In Your Presence there is Fullness of Joy December 7, 2009

Who could ever have thought up such incredible joy? Surely it is “He Whose name is Love”(Amy Carmichael). At times it grows so acute. It surges through my veins til their bulging, my heart races with it. I wouldn’t ever have thought of it- that is a beauty of the Love that will not let me go: He fills me with a joy which I did not think to think of- a joy which I do not understand. he is so desirable. “How can they live without Jesus?” No, we cannot call it life. What a great urge toward missions: that their are souls heartlessly swimming, sinking, drowning in a sea of meaningless existence. Will they drown there? Will they never know there is anything other? O bride of Christ, where is thy joy? May Your Joy descend, O God. Fill the bellies of Your people with it- compel us to action. May the joy of our salvation compel us to live for Christ in everything.

WHAT? You’re a PERSON??? November 3, 2009

For serious?

LEFT TO RIGHT: Tyler (20), Sarah (11), Emily (21), Josiah (1), Ellen (17), Momma (Christy), Trey (19), Mercy (3), Daddy (Les), Annie (7), Jacob (16), Hannah (14), & Ben (12).

Nothing Ordinary October 24, 2009

“Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Mark 1:16-18

Press on, Christian, take heart! “Nothing ordinary is equal to this new call.” (Amy Carmichael) – and yet it is so “normal”, so natural, it seems like it should be so “natural” that a child should follow his Father- his loving, perfect Father- about where ever and to whatever He calls- won’t we follow freely out of love? Don’t kick your feet and scream, you have no idea of the joy He has prepared for those who with their whole hearts follow.

And really, that is why nothing ordinary is equal to it- because of the joy. Nothing ordinary is equal to a Babe born of a virgin. Nothing ordinary is equal to His sinless life. Nothing ordinary is equal to His redemptive death. Nothing ordinary is equal to His saving work in sinners souls. And so we are compelled to ask “can anything be equal to following His call?” No, nothing.

Can we imagine beforehand the depth of the treasure-house of delight our Beloved has in store for those whom he is not ashamed to call “brother”? Now we do not follow to some abyss of emptiness- in the sense that where ever we are, whatever we do, we are never left empty when we call for Him to fill us. Now we follow to joy on joy, joy instead of joy. “Rude, crowding little children type of [joy]*” Not that there will never be sorrow, pain, hurt- but for believers, those things do not have to cancel out joy. Sometimes it may be a quiet, sad type of joy that it doesn’t look like [to others] you should even have. But if to live is Christ, then surely there is always joy. Surely there is great joy in following.

Also, nothing ordinary, I think we’ll find, is equal to the love- the Love of God from which it flows and the love to others which flows from this Greater Love. The type of love that makes your heart jump up and start screaming at the mere thought of your loved ones- the type of love that fills and flows over- but words fail.

And if humans, sinful man,  is capable of such love, compare it now to the to the Love of God to His children. There is not even a comparison here. Nothing ordinary is equal to this, no nothing. The comparison fails: our families, our dear friends, add so much- can give so much to us. What can we add to God? There is nothing in us. What does He ask of us through the power of His Son? He calls for our lives.  He calls for our all. He calls for us to serve Him through serving others. He calls for our love-our hearts.

And nothing ordinary is equal to this new call.

*Pastor John in reference to grace.