This may or may not pertain to you, but I think if you are a single Christian in today's world, you can definitely get something from it. This comes from the heart.
Dear Future Husband,
I've thought a lot about you today. I wonder who you are and if I already have met you. Secretly I hope I have, since I'm starting to realize that I'm getting older by the minute. But I'm trusting God with it- He'll let us know.
Want to hear a funny story? I've never written to you before. I've prayed over you, prayed that you stay strong in your faith so we can grow in Him together when we meet. I have always wanted to grow in God with someone, someone who challenges me like no other. I have always imagined you as the head of the household, the spiritual head. You're not like the other guys in my life- the ones I have to drag along in the faith with me. You're strong, God created you to be a strong individual. And you must be strong, otherwise you wouldn't be stuck with me. How you put up with me, I will never fully know, but I bet there's a big dose of patience involved.
I know a lot of people who are focused on meeting their future husbands or wives. I'm not worried about us, I know God has a plan for us. He'll reveal it to us when it's His time, not ours. He'll bring us together to be a cord of three strands that cannot be broken. I'm so excited for that day. I've seen that day, you know, the day of the wedding, with a lot of different people. That day will be amazing, but I'm mainly excited for the rest. To grow with one person in the faith? To celebrate with you, to support you, to dig into the Bible with you? Sounds incredible.
Today I had someone ask me about you. She asked me to search what I really want in a husband. I want you. That's what I've decided. I know the type of person you're going to be, I don't have to search my soul and come up with a laundry list of what I want. I'm done with that. I just want you and I know God will give me that desire but in His own time and in His own way. Even when I'm impatient I can cling to that fact. Psalm 20, you know.
There's so much more I want to say to you, but God has granted me sleep at this late hour. I'm praying for you, please keep yourself for me and pray for me too- heaven knows I need it. Keep rendering your heart to God and God only- that's what I'm having to do everyday too. Stay strong in His Truth- He is the ONLY thing that will never disappoint.
-Me
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thoughts
That's what a blog is for, right? Thoughts on a particular subject matter? Educated thoughts, uneducated conjectures at a specific topic- whatever they are, you can blog about them. Thus, I am going to subject you to my current thoughts.
Lately I have noticed that I am anything but an intellectual. My random thoughts, my stream of consciousness (thank you Mr. Joyce)- they don't hold any new ideas. I have discovered nothing new under the sun (thank you Solomon). Yet I yearn for understanding. I want to know everything! Not only what was in the past, like how the world was made, how old it is, and if evolution really did occur or if it is now happening; but also things in the future, like what the overwhelming amount of greenhouse gases is going to do to the earth's climate. I also want to know everything about God and His character. He was in the past, He is in the present, He is our future whether or not the earth becomes a "Wall-E" planet. It's Him that I seek after the most, information, Truths about who He is, what He is going to do- those are the longings of my heart. And it's just when I think I understand something that I realize I don't. Brennan Manning hits the nail on my head in his book "The Ragamuffin Gospel":
Imagine that Jesus is calling you today. He extends a second invitation– to accept His Father's love. And maybe you answer, "Oh, I know that. It's old hat. I've come to this book seeking insight in a fit of fervor. I'm wide open. I'll listen to anything you have to say, so go ahead, dazzle me. Lay a new word on me. I know the old one."
And God answers, That's what you don't know. You don't know how much I love you. The moment you think you understand is the moment you do not understand. I am God, not man. You tell others about Me- that I am a loving God. Your words are glib. My words are written in the blood of My only Son. The next time you preach about My love with such obnoxious familiarity, I may come and blow your whole prayer meeting apart. When you come at Me with studied professionalism, I will expose you as a rank amateur. When you try to convince others that you understand what you are talking about, I will tell you to shut up and fall flat on your face. You claim you know I love you.
Did you know that every time you tell Me you love Me, I say thank you?
When your son comes to you asking, "Do you like Susan more 'cause she skates better and she's a girl?" are you grieved and saddened over your child's lack of trust? Do you know that you do the same thing to Me?
Do you claim to know what we shared when Jesus withdrew to a deserted place or spent the night on a hillside alone with Me? Do you know from where the inspiration to wash the feet of the Twelve came? Do you understand that, motivated by love alone, your God became your slave in the Upper Room?
Were you grieved by the divine command to Abraham that he slay his only begotten Isaac on Mount Moriah? Were you relieved when the angel intervened, Abraham's hand was stayed, and the sacrifice was not carried out? Have you forgotten that on Good Friday no angel intervened? That sacrifice was carried out, and it was My heart that was broken.
Are you aware that I had to raise Jesus from the dead on Easter morning because My love is everlasting? Are you serenely confident that I will raise you, too, My adopted child?
Faith means you want God and want to want nothing else.
It's when I don't recognize this love that all fails in my life. I can't fathom His love for me. Honestly people- He sent His Son. To die. For me. For you. For your neighbor who you couldn't care less about. For your friend dealing with a drug problem. For your father who abused you. For your husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend. For your loving family. For that clerk in the grocery store. For that punk kid who ran into your car with his bike.
He died for everyone, so that we all may live with Him. Through Him, we have the hope of eternal life and we live in that hope daily. But why did He do it? Because He so loves us, always has, and always will. That's a beautiful thing that I can't fully wrap my head around. How could He unconditionally love me... the disgusting sinner that I am? Yet He does. Wow, that's some love. His love is SO GOOD. So so so so so good!
"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
Lately I have noticed that I am anything but an intellectual. My random thoughts, my stream of consciousness (thank you Mr. Joyce)- they don't hold any new ideas. I have discovered nothing new under the sun (thank you Solomon). Yet I yearn for understanding. I want to know everything! Not only what was in the past, like how the world was made, how old it is, and if evolution really did occur or if it is now happening; but also things in the future, like what the overwhelming amount of greenhouse gases is going to do to the earth's climate. I also want to know everything about God and His character. He was in the past, He is in the present, He is our future whether or not the earth becomes a "Wall-E" planet. It's Him that I seek after the most, information, Truths about who He is, what He is going to do- those are the longings of my heart. And it's just when I think I understand something that I realize I don't. Brennan Manning hits the nail on my head in his book "The Ragamuffin Gospel":
Imagine that Jesus is calling you today. He extends a second invitation– to accept His Father's love. And maybe you answer, "Oh, I know that. It's old hat. I've come to this book seeking insight in a fit of fervor. I'm wide open. I'll listen to anything you have to say, so go ahead, dazzle me. Lay a new word on me. I know the old one."
And God answers, That's what you don't know. You don't know how much I love you. The moment you think you understand is the moment you do not understand. I am God, not man. You tell others about Me- that I am a loving God. Your words are glib. My words are written in the blood of My only Son. The next time you preach about My love with such obnoxious familiarity, I may come and blow your whole prayer meeting apart. When you come at Me with studied professionalism, I will expose you as a rank amateur. When you try to convince others that you understand what you are talking about, I will tell you to shut up and fall flat on your face. You claim you know I love you.
Did you know that every time you tell Me you love Me, I say thank you?
When your son comes to you asking, "Do you like Susan more 'cause she skates better and she's a girl?" are you grieved and saddened over your child's lack of trust? Do you know that you do the same thing to Me?
Do you claim to know what we shared when Jesus withdrew to a deserted place or spent the night on a hillside alone with Me? Do you know from where the inspiration to wash the feet of the Twelve came? Do you understand that, motivated by love alone, your God became your slave in the Upper Room?
Were you grieved by the divine command to Abraham that he slay his only begotten Isaac on Mount Moriah? Were you relieved when the angel intervened, Abraham's hand was stayed, and the sacrifice was not carried out? Have you forgotten that on Good Friday no angel intervened? That sacrifice was carried out, and it was My heart that was broken.
Are you aware that I had to raise Jesus from the dead on Easter morning because My love is everlasting? Are you serenely confident that I will raise you, too, My adopted child?
Faith means you want God and want to want nothing else.
It's when I don't recognize this love that all fails in my life. I can't fathom His love for me. Honestly people- He sent His Son. To die. For me. For you. For your neighbor who you couldn't care less about. For your friend dealing with a drug problem. For your father who abused you. For your husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend. For your loving family. For that clerk in the grocery store. For that punk kid who ran into your car with his bike.
He died for everyone, so that we all may live with Him. Through Him, we have the hope of eternal life and we live in that hope daily. But why did He do it? Because He so loves us, always has, and always will. That's a beautiful thing that I can't fully wrap my head around. How could He unconditionally love me... the disgusting sinner that I am? Yet He does. Wow, that's some love. His love is SO GOOD. So so so so so good!
"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Eeps!
I realized that I haven't blogged in quite a while. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I live a boring life and having nothing to talk about. No profound wisdom or insight or understanding; rather, I am just me. However, since the last time I posted, God has shared A LOT with me. His love and His... I don't even know how to put it into words, honestly... He just amazes me. I am so in love with Him, yet putting Him as the top priority in my life is increasingly harder every day. It's a good harder though, as God has blessed me with someone who points me to Him... constantly. My struggle now is to keep focused on God and not on man; to keep my relationship with God forthright in my mind. I am so blessed that when I do talk to said person, he keeps me on task with this. No, I am not "in a relationship" with this person, nor do I think that will happen anytime soon (ask me about courting vs. dating sometime and I'll explain it to you), but God is just bringing this brother in Christ into a strong friendship with me that I don't deserve and I can't fully comprehend. I love it though, and I thank Him everyday for this friendship (as well as all my friendships- God has RICHLY blessed me with amazing friends!).
It was this person that first told me about a phenomenon in the "Christian realm" (for lack of a better term) today. It's rather obscene when you first hear about it, at least it was for me. But the best part? It continues to be obscene, utterly ridiculous and NOT BIBLICAL at all.
The new idea is of "Drunken Glory." This is when, and I quote from their website (http://drunkenglory.com/About_Us.html), "you will experience the playful atmosphere of Heaven, as we enter the Kingdom like a little child. Believers often take themselves far too seriously, resulting in pride, critical spirits, fatigue, burnout and ultimately, moral decay. Not to mention boredom! If you have never experienced the Lord as a "fun" God, this is a chance to experience the joyful countenance of the Father."
It sounds wonderful, it sounds Biblical. Now watch what actually happens and what the outcome is at these "revivals" where they "experience the playful atmosphere of Heaven."
There is so much wrong within the video above that I don't even know where to start. But perhaps a good place to start is with their reasons behind doing this "tour" and experiencing the "ecstasy of God" like this. To do this, I am taking direct quotes from their "about us" page (http://drunkenglory.com/About_Us.html) as well as one of the videos John Crowder (the guy on the right in the video above; he is also a founder of the "Drunken Glory Tour") made around Christmas time (which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5QT1hAaeK0 ).
THE BIG ISSUE
Here's the big issue I have with these men and what they are teaching: it's not Biblical. The following is some of the Bible references they use in order to prove that what they are teaching is in alignment with God's will.
"Samuel, Saul, David, and many others had ecstatic experience even prior to the New Covenant. While Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Ezekiel and Elijah regularly demonstrated unusual manifestation and wild prophetic acts, their otherworldly encounters caused them to cut against the grain of natural reason in their day."
1. Where do they have these ecstatic experiences? If I'm going to stretch it a bit, I can see it in MAYBE a few places, but even these places do not have the same foolish joy that these people appear to experience.
-Samuel: It's true, God did a lot of amazing things through Samuel and he had many personal encounters with the most high. I mean, when he was a boy he audibly heard God calling him! Wow. But I can't find a single place within the story of Samuel in which he acted like the gentlemen in the above video. He prophesied, he rebuked, he led God's people into battle, but no where does it say "And Samuel got drunk on God's joy and talked to the people as though he was filled with wine and prophesied a great revival of getting drunk on God."
-Saul: Anointing into God's calling seems to be a large part of what this "Drunken Glory Tour" is about. Saul was the first anointed king of Israel- what a big task and a big calling! But let's look at Saul's anointing and see if it was chaotic and loud like the one in the video above.
1 Samuel 9:14-10:13. Within this passage, there is nothing about the ecstasy of God being a part of the anointing ceremony. But in 10:10, it says this: "When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God come upon him in power and he joined in their prophesying." This does NOT mention being "drunk on God" or experiencing the joy of God in a trance. It also says in verse 13 that Saul stopped prophesying and then went to the high place. With John Crowder and crew, they state that they are never coming down from this drunken/trace-like state, they cannot be following the Bible or their own strange interpretation of this scripture since Saul stopped.
From his anointing, Saul went and turned away from God had told him to do in a battle- he couldn't trust the One who put him into that place of authority. It is here that Samuel rebukes Saul, saying "'You acted foolishly. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." (1 Sam. 13:13-14) The rest of Saul's story is disappointing as the leader of Israel and if you have not read it, I highly encourage you to. It's amazing how God brings the glory back to Himself even through the lousy situations Saul got himself into. He brought King David out of the mess Saul put himself in. Probably the coolest and most pertinent part of this story is when David was in Saul's service. 1 Samuel 16: 14 first introduces us to Saul's mental predicament, saying "Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him." It was when he was in this state that David would play his harp to calm him, making it apparent to all that the Spirit of God was on David. It was in one of these states that in 1 Samuel 18:10 that we see almost a mirror action of Crowder and Dunn. "The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, 'I'll pin David to the wall.' But David eluded him twice." (1 Samuel 18:10-11). When the word "prophesying" is used here, it is used as in 1 Kings 18:29 by the false prophets who were opposing Elijah. In these contexts, it means "ecstatic raving," not the type of prophesying that is done when one is filled with God. It is frantic, unlike the prophecy of those in the Bible who spoke with authority and the power of God (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc...).
-David. If you've read the Psalms, you can get a glimpse into what David felt and went through spiritually. He was a man who knew the joy of the Lord, a man after God's own heart as Samuel prophesied to Saul. I found a few verses that Crowder and Dunn may use to support their ministry, such as "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11), "Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence" (Psalm 21:6), "You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy" (Psalm 45:7). When we are with God, when we (like David) are in the presence of God, we can find joy and it's a beautiful thing! But where does it say that the joy David has here is one when he was in a trance? Is this the only way David found to experience God's pure joy? Of course not. When David felt God's joy, he did not show it by being as one drunk with joy, but rather, he sang about it, wrote about it, shouted about it with prayers to God... not mindless babble. Reading the Psalms, you can find A TON of examples of this, but here's some quick references (Psalm 126, 92:4, 65:8, 66:1).
Much more to come... stay tuned! And also, let me hear your thoughts on the topic. Not only will I be touching on the different people in the Bible that they use for support, but also the reasons that God gives us joy and what we are REALLY supposed to do with this overwhelming joy we receive from Him.
It was this person that first told me about a phenomenon in the "Christian realm" (for lack of a better term) today. It's rather obscene when you first hear about it, at least it was for me. But the best part? It continues to be obscene, utterly ridiculous and NOT BIBLICAL at all.
The new idea is of "Drunken Glory." This is when, and I quote from their website (http://drunkenglory.com/About_Us.html), "you will experience the playful atmosphere of Heaven, as we enter the Kingdom like a little child. Believers often take themselves far too seriously, resulting in pride, critical spirits, fatigue, burnout and ultimately, moral decay. Not to mention boredom! If you have never experienced the Lord as a "fun" God, this is a chance to experience the joyful countenance of the Father."
It sounds wonderful, it sounds Biblical. Now watch what actually happens and what the outcome is at these "revivals" where they "experience the playful atmosphere of Heaven."
There is so much wrong within the video above that I don't even know where to start. But perhaps a good place to start is with their reasons behind doing this "tour" and experiencing the "ecstasy of God" like this. To do this, I am taking direct quotes from their "about us" page (http://drunkenglory.com/About_Us.html) as well as one of the videos John Crowder (the guy on the right in the video above; he is also a founder of the "Drunken Glory Tour") made around Christmas time (which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5QT1hAaeK0 ).
THE BIG ISSUE
Here's the big issue I have with these men and what they are teaching: it's not Biblical. The following is some of the Bible references they use in order to prove that what they are teaching is in alignment with God's will.
"Samuel, Saul, David, and many others had ecstatic experience even prior to the New Covenant. While Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Ezekiel and Elijah regularly demonstrated unusual manifestation and wild prophetic acts, their otherworldly encounters caused them to cut against the grain of natural reason in their day."
1. Where do they have these ecstatic experiences? If I'm going to stretch it a bit, I can see it in MAYBE a few places, but even these places do not have the same foolish joy that these people appear to experience.
-Samuel: It's true, God did a lot of amazing things through Samuel and he had many personal encounters with the most high. I mean, when he was a boy he audibly heard God calling him! Wow. But I can't find a single place within the story of Samuel in which he acted like the gentlemen in the above video. He prophesied, he rebuked, he led God's people into battle, but no where does it say "And Samuel got drunk on God's joy and talked to the people as though he was filled with wine and prophesied a great revival of getting drunk on God."
-Saul: Anointing into God's calling seems to be a large part of what this "Drunken Glory Tour" is about. Saul was the first anointed king of Israel- what a big task and a big calling! But let's look at Saul's anointing and see if it was chaotic and loud like the one in the video above.
1 Samuel 9:14-10:13. Within this passage, there is nothing about the ecstasy of God being a part of the anointing ceremony. But in 10:10, it says this: "When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God come upon him in power and he joined in their prophesying." This does NOT mention being "drunk on God" or experiencing the joy of God in a trance. It also says in verse 13 that Saul stopped prophesying and then went to the high place. With John Crowder and crew, they state that they are never coming down from this drunken/trace-like state, they cannot be following the Bible or their own strange interpretation of this scripture since Saul stopped.
From his anointing, Saul went and turned away from God had told him to do in a battle- he couldn't trust the One who put him into that place of authority. It is here that Samuel rebukes Saul, saying "'You acted foolishly. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." (1 Sam. 13:13-14) The rest of Saul's story is disappointing as the leader of Israel and if you have not read it, I highly encourage you to. It's amazing how God brings the glory back to Himself even through the lousy situations Saul got himself into. He brought King David out of the mess Saul put himself in. Probably the coolest and most pertinent part of this story is when David was in Saul's service. 1 Samuel 16: 14 first introduces us to Saul's mental predicament, saying "Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him." It was when he was in this state that David would play his harp to calm him, making it apparent to all that the Spirit of God was on David. It was in one of these states that in 1 Samuel 18:10 that we see almost a mirror action of Crowder and Dunn. "The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, 'I'll pin David to the wall.' But David eluded him twice." (1 Samuel 18:10-11). When the word "prophesying" is used here, it is used as in 1 Kings 18:29 by the false prophets who were opposing Elijah. In these contexts, it means "ecstatic raving," not the type of prophesying that is done when one is filled with God. It is frantic, unlike the prophecy of those in the Bible who spoke with authority and the power of God (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc...).
-David. If you've read the Psalms, you can get a glimpse into what David felt and went through spiritually. He was a man who knew the joy of the Lord, a man after God's own heart as Samuel prophesied to Saul. I found a few verses that Crowder and Dunn may use to support their ministry, such as "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11), "Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence" (Psalm 21:6), "You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy" (Psalm 45:7). When we are with God, when we (like David) are in the presence of God, we can find joy and it's a beautiful thing! But where does it say that the joy David has here is one when he was in a trance? Is this the only way David found to experience God's pure joy? Of course not. When David felt God's joy, he did not show it by being as one drunk with joy, but rather, he sang about it, wrote about it, shouted about it with prayers to God... not mindless babble. Reading the Psalms, you can find A TON of examples of this, but here's some quick references (Psalm 126, 92:4, 65:8, 66:1).
Much more to come... stay tuned! And also, let me hear your thoughts on the topic. Not only will I be touching on the different people in the Bible that they use for support, but also the reasons that God gives us joy and what we are REALLY supposed to do with this overwhelming joy we receive from Him.
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