The Supremacy of Christ

(By Thor Knutstad)

If you ever wanted a thousand reasons why our LORD is completely Supreme over ALL things in heaven and on earth, watch and listen to this animated video as John Piper proclaims this supremacy with sound doctrine, with profound but simple reason, and with uninhibited passionate expression.  This Supreme God and LORD IS completely trustworthy with all things, in all things, and in all situations.  Watch and listen to this message - these words could impact your heart and actually transform your perception of the Supreme Christ Jesus -- it's 18 minutes in length but you will not be unchanged by it's Relevant, and Timely, and Supreme Message.  May this bless you as it has me - and many others.

http://youtu.be/VeKgfUGtcI0 

Does Father's Day Discourage You?

Father's Day is 4 days around the corner. How do you feel about it? What thoughts does the day bring to your mind? Whether the day brings discouragement or it brings your heart to a point of celebration, you may find this short blog a source of good perspective. Thanks to the desiringgod staff sound bites like this one can help us approach Father's Day with a renewed perspective. To read the blog click here. May God encourage you with realistic hope.

Sincerely,

Diego Cuartas

ICU

(By Lois Robinson)

When I was a teenager, I lived on a 25 acre farm and raised African Pygmy goats, as well as an assortment of dairy goats. I would travel for hours with my mom to buy good stock, breed them responsibly, then sell them to responsible owners. I loved it! I still love to watch those crazy videos that come over social media, namely Facebook, with baby goats hopping wildly all over the place. It just cracks me up! 

Well, one afternoon, while my mom and I were out in the yard mowing or some such thing, my goat Alfalfa began to holler in a typical “goat stress” manner! He was a 100 lb. Toggenburg with big horns. I typically dehorned all of my goat kids when they were only 2 weeks old (kid is the name of a goat baby) so children would not get hurt, but Alfalfa was an adult when I got him. He had fallen into the septic tank! Actually, it was a homemade septic tank that my grandfather made 100 years ago on the farm. It was hand dug with an old wooden lid on it with an old wooden fence around it. Alfalfa had successfully gotten through the fence and fell into this gross mess. Both my mother and I dropped what we were doing and fled to the scene. Here was Alfalfa, thrashing about in this nasty, stinky, bacteria-filled septic pool. Remember, he was about 100 lbs. I will never forget it. My mom, who weighed about 130 at the time, grabbed that goat by one horn. The scene looked like something right out of the movie Hercules. She lifted that 100 lb. goat out of that septic tank with one full upward motion. I can still see it today, 45 years later. I then rushed in and used my index finger to swipe any nastiness out of his mouth. In the process, he bit me. Goats grind their food sideways so it was not a straight down bite. It was a shredding type so I had to go to the doctor. He did declare my presenting issue his first goat bite! 

This blog, entitled ICU, is actually  not about the goat bite, but I use this true story as an analogy illustrating some of the important steps in our own healing journey. 

Step 1. The I stands for Identify In many cases (not all, but most) in order to have healing in your life, you must Identify the specific issue and state with your mouth what  you need healing from. From the above story, we identified that Alfalfa was hollering because he had fallen in the septic tank, a place he did not belong. If he stayed there he would die. When I go a restaurant and the waiter says, “Can I take your order?” I need to identify and state out of my mouth what I want to eat off the menu. In the bible, people approached Jesus to heal them. He would ask, “What is it that you want me to heal?” They would have to identify the issue and state out of their mouths what they wanted healing for. Notice, this is not a passive response but a proactive one. 

Step 2. The C stands for Confront-  Identifying the issue is not enough. If mom and I just saw Alfalfa in the septic tank and did nothing proactive, he would have died. We had to step up and deal with the situation. Praying the whole time, I knew neither my mom nor I would be strong enough to lift that goat with mess all over him, out of that  deep hole. But God! God gave my mom the strength not her own to accomplish something good. When we are willing to identify our problem, our sin, our issue and desire healing in that area, we must call out to God to give us a strength not our own to proceed in the confrontation, the battle ahead. With the goat, it stunk, it was ugly, it was scary, it required more than either of us had to give. But God. We were not afraid to confront the situation. We didn’t run from it nor did we deny it.  We did recognize our limitations and cried out the the Almighty One, our God, and we won the victory. 

Step 3- Notice in the last step I used the word WE a lot.  The U stands for Unite. When desiring transformative healing in your life, you cannot do it alone. You must identify it and state it out of your mouth.  You must confront it with others and unite with others to face the battle ahead. You must also recognize you are created to live in community, meaning with others around you. Even if God has made you to be an introvert and crowds exhaust you, you still need to live in community in the way God leads. In the goat illustration, my mom needed to be the one grabbing him up out of that septic tank. I was right there, as her teenage daughter, praying for her and my goat! I witnessed something that my Mighty God did that I will never forget. I was there to swipe his mouth clean. I got bit in the process, but that happens!  For any of you wondering, Alfalfa lived for many years after that, and I have learned that my God has lifted me out of some deep septic tanks I jumped into. I had to learn to recognize that I couldn’t stay in them or else I would die. I praise my God for my Savior Jesus who died for all my septic tanks and yours.  Check out John 3:16 in the bible. 

Blessings, Friends- Lois

How Psalm 23 Helps Me in Moments of Fretting

(By Diego Cuartas)

Just this morning, I was fretting. While I was considering the different things that were in my day, I was feeling like I had little margin for anything else. It is in this context that I fretted because of some comments my wife made that I was interpreting as demands or expectations on her part. When I get to this point I'm recognizing that I am not as a loving in my responses to my wife. I offer short answers; I get frustrated and deep inside annoyed by the circumstances. I also think there is a belief going through my head regarding what I assess as unfair or unjust. An undercurrent line that says, "It is not fair that these things are being imposed on me at this moment!". And I find myself reacting to that.

So as I found a few minutes to slow down, before taking care of some lab work, I sensed God prompting me through His Spirit to read Psalm 23. This chapter is packed with with descriptions of who God is and what He is doing all the time--now and future. The following verbs or actions give me insight into who He is and what He is doing in every circumstance--including those when I am fretting:

• He is my shepherd and addresses my needs
• He is able to lead me to places of nourishment and rest
• He leads and restores my soul
• His guidance in my life is aligned with the pursuit of His good fame 
• He is present with me through correction and offers me comfort 
• He is my defender and bestower of blessings in my life to the point of satisfaction
• He is committed to offer me goodness and mercy into my future days
• And all this drama of life will end up with me and Him together living eternally--with this kind of Shepherd! 

In light of these realities, I can ask myself the following questions in my moments of fretting--and use them to X-Ray my heart and hopefully realign my thoughts with Him and be able to live hopefully, in gratitude and loving others well:

1. Who do I believe is with me in this moment?
2. What do I think I am entitled to? And who do I believe is responsible for delivering that to me?
3. Who is in control of my present?
4. Who can seek my best "good" and actually secure it for me?
5. Where can I find true rest and peace?
6. What do I believe I have to be in this situation or what do I believe I must do to come out of it ok?
7. Who do I believe will secure justice for me?
8. If God is this good and gracious to me, how can I be good and gracious to others in this moment?

May God help us believe that we can live as people who have a Good Shepherd--who oversees and cares for us--rather than living life as an orphan who believes that life, good and justice depends on our own efforts. Fretting will turn into trusting!

Can We Enter God's Joy?

if you are like me, and many others in this world, we can often find excuses to not live joyfully or hope-full--much less enter what is known as the joy of God. Yes, God has joys and we are invited to enter those with Him. The Israelite King David put it this way: "You [God] make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Today, I want to point you to a blog Ed Welch composed on this topic. It will be worth your time. I hope that God gives you grace to recognize the possibility of entering into His joys and to live a life motivated by them. To read the blog click here.

Sincerely,

Diego Cuartas

“Making God Known – Acts 17:16-34”

(By Thor Knutstad)

I love Acts chapter 17.  This chapter is another detailed account by Luke of one of Paul’s many missionary journeys.  The New Testament church at that time was continuing to explode upon the scene of the known world throughout Asia and and in Europe.  Chapter 17 in Acts, specifically Acts 17:24-28, is a full presentation of God and the Gospel of Christ.  This unique passage of Scripture is filled with God’s heart toward His people (toward all peoples whether Jews or Gentiles) – and His purpose to make Himself known.

While walking through Athens in Greece, Paul sees many idols and altars and inscriptions to false gods.  The Greeks had created false centers of worship.  These gods to them were “unknown” and “not reachable.”  Upon seeing an altar labeled “to an unknown god,” Paul proclaims the God who is knowable, and who demands to be known.  Can you just imagine Paul seeing that “unknown god” altar?  I imagine him thinking and praying, “Okay Lord, here’s that opportunity that I have been waiting for!  Let us preach!”  Then while they disputed Paul’s treatise of the Gospel, he then uses their false logic against them for the sake of truth.  You see, the Greeks, in their logical and quite philosophical worship of logic had probably thought, “Well, if the other gods aren’t really gods then an altar to an unknown god will suffice.”  I wonder if this was more about their seeing those false gods as not reachable or more about their fear of not wanting to get it wrong.  It’s probably both.  But it is still an absurd claim – no matter how logical they claimed to be.

Yet the apostle Paul proclaims the true God who can be known.  In Paul’s dispute of their idols and altars of worship, he makes note of some key points in Acts 17:24-28 (to read the whole account I suggest that you review all of Acts 17:16-34 for the complete context).  Paul’s statement includes the following important points:

1. He calls them religious and appeals to them on the basis of what they believe and in what he has seen.  His term religious may actually be taken as sarcasm to mean that they were “superstitious” as a sort of jab or seriously.  Biblically, it is hard to tell, but it is an interesting comment.  Being called religious isn’t always a good thing.
2. God is a personal Creator and gives life to every created thing on earth and is the creator of every nation and every person.
3. God determines the times, seasons, and exact places where men and women should live. I love this!  Paul is attributing God as being Sovereign and in control and decisive in the existence of everything – including TIME! Wow!
4. God is near and close to man and wants man’s “reach” for Him.
5. God is unlike idols and altars of gold, silver, and stone; He is not a manmade image.
6. God commands repentance to ALL men.
7. God will judge everyone in the future.
8. God gives us the Savior, Christ Jesus, who is resurrected proof as Messiah (by the way, the Greeks believed in an immortal soul but not a resurrected body).  This would seem completely foreign and absurd to their logical beliefs.

If you have read the entire passage, then you know that these philosophers disputed with Paul in the early part of the passage and called him a “babbler.”  They accused him of advocating false gods because he was preaching the Good News of Jesus and the resurrection (of Christ and eventually of all men).  They accused him of bringing in some strange new teaching (history records that they thought that they were the custodians of bringing “new enlightenment” and “new truth teachings” to the people).  No wonder they took offense to his Gospel message!  They actually sneered at him and only a few actually became followers of Christ.  This is sad but true.  Even Gospel fluency, loving others well, and living on mission to your neighbors, friends, and community gets rejected because of the message.  Their hearts didn’t receive these great truths.  What a shame!  What fools!  What sadness!  Even when the message is relevant, practical, pure, and true, many will reject and scoff and slander and not receive.  

Yet like Paul, we look for opportunities and well-timed, apt, and fitting replies to others as we live on mission daily in our lives.  Paul’s replies to their disputes of his message are the Gospel.  May our own lives and message be the same – relevant, practical, pure, fitting, well-timed, and full of Truth in Christ as we walk and live unashamed of our risen Savior and blessed resurrected redeemer – King Jesus!  Praise Him. 

Copyright, 2015.  All Rights Reserved.  Thor Knutstad

A Short Story Women Need to Hear: Joanna Gaines

Watch this inspiring story about faith, family and responding to a call God made on her life. It shows how important it is to live by the counsel of God’s voice more than our own.

Does God Save Just to Bless Me?

(By Diego Cuartas)

I was reading some passages from the Bible the other day and came across Psalm 85:9. I could not help but read it again and again to grasp what is being said there. 

"Surely his [God's] salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land." 

What grabbed my attention is the idea that when God acts favorably on behalf of any individual, something more than "salvation" takes place. When God saves any of us, He not only has our well-being in mind, but also His own glory. When God saves, He also desires His glory to dwell in our land. Perhaps God saves not only to bless us but to also make his honor and abundant riches known on earth. Almost like a witness to Himself in terms of who He is and who can be for those who would fear Him. I suspect He knows that when His glory is revealed on the earth others will come to see Him as He is and be inclined to fear Him too.

With a little bit of search or study, I found that there are several words that are used to describe God's salvation: deliverance, salvation, rescue, safety and welfare. When God delivers you or rescues you or brings you to safety or acts to ensure your welfare, in some way He is also working toward allowing His glory to fill the earth.

You could ask the question: does God bring salvation to any of us because He is primarily concerned with us experiencing Him as Savior? The answer I propose is no. He has our welfare in mind, along with our experience of His salvation, but He also desires to fill the earth with His glory. His glory fills the earth through the experience and knowledge of His salvation. It is not just for us; it is for many more to see.

I encourage you to read for yourself the passage. It is packed with ways in which God extends salvation, deliverance, rescue, safety and welfare toward people who fear Him.  You will also find (in verse 13) that the revelation of God's glory, particularly His righteousness, is said to make a pathway in which our footsteps can follow or walk. Beautiful imagery that can inspire our desire to observe the ways in which God reveals His salvation and glory.

For further digging (study), I encourage you to learn about the "sons of Korah"--who are identified as the writers of this Psalm. Learning about them and who their father was can add greater meaning to what is being presented in this passage.

For reflection, ask yourself:

• in what ways can I know God better as I see Him deliver, save, rescue, bring to safety or seek the welfare of others?
• How can I help others to see God's abundant riches revealed through the ways He is offering salvation to me?

Rejoice in His salvation, and may God use you as an instrument to help reveal His glory to others.

What Is Good Repentance?

(By Diego Cuartas)

Whether we all use the same word to describe the need for change is not as relevant as the fact that as human beings we all understand what is implied by the expectation to repent or change. Not everything about us—our thoughts, words, attitudes or actions—is admirable! There is always room and a need for change—in this blog I will call this repentance.

I remember the days when my two brothers and I would get into playing rough and loud, and my father would warn us that if there was not a change (repentance) in our behavior we would experience physical consequences that usually involved pain. What my father was calling for was a change of our behavior at the moment. Remember the warnings you received from a teacher, your parents or perhaps a friend? Some of us have even experienced the warning offered by a law-enforcement officer while driving on a road where we ignored the law of the land!

I have personally experienced many moments in my life in which my intent to repent was very superficial at best. Perhaps with the help of others I saw that there was a need for repentance in my life, but I only pursued such repentance to please others or pacify them in some way. I knew deep in my heart that though I was modifying my behavior I had remained the same person. So my brothers and I at times were lucky to calm down and avoid my father’s punishment, but deep inside we did not want the authority of our father over our lives in that moment—especially if his authority was bringing limitations to what we considered our wants and freedom in the moment!

May I suggest that in order for repentance to be good—effective and fruitful—we will need a more comprehensive approach to repentance. Let me explain. As human beings, we constantly display behaviors, but the reality is that we are more than behaviors. We are creatures with a command center that God has made with the capacities to desire, belief and strive. And at the core of these dynamics is our capacity to treasure or worship. What is true is that our behaviors are always in sync with what is happening in our command center—our hearts. So to speak of repentance and and pursue a repentance that is good, effective and fruitful, we need to consider both the behaviors and the heart. 

Think of it this way: behaviors are indicators (or the fruit) of what is really happening in our hearts. 

Good repentance will always require that we consider a journey into our hearts by using the path that our behaviors afford us. Let me illustrate through a personal simple journey:

I am making statements that are not my real opinion in a given conversation with a friend.

I am sensing that what I am doing is not sincere and therefore fake.

I am experiencing the guilt that comes with this moment.

I am now considering why I am doing this. Why am I not saying what my sincere opinion is?

As I follow the path of my behavior, I start noticing some desires, beliefs and agendas seeded deep in my heart.

I am noticing that I desire acceptance, not rejection; I see that there is also a belief in my heart that says, “You will not be safe if you tell the truth” and another one that says, “You will miss life if this person rejects you or disapproves of you.”

As I keep following the path into my heart, I also see that my agenda is now to control the conversation in order to secure the outcomes I really want.

Can you see it? In order to experience repentance—change—in who I am, I will need to consider both my behaviors and my heart. Good repentance then will lead me to explore and understand my behavior in light of my heart. Furthermore, good repentance will probably translate into addressing the wrong (idolatrous) desires, beliefs and agendas that rule my heart.

Good repentance is not something that happens in a vacuum. And it is not something we do within the confines of our own understanding and wisdom. A bigger, wiser and holier being than us will have to be our reference point and helper. In order to treasure or worship what is truly good and admirable we will need a transformation that only God can offer.

Stay tuned. Good repentance is possible! 

Would the World Notice if the Church Ceased to Exist?

(By Nate Howard)

Imagine...

Tomorrow, you awaken to find ShopRite has disappeared — along with every other grocery store! What if the police department was no more? What if, heaven forbid, chocolate ceased to exist? What if technology as we know it, including the internet, cell phones, even electricity, vanished without a trace?

It’s hard to imagine survival without life’s so-called necessities. But here’s a more challenging question: What if all Christian churches disappeared? What if Living Faith Alliance disappeared? Would it make any difference if we didn’t exist? Would anyone notice?
God imagines His church to be a world-changing church — that our presence would be felt, that people would know we exist. God said, "I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, that they might be for me a people, a name, a
praise, and a glory." (Jeremiah 13:11)
God intends the life of Jesus in His people to significantly alter the world. That’s what we want as well. We’ve set the course of LFA to be in pursuit of the life-changing presence of Jesus, impacting
South Jersey one life at a time.
The 5-year goals we have embraced (see the front cover) describe the kind of impact we imagine, not just as one church, but as a number of networked churches — call them church plants or multisite.
We want to engage our world, intentionally talking with our friends about the Gospel, experiencing the joy of watching them become Jesus followers, connected in true community, living a
purposeful life of mission.

Look again at the graphic. Do you see the five essential practices we intend to grow in? It really does start with you and me. So as we begin this new year, the questions facing each of us are:
‣ What values need to shift in our life?
‣ How must we change?
‣ What will God need to do in you and me for us to become the
church God envisions?

I hope you can see there is an urgency that each of us connect with
God. That’s why we are beginning 2015 with an all-church week of
prayer. Please use this guide to enter in to the life of your church.
Set aside this week and let your faith rise to grasp what God has
for us.

Christmas 2014

(By Thor Knutstad)

Dearest Friends and Family,

Setting the context for the famous passage of Isaiah 53 that describes in detail the prophetic suffering and crucifixion of the LORD Jesus, Isaiah 52:7-10 is a beautiful backdrop for Christmas. Let me “decorate” the setting for you:

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring Good Tidings, who proclaim salvation and say “Your God reigns!”  With shouts of joy, they will see it with their own eyes.  Burst into songs of Joy, for the Lord has comforted His People.  The Lord will bare His Holy Arm in the sight of all the nations and all of the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

For some of you, that may seem like a lot of Old Testament Bible. You may be waiting for key words like Christmas, baby Jesus, family, manger and Bethlehem.  But if you look more closely and reread the passage, it doesn’t look so ancient in list form.

Good News

Peace proclaimed

Good Tidings

Proclaim Salvation

Shouts and Songs of Joy

The Salvation of our God

For any of you that have ever read one of my past annual Christmas letters, you know I will always proclaim to you this Good News, or in New Testament terms, The Gospel.  The apostle Paul, who once was a murderous persecutor of Christ, made it his mission to tell others about Jesus being the Messiah (the Christ, the Anointed One).  He once said that Jesus’ death and resurrection was of First Importance (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).  But Easter only follows the Incarnation of Christ Jesus.  Incarnation means “in flesh”.  It amazes me that we forget the fact that ‘God became flesh in Jesus’ coming as a humble child and selfless servant.  The Lord God, who reigns over Heaven and Earth, came to us as a man.  In an act of mercy and grace, Jesus shows up to bring salvation – as a humble, loving, despised, suffering man. (Isaiah 53)  Creator God lowered Himself to our level, to die for us and save us from sin. (Philippians 2: 1-11)  Then he conquered death by rising from death.  He rises OVER DEATH; His resurrection – defeating all of sin and death.  Victory.

If I had spent the last few paragraphs updating you on our lives, it would not have been a good investment of my words.  So I preach and proclaim this Gospel first.  As for the Knutstads, we are all well.  Early 2014 began with me and Lisa forming our covenant of marriage and bringing together our sons Jordan (20), Bryn (14), Jadon (12) and Elijah (8) into one blended, Christ-following family.  As Lisa and I quickly approach a year of marriage soon, we are truly grateful.  Our sons really love and enjoy each other and get along very well.  Each brings joy to us.  

Jordan is diligently working now and serves on a church worship team band as a keyboard player.  Bryn will finish 8th grade this year and is an avid lover of hunting and competitive airsoft play, aspiring to be a soldier.  Jadon wowed us with straight A’s first marking period and was very successful in both cross country running and soccer.  Elijah played soccer too and just had his 2nd grade Christmas concert where he sang with his classmates so confidently.  Lisa balances the tremendous task of working from home full-time as a Clinical Data Coordinator with taking care of our home and all of us.  Besides being a wonderful wife and mother to all our boys, Lisa also loves on her friends, takes pictures using her gift of photography and serves at Journey Church.  As for me (Thor), I continue to serve in ministry as the pastoral counselor to three churches in Limerick (PA), Langhorne (PA) and Vineland (NJ).  I am grateful to be entrusted with the hurts, struggles and relationships of so many people.

Life has changed a lot for all of us, but we are thankful to our Lord for our family and friends (YOU!) and we wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2015.  May the LORD be known and make Himself KNOWN to you in a whole new way!  God bless you dear family and friends as you celebrate the Savior, the LORD Jesus – who has defeated death and will wipe away every tear.  What JOY awaits!

            With much Love,

                Thor, Lisa, Jordan, Bryn, Jadon and Elijah

“I will if” vs. “I will because”

(By Nate Howard)

God is forever reshaping us, like an expert potter. And since God is very relational (think: Trinity), one area in which He is continually attempting to change us is the basic way we relate to each other. Here’s an example to think about. In relationships, is your posture, “I will because” (which is covenant thinking) or “I will if” (which is contract thinking)?

When I’m in the mode “I will if,” I’m looking to the other person to meet certain conditions and IF he/she does what I require, then I WILL act on their behalf. It’s like we have this unwritten contract, I WILL be good to them IF … 

When I’m in the mode “I will because,” I’m not looking first to the condition of the other person (if they are good, bad, worthy, unworthy, etc.). Rather, I look elsewhere, like, perhaps, to my promise to them, or my promise to God. Then, I WILL be good to them BECAUSE my eyes are on something other than them — I do that because that’s my covenant.

I believe if you look at most troubled relationships, you will find “I will if” thinking. Let’s change that and become a church that cooperates with God’s reshaping agenda of the way we do relationships! And I WILL stay in relationship with you, not IF you meet my expectations, but BECAUSE He has called us to be together. 

Why Taking Antidepressants Was the Strongest Thing I could Do

This week I want to point you to a blog Diana Lauren recently shared in her personal blog page. I believe her story can be a source of encouragement to many, who perhaps have found themselves facing similar struggles at some point in their life. Or perhaps you know someone who currently is. Two important aspects you will glean from her blog is that neither labeling someone based on their struggle is fruitful or helpful nor offering them platitudes while bypassing their bigger story or experience in life. To read Diana's blog click here.

Sincerely,

Diego Cuartas

Forgotten God

(By Thor Knutstad)

Did you know that the LORD refuses to be a forsaken and forgotten God? Look at Jeremiah chapters 1-6 -- indeed this is a sobering biblical passage from a prophet who mourns sin and addresses it boldly, but he is addressing remembering the LORD foremost. You see, our God wants to be remembered. Remembering is holy. Remembering is a mindset action of worship. This theme permeates Jeremiah's emboldened and grieved heart in his words. The LORD rejects being forsaken and forgotten. He refuses it. Are we acknowledging Him who is Creator-Father-Savior-Redeemer-King Christ-Lord Jesus? Remember the Lord, dear people, for His glory absolutely refuses to be the forgotten King. Remember.

Why do we forget? Why does God-forsakenness seem to abound even in believing Christ-followers? Here is a list of statements (some quoted, some derived) from Jeremiah chapters 1-6 that explains how and why we forget and forsake the LORD God:

1. Idolatry (false worship) 1:16, 11

2. Lack of devotion (as a bride) 2:1-2
3. Leaders don't know the Lord or His Law 2:8
4. No awe of Him 2:19
5. Unfaithfulness/faithlessness abounds 2:20
6. People forget God ("would a bride forget her wedding jewelry on her wedding day?”) 2:32
7. No reverence or fear of the LORD God 3:8, 5:22

8. Perversions are prevalent 3:22

9. People skilled at evil, not doing good 4:22

10. Dishonesty prevails and truth is absent 5:1-2

11. Repentance of turning from evil refused 5:3
12. Assumed God would do nothing 5:12
13. False prophets refuse to rebuke evil and would not point people toward the LORD 5:13
14. Stubborn rebellious hearts are hardened 5:23
15. Wealth and deceit chokes the heart 5:27
16. Prophets lie and rule by their own authority 5:31
17. Real warnings land on closed ears 6:10
18. God's Word is unheard and offensive to them and they find no pleasure in His Truth 6:10
19. Leaders are greedy for gain and deceitful 6:13
20. Leaders treat serious stuff as not serious 6:14
21. Leaders proclaim peace where there is none 6:14
22. No shame or blush over sin found 6:15,26
23. Law of God rejected boldly and outrightly 6:19

Though the prophet Jeremiah addresses the sinful and stubborn hearts of the people in general, we must note that he speaks about the effect of the leaders on the people. It's like he's saying that the leadership takes people south when they should lead them north. Let's not forget the LORD God, and let's abandon the bad theology of false prophets who rule by their authority and are not called by God. Know your Bible and remember the unforgotten God, people. If you do not, deception and confusion will encompass you in the current history and turning tide of anti-Christ.

People had followed the stubborn inclinations of their hearts (God’s exact words).  Jeremiah, the spokesman of God, extends himself by calling them “deceived,” unrepentant, evil, stiff-necked, disobedient, idolatry lovers, thieves, murderers, perjurers, adulterers and oppressors.  He pulls no punches about how sinful they have become in forgetting God. But he does more than declare that they have refused to ‘walk in the Ancient Path’ of remembering the LORD their God (16:6).  Jeremiah steps into dangerous territory by slamming the leadership (prophets/priests/scribes/elders/shepherds) with these direct and bold accusations:

You cling to deceit and trust deceptive words (7:4,8; 8:5). Note:  the word ‘cling’ means to grab or hold tightly to (like fabric) or like a child does to its mother when fearful.

You refuse to return and there’s no repentance (8:5). Note: though they have been repeatedly called to go in the opposite direction, they continue in an opposed path.

You pursue your own course (8:6). Note:  the word ‘own’ differentiates a path not of God.

You act like you are wise and know the Law (8:8). Note: Jeremiah calls the scribes ‘lying pens’ who are not writing or inscribing to circulate the Law of the LORD.

You are greedy for gain and you practice deceit (8:8-9).

You dress wounds of people as though they are not serious (8:10-15) Note: too lightly.

You say peace when there is none. Note: Danger was imminent.

You don’t shame or blush at sinful conduct. Note: brazen, bold sin by hard hearts.

You are a crowd of unfaithful adulterers who do not acknowledge God.

All of you are deceived and none of you speaks the truth because you live in the midst of deception. Note:  All are in the fog of lies/deception/untruth.

You worship dead idols that are as lifeless as a scarecrow (his term). Note: the LORD God is real and alive, while your idols are dead/worthless/lifeless.

You are senseless (10:21). Note: You lack common sense in your thoughts/life/decisions.

You do not inquire of the LORD (10:21). Note: You don’t pray!  Ever!

You refuse many prophetic warnings (10:22).

You always speak of God, but your hearts are far from Him (12:2-3). Note:  The LORD is always on their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.  Not near.  Far.  Way far.  Super far!

You uncalled and not ordained leaders are prophesying lies in the name of the LORD (14:14) and giving people idols, false visions, divinations and delusion of their own minds and by dishonoring God by not keeping the Sabbath Day holy and restful (17:21-22).

Isn’t this a sad depiction of the leadership of Israel during this time?  Jeremiah sadly weeps as he speaks this great unfolding tragedy of lament and confrontational judgment.  The leaders are lost.  Simply stated, they are deceived.  In chapter 9, Jeremiah speaks of weeping a “foundation of tears” as he walks over the sins of the nation and the leaders.  They have, to put it simply, forgotten the LORD their God.  They have not remembered His Word, His world, nor His works throughout history.  And behind this forsakenness are deceived and disobedient leaders. Dear friends who share the burden to lead stubborn sheep to the great shepherd Jesus the Messiah called Christ, the word of Jeremiah to Israel ought to cause us to stop and think and to weep.  Why?  Because there is a deep grief and sadness in seeing that many refuse to remember the forgotten God.  Cry on, brothers and sisters.  But as you shed many tears, with joy, point them toward the Savior their LORD.  Everyday, live and say and speak and share the Gospel.  In being forgotten, the LORD longs to be remembered.  And in your service and work, He will bring many sons and daughters to glory. 

Copyright, 2014.  Thor Knutstad – All Rights Reserved.

Moses Prays, We Could Gain A Heart of Wisdom

(By Diego Cuartas)

How do we gain wisdom? I suspect there are several answers to this question. A few weeks back I came across Psalm 90:12, and there was something sobering about the message found in this verse. In this Psalm, Moses prayed: "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

In reading the rest of the chapter, I found more insights as to why Moses would request such a thing from God. I invite you to explore what are the ways we can gain a heart of wisdom. As we will see, perhaps there is more to it than "numbering our days".

A look at the Psalm.

• God is recognized as the "dwelling place in all generations" (ver 1)

• He is also recognized as the everlasting God who existed before everything was even created (v 2)

• God holds the power and right to terminate the physical existence of man by calling him back to "dust" (v 3)

• For God, time is different than the way we experience it. One thousand years for Him are like a day or a watch in the night (v 4)

• The language that describes our fragile existence on earth is depicted by phrases like "swept away", "like a dream", "flourishing and withering like the grass" and ultimately "brought to an end like a sigh" (v 5-7, 9)

• Our iniquities and sins are present before God; they are not a secret to Him (v 8)

• In this Psalm, life-span was considered to be between 70-80 years, the latter being by reason of strength. These years of existence are characterized by "toil and trouble" (ver 10)

• We can see that the question raised in verse 11 is very revealing: "Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?" The question reveals the innate inability of man to consider God's power and judgments over our lives. 

• This is another reason why we are exhorted to learn to number our days: for the purpose of gaining a heart of wisdom (verse 12)

In other words, to live our lives unaware of both our fragile existence and God's supremacy over man it is to live out of a foolish heart, not a wise one.

When we recognize our fragile condition and God's everlasting nature, we then will be more inclined to:

1. Call for His mercy (or pity)

2. Ask Him to satisfy us with His steadfast love 

3. Request the restoration of our gladness

4. Pray that God will reveal His "works" to us and His "glorious power" to our children

5. Ask that His favor be "upon us"

6. Petition that He "establishes the work of our hands upon us"

What an insightful Psalm this is. We are given perspective for life here! The wisdom our hearts can gain as a result of "numbering our days" deals with the most significant needs we have as humans. We need mercy, steadfast love, gladness, the revelation of God for us and the next generation, His favor and a purposeful life. I can't imagine possessing these things and lacking hope and enthusiasm for each new day!

How then can we number our days? From this passage, we can see that two things are essential. One, we need to regard our humanness as fragile and short. This should affect the way I think about today and the future. My experience of today and my plans for tomorrow need to be considered and embraced with humility and dependence on God. Two, we need to consider the fact that God is present in an everlasting way and has the power and freedom to accomplish His own will, in His ways, in His time. He also has knowledge of our situations, sufferings and sins. And He holds the prerogative to judge and deal with each person according to who He is and what He values. 

Is numbering our days enough? I don't think so. What we are being exhorted to do, through this prayer, is to number our days in light of God and who He is. To just number our days will miss our origin, our source of strength, our faithful, merciful and loving Father and our real purpose in life.

Hopefully as we do this we will gain a "heart of wisdom" accompanied with the gladness of being part of something bigger than ourselves: a glorious God!

This is your day; what is God doing? How are you living in light of Him?

What's Wrong About Comparing Pain?

This week I want to draw your attention to a resource Ed Welch, faculty at CCEF, produced a few years ago. In his blog "No More Minimizing Pain", Welch help us consider the dangers of comparing our experience of pain to someone else's, and the implications that such actions can have in terms of our reliance on God. When I read his blog I thought about situations I have encountered where I felt I had to suffer in silence because someone else's pain was greater than mine, or where I felt less than considered because someone did not regard my pain as important. I believe Welche's blog is provocative and very relevant. I recommend you click here and take a few minutes to give your soul a gift.

Sincerely,

Diego Cuartas

We Are Not Alone!

(By Diego Cuartas)

So many times I find myself trying to figure out certain aspect of life, and as an introvert person this can become a wearisome task. Really, there are days when I feel like my mind can become a “mined zone”–you know the kind of zone where you step on something and something pops and triggers another thought that you don’t seem to be able to shake easily? Soon, I find that I am going into a vicious cycle trying to understand someone, something or myself.

Where do you turn for help when this happens? Where can I anchor my soul so that I can rest assured that there is a more fruitful path for me?

Recently, I have found lots of help in what someone wrote in the 73th chapter of the book of Psalms. I am so thankful when I find perspective such as this! It is like stumbling upon a little treasure that someone has purposefully placed in my path for my good, for my encouragement. I hope it is for yours as well.

So this man, we read in the chapter, tried to understand on his own the path and outcomes of those who do evil. In the process, he becomes embittered, pricked in heart and ignorant–to the point of event having a different attitude towards God. Furthermore, he regards his situation as “slippery” because he became envious of the ones he was critical of.

What changed for this man is that he had an encounter with God, as he entered the place where he would seek and find God. When this happened, he obtained the clarity to discern what he was not able to discern before. “I discerned their end”, he said. But there is more. He goes on to acknowledge four key things:

1. “…I am continually with you [God]“
2. “…you [God] hold my right hand”
3. “…you [God] guide me with your counsel”, and
4. “…afterward you [God] will receive me to glory”

These truths revealed to him  by God lead him to conclude, later in the chapter, that God can be trusted to give strength to his heart and to be his portion forever–that in God he will find everything he will ever need regardless of his circumstances. Even though he knows that his heart “may fail” him again and he may find himself in a new situation trying to figure out life, others or himself, or being envious or proud, he knows where he will find strength and the life resources he will need. In his mind there is no question that the best place to be is to be near God!

We can see from this man’s story that help really comes from God and from him doing two things: being present in our lives and offering his knowledge and resources to us. The most encouraging news I see in this story is that before I even seek God He is already there with me. He is not far, but rather near. What He is doing in my life and yours on any given moment is more than what we can realize or even grasp.

I therefore can confidently say that all the perspective I have found in this Psalm is not something I stumbled upon, I can see now that I was guided to it by the God who is with me, walks with me and guides me.

He is with you too!

Beauty For Ashes--Quite the Journey

(By Lois Robinson)

I told you readers last month that I would bring more insights from my current journey. These new insights are just that: new. God is working new things in my heart that I do not think would have been possible if not for what I am going through.  He really is giving me beauty for ashes. Thank you for your feedback, comments and encouragement. It is great to know people are actually reading these blogs and are getting encouragement in some way from them. 

The focus of this blog will be about embracing the painful reality of a different kind of life than I had always imagined: fully mobile with two good, strong legs to walk and run, going shopping for groceries and carrying them to the car, mowing the grass, taking a long walk, climbing a set of stairs. These are just some of the areas of my life that have been radically changed. When I get into a heated therapy pool, I nearly cry because it is then I remember what it is to walk again, somewhat normally. But, in that loss, I have gained a lot. Here are my new gifts: God is breaking my heart and opening the eyes of my heart in order to know Him more, love Him more, love people better and, last but not least, understand His faithfulness, goodness and love for me.

1. Growing in awareness of my deep control issues:

~having to depend on others to mow the grass.  

I love mowing and want to mow when I want to mow. Now I have to wait on others :)

~having to ask store workers to load the heavy things into my electronic scooter and unload them into my car when I am shopping alone. 

I want to be self sufficient and not have to ask for help at all :)

~eating habits: there are natural remedies available that assist in the healing process.  Learning to embrace a new way of eating for health benefits can be difficult. 

I want to eat what I want, when I want!

~finances: a lot goes into the medical journey each month, so following a weekly budget is crucial. 

I want to spend my money on what I want. Fun stuff, not medical stuff!

~having to do exercises and stretches daily to keep whatever muscles and nerves working that I can. 

I do not feel like exercising every day. I’m tired. I’ve worked all day, week, etc and the list of excuses goes on and on.

~dealing with the embarrassment of using a wheelchair, crutches and scooter in public, and the stares or sympathetic grins that I get from people. Honestly what goes through my head is,  “Let the cripple through.” I’m still working on that lie.

2. Growing in my Awareness of Loving and Serving People:

~When I go into any store now, I immediately look to see if all the electronic scooters are plugged in and charged. It is impossible for those of us with mobility handicaps to shop unless the scooter has a full charge. There have been times the basket is full and the scooter dies. I am now left to slowly walk up to the front, get a cart, have help to load everything into the cart, push it up, pay and have help loading it into my car. NOT GOOD! Nightmare material. 

3. Growing in my understanding of the Godly benefits of friendship/community:

~My best friend Jess, some of you know, is so wonderful in walking with me through this. She holds me accountable to exercise, to the nutritional aspect of this journey, and introduces me to natural foods to battle inflammation, etc. She attends doctor visits with me as I have learned it is too much for one person to deal with. Jesus knew what He was talking about when He says live in community!

~Our lawn mower was broken, and I spent 3 weekends trying to fix it. A friend from church offered to fix it, and one hour later it was working wonderfully! Praise God!!

4. Growing in my wisdom and knowledge regarding God and medical treatment:

~I always questioned the area of medicine called Pain Management. I was completely ignorant of the necessity of such doctors on a long term basis. Now I have a much better understanding. Yes, the system gets abused horribly. But for those who have painful conditions on a daily basis and still desire to continue to live a life God has called them to, pain management doctors are very necessary. For the longest time, I wouldn’t even tell anyone I went to pain management. It was an area of shame. Thank God He has healed me of that set of beliefs. 

~I have learned how God points me to the doctors he wants and closes doors to the places He doesn’t want.     

~I have learned to trust Him in deeper ways because I have had an issue with striving to obtain a level of healthiness and functionality, only to result in it all falling apart physically, again and again, believing all three times it was because I didn’t work hard enough, didn’t do the exercises exactly right or long enough. The doctors and physical therapists have said there was nothing I did wrong; it is just that my body is very broken right now.     

As you can see, no, God has not chosen to heal the most noticeable brokenness in my body, the leg and back. But, what we must do is look at the way He IS HEALING ME! With all of my heart, I want to walk normally again, have no pain anymore and be functioning well again. What I must never lose sight of is all the beautiful things in my heart that are being birthed and healed in me because of the brokenness I am experiencing physically. In all honesty, experiencing such brokenness on a daily basis makes most things hard physically, emotionally and psychologically. But, what rises up in all of that is His promise to give me beauty for ashes. I am experiencing this verse that I will leave you with. Thanks for reading :) See you next month! Blessing friends!

Isaiah 61:3 (from The Message)

[Announce Freedom to All Captives ] The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace— a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies— and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by God to display his glory. They’ll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They’ll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks and foreigners to work your fields, But you’ll have the title “Priests of God,” honored as ministers of our God. You’ll feast on the bounty of nations, you’ll bask in their glory. Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, Your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever.

“What is Man that You are Mindful of Him, and the Son of Man that You care for Him?” (Psalm 8:4)

(By Diego Cuartas)

The path began this way: On October 27 I wrote in my journal, “With digestive issues, a muscle in my left arm hurting and eyes that seem weak these days I am reminded of how fragile we are–like the grass flower that is here today but gone tomorrow.” Then on October 30 I recorded the thoughts found in Psalm 8:4, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” This same day a few things unfolded that eventually formed the diagnosis of a Bell’s palsy case. While having breakfast I noticed my tongue was somewhat strange, it felt numb on one side. I dismissed it after suspecting that I might have burnt my tongue the day before during dinner without realizing it. By 11:30am the numbness had moved down toward my chin and then up toward my right side cheek. By noon I was feeling muscles around and above my right eye acting strangely. The symptoms intensified but remained in the same locations. After taking the necessary steps to seek counsel on what to do, I was referred by my doctor to go to the emergency room. I was reluctant to go but thought it would be better to do so. Four hours later I was diagnosed and treatment had begun. I could not believe how quickly something like that could develop and impose a series of limitations on my normal functions. If you had asked me in the first days that follow to hold water in my mouth while standing in front of you, I guarantee you an unsolicited splashing would have been experienced immediately. Half of my mouth would not close! I won’t burden you with details, but I noticed that my life was placed in a situation where thoughts were being filter through these key thoughts: “Am I really fragile?” and “Is God mindfully caring about my situation?”

For the last three weeks I have been the recipient of underserved grace. As the days progressed and the uncertainty of how soon recovery would take place, I was reminded of these truths God had so kindly revealed to me before I became sick. One thing I notice is that when God speaks to me, He is being merciful in that He is delivering something I need on that moment or day. But He is also orienting me for the future. The reality is I don’t see further than 12 inches beyond my next step. How gracious of God to speak to me three things that He knew I was going to need within hours. What He spoke to me through His Word became an anchor for my soul during the 21 days of this struggle. I must admit that as I write this blog I am still experiencing a remaining 3-5% limitation due to the condition. I am thankful and doing very well. The recovery has been incremental and felt daily. Here are the three things that God used to hold me while my body was adjusting to the abnormalities:

• Humans are fragile
• I am mindful of those I have created
• I care about them

This is not how I heard these statements. The way I heard them was more personal than that. It sounded more like this:

• Diego, you are fragile; this is who you really are
• Diego, I am mindful of you
• Diego I care about you

Another observation I make is that there are times when God speaks in some general terms, and there are other times when God speaks more personally. His voice was sustenance to my soul. And in the moments when other voices were introduced into my situation, it was very helpful to anchor my soul in God’s words.

God does accomplish a lot of things in our lives through hardships, but one thing that I am learning is that hearing God speak and orient me created a space for my soul and mind to glean other fruit God had prepared for me to receive. First, he created space for me to embrace a more humble approach to life—this was emphasized to me daily as I recognized that I could not do things the same way I was used to due to the limitations produced by my new condition. Second, he reoriented my soul to consider being more merciful toward others who are undergoing their own version of suffering or the limitations they involuntarily experience today.

So, we really don’t know how much there is for us tomorrow in what God speaks to us today. Perhaps we would listen more attentively. Perhaps we would cherish His voice as the voice of One who loves us. One who whispers into our ears, “I am mindful of you and I care for you”.

• In what experiences of your life are you feeling alone? Perhaps forsaken?
• Whose or what voice influences your heart the most?
• What kind of things is God providing space for you through your present hardships?

May God share His heart with you too.