Hosea

For me personally, the book of Hosea is the most convicting in all of scripture. When you compare the relationship between humans and God to the relationship between a man and a woman, we can really see the weight of our sins. It also helps me grasp the concept that all sins are equal in God's eyes. When a spouse betrays their significant other, the specific act that takes place means very little. It's the intention behind it. It could be a "big" act or a "small" act, but in the heart of the betrayed, all they feel is that their beloved has given their attention, focus and affection towards somebody else when it was meant to be directed at them.

When God sees our sin, I think He feels the same way. It's not necessarily the action that bothers Him, but the condition of our heart. Whether we tell a "simple lie" or commit a murder, in God's eyes, we're giving our affection and focus to sin instead of directing it at Him.

It also helps us understand why we shouldn't sin. It's not to win brownie points with God or to impress our Christian friends. It's because our sin breaks the heart of God. If we claim to love God, why would we want to put Him in the situation where He feels "she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot." (Hosea 2:13)

But God, in His mercy, is eager to forgive us and take us back. 

Below in a great retelling of the story of Hosea by Reggie Dabbs, an incredible youth speaker:

The Long Way

Like most people, I've sometimes wondered why God does things that way He does. I'm not necessarily upset by His ways or disagreeing with His plan, but I'm just curios as to why He chose to do things in a certain way.

A passage in Exodus 13 shed some light on this for me:

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." - Exodus 13:17

There have been things happen in my life where I've wondered "wasn't there an easier way to get the same result?" Sometimes I wish I could go back in time a little bit and save myself a lot of trouble by doing things differently. But as this passage points out, God knows our hearts and our fears and He sees the obstacles that we would run into if we take short cuts. Something might seem easier at first, but there could be a piece of the picture that we're missing, and when we run into it, it would be more than we could bear. Like Israel being led out of slavery, we could run into a trial that we can't overcome and decide to turn back, giving up on God's plan for us. Instead, if we follow God, we'll find a path that isn't "beyond what we can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

So in His mercy, God leads us around by taking the long route. He isn't disappointed or forceful with us by saying "suck it up and just plow through the short cut". He's gentle, leading us around the long path, saying "I know your fears and your struggles, and it's okay. We'll take the long way."

Give As God Gives

"As thunder follows lightning, giving follows grace"

    -Randy Alcorn

Beauty and Fragrance

Focus on the beauty of Jesus. Never tire of speaking about, and to, Jesus. As you pray, people will be attracted to the fragrance.

 - Kirk Bartha

Clairvaux Manifesto

I wanted to share something a bit different today. My good friend and teacher Kirk Bartha had the opportunity to be on TV today and share about his book. I first met Kirk when he traveled to Newfoundland back in 2005 and I've had the privilege of hearing him speak several times since then. He has probably had the biggest spiritual impact on me of any person I've ever known, other than the Lord Himself. I had the honor of attending his book launch celebration at Victory Church in St. John's and I'd encourage you all to check out the book. I trust it will be as much of a blessing to you as it was to me.

Here is a link to Kirk speaking on TV. It's long and the hosts are a bit goofy, but Kirk used the opportunity to share his heart for God.

Get a copy of "Clairvaux Manifesto" at Chapters

Better Than Neutral

A mentality that really bothers me, whether in the Church or in the world, is that goodness is determined by what you don't do. The idea that "if you don't smoke, don't drink, don't watch this show or hang out with those people", then you are somehow made good. What bothers me about this is that the absence of all those things could quite possibly (and often does) result in a person who is still just as inconsequential as one who indulges in all of the above activities. To take an extreme example, a person in a coma would (by the above definition) be the perfect Christian. They wouldn't lie, swear, steal, drink or do anything considered inappropriate.

Call me crazy, but I think God has bigger plans for His people than this. I'm not saying that we should enjoy or encourage inappropriate behavior, because scripture calls us to a pure life. My point is that if a life is not filled with good things to replace the evil we abstain from, is God at all impressed with us?

We could compare it to eating cardboard. Cardboard has zero fat and zero cholesterol. In fact, we wouldn't even get any calories from it since humans don't have an enzyme capable of breaking it down. But no nutritionist in the world would recommend somebody eat cardboard. It lacks the nutrients we need to survive. Somebody who lived entirely on cardboard would die from malnutrition.

I am terrified of living as though I were cardboard. I could be like food claiming to have no unhealthy fats or cholesterol (sin and impurity), but where are the nutrients? Where are the good deeds that magnify that love of God overflowing from one's life? I may do no harm, but if I do no good either, I render myself useless.

When I look at the greatest warriors of God in the Bible—people like David or Paul—I don't see someone who is flawless. They weren't people who had spotless lives who were perfectly abstained from any sin. They messed up—sometimes horribly. Yet they offered their lives so fully to God and the glory of His Name that they were able to make an impact on the world that we still feel today. Despite their mistakes.

Again, I'm not implying that sin is okay or that we should shrug off the things we struggle with. I've just been thinking lately that perhaps the better method for overcoming sin isn't to focus on being neutral (stopping badness) but to actively pursue God and doing everything in our power to glorify Him. I am horrified at the idea of coming to the end of my life, having tried my best to keep myself from sin, only to have to explain to my King that all I have to show for my life was that I watched good wholesome TV and had clean fun on the weekends. Shouldn't God's people do more than that?

The Lord's Supper

There's nothing more important for God's children to remember than the cross. It's horrifying and disturbing, yet it's through that death and destruction where we find our life and restoration. Don't wince and turn away, but  tremble in awe at the blood that washes us clean.

Here's the word from an old old old hymn I was reading tonight. 

"Bread of the world, in mercy broken,
Wine of the soul, in mercy shed,
By whom the words of life were spoken,
And in whose death our sins are dead.

Look on the heart by sorrow broken,
Look on the tears by sinners shed;
And be Thy feast to us the token
That by Thy grace our souls are fed."
- Reginald Heber