ah! keith & kristin gettys get it done. i've been listening over & over to these words the past few days; i feel they are, for me, both declaration & prayer.
"we will stand as children of the promise;
we will fix our eyes on Him, our soul's reward.
til the work is finished & the race is run,
we walk by faith & not by sight."
"faith is for this world, sight for the other."
-matthew henry on 2 corinthians 5:7
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
delight
we loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us
-1 thessalonians 2:8
-1 thessalonians 2:8
Friday, June 17, 2011
the protection of community
sometimes He puts a hedge of protection- emotionally or otherwise- around us via the people He's given us to live life with.
just saw a beautiful picture of this in a movie about a swedish church choir. one member of the choir- gabriella- was being abused almost daily, & even in front of people in the town on occasion, by her husband conny. he wasn't a fan of her choir participation, & he came one night to a rehearsal. this was at a point when gabriella was finally seeking an end to the abuse & had reached out to the choir asking them what to do & where to go for safety. when he walked in the door at rehearsal, gabriella was on the front row. terrified. the members of the choir began to shift one by one, standing in front of grabriella & crowding around her, literally hedging her in. their eyes were fixed on conny, challenging him to lay a finger on her. after glaring back for a moment, suppressing his rage, conny turned & walked out.
what an awesome representation of the way a community of people can protect their own. how often has He helped us, kept us safe, nurtured us through the surrounding of the family of believers.
"you, Lord, are a shield around me"
-psalm 3:3
just saw a beautiful picture of this in a movie about a swedish church choir. one member of the choir- gabriella- was being abused almost daily, & even in front of people in the town on occasion, by her husband conny. he wasn't a fan of her choir participation, & he came one night to a rehearsal. this was at a point when gabriella was finally seeking an end to the abuse & had reached out to the choir asking them what to do & where to go for safety. when he walked in the door at rehearsal, gabriella was on the front row. terrified. the members of the choir began to shift one by one, standing in front of grabriella & crowding around her, literally hedging her in. their eyes were fixed on conny, challenging him to lay a finger on her. after glaring back for a moment, suppressing his rage, conny turned & walked out.
what an awesome representation of the way a community of people can protect their own. how often has He helped us, kept us safe, nurtured us through the surrounding of the family of believers.
"you, Lord, are a shield around me"
-psalm 3:3
Monday, June 13, 2011
more love to Thee.... more to my fellow man
growing up, i went to the same camp every summer & one of my favorite songs we sang during vespers was "more love, more power"... it makes me beyond nostalgic to hear the song or to think back on those days of yearning- and collectively asking Him to help us understand His love better & love others more fully through us. it's a desire & prayer paul articulates well to the church in thessalonica. he encourages them by saying you are loving; now love more!
"now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all macedonia. but we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need."
1 thessalonians 4:9-12
"now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all macedonia. but we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need."
1 thessalonians 4:9-12
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
'servitude to the ego'
"in the intoxication of my youthful successes i had felt myself to be infallible, and therefore i was cruel."
-alexander solzhenitsyn
matthew henry argues that in our pride & wilfulness, there's contempt for the goodness of God. and by extension, contempt for other people.
but His kindness leads us to repentance- romans 2:4. His kindness frees us from ego bondage & engenders kindness to fellow man. thank you, Father! save us from forgetfulness of Your grace & cruelty of spirit.
-alexander solzhenitsyn
matthew henry argues that in our pride & wilfulness, there's contempt for the goodness of God. and by extension, contempt for other people.
but His kindness leads us to repentance- romans 2:4. His kindness frees us from ego bondage & engenders kindness to fellow man. thank you, Father! save us from forgetfulness of Your grace & cruelty of spirit.
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