But here I am, almost four full months into my new job as a full-time secretary. Not to say that I don’t love Southern, because I do. This was my home for three and a half years and even after I graduated, I never felt like I left the Southern community. It will always probably feel that way.

Now, even though I never would have chose this for myself, I can see the Lord’s great wisdom in bringing me here. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord brought me to this job; that He has me exactly where He wants me. I think He has yet to disclose His full purpose(s), but He has been showing and teaching me so much already. He has brought me here to rest. Now, I know that is a strange thing to say because it is a job (and I am working, by the way :), but in the midst of all the burdens of life and ministry, this job has been a place of restoration. One of my office responsibilities is to transcribe Dr. Mohler’s sermons, lectures, interviews and Sunday School lessons. So basically I am getting paid to listen to God’s Word. :) The Lord is using these messages to heal the wounds of last year, to continue His refining work and to increase my trust in Him. I am always amazed at the fact that whatever I am assigned to transcribe, it is always what I need to hear. The Lord knows what He is doing.

The lessons this week have been especially pointed. I transcribed audio from both 1 Peter 5 and Hebrews 12:25-29. Both of them reminding me of what the Lord is presently doing in my life. From 1 Peter 5 sermon, the Lord reminded me that He is sovereignly working behind the scenes to accomplish His good purposes in my life, which will come about at just the right time. He also convicted me of my lack of faith. Sometime in these last few months, I stopped believing that the Lord was working for my good. I questioned His willingness to do good to me and wondered if He cared at all.

The Hebrews passage describes the shaking power and consuming fire of God. The Lord has done a lot of shaking in my life. Many people and things that used to be a part of my life no longer are. They didn’t survive the shaking. But not only that, but the Lord has been shaking my faith so that what remains is pure gold (Job 23:10).

Then there’s chapel. Yes, I actually get paid to go to chapel (which is sadly over now until the fall semester). The sermons and worship songs have met me where I am each Tuesday and Thursday. The Lord is very gracious is dealing with me this way.

Besides these things, the Lord is teaching me to submit better to authority and procedure, to be content where He has me and to deepen my understanding of serving others. All of this, I believe, is further preparation for the future. Plus, He is blessing me with some new and great friends. :)

We three secretaries - Rachel, Rachel & Cami

 
Below is a verse that, as I have mentioned before, the Lord gave to my friend Jodi to pray for me during one of my darkest times last year. The Lord has begun binding up and healing the wounds He inflicted last year and He is using this job as one of the means to do it. Not that the tearing is over; He just brings healing in between those seasons. He knows how much we can endure (Psalm 103:14).

    “Come, let us return to the LORD;
        for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
        he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
    After two days he will revive us;
        on the third day he will raise us up,
        that we may live before him.
   Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;
        his going out is sure as the dawn;
    he will come to us as the showers,
        as the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3

The latter part of this passage exhorts us to press on to the know the Lord. And that is what I must do. In the midst of everything that feels unclear in my life, I must press on to know the Lord. He knows the future and is perfectly satisfied with it. Furthermore, Jesus Christ has me where He wants me now and is perfectly satisfied with it. He is about to do something big. I can sense it. In the meantime, however, I must press on to know the Lord. He wants to give me Himself (!) and He wants me to give Him myself as well. He desires this more than any sacrifice I can give Him (Hosea 6:6). He deserves nothing less.

Like an Ewe

My name in its original Hebrew form (left) literally means “ewe” or “female sheep.” My roommate in college was aware of this fact, so one of her many nicknames for me was Lamb.

The Lord has confronted me on several occasions this week with passages dealing with sheep and shepherds (John 10 and 1 Peter 5). Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd and His people are His flock. If you look at the characteristics of a sheep, it isn’t exactly a compliment that Jesus likens us to them. They are smelly, not very attractive, stubborn, dependent, vulnerable, helpless, stupid, oblivious and prone to wander. Sheep need a leader. They need guidance. We are the same way. Jesus knew what He was talking about.

This has got me thinking about how much I live up to my name. As much I would like to think that I am independent and as much as my past reveals that I try to live in that manner, I am not independent. I just live in the illusion that I am. In fact, I am a very dependent creature. Dependent upon the life that God gave me. Dependent upon Him to give me this next breath. Dependent upon Him to sustain me. The truth is I am nothing without Jesus Christ. I need His discipline, His guidance, HIM daily. And not only that, but I need others as well. I need the body of Christ for accountability, encouragement, rebuke and fellowship. This is probably why the Lord has been breaking me over this period of time. Sometimes shepherds have to break the legs of the lambs to keep them near to them and sometimes the Good Shepherd needs to break the legs of His people to teach them the same. This process is painful for both the Shepherd and the sheep, but it is necessary and He does it because He loves His sheep.

Another reason, I need to be broken is that I am prone to wander. I often exhibit signs of spiritual ADD. Whether people or events or trials or blessings, it is easy for me to lose sight of Christ and focus on these other things. So true is the song:

O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above. Come Thou Fount

That’s been my exact problem lately. I have been wandering and wondering and wavering, not trusting the Lord or believing He is willing to work everything out for good (Romans 8:28). But Jesus Christ knows how to tend His sheep. Despite my stubbornness and lack of faith, He has been faithfully chasing after me through Scripture, sermons and other people, convicting me of my unbelief and sin and reminding me of His great love and unfailing providence. He is working in every detail of my life for His sovereign purposes. I believe this again. :)

Another way I fulfill my name is that I am quite vulnerable. Now I didn’t use to think so, but I think my time overseas and the awareness of what is going on in the world has made me realize how vulnerable I am as a woman in particular and as a human being in general. The Apostle James says we are vapors (James 4:14) and it’s true. It really doesn’t take much to snuff out our lives. We could be gone in an instant. Sheep are vulnerable as well. They are easy prey for wolves (no wonder wolves give me the willies!) and wild cats and whatever else is big and hungry. They can’t run fast. They can’t help get up after they’ve fallen on their backs. They are completely helpless. This is why they need a shepherd! And this is why we need a Shepherd. The Bible declares that our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The sheep of Christ are his main target, but we need not fear. Jesus Christ says that no one can snatch His sheep from His hand (John 10:28). He perfectly protects His sheep.

Below is a quote from Jim Elliot that my sister sent me almost three years ago when I was going through a rough time. I keep it in my Bible and pull it out every once in a while and read it. The Lord speaks to me through it every time. This is what the correct fulfillment of my name looks like and it's something for which I strive.

Dearest [Rachel], I charge you in the name of our Unfailing Friend, do away with all waverings, bewilderment, and wonder. You have bargained for a cross. Overcome anything in the confidence of your union with Him, so that contemplating trial, enduring persecution or loneliness, you may know the blessings of the “joy set before.” “We are the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” And what are sheep doing going into the gate? What is their purpose inside those courts? To bleat melodies and enjoy the company of the flock? No. These sheep were destined for the altar. Their pasture feeding had been for one purpose, to test them and fatten them for bloody sacrifice. Give Him thanks then that you have been counted worthy of His altars. Enter into the work with praise. Jim Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty, Scripture from Psalm 100