Lamb

When I was younger probably a teenager I received an adorable little lamb. It had been at the time one of my favorite possessions. A little off white/slightly grayish tone young skinny lamb with blue feet.
What reminded me of it today was a fictional book I read years ago about a boy with Down's syndrome who gave as a wedding gift a similar lamb tied to a cross cut open with a protrusion of flowers where the wound was held by the tie. It was to symbolize Christ dying on the cross for the Christian couple who got married.
God, Jesus the God man was slain by the Father for our punishment. He paid the penalty for the sin of His blood-bought people. Yet he was not like the religious figures of other religions, Buddha, Gandhi, Muhammad, `Abdu'l-Bahá, Haile Selassie I, who died and went to the grave. Christ rose from the dead in a glorified body. Then he ascended to heaven as witnessed by the disciples and others, yet promised He would return. His promise is faithful.
So as I ponder my stuffed lamb and the real Lamb of God I am just pensive.
May the Lamb the was slain receive the reward of His suffering.

Sin and repentance

God illuminates the darkness both outside and within. Psalm 51 really makes one see the sin within. God please create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.
I am on the bus and God is confronting me over my sin.

Calibre

I have seen something change in me.

Time has passed and people have grown and changed and I have seen God work in their lives. I had believed that I am not changing that I am not growing yet while I was not looking something has been going on within me. Instead of being halfhearted with my efforts to seek holiness it has been good.

Christ is my all-sufficient God, who treats me not like man does.

Hidden

I hide a lot of aspect of my personality. To a select few I let them see a little more. God sees all. Today I left home early, at home they see my annoying side, the nurturing side. They are great I just can't stand the drone of the TV. I hate Spanish soap operas. I hate westerns. For me its a snare and I don't want to watch something that God hates. Something that glorifies sin is not something a child of God should watch right? Anyway as I have escaped to a quiet place I want to remain to sleep and rest. I like company but of a particular sort where we could be quiet but it's okay. Where there are times of joking and its okay. Where we can be serious and we spur one another to good works. I just hate the din and the noise. There is a sense where I want the Christian life to reflect more of the first believers. I read the book These are the generations and I was astounded by the faith of these believers. I want to have faith like that.

Faithful

1 John 1:9 NASB
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So much time has past and I am sure the last time I wrote an entry I was in Thailand. Four weeks during which their have been highs and lows. Sin at the door and me in my futility and pride letting it run roughshod o'er me. Anyway I have been thinking and thinking. About the lives of Christians around the world and how strong they are in their faith because where they live all they have is Christ and their faith is all the more beautiful because of that. Yet God is faithful. In this country with all its trappings their are people who did to this world and live for Christ. I love that.
God help me, please help me that I may run this race well.

Lesson from Godly Believers

It has been a learning experience for me to see the faith of these men and women. It is easy living in America to wear the mantle of Christianity without a full understanding to what kind of life God calls us to.

Luke 9:23 NASB
And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

1 Peter 1:6-7 NASB
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 NASB
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Yet we live as a true born-again Christian, life filled with trials and tribulations why? Is it because we are afraid of hell and heaven sounds better that eternal punishment? Is it because we are allowed to live with grace for a lifestyle of sin? No. Its because Jesus Christ our Lord, Saviour, and God is worthy.

Philippians 3:7-14 NASB
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The more time I am here I see the reality of God's call to die to myself, and follow him.

Serving to honor God

The weird thing about this time to serve the kingdom of God has been that it is filling me up with praise. Has me crying out to God knowing that He will answer and I an excited. God has been working on me for months and I am more amazed by missions. After finishing the book about John and Betty Stam. I want to give my life away that Christ may be known amongst a people who have never heard the gospel or have opposition to it. John and Betty Stam had such a burden to proclaim the Gospel to the Chinese. They had itinerations where they would go villages and speak in the streets, hand out tracts, give teaching in inns and chapels, and meeting places. They traveled by foot from town to town and did the hard work. Then they were killed by communist soldiers. May God show me what he wants to do in my life. Whether he wants me to stay or go?

To God be the Glory.