This Little Seed

Within the place that doubles as a home,
That soft, protective shell we call the womb,
There grows a life. God is the one who knits,
Forming each and every one in greatness
and wisdom, developing uniqueness.
We know this little seed has a Sower.
Every particular fashioned by him,
Every life precious - so how heartbreaking
Is it when we then proclaim rejection
Because some particular did not fit
What the world calls perfection?

Believers: according to Philippians: part two

Partakers

The word for partakers is sygkoinōnós, which means a close companion or joint-sharer. It is amazing to think that we are not merely an audience, not passively watching grace, but that we are active accomplices, having fellowship with all believers through the Spirit. We are the hands and feet of Christ, serving one another out of reverence for Jesus. When Paul uses this word in Philippians, he is referencing the Philippians' willingness to share Paul's suffering and shame. You know a close companion when they stand by you in the worst of times, not just the best of times.

Brothers, Beloved, Children of God

These profound familial terms ignite our theology, bringing the truths of God's Word to light through relationship. Through His death, Christ has caused us to be born again, born into adoption. We are the children of God. To be adopted in Christ is an eternal and glorious relational aspect of our salvation. We are more than believers; we are beloved, loved by God as a father loves his children. We are co-heirs with Christ. Think about these mercies! I can barely understand them.

Not only does salvation affect our relationship with God, but it also changes how we fellowship with one another. Believers are brothers, united as the family of God, given new life and new purpose in Christ Jesus. We grow together in sanctification, love, joy, suffering, and everything else.

Lights in the world

As lights in the world, we shine brightly. We are not under baskets. We don't hide away, but rather declare the glories of Christ Jesus through the way we live and through what we say. How can we distinguish between what we say and how we live? It shouldn't be possible. If our "yes" really means "no", then there is something wrong. We are to live as lights in the world, shining the gospel of Christ into even the darkest corners. 

Citizens of heaven
We belong to the God of heaven, not the prince of the power of the air, nor this present darkness. We are sojourners here, living for Christ in the midst of our journey home. Our citizenry is with Christ, for we are seated with Him in the heavenly places, kept for, by, and through Jesus as we await the final day, the day when the "worst vacation ever" has come to an end.

Paul reminds the Philippians of many things in his short letter. I pray they've encouraged you as they did me. 

Samuel's Sons

"When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice." ~ 1 Samuel 8:1-3

I read this the other day, and it stuck with me. Mostly because it called to mind the fact that many righteous men in the Bible - David, Eli, etc - had wicked sons. It is a grave reminder of the fact that children of believers are not necessarily saved. They don't have some sort of "get out of jail free" card.

You hear about such things today, too - how children of great and wise leaders, pastors, and theologians turn away from their faith.

Samuel's sons are just another glimpse at the depravity of men.

They had the knowledge. They were taught about God all their lives.

They saw their father live out his life in obedience to God.

And they still turned away.

It makes you wonder why Samuel made them judges. I think it's probably because they talked the talk. They knew what to say. They knew how to act - until sin came along and tempted them in the form of unjust gain. They talked the talk but very quickly proved that they could not walk the walk.

It's the same nowadays. Children might be able to fool their parents by their speech, but they can't fool God and they can't produce fruit if they have no root. That's why the Bible says even a child is known by his actions.

That's why the Christian parents I know pray for their children. They don't take salvation for granted - it's by God's grace. It's always by God's grace, never by who your parents are or what family you are a part of. Samuel's sons, David's sons and Eli's sons are all testimonies to that fact.

"I Don't Want My Children to Be Happy"

Go here and see what this mother is talking about. It's a very good read, and well worth the time.

Fleeting happiness vs. eternal joy? I'll take the latter. ;)

Out of the Mouths of Babes and Infants

It happened while I was practicing the songs I have to play on Sunday. I was going through the list, making sure I knew how to play each song reasonably well, correcting mistakes in timing and such.

I came to a song I really like. One that is well known:

Two little girls came running into the room. "Come on, let's sing!" They said, their high-pitched voices full of excitement at the fact that they knew one of the songs I was playing.

They began singing along, asking me where I was. I pointed to the line and listened as they attempted to sing the words.

Mostly, they didn't.

They missed lines, substituted others, and made me smile at their tries. There was one word, however, one Name, which they sang with gusto:

"Jesus!"

You know what? Even though they flubbed their way through most of the song, and had things out of order, I think God delighted in that just as much as He does when we sing all the words right.

They sang from their hearts, praising Christ.

In Christ alone, my hope is found...

Whether or not I do everything right.

Whether or not my life is in order.

Whether or not I am perfect.

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

Thank you to two little girls who reminded me of something precious.

Are Children a Blessing, or Not?

(Warning: this might be a rant*)

I don't know. Maybe I'm biased, coming from a family of twelve kids. Maybe I'm prejudiced, having so many beautiful nephews and nieces. Call me crazy, but I love 'em. I love 'em all.

God loves children too.

Psalm 127:3-5 - "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

Maybe it's just me, but I think that verse states pretty clearly that God loves children, that God created children to be a blessing to a couple. The words describing them are

1) A Heritage (from the Lord, not just anybody),
2) A reward,
3) Arrows in the hand of a warrior,
4) A blessing ("blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them".)

So, in one verse we see pretty clearly God's stand on children.

My question then is, Why do God's people not see this the same way? I mean, there are countless people who do view children as blessings, but I have seen many times that these same people who say children are blessings also limit the number. If you have more than three kids, whoa! It becomes less of a blessing and more of a burden, even a joke. What!?

God didn't put a number on children. That verse up there does not say "Behold, less than four children are a heritage..." What it actually says is "blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them"! Do you know how many arrows it takes to fill a quiver? They're pretty small, and quivers are usually pretty big.

When did children become a burden rather than a heritage from the Lord? When did they become a problem rather than a reward? When did they become a nuisance instead of a blessing? When did they become wet noodles in the hand of a warrior, instead of arrows?

The Church is failing. We ought to be standing up and proclaiming the Truth to the world, and instead we side with the people who mock our very values, claiming that they're right! What is happening? Don't we see it?

I can understand when some secular single person who comes face to faces with our entire family in the grocery store would laugh and exclaim with surprise at the many kids - "Are they all yours?" They ask my Mom. That's fine. We laugh and answer and go on our merry way, not affected in the least.

But when Christians do it, I'd say it's almost a sin, and it certainly is deeply offensive. We ought to bless the families with many children. God does.

We Are God's Children

1 John 3:1-3 - "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."

God loves us so much that he calls us His children; what a great blessing to us! Our view of children on this earth is awful and contemptible, considering how God views children: so highly that that's what He calls us!

Every time we consider a child a nuisance, we ought to stop and remember that they are images of what we are to God; only God deals with us with much more grace and love than we could ever muster. What if God had the same opinion of children that we did? "That's enough; I can't handle any more. My grace is depleted!" No; He says "my grace is sufficient for you."

Romans 8:14-17 - "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

We come to God and call Him Father because He allows us to - he has adopted us, made us His own. It's not just a master-slave situation, it's a Father-child one. He loves us; He cares for us. We belong to Him, and He provides us with our every need. Sort of like a parent to their child, only with God it's perfect. This is something we ought to strive for. We could begin by cutting the mockery out. By considering children as blessings from God instead of hindrances on our fun lives.

This is it: We are God's children. We on earth have been blessed with children. We ought to follow the best example we can find. Can you find a better example than God's? He never ceases to love us, never ceases to care for us. If someone calls upon Him, he graciously saves them and adopts them as His own.

Where do we get the idea that children are less than a blessing? I'm gonna say we get the idea from the anti-God. From our own wicked hearts that wish to spit in God's face and reject His gifts.

Blessings On Children

Blessings on the blessing children, sweetest gifts of Heaven to earth,
Filling all the heart with gladness, filling all the house with mirth;
Bringing with them native sweetness, pictures of the primal bloom,
Which the bliss for ever gladdens, of the region whence they come;
Bringing with them joyous impulse of a state with outen care,
And a buoyant faith in being, which makes all in nature fair;
Not a doubt to dim the distance, not a grief to vex thee, nigh,
And a hope that in existence finds each hour a luxury;
Going singing, bounding, brightening--never fearing as they go,
That the innocent shall tremble, and the loving find a foe;
In the daylight, in the starlight, still with thought that freely flies,
Prompt and joyous, with no question of the beauty in the skies;
Genial fancies winning raptures, as the bee still sucks her store,
All the present still a garden gleaned a thousand times before;
All the future, but a region, where the happy serving thought,
Still depicts a thousand blessings, by the winged hunter caught;
Life a chase where blushing pleasures only seem to strive in flight,
Lingering to be caught, and yielding gladly to the proud delight;
As the maiden, through the alleys, looking backward as she flies,
Woos the fond pursuer onward, with the love-light in her eyes.

Oh! the happy life in children, still restoring joy to ours,
Making for the forest music, planting for the way-side flowers;
Back recalling all the sweetness, in a pleasure pure as rare,
Back the past of hope and rapture bringing to the heart of care.
How, as swell the happy voices, bursting through the shady grove,
Memories take the place of sorrows, time restores the sway to love!
We are in the shouting comrades, shaking off the load of years,
Thought forgetting strifes and trials, doubts and agonies and tears;
We are in the bounding urchin, as o'er hill and plain he darts,
Share the struggle and the triumph, gladdening in his heart of hearts;
What an image of the vigor and the glorious grace we knew,
When to eager youth from boyhood, at a single bound we grew!
Even such our slender beauty, such upon our cheek the glow,
In our eyes the life and gladness--of our blood the overflow.
Bless the mother of the urchin! in his form we see her truth:
He is now the very picture of the memories in our youth;
Never can we doubt the forehead, nor the sunny flowing hair,
Nor the smiling in the dimple speaking chin and cheek so fair:
Bless the mother of the young one, he hath blended in his grace,
All the hope and joy and beauty, kindling once in either face.

Oh! the happy faith of children! that is glad in all it sees,
And with never need of thinking, pierces still its mysteries,
In simplicity profoundest, in their soul abundance blest,
Wise in value of the sportive, and in restlessness at rest,
Lacking every creed, yet having faith so large in all they see,
That to know is still to gladden, and 'tis rapture but to be.
What trim fancies bring them flowers; what rare spirits walk their wood,
What a wondrous world the moonlight harbors of the gay and good!
Unto them the very tempest walks in glories grateful still,
And the lightning gleams, a seraph, to persuade them to the hill:
'Tis a sweet and loving spirit, that throughout the midnight rains,
Broods beside the shuttered windows, and with gentle love complains;
And how wooing, how exalting, with the richness of her dyes,
Spans the painter of the rainbow, her bright arch along the skies,
With a dream like Jacob's ladder, showing to the fancy's sight,
How 'twere easy for the sad one to escape to worlds of light!
Ah! the wisdom of such fancies, and the truth in every dream,
That to faith confiding offers, cheering every gloom, a gleam!
Happy hearts, still cherish fondly each delusion of your youth,
Joy is born of well believing, and the fiction wraps the truth.

William Gilmore Simms

*I realize I rant quite a bit, and there are reasons for this.

1) There are a lot of let's say "silly" people out there, and they drive me up the wall with their "silliness".
2) Rants are sometimes the only way to get people to understand that you really are serious, that this is really a problem, and that maybe they should think about it.
3) Rants sometimes get people arguing, which is always good. I'm always up for proving someone wrong. ;)