In Love With God

     The greatest commandment in all of Scripture is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

     In Love With God—this is the thought that overwhelmed me as I was listening to a song by Kari Jobe called “My Beloved.” “Come away with me” the lyrics went. I so long for this deep, deep love of God; this real and rich relationship that keeps us seeking more of him. Something greater, something deeper, something purer than simply being joyful in God. It's something more than anything the world has known. Perhaps you have known something of a comparison if you have ever been in love with a person. When a heart is in love, the heart becomes heavy with love. The mind also becomes consumed with thoughts of this person. There is a new richness in life—a brightness, a fullness, a hope. Where there once existed dullness and drudgery, there is now energy and passion.

     The Bible says, “Let love be genuine … Love one another with brotherly affection” (Romans 13:9-10), and “love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22). So if our love for people is to be with affection, then of course our love for God is to be also. We are warned in the Bible about our love growing cold (Mathew 24:12), our love being lukewarm (Revelation 3:16), and forsaking our first love (Revelation 2:4). There is a true love in the true Christian; a love that involves deep passions and hot affections.

     I don't experience this love nearly as much as I would like to. Oftentimes my heart is dull, and I disappoint my divine Love by my weak love. But my heart has indeed been captured by his love. And being thus captured, I simply cannot move on to anything or anyone else. My life has become a continual looking to him and a seeking after him. This love keeps me strong; it keeps me from sin; it keeps me faithful to him.

     The Great Love in the Death of Christ—this is where my thoughts will close—that the love of the Son of God is so great, that he shed his blood on a cross for my soul. Consider this closing verse:

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”—2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Itinerant Ministry in the Book of Acts

Recently as I was reading the Book of Acts, it really caught my attention how the apostles did their ministry in the places they went. I noticed several patterns in each city. These patterns include things like public evangelism, open-air preaching, speaking in synagogues, lodging with believers, proclaiming the Word of God with boldness, and the active involvement of the Holy Spirit. It is such a blessing to get to study the biblical example of real, Spirit-led ministry since we live in a Church age of such falsehood, hypocrisy, and man-led ministry. Oftentimes I find myself saying in my disappointment, "I just want the real thing." I pray you will be blessed by seeing both the power and the simplicity of the ministry of the early apostles.

*****

Samaria: Philip – Acts 8:4-25

• "Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ" (8:5)
• "the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did" (8:6)
• "unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed" (8:7)
• "there was much joy in that city" (8:8)

Damascus: Paul – Acts 9:19-22

• "For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus" (9:19)
• "immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues" (9:20)
• "all who heard him were amazed" (9:21)
• "Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ" (9:22)

Jerusalem: Paul – Acts 9:26-30

• "he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord" (9:28)
• "he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists" (9:29)

Cyprus: Paul & Barnabas – Acts 13:4-12

• "being sent out by the Holy Spirit" (13:4)
• "they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews" (13:5)
• "they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos" (13:6)

Antioch: Paul & Barnabas – Acts 13:13-52

• "on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue" (13:14)
• "the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath" (13:42)
• "many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas" (13:43)
• "The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord" (13:44)
• "Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly" (13:46)
• "as many as were appointed to eternal life believed" (13:48)
• "the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region" (13:49)
• "they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium" (13:51)
• "the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (13:52)

Iconium: Paul & Barnabas – Acts 14:1-7

• "they entered together into the Jewish synagogue" (14:1)
• "spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed" (14:1)
• "they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands" (14:3)

Thessalonica: Paul & Silas – Acts 17:1-9

• "they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews" (17:1)
• "Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures" (17:2)
• "explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead" (17:3)
• "some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women" (17:4)
• "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also" (17:6)

Athens: Paul – Acts 17:16-34

• "his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols" (17:16)
• "he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there" (17:17)

Corinth: Paul – Acts 18:1-17

• "they were tentmakers by trade" (18:3)
• "he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks" (18:4)
• "Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus" (18:5)
• "many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized" (18:8)
• "he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them" (18:11)

Ephesus: Apollos – Acts 18:24-26

• "being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John" (18:25)
• "began to speak boldly in the synagogue" (18:26)

Achaia: Apollos – Acts 18:27-28

• "he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus" (18:28)

Ephesus: Paul – Acts 19:1-10

• "he entered the synagogue" (19:8)
• "for three months spoke boldly" (19:8)
• "reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus" (19:9)
• "continued for two years so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord" (19:10)

Macedonia & Greece: Paul – Acts 20:1-12

• "he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement" (20:2)
• "he spent three months" (20:3)

Tyre: Paul – Acts 21:3-4

• "having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days" (21:4)

Ptolemais: Paul – Acts 21:7

• "we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day" (21:7)

Caesarea: Paul – Acts 21:8-14

• "we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him" (21:8)
• "He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied" (21:9)

Jerusalem: Paul – Acts 21:15-23:30

• "some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge" (21:16)
• "When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly" (21:17)

Rome: Paul – Acts 28:11-30

• "he called together the local leaders of the Jews" (28:17)
• "From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets" (28:23)
• "He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him" (28:30)
• "proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance" (28:31)

Open-Air Preaching in the Book of Acts:

• Jerusalem (Pentecost): Peter – Acts 2:14-41
• Jerusalem (Solomon's Portico): Peter – Acts 3:12-26
• Lystra: Paul & Barnabas – Acts 14:14-18
• Athens: Paul – Acts 17:22-34
• Jerusalem: Paul – Acts 21:37-22:21

*****

Acts 8:4 - Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

Acts 8:40 - But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Acts 18:23 - After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Persevere Through The Wilderness

I'd like to share this poem to encourage those who have been walking in the wilderness. Recently the Lord assured me of my salvation in Him. I have struggled with doubt for a long time, but he helped me to persevere and was faithful in sustaining me during all of this. It was often very difficult through these years, but it was well worth it. I now know that salvation is for me, and I have a loving Father who will never leave me or forsake me. So, be encouraged to never give up, and keep seeking until you find Him. He is the greatest love of all!

It has been a long time in this fight of faith,
But you, God, sustained me with your beautiful grace.
You have protected me from satisfaction in stuff,
So to pursue and desire you, Lord, you are enough.

What is the point of this life, I would ask?
Surely not to go around trying on masks.
I did that enough, there must be more,
That life was full of sorrow behind every door.

Your cisterns are broken, will you stop digging?
Repent and believe so you'll be forgiven.
Why have we forsaken the Glorious One?
In a sin-filled world with Pagan fun.

Lord, I see it! The sin I committed.
The punishment, God, oh how I fit it.
But like the matrix, I can't go back!
Like a shepherd, you lead me back to the pack.

For so long, I've been stuck in the middle,
On fire at first, but that flame did dwindle.
My motive was wrong, jump on the wagon,
I wanted praise, something was lacking.

Yet you guided me to where I was,
Not because of my acts, but because of your love.
For a while, I isolated myself,
Self pity sunk in, I refused any help.

Now that was a scary place to be,
But as always, your grace carried me.
Many more things happened back then,
Having no desire, seemed like no friends.

But Lord, I heard you many times in the past,
I couldn't hang on, the memories did not last.
Kris told me that I need you all the time,
I felt bad asking, like it was a crime.

I didn't know that you wanted this for me,
I do need you all the time, not just a memory.
My desire then was sparked and ignited,
But I struggled with doubt, are we united?

In Chicago I heard the true gospel,
Preached in three parts, by Paul Washer.
After I heard what was the price,
How Jesus was the sacrifice.

With Issac there was a substitution,
But with God's holiness, there is no overlooking.
The provided lamb was to show what's to come,
God's wrath being poured out on his own Son.

Issac was saved, but the lamb was not,
The sacrifice was still needed, have we forgot!
The spotless lamb led to the slaughter,
And then was laid upon the alter.

Do you know what this story starts to depict?
I know what it means, I feel so sick.
When I was at church, I didn't want to confess,
That my sin was the cause of his death.

To think of how he suffered and died,
I could not bear it, I started to cry.
I don't want this. It costs way too much,
What am I leaning on? What is my crutch?

Peter said, "Lord you will never wash my feet!"
Jesus said, "If I don't, sin and death you can't beat."
As I took of the bread,
I just hung my head.

Then the cup poured out for me,
As I held it, I saw my need.
Now I see this part of the story,
Come, Lord Jesus, save me, please hurry.

Jesus did suffer but counted it joy,
That's why he was wrapped in flesh as a boy.
His life was planned, he willingly came,
Then he said, "No doubting, believe in my Name."

I am willing, oh Lord, this is what I desire,
As I drank of the cup, my sins are now covered.
Assurance and peace, I waited so long,
To be loved by the Lord and sing a new song.

The weight now is lifted, I feel so free,
The bible was right, salvation for me!
I have a new hope, my hope is in Christ,
And all that he accomplished with his sacrifice.

Not by my works, I saw how I would boast,
Now led by the Spirit, the Holy Ghost.
The Lord is so faithful, he said persevere,
He has never left me but has always been near.

And as I continue, I will seek after Thee,
Because nothing else, Lord, can satisfy me!
Fight the fight, never grow weary,
Even when it's hard and seems to get scary.

Pray that the Lord will give you rest,
And continue to persevere through the wilderness.

You Are Not A Goon!

Check out this music video for Json's new song "Goon" from his recent album titled City Lights. They shot the video in one of the worst neighborhoods in Chicago where many local residents thought they were crazy for hanging out that long in the area. Every time I listen to this song, I'm feeling it more and more!

(Note: a "goon" is a common street reference for a low-level gang member or drug dealer)

A Holy Passion From On High

There is a passion from God that can burn so fiercely in the souls of men that they cannot hold it in and, therefore, must express it verbally or through written words. They are increasingly weary of holding it in, lest they explode from holy zeal or sin against a holy God who is compelling them to speak. Jeremiah experienced this passion, as he describes in Jer. 20:8 -

But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

I have also experienced this passion on a number of occasions. It is something that can either come upon you suddenly, or it can be built up over a period of time. When this passion comes upon you, there is nothing but God alone that can stop you from expressing it. All fear, anxiety, concerns about one’s reputation, and anything else that might hinder this passion from being expressed will all disintegrate in the blazing fires that are being experienced in the soul. It is a passion that is far above and beyond any other passion that one might experience, because the object that is fueling this passion is infinitely superior and more worthy of such zeal.

Preaching that comes out of such a passion as this is greatly superior to other varieties of preaching. First, a man consumed with holy zeal for God will speak about him in a manner that far better displays his greatness, holiness, love and other attributes to the audience. In my experience, people can really see the difference between men who preach accurately about God but without much passion and men who preach in a way that shows they have been deeply affected with the glorious realities they are speaking about. Secondly, those who are filled with a holy passion for God will be much less influenced by the desire to please men during their sermons. As I described above, this holy zeal for God completely consumes one’s soul, leaving no room left for the fear of man or a desire to please one’s audience. With God being the supreme object that is fueling this passion, the man who experiences a Jeremiah-like zeal in his heart will have his mind set fully on pleasing the LORD. Therefore, his sermon will best honor the LORD and will also be more beneficial to the audience insofar that the motive behind it would surely be to tell the people what the preacher thinks God wants them to hear rather than what would be pleasing to them.

In conclusion, brothers, I exhort you to pray for experiences of this all-consuming zeal that you may best glorify the amazing God that we serve, and that you may be of the most benefit to those who listen to you preach. Cut off the arm of the flesh in your preaching, brothers, and pray that God would equip you with the holy power that Paul describes in 1 Cor. 2:4-5 -

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

An Encouraging Promise

The book of James contains one of the most encouraging promises I've ever read in the Bible. Consider the following statement from James chapter 4:

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." (James 4:8)

This amazing Biblical promise can provide great encouragement for many different types of people. First, for the true Christian who desires (above all else) to be near to the Lord and to experience His glory, this is an absolute Holy Spirit-inspired promise that God will draw near to you if you draw near to Him. Now of course that doesn't mean God is just sitting there waiting to do our bidding and will come immediately whenever we want Him to, but it is a promise that He will not forsake those who continue to draw near to Him. And what I have found in my own experience is that the Lord is very merciful and many times will draw near to you without delay, especially when you really need to experience His presence.

For Christians who have grown distant from the Lord and greatly desire to be near to Him again, this statement is equally encouraging. Just as the persistent widow was eventually granted justice against her adversary (Luke 18), God will draw near to you and restore your intimate relationship with Him if you persist in seeking Him. From my own experience, this can certainly take a while, but it is infinitely worth it! And because it can be such a painful process to grow close to the Lord again, you are greatly motivated to not ever let this happen again!

Finally, for those who do not yet know the Lord, James 4:8 can provide great motivation to seek Him until He saves you. If you're someone who has been seeking to know God but hasn't found Him yet and are ready to give up, this is a promise that your efforts and perseverance will not be in vain if you continue to pursue the Lord with all your heart. Here are a few other verses that share this same truth:

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."
(Deut. 4:29)

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jer. 29:13)

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Mat. 7:7-8)

If you are someone who has never even attempted to find God, then be encouraged that the God who created the universe is real and He will be found by all who persevere in seeking Him. God created you to know Him and to be enthralled by His glory, and He desires for you to come home where you belong (1 Tim. 2:4).

Reflections on Psalm 119

I recently read Psalm 119—the longest and (I think) one of the best psalms of the book of Psalms. Here are some reflections that I would like to share:

1) 24 times in my Bible I underlined words and phrases where the Psalmist describes the law of God (or the commandments of God, the testimonies of God, the words of God, etc.) in terms of his delight, his love, his joy, the longing of his soul, or other such hedonistic phrases (verses 14, 16, 20, 24, 35, 47, 48, 70, 77, 92, 97, 103, 111, 113, 127, 129, 131, 159, 161, 162, 163, 165, 167, and 174). Now arises the question: "Why is it that the Psalmist finds so much pleasure in following the commands of and hearing the words of the LORD?" And I would suggest that the answer lies in how much pleasure he finds in the LORD Himself (His Person, His attributes, His fellowship, etc.). Think about that for a moment...

2) Consider Psalm 119:11...

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

True love takes care not to offend, irritate, or dishonor another person. Just think about the relationship between a husband and wife. If the husband truly loves his wife and cares for her feelings, I think he will be taking strides to honor, cherish, and remember her out of the natural loving inclinations flowing from his heart.  A husband who does not truly love his wife will not have such natural tendencies, and will thus be prone to irritate, dishonor, and neglect her. So consider what true love for God looks like in light of what the Psalmist says in this verse. He takes a genuine care not to offend or dishonor ("sin against") the majesty of God. And one way that he does this is by knowing more of God (what He's like, who He is, and what He commands) through His Word ("I have stored up your word in my heart"). Do you find that you have an awareness of the feelings of God in your life and how your actions and attitude affect Him?

And let me just add something that has blessed me much with regard to how we should approach the Word of God. Psalm 119:18 says, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." I have found that reading the Bible with no real purpose other than getting through it (as part of my daily routine or Bible reading plan) tends to bore the heart; but if my approach is to "behold wondrous things" in the Scriptures, then I find more of the life and sweetness that flows out of the words of God. In other words, when I approach the reading of Scripture I am on a mission to discover great truths or great things about Jesus that will open my eyes more to the reality of the glory of Christ and the Gospel. I hope that this approach will give you a renewed desire to feast and meditate on the beautiful things found in the Word of God.

3) While reading Psalm 119 I have noticed how much the Psalmist desires and pleads for the goodness of God to be present in his life. This “goodness” could also be thought of as blessings from God, salvation from God, being favored by God, or other such things, but it basically boils down to experiencing the abundant goodness of God in your life (or, more simply stated, things go well for you in life in a good and spiritual sense). Some of the specific things that the Psalmist mentions with regard to the goodness of God include: comfort (v. 76, 82), life (v. 77, 88), deliverance from trials (v. 84), and not being put to shame (v. 80). I find this second one (having life) to be an intriguing desire. I don't think the Psalmist is simply referring to staying alive instead of dying (although that could be part of it), but rather that he wants to feel alive. He wants to have a steadfast spirit inside him and have motivation and purpose in life. I oftentimes find myself wanting to feel this way too (as opposed to feeling depressed, tired, or unmotivated), and I can rejoice to know that God delights in showing such exceeding goodness to His children and that He is glorified in doing so (see Jer. 32:40-41 and 33:9 below).

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. (Jer. 32:40-41, ESV)

And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it. (Jer. 33:9, ESV)

Far Away

This is a powerful video produced by Desiring God (John Piper's ministry) for Lecrae's new song "Far Away." The song is a tribute to the current Haiti relief efforts, and the video features powerful footage from the ground in Haiti.