Questions

1. What is one of your 'must see' tv shows?

24, no doubt

2. Do you have a facebook page?

Yes, got tired of all the junk on myspace - you couldn't open it without some half naked girl showing up. YUCK

3. How old were you when you got married?

20

4. What is one bad habit that you need to break?

Playing jewel quest on my phone, I couldn't sleep last night so I played it from 4:15a - 5:30a. Nice!

5. What is your favorite cold-weather activity?

"hunkering" down inside with fire and hot chocolate

6. At church, do you always sit in the same area?

Most of the time

7. What do you like best about blogging?

Reading what others have to say

8. What's the last funny thing you remember hearing from a child?

A few months ago, Drew didn't argue with his dad about something and Brad and I just looked at each other and said, "hell most have frozen over!" So last week, the same thing happened, and Drew didn't argue with me about something and I was shocked. He said that "hell hasn't frozen over, it was just a storm." I thought it was so funny.

Redemption

I sure don't want to spoil it for any of you who didn't get a chance to watch 24 last night, (it is coming to DVD on Tuesday) but I am amazed how the world misses the point so much. Just the title let's us know that Jack is looking for redemption. Does he find it? Have you? Are we all looking for the same thing - redemption? Some of us just know where to find it.

Jack helps save the precious lives of kids, hoping to find redemption. Many of us spend our lives trying to find redemption when Christ is the only way. How do we redeem the past, the mistakes, the failures? How do we make up for lost time living for ourselves?

6 "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.' "

Just like God offered the Israelites a way out of their slavery, God offers us the same thing. He is the only one who can redeem us. Who can free us from the slaves of this world.

Read Psalm 34 slowly and look for all the things the Lord wants to do for you. Look at the way the psalmist praised the Lord, sought the Lord, and how the "Lord redeems His servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him." Do you feel condemned today? I can easily go there and I can easily start condemning myself of a life of sin. I must repeat the scriptures over and over in my head "therefore is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom. 8:1) And "Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."

Psalm 34

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

This world offers lots of things, but redemption is not one of them. There are lots of things that need to be done here on this earth, taking care of the orphans being high on the list. But true redemption will only be found at the cross of Christ. Christ is the only one who can redeem the sins of the past and future. He is our True Redeemer.

Know Your Ending!

Most of you know that I am a huge Dallas Cowboy fan. I love football and love my Cowboys. We went to some friends' house yesterday and I TIVO'd my game so I could watch it quickly and with no commercials when we got home. We have lost the the last few weeks and our quarterback has been out and it has just been pretty pitiful to watch. Last night I figured that we would lose since we were playing the Redskins and this was Romo's first week back and still has a broken pinky. Brad knew who won and I asked him to tell me so I wouldn't be disappointed watching the game, plus it was after 10 and I was just tired. He told me that we won. I was so excited that we preceded to watch the game.
The first two quarters of the game were awful. I kept saying, "how did we win this? I don't believe it. Are you sure?" Brad kept reassuring me that we won. Finally. we did.
Do you ever feel that way about life? Lord, are we really going to win this? Is this really turning out the way you said it would?" Question after question. Lord, I just fumbled the ball, how will I be victorious? Hebrews 12:1-3 " Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
How did Jesus handle the difficulties in life? He knew how it was going to end. He knew that death on the cross would have to happen but in order for us to be victorious in this life, it had to be done. He knew that enduring the cross would bring eternal salvation for it all. He knew how it was all going to end. He knew that eventually one day, He would come back and reign on this earth as king so He could submit to death now for life later.
We also know how it is going to end. We know what is in store for us who know Jesus personally as our Savior, a life in eternity with Him. We know the end. Let's live like it. John 16:33 states "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Know your ending, know that Jesus is one day coming back to rule for eternity.
My husband has a quote on his computer and I think it is a good reminder to us all: "Eternity is a long time to live with regrets." Let's get out there and live this thing out. We know that in Christ Jesus we are more than conquerers. Go run your race!

Prayer Requests

I am adding a section for prayer requests on my blog. God has been showing me how much prayer affects us and our lives and how much more time I need to spend in prayer. If there is something you need us to pray for, just let me know and I will add it.
Love you all!

The Unit

Brad and I were watching The Unit a few nights ago and it got me thinking. I am not by any means endorsing this show. It can be pretty racy at times and needs to be watched with discretion and the fast forward button on the DVR!
However, the unit is a group of men and their families that do special ops for the government. This particular time, one of the unit member's daughter had been kidnapped and the unit went off to rescue her. They stand by a certain code and do whatever is needed to help each other out, even when it is very dangerous and in the middle of war. Each of their lives is put in danger helping each other and the country.
I have decided that the body of Christ needs to be a bit more like The Unit. We are in a war and the battle is fierce and Satan is playing for keeps. It is time for us to come together, be honest about the war going on, fight together on our knees in prayer, and standing by one another daily.
I have noticed lately how the enemy is increasing in his warfare against us - marriages are struggling, jobs are gone, and kids are walking away from the Lord. This is the time to press in, to fight the good fight. Let's do it together. Let's join together and for our own Unit that takes seriously the trials and temptations of others. Let's stand in the gap for our fellow believers who are hurting and need us to hold up their hands when they are too tired.
Take time today to pray for your friends, their marriages and families. Take time today to check in on someone that God has laid on your heart.
Take time to get down on your face and cry out to our God who is MIGHTY TO SAVE!


Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Article on Voting from John Piper

Let Christians Vote As Though They Were Not Voting

By John PiperOctober 22, 2008


Voting is like marrying and crying and laughing and buying. We should do it, but only as if we were not doing it. That’s because “the present form of this world is passing away” and, in God’s eyes, “the time has grown very short.” Here’s the way Paul puts it:

The appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)

Let’s take these one at a time and compare them to voting.

1. “Let those who have wives live as though they had none.”

This doesn’t mean move out of the house, don’t have sex, and don’t call her Honey. Earlier in this chapter Paul says, “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights” (1 Corinthians 7:3). He also says to love her the way Christ loved the church, leading and providing and protecting (Ephesians 5:25-30). It means this: Marriage is momentary. It’s over at death, and there is no marriage in the resurrection. Wives and husbands are second priorities, not first. Christ is first. Marriage is for making much of him.

It means: If she is exquisitely desirable, beware of desiring her more than Christ. And if she is deeply disappointing, beware of being hurt too much. This is temporary—only a brief lifetime. Then comes the never-disappointing life which is life indeed.

So it is with voting. We should do it. But only as if we were not doing it. Its outcomes do not give us the greatest joy when they go our way, and they do not demoralize us when they don’t. Political life is for making much of Christ whether the world falls apart or holds together.

2. “Let those who mourn [do so] as though they were not mourning.”

Christians mourn with real, deep, painful mourning, especially over losses—loss of those we love, loss of health, loss of a dream. These losses hurt. We cry when we are hurt. But we cry as though not crying. We mourn knowing we have not lost something so valuable we cannot rejoice in our mourning. Our losses do not incapacitate us. They do not blind us to the possibility of a fruitful future serving Christ. The Lord gives and takes away. But he remains blessed. And we remain hopeful in our mourning.

So it is with voting. There are losses. We mourn. But not as those who have no hope. We vote and we lose, or we vote and we win. In either case, we win or lose as if we were not winning or losing. Our expectations and frustrations are modest. The best this world can offer is short and small. The worst it can offer has been predicted in the book of Revelation. And no vote will hold it back. In the short run, Christians lose (Revelation 13:7). In the long run, we win (Revelation 21:4).

3. “Let those who rejoice [do so] as though they were not rejoicing.”

Christians rejoice in health (James 5:13) and in sickness (James 1:2). There are a thousand good and perfect things that come down from God that call forth the feeling of happiness. Beautiful weather. Good friends who want to spend time with us. Delicious food and someone to share it with. A successful plan. A person helped by our efforts.

But none of these good and beautiful things can satisfy our soul. Even the best cannot replace what we were made for, namely, the full experience of the risen Christ (John 17:24). Even fellowship with him here is not the final and best gift. There is more of him to have after we die (Philippians 1:21-23)—and even more after the resurrection. The best experiences here are foretastes. The best sights of glory are through a mirror dimly. The joy that rises from these previews does not and should not rise to the level of the hope of glory. These pleasures will one day be as though they were not. So we rejoice remembering this joy is a foretaste, and will be replaced by a vastly better joy.

So it is with voting. There are joys. The very act of voting is a joyful statement that we are not under a tyrant. And there may be happy victories. But the best government we get is a foreshadowing. Peace and justice are approximated now. They will be perfect when Christ comes. So our joy is modest. Our triumphs are short-lived—and shot through with imperfection. So we vote as though not voting.

4. “Let those who buy [do so] as though they had no goods.”

Let Christians keep on buying while this age lasts. Christianity is not withdrawal from business. We are involved, but as though not involved. Business simply does not have the weight in our hearts that it has for many. All our getting and all our having in this world is getting and having things that are not ultimately important. Our car, our house, our books, our computers, our heirlooms—we possess them with a loose grip. If they are taken away, we say that in a sense we did not have them. We are not here to possess. We are here to lay up treasures in heaven.

This world matters. But it is not ultimate. It is the stage for living in such a way to show that this world is not our God, but that Christ is our God. It is the stage for using the world to show that Christ is more precious than the world.

So it is with voting. We do not withdraw. We are involved—but as if not involved. Politics does not have ultimate weight for us. It is one more stage for acting out the truth that Christ, and not politics, is supreme.

5. “Let those who deal with the world [do so] as though they had no dealings with it.”

Christians should deal with the world. This world is here to be used. Dealt with. There is no avoiding it. Not to deal with it is to deal with it that way. Not to weed your garden is to cultivate a weedy garden. Not to wear a coat in Minnesota is to freeze—to deal with the cold that way. Not to stop when the light is red is to spend your money on fines or hospital bills and deal with the world that way. We must deal with the world.

But as we deal with it, we don’t give it our fullest attention. We don’t ascribe to the world the greatest status. There are unseen things that are vastly more precious than the world. We use the world without offering it our whole soul. We may work with all our might when dealing with the world, but the full passions of our heart will be attached to something higher—Godward purposes. We use the world, but not as an end in itself. It is a means. We deal with the world in order to make much of Christ.

So it is with voting. We deal with the system. We deal with the news. We deal with the candidates. We deal with the issues. But we deal with it all as if not dealing with it. It does not have our fullest attention. It is not the great thing in our lives. Christ is. And Christ will be ruling over his people with perfect supremacy no matter who is elected and no matter what government stands or falls. So we vote as though not voting.

By all means vote. But remember: “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

Voting with you, as though not voting,

Pastor John

© Desiring God