Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Tunesday Tuesday.
This song is actually on a Christmas EP by Meridith Andrews, but the message is so simple as the title says, "The Gospel Changes Everything." I've been listening to it daily, reminding myself how simple the gospel message is. How good it is.
Friday, April 24, 2015
2 for 1
Part I
Imma about to tell you something. Normally my posts are fairly organized but tonight, I came home from church, semi-discouraged about something. Seems to be the norm these days that there's something to tell my roommate about at the end of the day that is "wrong."
Why are churches just bad at being churches? Or loving people, rather?? That was my thought. And before I could keep going with reasons, God stopped me in my tracks and said: because it's made up of sinners. Listo. That's all I needed to hear. No church is perfect. Not in Buenos Aires, not in Tennessee, not in Missouri. We're all broken people and as long as we're on this earth, the Church - the church- is going to have issues. And that is a fact you can take to the bank. We'll remain that way until Christ returns, to make us WHOLE.
I so can't wait for that day. I so need Jesus. Don't you??
Part II
So I have to tell you about another thing I read this morning in my Bible that has just so convicted me for our world. Second Kings 22 we read about Josiah who has come to reign at such a young age and praise God, he doesn't follow his father's footsteps, but he chooses to seek God and restore the temple. (Why and how, I honestly don't know. If you read his family's messed up past, there's no reason apart than evidence that GOD calls people to himself.)
In verse 8 something interesting happens here, and the high priest finds the Law of Moses, or the Scriptures, which had been hidden away for years (because I'm telling you, MESSED UP family history rid the land of God's word. ¡Ojo!) When King Josiah finds out about God's law for the first time, it says he tore his clothes! He was living in a time so sinful and apart from God's law that he knew they were far from what God demanded of His people. He found a prophetess to call upon the Lord and find out will happen to them because they have so veered from what the Book says. He has a truly repentant heart. And the Lord hears that because in verses 19-20 the Lord tells him his eyes won't see the disaster to come.
When I read this passage today, I just wept for our generation, the world we live in. I fear that people don't appreciate the Bible for the living word that it is, while yet there are people and nations waiting for it to come in their own language. I live in one of the most literate cities of the world, and yet I can't get people - believers - to get together and study this incredible tool, gift we've been given.
I fear we're going to get to the point of Josiah where generations down, children won't even know the Word of God because parents didn't teach it to them. If only the Israelites had remembered. If only they had taken to heart Deuteronomy 6:5-7:
Dear friends, please don't let us get that way. I'm not going to ask you to read your Bible because it's the "Christian thing" to do, I tried that for many years and it's tiring. Don't read it out of guilt, either. Definitely don't read it because you're bored.
I ask you to experience God through His word, prayerfully, and see what He wants to show you. You'll never walk away the same. But please, let us not be like the man James warns against, saying "for he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like" (1:24).
Imma about to tell you something. Normally my posts are fairly organized but tonight, I came home from church, semi-discouraged about something. Seems to be the norm these days that there's something to tell my roommate about at the end of the day that is "wrong."
Why are churches just bad at being churches? Or loving people, rather?? That was my thought. And before I could keep going with reasons, God stopped me in my tracks and said: because it's made up of sinners. Listo. That's all I needed to hear. No church is perfect. Not in Buenos Aires, not in Tennessee, not in Missouri. We're all broken people and as long as we're on this earth, the Church - the church- is going to have issues. And that is a fact you can take to the bank. We'll remain that way until Christ returns, to make us WHOLE.
I so can't wait for that day. I so need Jesus. Don't you??
Part II
So I have to tell you about another thing I read this morning in my Bible that has just so convicted me for our world. Second Kings 22 we read about Josiah who has come to reign at such a young age and praise God, he doesn't follow his father's footsteps, but he chooses to seek God and restore the temple. (Why and how, I honestly don't know. If you read his family's messed up past, there's no reason apart than evidence that GOD calls people to himself.)
In verse 8 something interesting happens here, and the high priest finds the Law of Moses, or the Scriptures, which had been hidden away for years (because I'm telling you, MESSED UP family history rid the land of God's word. ¡Ojo!) When King Josiah finds out about God's law for the first time, it says he tore his clothes! He was living in a time so sinful and apart from God's law that he knew they were far from what God demanded of His people. He found a prophetess to call upon the Lord and find out will happen to them because they have so veered from what the Book says. He has a truly repentant heart. And the Lord hears that because in verses 19-20 the Lord tells him his eyes won't see the disaster to come.
When I read this passage today, I just wept for our generation, the world we live in. I fear that people don't appreciate the Bible for the living word that it is, while yet there are people and nations waiting for it to come in their own language. I live in one of the most literate cities of the world, and yet I can't get people - believers - to get together and study this incredible tool, gift we've been given.
I fear we're going to get to the point of Josiah where generations down, children won't even know the Word of God because parents didn't teach it to them. If only the Israelites had remembered. If only they had taken to heart Deuteronomy 6:5-7:
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Dear friends, please don't let us get that way. I'm not going to ask you to read your Bible because it's the "Christian thing" to do, I tried that for many years and it's tiring. Don't read it out of guilt, either. Definitely don't read it because you're bored.
I ask you to experience God through His word, prayerfully, and see what He wants to show you. You'll never walk away the same. But please, let us not be like the man James warns against, saying "for he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like" (1:24).
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Tunesday Tuesday.
Helloooo folks. I know it's been awhile, but as we had teams here it wasn't exactly my first thought. But I'm back with a great one I heard a few weeks ago on JOY FM app for my phone which I LOVE because it allows me to listen to Christian radio from St. Louis, here in Buenos Aires! Then I hear what the current singles are and can keep up with the trends ;)
This is called How Can it Be by Lauren Daigle. Her voice is solid and she is only 23. She sounds a little young, so I thought I'd look online, but I didn't expect it to be so young for how mature it is either.
I'm not going to say more because the song does enough for itself. I hope you like it :)
This is called How Can it Be by Lauren Daigle. Her voice is solid and she is only 23. She sounds a little young, so I thought I'd look online, but I didn't expect it to be so young for how mature it is either.
I'm not going to say more because the song does enough for itself. I hope you like it :)
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