Flee to Christ

Hello, sweet souls!
This has been an interesting time of new resolutions, or perhaps just a wonderful time of resolute faithfulness in the church body. 
All around me and in me, more and more hearts are seeking to redefine who we are and determine to follow Christ, in context of the Gospel.  This is AMAZING, and we should be encouraged!

How the Lord has been gracious to help us see a bit more clearly the fervor under which our faith must be established! Christ the Lord has mercifully guided and lovingly opened the eyes of us who - for a time - shut ourselves into complacency and ritualism, daily motions and routines. 
Praise be to God, for in Christ, we have all we need, not the least of which is the continual outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  But by this Spirit, our faith has been tried, tested, purified.  God, in His wisdom, continues to call us out of stagnant religiosity into brilliant work for His glory!

2020 marks nothing less than a Refiner's fire to bring us as a church back - jerk us awake - to the reality of what is truly important and what is truly at stake.  It's a merciful call from God when we go through trials of various kinds.  A call to repentance, to returning, and resolving to continually flee to Him as our sole salvation, sole refuge, and soul rest.

15  For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning[c] and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
But you were unwilling, 16 and you said,
“No! We will flee upon horses”;
    therefore you shall flee away;
and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”;
    therefore your pursuers shall be swift.
17 A thousand shall flee at the threat of one;
    at the threat of five you shall flee,
till you are left
    like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain,
    like a signal on a hill.

18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
    and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
    blessed are all those who wait for him.

Studying Isaiah has been an eye-opener as it stands timeless with what is happening today.  The remarkable similarities between the outcry of said prophet and the status of our world are no question: we are most certainly living in perilous and indicative times. These are times of labor, as the Scripture puts it, which have steadily grown more intense and more frequent as we prepare for the triumphal entry of our King Jesus!  Oh LORD, come quickly! The coming of our Lord Christ is pending! 
To what - to whom - are we fleeing? 
Who will hide us in the day of judgment and the fury of God's wrath? Can we depend on our health?  Our wealth?  Our intellect?  Our religiosity?  Our strength?  What about our power?  Our connections?  Our status?  In the day of Christ's return, will we truly find solace and peace in any of these?

My page today does not reflect as much of an artistic process as it does a personal, spiritual process.  I didn't use anything more than an alpha stamp set to illustrate the attitude of Isaiah.  For this time, it suffices to say that there is something a bit more urgent than modeling a watercolor technique or honing a blending style - the eternity of all who have not yet fled to the immovable, steadfast, gracious positioning of our Lord Jesus.
Personal insert:
It moves me to tears watching my father succumb to colon cancer.  As we look on the slow decay, we are reminded of the inevitability of the separation of body and soul.  It's coming, though slowly, and one day he too will bear the curse of death on mankind.  But the heart-wrenching pain in my heart is that of his soul which has not yet hurried to the safety and security of His Savior.  The One who bled and died for him is patiently waiting, beckoning, "Come."  My father's life, marked by self-reliance, self-idolatry, self-motivated ambition, self-sustenance, is not yet covered by the "I AM" who is all-sufficient in life and godliness, under whose banner we all must flee for our very lives.  
But this slow and gruesome cancerous process has also awakened me to a far bigger plan and purpose of being a child of God, saved by grace.  

Matters of true importance - above elections, above pandemics, above sexual orientation controversy, above social status and degrees, follows and shares - are the eternal welfare of each person that continues in darkness though the Light has come.  My neighbors, my friends, colleagues, family...
Nobody wants to talk of judgment - least of all, me! - but this is what happens when Christ comes to cleanse the world of all evil for the final time, and replace it with a people and kingdom of eternal glory.  
Nobody wants to speak of MORE pain - least of all, me! - but it is sure to happen as God continues to purify a people for Himself, the perfect Groom.
Nobody wants to speak of hell, fire and brimstone - least of all, me! - but isn't it the place of finality for those we love who haven't yet seen, heard, or experienced Christ in us?

Continue sisters (and brothers), to look outside the home and Christian "bubble" to those on the outside of the family of Christ.  Continue to avoid blending personal pursuits with your walk in Christ, that your witness may have its full efficacy! Continue to resolve to know "Christ crucified" and only Him, for it is in Him that we live and have our being.  Continue to resolve to love God and love people, for He died not only for our sins, but that of the entire world!  Continue to speak the Good News of Great Joy to all people though it may seem unpopular, uninvited, unfamiliar, or unfriendly.  We don't know the soul God is drawing to Himself; far be it from us to withhold His light!

At all costs, flee to Christ.
At all costs, show others the way to, the need to, the urgency to, and the blessing to fleeing to this ultimate, overall Rock of Salvation.

"Rock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood from Thy wounded side which fload
Thee of sin the double cure save from raft and make me pure
Let me hide myself in Thee!"
(Rock of Ages, Augustus Montague Toplady)

Much love and hope,
Deeds

Christ Died for My Sins

Hello again, Tuesday!

I trust your holding on tight as our summer swirls and hurls us about like tumble weeds in a dust storm! HAHAHA! It's so crazy that we're already finishing out July and approaching the (not so scorching) days of August. <3

 I've enjoyed the studies I've been doing recently - most recently is the ones in books like, "Gospel, 90-day Devotional, (WOW!)" "Growing Together,(YES!)" "Exalting Jesus in Leviticus," and "Exalting Jesus in Acts."
Those last two mentioned are part of a series and they're SO helpful. 

To give you a bit of an overlook at what these books are, they're primarily commentaries written to help pastors develop a clear and concise mode of preaching through each book of the Bible.  Each book of the "Exalting Jesus" series helps a pastor to gain the understanding of the Gospel as it pertains to each book! 

These have been incredibly simple in their layout, their insight, they're connections from one passage of Scripture to another.  It is no wonder these are made for a pastor to deliver a sweet and clear message to his congregation about the supernatural grace and wonder of the Lord Jesus Christ - the Gospel! Everything is tied to it!
Side note:  no, I'm not a pastor by profession, nor do I plan on assuming such a role.  But I AM a born again Christian, hoping to bring the light of the Gospel to my surroundings and even to my own life.  It's the hope that is primary and essential, priority and converting.  Thus, as Peter said, "Such as I have, I give to you…" in the context of what I know.  What I DO know, I give, in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Lord of Grace, I ask that You be here right now.  That You be working and tenderizing.  That You will penetrate and fill.  That You would bring to light the Gospel and the way it works in our lives, both to save and to sanctify. 
In Jesus Name, Amen.

In your Bibles, there's going to be places that are more cryptic and bewildering than others.  You've most likely stepped up to bat in your Bible reading plan, reached the book of Leviticus, and signaled for a "pinch hitter."  I get that.  I totally get that. 
Some books of the Bible are easier to get a sense of the flow and nature of the character of God and the relevance of His Word.  I want to offer something to you: don't let that hinder your desire to learn of God, and get to know Him.  He is absolutely gracious as He offers 2 things to help us in our studies:
1. The Holy Spirit.  In Christ, we have a perfect communicator between us and God that will help us come to an understanding of His Word.  It's the Helper.  He's with us to help us.  When you come to a Bible passage that leaves you wondering, it's ok to ask for help.  It's ok to not know, to pray over a selection of the Word of God, and to seek His counsel.  It's ok.  AND, it's ok to need additional support from those who have gone before us to seek and study the hard and deep things of the Bible.
2.  Books and commentaries.  These are written for the explicit purpose of helping us "connect the dots" between books, the truths therein, and the relationship to God they have.  The commentary series I mentioned above has helped me immensely to travel through a book - LIKE LEVITICUS! - bringing incredible insight and guidance toward knowing and loving my Lord! 

We are NOT alone in our studies.  We are NOT alone in our questions. 
Tim Keller

Paul Tripp

Sinclair Furgeson

Don Carson

Albert Mohler

NT Wright
Tim Mackey
Mike Bullmore

Jen Wilkin

Tony Merida

David Platt

JD Greear

Melissa Kruger

Trilia Newbell…

…and more have been down those paths of not knowing, questioning, searching, and prayerfully considering the text of Scripture before them.  They're ever-learners just like you and me.  They're ever-seekers, longing to know more of God, as that endeavor is ongoing and cannot be satiated on Earth.  For our benefit in knowing the Gospel better, and certainly by the grace of God, they have provided the fruit of their studies, the gifts of their teaching, and the love of our Father.  God has been so kind to provide all the ways we need in order to know and follow Him better!

Having said all of that, I would like to give a short Gospel message:  Christ died for our sins.  That's it.  That's the entire Gospel message. 
Christ.
Died.
For.
Our.
Sins. 
A five-word, all-inclusive explanation of what it is we initially believed in faith when we came to Christ. 
A famous hymn put it another way:
Jesus.
Paid.
It.

All.

This alone is the gift of God, by His grace.  The Gospel is the core belief system of a Christ follower.  And in Christ, we are meant to live, breathe and eat by it! 
Not only that, but it's strewn throughout the Bible.  It's laid out in the whole story of Scripture and plays out beautifully from beginning to end.  

For example: Proverbs 14:9 which says,

"Fools mock at the guilt offering,

    but the upright enjoy acceptance."

At first glance, it's easy to pass right over this verse in Proverbs with a quick nod to its teaching.
"Fools, bad."
"Upright, good."
Then we move on with a sense of, don't be a fool because it's better to be upright. 
In themselves, those statements are true.  There is a positivity to "upright" and "enjoy." We like those words.  Sounds bad, being a "fool" or one who "mocks."  But, what does that even mean!?
Why was this written?
Who wrote it?

What's the less obvious implications of "fool" vs. "upright?" 
Upright in what?
Guilt offering, huh?

To be as concise as possible, "fool" is used to describe those with no real sense of what life is about: God.  "Fools" are those who say, "there is no God," who live life in recklessness and carelessness.
Ok. Got it.  That's bad.
Upright.  Ah, more complex.  But simply put, he's the one who lives within his God-given boundaries.  He's wise and God-fearing.  He's moral and has a sense of justice.  He's conscientious of God and his standing before the Creator.
Cool!  I wanna be THAT guy (or gal).

So we have a stark contrast in characters here, which is the overall gist of the book of Proverbs.  It's the 31-chapter book of the Bible that lays out differences between one who fears the Lord and one who does not in great detail.  You can read Proverbs for yourself and get a pretty good idea of it's layout.  Praise the Lord for understanding!

Alrighty, but what of this guilt offering in relationship to a fool?  And how does that contrast with the upright who "enjoy acceptance??" 
This is where commentaries come into play.  There is a lot of background and history to the culture of the world that was; a lot of context that comes into play when dealing with who wrote this proverb (Solomon, son of David), and the audience to which he wrote it (the nation of Israel).  Having read the "Exalting Jesus in Leviticus" commentary (particularly surrounding Leviticus 5 and 6), I looked at this passage with more than a sense of right and wrong; more of a deep-hearted thrill for God!  For Jesus!  For who He is.  For what He's done. 

Leviticus is the law of God to the people of Israel.  They were given strict and detailed instructions about being the chosen nation of God Almighty.  What did life look like?  What did worship look like?  What did relationship look like?  What did sacrifice look like?  Why sacrifice?  What is the purpose behind ceremonies, festivals, purifications? 
All of Leviticus details the particulars of God's heart toward the nation of Israel, that they be holy, as God is Holy.  Set apart, different, in living and in worship from all other nations. 
In His love and because of His holiness, He provided a way - through rituals and observances - for the people of Israel to be reconciled to Him, grow closer to Him, and worship Him.  What a good God to be so kind as to provide a way in which we can be in a right relationship with Him!
In Leviticus 5 and 6, we get the finite details of what pursuing that relationship with Him looked like through something called, the "guilt offering."  This offering would be done by one who sinned unintentionally - broke the law without knowing it either because they didn't know it was a law, or because they simply forgot.  We'd call this a "mistake." Something done without intent.  Even still, it was a failure before the LORD; a sin nonetheless.  Just because we don't know a law exists doesn't make us any less guilty when we break it. 
This offering is made also when someone cheats another individual in any way.  If one took from another individual, one incurred guilt, and God gave direction as to how to make that right, both by making the offering as well as returning what was stolen, plus some. 
You can probably imagine how often this would have happened.  Unintentional sin?  Cheating another?  The priestly office was always a necessity - the burdens borne on the backs of the ones who brought these offerings before God was a heavy one.  Each. And. Every. Time.  Following the "ample" (I use that term loosely) sacrifice made by the priest, the idea and hope would be that said "offender" would walk away with a repentant heart - a heart of Godly grief - and live accordingly. 
Proverbs is alluding to this by saying that the "fool" mocks this offering as being inconsequential; unnecessary; a waste; a bother; an annoyance.  When you mock something, you're making less of the gravity of which it consists - the gravity of our sin (unintentional at best) is so heavy, and the "fool" mocks at it, and the offering that must be made in order to be reconciled to God and others.
Then, there's the opposite reaction to sin - the better and ideal way to handle it.  The Bible calls this being "upright."  The one who longs for that reconciliation with God and others, is the one whose prize possession is that relationship with God, His acceptance and His intimacy.  In bringing this guilt offering, Proverbs says that the "upright" does what is necessary to make things right, with godly grief and godly intention.  "A broken and contrite heart, the LORD will not despise," says David (Psalm 51).  

Hopefully this ties some things together for you.
1. The holiness of God vs. the sinfulness of man
2. The grace that made a way for man to be made right with him through sacrifice.
Finally, that this initial model of guilt pardoned, sin covered, and reconciliation extended was not the full and perfect mode God to reconcile people to Himself - it was however, a pointer to something - SOMEONE - greater.
Because of sin, the damage done, and the consistency of it, they (we) could not slaughter enough animals, wash enough hands, say enough prayers, do enough mourning, pay enough recompense to earn our right standing with God.  We are limited.  We are finite.  We are imperfect. 
This is not a gloom and doom thought.  This is a sobering thought, to be sure, but it is to serve as the preface to something more amazing, more deep, more radically different, and more unfathomably gracious: the Gospel.
 

As much as Proverbs points to Leviticus and Leviticus explains the Proverbs, they both "tip their hats" as Jen Wilkin would say, to the new and perfect covenant - Jesus Christ.  The covenant that God makes with His people now is through the perfect blood of the once-and-for-all, eternal, completely satisfactory sacrifice made through the Son of God.  

HE is the perfect offering for guilt to pardon our sins (1 Pet. 1:18-19).
HE is the perfect priest who brings our guilt before God (Hebrews 3-5).
HE is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29, 3:16).
Christ.
Died.
For.
Our.
Sins.

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures," 1 Cor. 15:3.

Jesus paid it all.  All to Him I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. 
OH PRAISE THE ONE WHO PAID MY DEBT AND RAISED ME UP TO LIFE AGAIN!

Much love,
Deeds

God's Timing for God's Glory

"It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." (John 11:4)

Hey guys! It's Deeds!

So glad that you're here today.  My life has settled into yet another new normal for now; my kids have all finished up there schooling, grades are completed, and smiles are big!  Including my own!

Today, I'm in John 11.  This is a recent favorite passage of scripture.  The story of Jesus picks up where a dear friend Lazarus has fallen sick, then dies.  Why is this a recent favorite? I'm so glad you asked.  It's such a sweet yet gripping account of love, time, grace, confusion, death, life, and so much more.  Much more, I've been convicted by seeking God's glory in all things, especially His timing. This chapter reads...

"Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”  28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”  38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 

(John 11:1-44, italics mine)

Are you moved?  Can you join these hearts as they go from a weeping hopelessness and confusion, to full on shock and wonder?
This indeed is a mighty passage of scripture, showing us plainly that Jesus as God the Son has full power, full control, full authority in heaven and on Earth. He commands the physical realm as well as the spiritual realm.  Raising someone from the dead is just one of MANY things He does in response to the pleas that surround Him.  I encourage us all to look a bit more deeply into the context of this story, for there is extensive reasoning behind the works of Jesus on our behalf...
When darkness looms, tragedy strikes, pain ensues, trouble comes, someone dies, we look and pray to God to heal and fix the problems; restore the good; bring about comfort; renew our condition.  Don't get me wrong; we are unmistakably encouraged to pray, to take our petitions to the Holy Throne of God, with thanksgiving.  There is help and hope, connection and communion with the Lord when we seek Him earnestly and consistently.  However, the approach to our prayer life may need to be considered: are we coming to God to fix up our lives and change the bad, the ugly and the difficult into right, bright and lovely? Or can we say that our prayers reflect the desires of our heart to get closer, go deeper and know more clearly, the person and glory of Jesus Christ our Savior?

In the passage above, we see that Jesus indeed performs the miracle.  After both Mary AND Martha fall to His feet in tears, He indeed is moved to make things good again by raising Lazarus from the dead.  He has compassion, love and tenderness toward a group of people devastated by death and loss.  It's a difficult thing to experience, and He feels it with them.
But in Jesus' own words, we also see a reason and purpose for His miracle of resurrection which is far beyond the perspective of the "here and now."  We see a call to a greater view of a grander picture that exceeds and is ultimate in all things: the glory of God.
In verse  41, JESUS prays to God.  JESUS petitions the Father.  JESUS lifts His voice to bring His requests to Him.  "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me."
There are a couple of things to note here.  Firstly, Jesus is not asking God to raise Lazarus from the dead.  In fact, we've already seen in prior verses that He's planning on doing so, willing that Lazarus be made alive again to walk the earth.  But secondly, He's bringing a magnificent opportunity to the people around Him to see that He is indeed who He says He is.
The Resurrection.
The Life.
The Son of God.
The Light of the World.
And ultimately, the One who stands outside and above all creation, using the element we know as "time" as a tool to glorify Himself and bring honor and glory to God.

When we bring our petitions to God, sometimes we (at least I know I do) forget that God is outside of time and space.  He's beyond our world and our tangible experience.  He's both near and far.  He's both here and there.  He's both the beginning and the end.  He's both now and forever.  Time is of value to Him, but He is not constrained by it.  As we seek the Creator God in Jesus' name for the overabundance of situations that we know as "life," the tendency is to think and relate in terms of our present. The glory of God is made manifest in our present to be sure.  But as God who establishes everything, makes everything beautiful in its time, is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, God's purposes in our lives extend all the more wonderfully and unfathomably into eternity.  Past this life.  Past death.  Past our here and now.  Past our shake-able, broken world.  Past our loss, suffering, struggles and pain.  Past our hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
In John 11, Jesus is moved in His spirit for the humanity that surrounds Him.  He is touched with the difficulties of mortality. He is brought to tears over the brokenness that covers our hearts, our homes, our gravestones.  But He is not stopped by death.  He is not inhibited by darkness.  He is not forbidden by loss, depravity, failure, hopelessness, confusion and chaos.
As the Resurrection and the Life, Christ welcomes the opportunity to reveal God's glory in all things, here in the life of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and now in your life and mine. 
The Gospel Transformation Bible puts it this way,
"The Gospel is a story of our God doing all things well, not all things easily.  His name is Abba Father, but this does not mean that he leads his children in a life of complacent ease and comfort.  Indeed, upon hearing about Lazarus's sickness, Jesus waited to days longer before responding -- apparently so that his compassion could be revealed by a more glorious expression of divine power, expressed according to divine wisdom and timing.  God's ways are not our ways.  They are much better."
And then later, "The more deeply we know and walk with Jesus, the more readily we accept God's glory as our greatest good, even when it feels like such a momentary bad.  As 'the resurrection and the life,' Jesus is always writing better stories than we could ever pen.  Martha and Mary would soon find this to be true." (p. 1428)
As those who seek God, may we be those who trust God in all things - even His timing.
As those who trust God, may we be those who seek His glory.

Much love,
Deeds
IG: @mercies_journaled

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Everything God Does Lasts Forever

Happy Tuesday, creative worshipers!
I like June.  I just do. 
For many reasons.
It's marked by colors, warm winds, bird symphonies, and a whole lot more.  It's a hopeful month.  It's a happy month.  It's a time of the year that I wish could stay around forever.  Literally, forever.
I enjoy when thunderstorms make their entrance. 
I love when my annuals bloom.

I love the happy laughter that comes from kids who have made it through the winter's anticipation of Spring!
I love open windows full of fresh air.
I love the puffiness of the clouds in a sky that closely resembles a painting.

I love early sunrises and late sunsets.

I really do - I wish this month could last forever.

Stamps used: Time Well Spent, 

All of Me Alpha, Chunky Alpha, 

Messy Stamped Alpha, 

Consider the Wildflowers.

But, obviously that's not reality.

I get to watch warm and forgiving winds give way to Summer heat that burns my freshly cut grass.  I get to see full blossoms cower at July's roar.  By August, it's difficult to know whether or not that gorgeous fuscia once existed!  Dear, sweet, Rosalias, you may fade in a couple of weeks, but I will always await your timely return. 
The Bible speaks the concept of coming and going.  It lends a persuasion to the finite-ness of our fallen world, here; right here in Ecclesiastes.    Now, please don't be depressed; my goal today is to purposely draw out the underlying grace of God in this book.  Because even though it seems like a difficult piece of antique literature, ALL of God's Word is His inspiration to us.  ALL means ALL.  Ecclesiastes is written in its own unique fashion, yet remains worthy of note, and full of purpose. I'm still studying to figure this stuff out!

As we peek into this "weird" and seemingly misplaced piece of Scripture called "Ecclesiastes," one thing we pull away is a "teacher's" lessons on life, particularly relating to time and death.  Boy, sounds like a valuable class!  "Come hear lectures about the speed at which time passes, and the length of your life which is like a breath."  Hmmm...where do I sign up?

There's more.  He describes life as a striving - a grasping for something unattainable like smoke or wind.  You cannot hold it.  You have no control over it.  It looks solid in nature, but when you reach to take it in your hands, you come up short. 
This is Ecclesiastes in a nutshell.
There's more. 
The Bible is divided into sections.  Ecclesiastes is a part of the "wisdom" section.  With the scholarly help of theologians before us and even of our time, understanding of this book's puzzling content is available.  I got my help from the website, bibleproject.com.  Now I can better see how Ecclesiastes fits into the divine narrative of the whole Bible!  God is giving us as clear view as possible into the mind of man and what we are made for; how we live in this world as workers with greater purpose and an eternal perspective.
What a good God! 
The following passage of Scripture aids in helping us to see why this book is not just about the mortality of man, and the finality of our endeavors.  It's about God.  It's about God as the central entity and focus of who we are.  It's about His being the reason for life, the reason to work, the reason to enjoy life, the reason to enjoy work, the reason for joy, the reason for hope.  The list goes on. 

"I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. " (Eccles. 3:14 ESV)


Life, indeed, is a complex summation of situations and responses.  To make matters more complex, we have motives and intent.  We think about and emote throughout it all.  As Ecclesiastes educates us on the futility of our work, or the vanity of our constructions, it also brings about the overall and overarching point of life: God.  God is the point of life. 
The reason why we become disappointed, the teacher says, is based on our living life apart from the will of God.

The very reason we become seriously vexed by dashed expectations, according to our professor, is based on our striving to make more of ourselves, and less about our Creator. 
Our friend, the "teacher," is making us aware of the infinitely more worthy and glorious Being, and His being the focus of our endeavors in life. 
Life IS a vapor.  It is a timed sprint.  It's a fast and furious couch-to-5k, for all you running junkies out there.  From dust we were born and to dust we'll go.  We don't know what time frame we're given to walk the Earth.  The Bible even tells us to learn how to "number our days" (Psalm 90).  But the questions is not if we will die.  The question is not even when will we die. 
The sweet grace of this Scripture above gives the answer to life's ultimate question: why am I here?
Why are on Earth are we here on Earth?
What are we supposed to be doing?
What is this life all about?

God.
It's God. 
Because what God does is perfect (Psalm 18:30).
Because what God does is abundantly good (Psalm 31:19).
Because what God does is higher (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Because what God does lasts forever (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

Our lives, according to God, are valuable and useful.  We are made to work.  We are made to worship.  And we're made to do both at the same time.  Life, though a vapor, is not wasted we are focused on the central Character of Scripture; it's enriched.

Much love,
Deeds
IG: mercies_journaled
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Encouragement about Encouragement

Hey there, it's Deeds! 💜💛

I'm on the blog today to offer a bit of encouragement about "encouragement."  

To keep it brief, as sisters and brothers in Christ, the command to encourage one another is one among many commands to the body of Christ, the Church.  

There are actually nearly 60 passages of scripture called "one another" passages, wherein unity and oneness of mind, love and strength, help and hope are required of us toward others of the faith.  In this, there is a workable "body," and a powerful testimony to those outside the faith!

When the Lord calls us to encouragement, His words are pretty clear as to the consistency, the intensity and the emergency...

Note...

 "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end." (Hebrews 3:-14 emphasis, mine)

God has a beautiful story to tell in the binding of our Bible.  There is a compelling tale of Creation and the perfection within.  This leads to something known as "the fall," the drastic change from something wonderful and "good" according to corrupted and becoming more corrupt because of sin.  Then (queue the Hero music), God brings about the Redemption plan which comes in and through the Person of Jesus Christ.  This sinless God the Son, does the ultimate work to redeem mankind on the cross and through the resurrection.  Because of this act of love and grace from God, now we have the opportunity to know and love God ourselves, love others, and tell others of the hope that is in Him.  The finale of this beautiful tale is called Recreation.  This is the part where God the Son assumes the throne for all time in a newly made, perfectly developed, eternal realm of glory.  Followers of God from the beginning of time to the end, live here forever.  Dwell here for all eternity, in the presence of the Lord, worshiping, living and loving perfectly - FOREVER! 
Now, this story hold so much more for us and gets unfolded in the pages of the Bible.  When you look at scripture through the lens of the "Story" - HIS story - encouragement, as was meant in Hebrews, is possible and powerful! So,

When you see a crisis in the brotherhood, encourage.

When you see pain, encourage.

When you see growth, encourage.

When you encounter rebellion, encourage.

When there's bickering, encourage.

On and on, the list goes regarding the blessing of one child of God to another.  On and on the list goes of ways and reasons to do so. 

Sometimes, I make encouragement cards for my family (those who would say they are "in Christ") to help them see from scripture the necessity to endure, persevere, take heart, believe Christ, live in grace, love with power, and see the bigger picture.  This is an exercise for me too, to remember God's calling on our lives, and the implications of being His child/follower/ambassador.  And through the filter of this wonderful Story of scripture, I'm encouraged! 

So here's a few examples of the cards I made, but also the scripture from which they're based (I would encourage you to look up each of these to help understand the sentiment!):

God is good, all the time.
 - Romans 8:28
 - Psalm 145:9

 - Psalm 136

Inside the will of God is the only place to be.
 - John 15:7

 - Jeremiah 29:11

 - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

When you go through deep waters, God will be with you.

 - 2 Corinthians 4:9

 - Isaiah 43:2-3

 - Psalm 62:6

I am His, and He is mine.

 - Song of Songs 6:3

 - Ezekiel 16:8

 - Isaiah 43:1

God never allows pain without a purpose.

 - Philippians 2:13

 - Hebrews 12:6

 - Psalm 94:12

 - 1 Peter 5:10

 - Romans 5:3-5

Trust in God's perfect plan, even when His answer is wait.

 - Psalm 62:5

 - Titus 2:13

 - Psalm 46:10

I do hope this was helpful and encouraging.  This is something that works mightily in the lives of fellow followers of Christ - this use of scripture in daily living is powerful because the Word is living and powerful!  It divides even the more narrow of pathways in our souls to do that work which cannot be done by any other book, tool, blade, or medicine.  It IS the power of God - in it we find Him.  And, THAT is encouraging.

Much love,

Deeds 

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