Jesus Loves Me . . .This I know

Do you remember the great lyrics of our childhood: "Father Abraham," "B-i-b-l-e," "This Little Light of Mine," "Oh Be Careful Little Eyes," and of course "Jesus Loves Me"? We can all sing them now, right? (I promise that I won't embed a podcast of me singing these childhood favorites-I respect you too much). But, have you just listened to the lyrics--I mean really listened? What great theology, what great practical, authentic living is found in these simple, refreshing lyrics. Case in point: "Jesus Loves Me." Watch the following video--but listen to the words (and sing along if you want to).



Jesus loves me, this I know, for the bible tells me so. These simple lyrics tell me that I can have confidence in the Love my Savior has for me; you can be confident as well. How do we know? How can we be confident? How can we be sure? The Word who became flesh tells us so. Christ tells Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NASB). The word "world" connotes inclusivity. The word "so" emphasizes the depth, the extent, the intensity of His love. And the word "whoever" indicates those who are "called" for His purpose.

But what does all this mean? I am afraid that John 3:16 has become trite and overly used and many believers have truly lost its significance and its power and its relevance to living a genuine, authentic faith. For God so loved . . . 1 John 4:16 says, "God is Love". 1 John 3:1 reads, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God" (NIV, emphasis added). And Paul writes in Ephesians, "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (17-18, NIV, emphasis added). God deeply and profoundly loves you and me. To see this graphically displayed we only have to look toward Calvary. The horizontal cross beam reflecting His expansive love, and the vertical beam reflecting His holiness--a beautiful balance. "One reaches out--like God's Love. the other reaches up--as does His holiness. The cross is the intersection where God forgave His children without lowering His standards" (Max Lucado, He Chose the Nails, 113). Are you as overwhelmed with this picture, as I am? Listen to the lyrics by Wes King:

The width of two arms outstretched on a tree
The length of the road to Calvary
The height of the crown on a cruel cross
The depth of the pain is the cost
All for you, all for me
All for love did He bleed
All to set us free
My prayer for you is that you would know

"Width," "length," "height," "depth," "All"--Wow, how magnificent, yet humbling. David Jeremiah in his book Signs of Life tells the account of when he and his wife were in London and visited St. Paul’s Cathedral and observed a life-sized marble of Jesus Christ. He describes it as an “ugly and disturbing image--a sculpture of Christ writhing in anguish. Beneath it were the words, “This is how God love the world.” He did that just for you and me: the torture, the mocking, the beatings, the ridicule, the piercing. The message? Inclusion, not exclusion. Puritan writer Richard Baxter used to say, "If God had said there was mercy for Richard Baxter, I am so vile a sinner that I would have thought He meant some other Richard Baxter. When He said "whoever" in John 3:16, I know that includes me, the worst of all Richard Baxters there ever was" (quoted in Ira David Sankey, My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns). Aren't we glad that scripture doesn't proclaim, "For God so loved the loveable . . . for God so loved the wealthy . . . for God so loved the politicians . . . for God so loved the healthy . . . for God so loved the skinny. . . for God so loved the athlete. . . for God so loved the celebrity. John 3:16 emphatically declares, Christ's love is inclusive. As Max Lucado states in He Chose the Nails, the promise of the Cross is, "I will love you forever." God's love is indeed limitless.

So, what does God's love mean to me (and you)?

God's love gives me assurance of my eternal home.
God's love gives me security that death and sin have been defeated.
God's love gives me power to overcome sin's hold on my life.
God's love gives me patience.
God's love gives me ability to love others, even the unlovable.
God's love gives me confidence to withstand temptation.
God's love gives me a right perspective, a kingdom perspective
God's love gives me wisdom to know that His grace is sufficient.
God's love gives me a thirst and hunger for His Word.
God's love gives me discernment to meet a need.
God's love gives me passion for the lost.
God's love gives me hope in face of trials.
God's love gives me desire to lead my family spiritually.
God's love gives me faith to walk where Christ leads me, even down the paths that don't make sense.
God's love gives me strength to obey Him and keep His commands.
God's love gives me refuge in times of fear and questioning.
God's love gives me the steadfastness to walk humbly with Him.
God's love gives me the power to desire and worship Him with praise and thanksgiving.

In short, God's love surrounds me and keeps me, just as He surrounds and keeps you.

"For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth . . . .That I may proclaim thanksgiving And declare all Your wonders" (Psalm 26:3,7 NASB)

March Madness? How about March Gladness. . .in Jesus Christ

Do you like church signs? I love to read them. Each carries a serious message (like the one depicted in this image). Here are some others: "To be almost saved is to be totally lost," "If God had a refrigerator your picture would be on it," "How will you spend eternity--smoking or nonsmoking?" "Caution, Exposure to the son may prevent burning"). I saw one the other day driving to work. It read, "Jesus is March Gladness." How fitting, how accurate, how joyful. However, we often place our happiness, joy, our gladness in other things, hoping these temporal things will bring us satisfaction. Rather, our complete satisfaction comes from our Lord, even in times of trials

The truth behind this sign's message became even more relevant to me with the illness of a wonderful man, Ricky Adams.

We as a church have been on our knees for a couple of days. Ricky, his wife Rhonda, and their sweet family are experiencing a thorn in the flesh that Paul describes in 2 Corinthians. Ricky has a rare but advanced form of the H1N1 virus, so advanced that according to the Doctors normal treatment won't work. He has been in the hospital for two days now and is on a respirator to provide him with oxygen. This family is such an inspiration to me and others. A family with a stronger faith you will never find, a family who sees Jesus as Gladness 24/7/365. Don't get me wrong; they struggle like the rest of us: they have worried, they have been anxious, they have been impatient, they have questioned. But in all that, never have they lost faith, never have they doubted God's sovereign goodness and divine Will. They live out what the Psalmists writes in 27:13, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." I am writing this blog post for Ricky, Rhonda, Hannah, and Sara, and all extended family to encourage and edify them in this very difficult time, and to glorify Him who freely gives us His mercy and grace so that we can rest in Him, His strength, His power, His gladness (2 Corinthians 12:9)

In the chapter, "I Can Turn Your Triumph into Victory: God's Promises in Burial Clothing," from Max Lucado's He Chose the Nails, he details the account of Joseph or Arimathea and Nicodemus preparing the body of Christ for burial and he explains that from John's perspective, this Saturday was marked by sadness and tragedy. I love what Max says about John, "because he loved him, he stayed near him." He then quotes Romans 8:28: "in everything God works for the good of those who love him." He challenges us to replace the word "everything" with our own symbol of tragedy:

in parent abandonment, God works for the good.
in divorce, God works for the good.
in loss of job, God works for the good.
in a prison term, God works for the good.
in illness, God works for the good.
in death, God works for the good.

With the tragedy of Saturday, what always follows is the victory and triumph of Sunday. John loved Christ; therefore, he stayed near him. No matter the circumstance we need to focus on Christ. Be near to Him because we love Him. Touch the hem of His garment, linger near the tomb, hold on to the nail pierced hands, stay close to the burial garments. Christ brings hope, healing and restoration, for He is good, all of the time. Psalm 31:7-8 reads,

I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.

And in 1 Peter 5:10,

"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

How beautiful, what hope, what joy, for He (as James 1:2-4 also teaches) is perfecting us, bringing us to maturity. Christ our Lord is without a doubt, March Gladness. Ricky, Rhonda, Hannah, and Sara (and the rest of the family), may God's peace overwhelm you, may His grace supply you, and His strength comfort you.

Less of me, more of Him

I am currently reading John Piper's Desiring God. Piper's message is simple; yet, if you have ever read anything by Piper, he can be anything but simple. So far, God has challenged me through Piper's own obedience in worship. His thesis: "God is not worshiped where he is not treasured and enjoyed . . . . To say to Him that something else satisfied you more is the opposite of worship" (22).

God has been dealing me for quite some time on this question: Am I your one consuming passion? If I were to be honest with myself and God, I would say "No." There are other things that compete for my affection (food, TV, leisure, sleep, work, etc.). In my mind, I desire that God be my one consuming passion, desire to delight in Him as Psalm 37:4 commands. However, my heart has not yet gotten with the program. I need daily fillings of His spirit.

Piper goes on to add that as believers we must "embrace Jesus gladly as [our] most valued treasure" (54). My desire is for Christ to be the center of my affections. My prayer is that this blog will offer up such affections, to glorify Him in word and deed. In Matthew 5:14-16, Christ teaches His disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can not be hidden. . . . Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deed and praise your Father in heaven." The ultimate goal of this blog is to bring Him praise and glory, to worship Him. I want these musings to Reflect His Light, to express His love and grace, and to edify and encourage others.

To that end I will journal and reflect on where God is leading me, where I need to submit and what I need to give over to Him, what areas of my life are more satisfying than Him, a place to over prayers of repentance, praise, and thanksgiving, an opportunity to offer observations about key learnings from scripture, applications from Sunday School and corporate worship. I truly want to empty my self so that I can genuinely and authentically worship--less of me and more of Him.

At the same time, I want to invite friends and family to journey with me, not to hold up or find value in what I write, but to collectively worship The One True King. Sing with me, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."

(Image taken from Excellence in Christian Design)