I'm currently somewhere in Virginia, Blacksburg I think?.. Blogging on my phone. Neat, huh? I thought so. Virginia Tech is a beautiful campus, ps. Lately I've been learning a lot about a holiday. Well, at least that's what I feel like it's been reduced to. Thanksgiving. Hooray! Food and football! Too bad it's no longer the horns smashing the dumb ags on the gridiron. I'll miss that. So will they when they're getting destroyed every week in the sec. Anyway... Thanksgiving.
Apparently it's a hotly debated topic where and when the first Thanksgiving actually came about.. But who even cares? The original Thanksgiving appears to have been an offshoot of the harvest festivals in England. During these ceremonies, people would set aside days specifically for the purpose of thanking God for their plentiful harvest.
Thanksgiving is traditionally associated with the arrival of the Pilgrims. During the early 17th century, all religion in England was strictly dictated by the government, and everyone was required to conform to severe religious restrictions. Individual beliefs and independent ways to worship were forbidden, punishable by jailing, torture and even execution. Crazy, huh? More blessed than I know (which is part of this whole thanksgiving post thing). Wanting to escape the religious suppression, the Pilgrims left England on the Mayflower.
They arrived at Plymouth Rock in southeastern Massachusetts in December 1620, but the natives were apparently hostile, so they moseyed on down the coast to Cape Cod, where they received a much more cordial welcome. These Indians helped them survive by showing the colonists how to plant corn, how to catch this certain type of herring to use as a fertilizer when growing pumpkins, beans, and such. About a year later, they celebrated the harvest and their new freedom with a huge feast - and just like that, Thanksgiving was born! Can you sing happy birthday to a holiday? The colonists invited the Wampanoag people to express their gratitude.
It is believed that the first "Day of Thanksgiving" actually occurred before the arrival of the Pilgrims. This festival was completely religious in nature, and did not involve any feasting. This group of peeps dedicated this day of their arrival as a Day of Thanksgiving to God. Soooo, while the US celebrates Thanksgiving based on the Pilgrim festival, towns or countries called days of thanksgiving several years before that event. Those days were usually called to celebrate a specific event, rather than an ongoing celebration. In 1863 Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday by President Lincoln.
It was officially changed to the fourth Thursday in November when FDR was president.
I talked about aaaaaaaaalll of that ..and this blog really would have survived without it. But I like historical junk. So sue me. But that's why I say our culture views thanksgiving as a day.. Yet God calls us to a disposition, a state of living, a heart condition.
Proof?
"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me." psalm 50:23
We can't glorify God, we can't make much of Him in our lives, if we aren't thankful for who He is
or what He's done
or given
or said
or promised.
But what IS thanksgiving? How do we give thanks? What does that even look like?
It definitely isn't just telling God you're thankful, but truly living in a constant disposition of joyful response to Him. Thanksgiving is more than lip service; it's a heartfelt response to grace. If you're thankful for the house He has given you, you'll look for ways to please Him with it. Yes, you will pray and thank Him, but you'll give it back to Him, too.
What about your heart?
Are you thankful for the new creation you've become, for the circumcision you've received, for the renewal you've experienced? Are you thankful for freedom, for God's captivating of your heart? Are you thankful for grace? Are you thankful for the accomplishment of the cross's work in your life and the lives of those around you? Are you genuinely thankful?
Where's your proof? This isn't God saying you need proof; this is me addressing sin in my life.. And extending the same address to you. Maybe you don't need it, but I do. I don't say, "thank You," enough to God in word or deed.
Philippians 4:6 says, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God." Thank God for changing you and allowing you to be His child, granting you life and sonship. Ask Him for things, talk to Him, BE THANKFUL. It isn't a request from God, "hey, if you feel like it, talk to me. Oh, and be thankful if you'd like." NO, God demands it. He's worthy of it!
..okay. I needed this, that's for sure.
The greatest commandment is loving God with all we are: heart, mind, and soul. We won't, we can't, be obedient and joyful in our obedience if we aren't thankful. The overflow spills onto others. Here's an application. Ready?
Remember the gospel. Think of this: the ultimate, supreme, almighty God of all that is, in His infinite grace, sought you out in the depths of your sin and trespasses, while you were dead, hopeless, condemned.. And He saved you.
God.. Saved.. You.
You didn't deserve it, you didn't earn it.. He opened your eyes, showed you His heart, showed you your sin, your need of Him, and faith was birthed in your soul with an overwhelming desire to cling to Him. Now.. You've been made new. Welcome to the family!
How did He do all this? He came to earth, Jesus, God in the flesh, was born under and lived by the law
to save us from the sin the law was given to reveal to us
to forgive us of that sin
to appease God's wrath toward us and those sins we had committed and would commit.
God did that in Christ on the cross.. And we say we are too busy to pray? Or we are too ashamed of the gospel to share it?
Or we're afraid people will be offended?
Jesus promised people would be offended! He said they will hate us.. So be hated. It's God's job to save, not yours. Rejoice in that. Rejoice in Him!
But first we must be thankful.
So remember the gospel, and respond accordingly in humble, thankful adoration and praise.
Run to Him.
Find joy in Him.
He delights in you, so delight in Him.
Be thankful.
I love you guys!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
matthew party.
This past week was spring break. Most people go to the beach, right? Well at MERGE (the student ministry I intern at/for/whatever) we did the exact opposite. We went to the center of the country.. and i loved it. God used this past week in some huge ways and we all came back changed. The high school crew took 3 vans full of 31 people, 24 of which were students, to Kansas City, Missouri to serve at Hopefaith Ministries. It's a homeless shelter that feeds and clothes the less fortunate of Kansas City. It was incredible for sure. In one of the van rides around the city, I asked what it would take to be the party van out of the three. A student said something about parties and I said something to the extent of how believers should be throwing the best parties. Most people think hell is just going to be a massive party... but Scripture teaches something so opposite it's disgusting. It breaks my heart that the salt has lost its saltiness so much so that people view heaven as boring. are you kidding? The problem isn't that heaven will be an eternity of boring church services, but we have allowed ourselves to become boring people. Nonbelievers think we're boring.. and I'm afraid they're probably right. Sad, huh?
Braison then asked what our parties would look like.. I said ask me about matthew 10 later. Later came and I told him I was wrong, it was matthew 9. But when we fiiiiinally found it, we read verses 9- 13, which goes something like this:
"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
..to which they all responded.. "WUT 0___________0."
I explained how Matthew started following Jesus. THEN, they go to Matthew's house and all his tax collecting friends and sinners join in. I just reiterated, "This is what our parties should look like." We should be hanging out with nonbelievers and believers alike with people coming to know Christ. The dynamic is fun.. why in the world would nonbelievers go hang out with Jesus if He was some kind of stick in the mud? I bet He was the life of the party. If you don't think you can be righteous, wise, and fun all at the same time, your view of Jesus might be a little skewed. Don't be so uptight about how Jesus acted around people. He loved them. He fed them. He healed them. He prayed for them. He wept for them. He was a person, too. He smiled, He laughed, He slept, He cried. Be a human! Go laugh with someone who doesn't know Jesus. They'll hang around you much longer that way.
Later in the week, one of the students came and talked to me about not being sure if he knew God or not. We went outside and talked for a bit, I shared the gospel with him, and left him to cry out to God like the tax collector from Jesus' parable. He came and found me 15 minutes or so later with a whole new demeanor. He was a new person. He told me he had finally met Jesus ...and we threw a freaking party. God showed up and showed off. God taught us all what it means to throw a party like Jesus did.. kinda. But it was just so cool. Both trips, high school and junior high, had one student a piece meet Jesus. Talk about incredible. Yesterday, after our MERGE recap service another student who was on the high school trip decided to follow Jesus as well. Lives were changed and I'm excited to see what happens as a result of it. Neat.
Braison then asked what our parties would look like.. I said ask me about matthew 10 later. Later came and I told him I was wrong, it was matthew 9. But when we fiiiiinally found it, we read verses 9- 13, which goes something like this:
"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
..to which they all responded.. "WUT 0___________0."
I explained how Matthew started following Jesus. THEN, they go to Matthew's house and all his tax collecting friends and sinners join in. I just reiterated, "This is what our parties should look like." We should be hanging out with nonbelievers and believers alike with people coming to know Christ. The dynamic is fun.. why in the world would nonbelievers go hang out with Jesus if He was some kind of stick in the mud? I bet He was the life of the party. If you don't think you can be righteous, wise, and fun all at the same time, your view of Jesus might be a little skewed. Don't be so uptight about how Jesus acted around people. He loved them. He fed them. He healed them. He prayed for them. He wept for them. He was a person, too. He smiled, He laughed, He slept, He cried. Be a human! Go laugh with someone who doesn't know Jesus. They'll hang around you much longer that way.
Later in the week, one of the students came and talked to me about not being sure if he knew God or not. We went outside and talked for a bit, I shared the gospel with him, and left him to cry out to God like the tax collector from Jesus' parable. He came and found me 15 minutes or so later with a whole new demeanor. He was a new person. He told me he had finally met Jesus ...and we threw a freaking party. God showed up and showed off. God taught us all what it means to throw a party like Jesus did.. kinda. But it was just so cool. Both trips, high school and junior high, had one student a piece meet Jesus. Talk about incredible. Yesterday, after our MERGE recap service another student who was on the high school trip decided to follow Jesus as well. Lives were changed and I'm excited to see what happens as a result of it. Neat.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
mercy.
I just watched Beware of Christians with my parents. My heart is so crushed. Yes, the movie was great. Yes, the guys were changed. Yes, Jesus changed them and used them. My heart is broken for two reasons. First, because I need movies and people and stuff to remind me of the gospel of God's GRACE for us. These things turn into motivation and it makes me wonder if I even love the Man who gave it all to continue giving it all for all eternity. to me. and hopefully you, too, but He did it for me. Yes, God's glory. Yes, obedience, Yes, "God so loved the world." ..but to think the Almighty Creator of petrified wood and snotty toddlers, snobby golfers (not all of them) and sweet, little, old ladies loved me enough to endure my sin against Him to reconcile me through the Cross. Are you kidding? I need a movie to remind me of this? In the words of Isaiah, "Woe is me! I am ruined!" Holy God, have MERCY on me, a sinner!
Second, and this isn't in judgment but in brokenness, my father responds with... "I enjoyed that movie." My parents leave the room and literally everything I just wrote is pulsing through my brain. You know those times when you have a headache you just can't shake and everything else just kind of fades? That is literally nothing like what I went through... but it gives you a pretty good picture of my thoughts weighing down on me. I began to fight tears as I wondered how we could claim, "we just don't get it," after reading Crazy Love or Radical or any John Piper book, blog, or article ever written, and we swear up and down we're changing... and nothing. ever. happens. This is me. Hi, I'm Ryan Sears, and I'm a suckaholic. I take the cake in being the foremost of SUCKY Christians. But I'm not okay with staying that way. at all. I really DON'T get it, and I am really NOT okay with it.
So what's going to change?
My new morning routine. Well, part of it. When I look in the mirror, I will then ask this guy, "Why are you a Christian?"
...
and then I'll respond, "Jesus opened my blind eyes, and I have never been the same."
That's it? Ryan, all you're going to do is ask a dumb question in the mirror? You're a creep AND an idiot.
Not quite. Well, you're right, but there's more to it. I am a Christian for one reason and one reason only. JESUS, and only Jesus, granted me sight, opened my eyes, removed the veil covering my face, HE saved ME. BY grace THROUGH faith. Salvation is NOT by faith. I'm not down for hot debates and all that, but my heart was set ablaze by grace and my only available response was to believe. I had been changed and there was no denying it. So now, because of Jesus' cross and gracious invitation to follow Him, I follow Him.. again, by grace alone. If my day doesn't line up with my answer, am I REALLY a Christian?
If our lives are more about us than they are Jesus, are we really following Him?
Seriously..
do you REALLY follow Him?
If you aren't committed to knowing Him, to looking like Him, to conforming to His image, to shaping your heart and life to resemble His, are you really a Christian?
Do you just go to church, do Christian things, read Christian books, hang out with Christians, listen to Christian music, or do you legitimately WANT, long for, desire, crave, need, faint without Jesus?
Our lives are about Him and Him alone.. not us.
so what now? We pray. You know your heart and I hope you have seen a small glimpse of mine at least.
Pray that God would radically stir our affections for Him and that He'd rip us out of this easy-believism we've fallen into. He gives grace to the humble. James 4:5 or 6 or 7? Humble yourself before God and pray that I would do the same. Let's hold fast to His mercy and extend His grace as if it has really, truly changed us.
I love you. I really, really do. I'm praying for whoever you are. I pray you'll do the same. God, please grant us understanding and faith to trust that You are faithful. Here am I; send me.
Second, and this isn't in judgment but in brokenness, my father responds with... "I enjoyed that movie." My parents leave the room and literally everything I just wrote is pulsing through my brain. You know those times when you have a headache you just can't shake and everything else just kind of fades? That is literally nothing like what I went through... but it gives you a pretty good picture of my thoughts weighing down on me. I began to fight tears as I wondered how we could claim, "we just don't get it," after reading Crazy Love or Radical or any John Piper book, blog, or article ever written, and we swear up and down we're changing... and nothing. ever. happens. This is me. Hi, I'm Ryan Sears, and I'm a suckaholic. I take the cake in being the foremost of SUCKY Christians. But I'm not okay with staying that way. at all. I really DON'T get it, and I am really NOT okay with it.
So what's going to change?
My new morning routine. Well, part of it. When I look in the mirror, I will then ask this guy, "Why are you a Christian?"
...
and then I'll respond, "Jesus opened my blind eyes, and I have never been the same."
That's it? Ryan, all you're going to do is ask a dumb question in the mirror? You're a creep AND an idiot.
Not quite. Well, you're right, but there's more to it. I am a Christian for one reason and one reason only. JESUS, and only Jesus, granted me sight, opened my eyes, removed the veil covering my face, HE saved ME. BY grace THROUGH faith. Salvation is NOT by faith. I'm not down for hot debates and all that, but my heart was set ablaze by grace and my only available response was to believe. I had been changed and there was no denying it. So now, because of Jesus' cross and gracious invitation to follow Him, I follow Him.. again, by grace alone. If my day doesn't line up with my answer, am I REALLY a Christian?
If our lives are more about us than they are Jesus, are we really following Him?
Seriously..
do you REALLY follow Him?
If you aren't committed to knowing Him, to looking like Him, to conforming to His image, to shaping your heart and life to resemble His, are you really a Christian?
Do you just go to church, do Christian things, read Christian books, hang out with Christians, listen to Christian music, or do you legitimately WANT, long for, desire, crave, need, faint without Jesus?
Our lives are about Him and Him alone.. not us.
so what now? We pray. You know your heart and I hope you have seen a small glimpse of mine at least.
Pray that God would radically stir our affections for Him and that He'd rip us out of this easy-believism we've fallen into. He gives grace to the humble. James 4:5 or 6 or 7? Humble yourself before God and pray that I would do the same. Let's hold fast to His mercy and extend His grace as if it has really, truly changed us.
I love you. I really, really do. I'm praying for whoever you are. I pray you'll do the same. God, please grant us understanding and faith to trust that You are faithful. Here am I; send me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)