Sneak Attack!!!

I was talking with my sister tonight, who is going to Nicaragua for a missions trip in a few days, and she was telling me about how much spiritual attack she is experiencing, both relationally with friends as well as with Jesus.

This made me think, why does it seem like Satan attacks us so much more when we are about to go on missions trips?

My answer is not one that is normally said. I would agree with those who would say that there is heightened spiritual attack to cause disunity amongst the group going on a missions trip, that Satan wants people to feel isolated and alone, that Satan wants people to keep their eyes on anything but Jesus, and that Satan wants to prohibit a work of God from happening on the trip by distracting the people on it.

But I believe there is a subtle sneak attack that Satan does to many people who go on missions trips when he makes them think they are being attacked more before going on a missions trip than normal. I think there possibly exists a greater deception that many people don’t see.

It is important for every Christian to understand that the whole of their life is to be lived on mission; and, I would say, especially wherever they call home. But many people who go on missions trips think missions consist only in going to other places, namely foreign countries. Satan loves this because it keeps people from living on mission where they call home. They associate missions apart from normal life.

This is the deeper deception that Satan promotes in many Christian’s lives, by attacking them more before missions trips. People think, “Satan is attacking me (or us) so much more when I go on mission. When I’m at home, he doesn’t attack as much; it’s because I’m not on a missions trip.” He furthers this idea, that mission is apart from one’s home, by associating big spiritual attack with going to other countries for missions.

How absurd. We are on the mission of Christ wherever we are, even if that is in our own neighborhood, ESPECIALLY in our own neighborhood.

Now that the secret is out, Satan’s subtle sneak attack, let us live on mission wherever we call home. Let us proclaim to truth of the Gospel of Christ where we live as though it actually can save the people we live with and around, not just those in other countries.

Blessed Assurance

I’ve been reading Jonathan Edwards’ The Freedom of the Will. In recent chapters he has been speaking on how, because God knows all future events, it is impossible for them to be otherwise. Whether or not God’s knowledge of the future is the cause of every single thing that happens or choice humans make is beyond the scope of this blog. The purpose of this entry is simple: the assurance of our salvation.

Edwards is refuting the thought of certain Arminians of his day that God cannot certainly know what will happen in the future because if he did, he would not be worthy of praise because he is the one who made the events take place. God can only be praiseworthy if he has no hand in the moral choices of people. Edwards thinks this to be a load of crap. The fact that God knows future moral choices people make does not make him any less worthy of praise.

He writes how it was prophesied that the Messiah would not give into sin (whether or not the Messiah was able to sin will not be addressed in this entry) and that he would be given glory, a kingdom, and success. He cites verses such as Isaiah 42:1-8, 49:7-9, 50:5-9, 52:13-15, 53:10-12 and Psalm 2:6-7, 45:3-4,110:4. Assuming Jesus was capable of sinning and losing his future glory and kingdom, it was still prophesied that he would not sin; therefore, in one sense, it was literally impossible for Jesus to have failed unless God did not know future events. Even if Jesus was on the brink of sinning, he could point back to the scriptures that guaranteed his victory and gain confidence by what was true. Even though he was tempted to the point of bloodshed, he knew it COULD NOT lead to sin because it had been written by God’s perfect foreknowledge that he would not.

The reason I say all this is because it has HUGE implications on his bride, The Church, Christians. Jesus promises The Church that the gates of Hades will not prevail against them (Matthew 16:18), The Church is promised that they will not be tempted beyond what they can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13), that they will be sustained and not moved (Psalm 55:22), that they HAVE eternal life and nobody can snatch them from Jesus (John 10:28), etc. There are many more verses that could be referenced. But these hold my point: that just like it was impossible for Jesus to fail, it is impossible for Jesus’ church to fail. We will persevere till the last day. We have a real hope that has been written down by the perfect foreknowledge of God, which nothing can change. What God has spoken, what God has written, cannot help but come to pass.

Be encouraged, that because Jesus did not fail, neither shall we who have faith and have been regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit. We have been clothed in the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21) and the future is already set in stone for us! We will be raised into resurrection bodies. Death will be defeated. We will be glorified. Nothing can stop this from coming to pass. LET’S SPREAD THE WORD!!!

What John Calvin thought of the Papists

“The papists, who are accustomed to set aside the true meaning of the Scriptures, and to spoil all the mysteries of God by their own fooleries, have here contrived an absurd fable; for they have falsely alleged that the oxen and asses in the stall worshipped Christ when he was born; by which they show themselves to be egregious asses. (And indeed I wish that they would imitate the ass which they have invented; for then they should be asses worshipping Christ, and not lifting up the heel against his divine authority.)” - John Calvin

Strength to Last the Day

One step forward, but two steps back
I can’t move on, can’t keep in tact
I sin, I fail
My flesh prevails
Though I say you’re my Lord

Can’t swim, I sink and lose my will
Keep moving cuz I can’t stay still
I sin, I fail
My flesh prevails
Though I say you’re my king

You offered up your life
Exchanged for what was mine
You’ve clothed me in your righteousness

So I’ll fall back into your arms
You give strength to last the day
You will always stand with me
Holy Spirit, I fall down on my knees
In worship of you God

Jesus you received all wrath
So I could stand and not look back
You took on sin
And were broken
So I’d say you’re my God

You sent to us the Holy Ghost
And swore you’d not leave us alone
You gave us strength
To such great length
So we say you’re our God

I raise my hands in awe
Of who you are, of you, my God
I worship you, give you my all
Take my life, it’s yours

Rest Assured

You alone remain faithful and true
Only you are able to bear in me fruit

Who is there on the earth who’s ways stay so pure?
There is none in this world who makes paths so sure

There is no one else who’s steady like you
Who stays solid as a stone

Your ways are higher than any other’s
Your providence gives me strength
You give hope for tomorrow
Assurance of life
There is hope in your name, Jesus

Who will stay in my life without wavering?
There is no one but you who keeps me from falling

There is no one else who’s steady like you
Who stays solid as a stone

Your ways are higher than any other’s
Your providence gives me strength
You give hope for tomorrow
Assurance of life
There is hope in your name, Jesus

It’s because you are God
Oh! And we are surely not
You alone are God
You, Jesus

Longings, Desires, Hope and Truth

Longings that are deep inside
Longings that hold through the night
Longings that won’t go away
Longings that, like wind, will change

Desires that take root down within
Desires that grow, increase, and live
Desires that seem to keep my mind
Desires that stay attentive eyes

Hope that stays, despite a lack
Hope that comes and goes like that
Hope that flourished here and there
Hope that none find anywhere

Truth that someday it will be
Truth that someday I’ll be free
Truth that brings a million more
Truth that rescues the hurt and poor

Finding Rest

Call me cheesy, but I’m a sucker for poems like this.
Certainly because I’m such a hopeless romantic, but also because parts of them remind me of Jesus and how he pursues us. The one speaking in the poem sounds so hopeless, but his heart never stops longing and pursuing.

This poem is from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Treebeard is telling Merry and Pippin’ about their female counterparts, the Entwives, whom they haven’t seen for a VERY long time.

The Entwives left the Ents because they wanted to keep moving and cultivate other lands. They liked their gardens and wanted to wander rather than stay with the Ents. This did not stop the Ents from emploring the Entwives to stay with them, and it did not stop the Ents from searching and pursuing the Entwives.



Ent:
When Spring unfolds the beechen leaf, and sap is in the bough;
When light is on the wild-wood stream, and wind is on the brow;
When stride is long, and breath is deep, and keen the mountain-air,
Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is fair!

Entwife:
When Spring is come to garth and field, and corn is in the blade;
When blossom like a shining snow is on the orchard laid;
When shower and Sun upon the Earth with fragrance fill the air,
I’ll linger here, and will not come, because my land is fair.

Ent:
When Summer lies upon the world, and in a noon of gold
Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold;
When woodland halls are green and cool, and wind is in the West,
Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is best!

Entwife:
When Summer warms the hanging fruit and burns the berry brown;
When straw is gold, and ear is white, and harvest comes to town;
When honey spills, and apple swells, though wind be in the West,
I’ll linger here beneath the Sun, because my land is best!

Ent:
When Winter comes, the winter wild that hill and wood shall slay;
When trees shall fall and starless night devour the sunless day;
When wind is in the deadly East, then in the bitter rain
I’ll look for thee, and call to thee; I’ll come to thee again!

Entwife:
When Winter comes, and singing ends; when darkness falls at last;
When broken is the barren bough, and light and labour past;
I’ll look for thee, and wait for thee, until we meet again:
Together we will take the road beneath the bitter rain!

Both:
Together we will take the road that leads into the West,
And far away will find a land where both our hearts may rest.