John 21:17

My heart is a puzzle

My heart is a puzzle with unending pieces,

all different sizes I don't know in the least.

As I try to assemble this heart that's a shambles

it's all put together so infinitely. 

I need an adhesive to hold me together

or else I will fall into pieces again;

but what if I let go? What if I just say no?

Does falling apart mean I've come to the end?

Is there another to put me together,

to bind up my heart with his own, carefully?

If there is, then I'm waiting for what he's creating

assured that it's beautiful, special, and free. 

A constant reminder from my ring finger

The fourth finger of my left hand is really an ugly thing. 

As a young girl, I tried to get a drink of water all by myself, using a large glass mug. I do not remember much of what happened, but I have been told quite a few times. Somehow I dropped the mug, it broke in the sink, and I cut my finger quite badly. I had to go to the hospital and have it stitched back together. The doctors apparently didn't have much with which to work. As a result, there is quite a large, twisting scar running down the length of my finger. I am not sure why, but this particular finger is also crooked, angling sideways toward my middle finger. As of this moment I have a band-aid on my finger because of a painful cut on my knuckle. It will probably turn into another scar. All in all, it is really an ugly thing. 

Occasionally I look at this finger, and I imagine how it would look with a wedding ring. The scars and the crookedness would be forgotten in the light of a sparkling little ring representing the intentions of a man who loved me, scars and all. I do dream like that sometimes. 

More importantly, though, when I think about these things my little finger reminds me of the ultimate Bride and Bridegroom. The Church, Christ's Bride, is not the prettiest of brides. Believers are scarred and crooked at the best of times. Yet Christ loved us and died for us, scars and all. He takes our scars on Himself and turns us into a beautiful Bride. It is Christ in us that makes us beautiful, makes us something more, just like a ring on my fourth finger would make the scars and crookedness fade to the background. Christ has truly taken us, a poor, weak, fragile and dirty people, and He has washed us, clothed us, redeemed us and loved us. He doesn't love us because we are perfect; He loves us because He loves us.

And I'm thankful for my scarred little finger, for it reminds me of this truth. 

Walk in the footsteps of the faith

What is the faith in which we are to walk?
Can you live so you have no empty talk? 

Where are the footsteps from those gone before?

What is the faith that can heal and restore?

"The faith that is through Jesus" is in mind.
Faith in Christ Jesus, the Good and the Kind. 

The same faith "our father Abraham" had.

Faith that Christ accomplished all that He said.

 Paul walked in faith under Jesus' employ,
"Preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."
He preached unity, joy, being thoughtful,
Striving together for the Lord's gospel.

Held in the mystery of faith, we hold to it.
We're kept in the faith; God brings us through it.
We love one another in the faith we've been given
Walking in faith as we look towards heaven.

Saints together

This is the power of Jesus Christ. 

Getting over my apathetic view of 1 Corinthians yesterday, I read chapter one and was subsequently blown away by something I had never caught before. I used to skim over the introductions of letters, thinking it was simply a greeting and the good stuff came later. However, that view died when my pastor preached from the book of James, and spent two sermons on the first two verses of the book. In reading 1 Corinthians 1, then, I paid close attention to the introduction of Paul. Look carefully:

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:1-3)

The question that popped into my head was, "Where have I heard the name Sosthenes before?" Sure enough, he is mentioned in Acts 18: 

And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. (Acts 18:17a)

The context for this verse is essential in explaining the first sentence of this blog. Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, was beaten in front of the tribunal because a case against Paul had swiftly been dismissed by Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia. In his study Bible, John MacArthur states, "Since [Sosthenes] was the ruler of the synagogue, he would have presented the case to Gallio." Imagine that. Sosthenes was basically the lead prosecutor against Paul. When the case was dismissed, Sosthenes received the blame. He was beaten. He was shamed. He probably considered Paul his enemy - especially in light of Paul's "betrayal" of the Jews. Formerly Paul had been their knight in shining armour, ridding the world of the blight of "The Way". Then he converted to Christianity. Paul was no favourite among the Jewish leaders. 

This leaves us with the fairly valid assumption that Sosthenes hated Paul's guts. 

But then, Christ steps in. The power of the gospel in Christ Jesus flies in the face of that enmity. Sosthenes is saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. The Bible does not go into the particulars of Sosthenes' conversion, but we are given the epilogue of the vanished enmity between Paul and Sosthenes in 1 Corinthians 1. 

Paul calls Sosthenes "our brother". This term of endearment flows through Christ Jesus, Who is the Redeemer and Mediator. Through Christ we are adopted as children of God. Through Christ the walls of hostility are broken down. Through Christ believers, even former enemies, are united in love and peace. 

I find it quite interesting how Paul continues in his introduction, after mentioning Sosthenes. Paul may have had Sosthenes in mind as he wrote "called to be saints together". These two men knew the power of Jesus Christ. They knew His saving grace. They knew His mercy and His atonement. 

Paul, the former murderer and persecutor of Christ, and Sosthenes, the former adversary, full of bitterness, enmity and resentment, found themselves sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together. It is the same for believers today. Across the globe, in spite of multiple differences, diverse backgrounds, varying cultures and preconceived notions, Christ unites us, and by His power and mercy we stand united as the Bride. 

"Grace to you and peace" indeed. 

Fighting sin in Bible reading

Sometimes it becomes a struggle to read my Bible with any sort of good attitude. This usually happens when I take the Bible and/or God for granted, as I occasionally if not often do. When my eyes neglect to soak up the words on the page, when my heart neglects to respond, when my mind does not remember what I've read, I know I need to check myself, my heart attitude, and wage war against my sin. In my Bible, I wrote down six things to remember:

1) Read books or passages that do not appeal to you at the moment. 

Yesterday I did not feel inclined to read 1 Corinthians. I wouldn't be able to explain why I felt apathetic to this great Scripture. God knows my heart. However, I know that in my laziness, in my non-excitement, something was wrong. Perhaps I didn't want to hear the message. Perhaps there was something I needed to hear. Perhaps I needed reminding of God's truth and character. 

2) Study what you would rather avoid - what word, verse, chapter or book challenges your view?

Sometimes you can get to a difficult passage, and instead of dealing with it, just skip over it and move on. Even some study Bibles have had very little if not nothing to say concerning some of the more controversial verses. It's easier to avoid the issue, but it is not better. Prepare your mind for seeking. 

3) Be aware of your own reactions. Seek heart change.

4) Ask God to give you wisdom in understanding and applying what you read. 

Then ask again. And again...

5) Don't come to the Bible as a theologian, ready to teach, but as a student, ready and excited to learn something new from the Teacher.

6) Don't read the Bible because you feel duty-bound. 

Read it for what it is: God's Word graciously given to you, revealing God's character and promises, but mainly opening up to you the ultimate gospel of Jesus Christ. 

A few links to pass the time

http://julianfreeman.ca/christian-life/perfect-blog-world

http://www.domestickingdom.com/2012/02/20/the-lord-bless-you-and-keep-you-baby/

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2012/02/28/on-your-face-before-god-on-your-feet-for-his-mission/