What Is Your Strength?

In the 7 months that I've been in Brazil as a missionary, I have noticed that there are at least 2 kinds of missionaries. The first kind of missionaries are the people and project-oriented missionaries. These seem to be the majority of the missionaries I know. The second kind of missionaries are the study and office-oriented missionaries. It seems implied that the first kind have a certain "strength" in dealing with people and getting big projects accomplished, and the second kind have a "strength" in studying and intellectual matters. I am not criticizing either one of these kinds of missionaries, but simply analyzing what kind of missionary I am and what kind of missionary God wants me to be.

Isaiah 30:15 says, "...in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." I am certain that God wants me to be the kind of missionary that quietly trusts in Him daily. It is easy to be a missionary who trusts in his people strengths or intellectual strengths to get the job done, but even if the "job" does get done, God will not be exalted in this effort. I'm convinced, though, that the job will not actually be accomplished effectively and consistently if I am not quietly trusting in God for such.

The people of Israel had the problem of trusting in their supposed strength of Egypt. Listen to what God said about Egypt:

"Everyone comes to shame through a people that cannot profit them, that brings neither help nor profit..."
"Egypt's help is worthless and empty." (Is. 30:5-7)

These people said they did not want to hear no more about the Holy One of Israel, and despised the Word. (Is. 30:12) Why? Because they trusted in their "strengths". I wonder if I don't do that as well. I trust in all the intellectual powers I get from reading so much (now you know what kind of missionary I am: :), that I don't quietly wait on Him for the results. I also see myself wanting to be more of a people oriented missionary, which can be good, as long as I don't trust in my visitations and evangelistic efforts to ultimately get the job done.

In conclusion, I realize that God has appointed to do His work through people and their hard work. I am simply stating the danger of trusting in your hard work, your "strengths", to accomplish successfully what God has called you to do. Your greatest strength is in quietly trusting in your GREAT GOD!

God is Worth the Wait

God spoke to my heart this morning through Isaiah 25. Isaiah starts by saying,

"I will exalt you, God" Why?
"For You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure."

He mentions that strong peoples would glorify God and fear Him. Why?

"For You have been a stronghold to the poor and needy"
"A shelter from the storm and shade from the heat." (v.4)

Isaiah goes on to prophesy what is still to come in the future and how God will "swallow up death forever". He mentions that people in the future will say,

"Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us" (v.9)

What I noticed is that these people waited and trusted in God, their stronghold, and in the end, they will be proud to call Him their God and will exalt Him. We always exalt what we are proud of. Are you proud of your God? I think that one way that we show we are proud of our God is to wait for Him. By waiting for Him, we show our trust in the fact that His plans are "formed of old, faithful and sure." By waiting on Him, we will become more proud of Him when we see the "wonderful things" that He will do, and therefore we will exalt Him even more. God impressed upon my heart that He is worth the wait. In the end, I will "be glad and rejoice in His salvation", and He will be praised.

Christ is Superior

Tonight I was reminded of why I am here in Brazil. It is because Christ is superior to all things and all people. This conviction is what will keep me here as well. Our missionary conference started tonight and Doug Brown (teacher at Faith Baptist Bible College and Seminary) was our speaker. I just want to share my notes of what he shared tonight from Hebrews 1:1-4.

4 Ways Christ is Superior:

1. Christ is Superior in His Agency
As an "agent" of God the Father, Christ is superior because He is the pinnacle of God's revelation to man. As an agent, He is superior because He is the "heir" of all things, specifically the future kingdom to come. He is the appointed King, for which we are simply waiting for the coronation. He is superior as an agent because He created all the worlds or ages, which include the past as well as the future ages to come.

2. Christ is Superior in His Essence
Christ does not simply reflect the glory of God. Somehow I think this would detract from His deity. Christ radiates the glory of God because, as Hebrews says, Christ is the "exact imprint of His nature". This makes Him superior because He is 100% God.

3. Christ is Superior in His Actions
Christ upholds the universe and everything in it by the words of His mouth. He has purged our sins and "sat down" at the right hand of God. Have you ever noticed that in the Tabernacle, there were many items and furniture, but there are no seats, chairs, or couches to sit on? Why so? Because the priests' work was never finished. What makes Jesus Christ superior is that what He did was once and for all finished at the cross. How do we know this? Because He "sat down".

4. Christ is Superior in His Apelation(not sure of correct spelling)
Apelation means name and Hebrews 1:4 says that Christ is superior because He has a more excellent name than the angels. What is this name? I think v. 5 answers this question. I think this excellent superior name is "Son of God". "So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth," (Phil. 2:10)

He concluded with a superior thought to have. Christ is superior to all things and all people. Let's give Him His place!

JT

What You Feel vs. What is Real

Excerpt from Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney

And this is how serious it gets: In our arrogance, we invest our feelings (or lack therof) with final authority rather than recognize that our emotions tend to be unstable, unreliable, often governed by pride, and riddled with lies - lies that "feel" like the truth.
I've watched people yield to such lies repeatedly. It's a frightening experience to sit with individuals who actually insist that what they feel is ultimately more authoritative to them that what's written clearly in Scripture. They even somehow assume God is sympathetic to this attitude. But He is not. He would, in fact, identify it as the height of arrogance - which is something He's unalterably opposed to: "God opposes the proud," His Word declares.

How subtly true this is in our lives. Lord help us to rely on Your objective truth.

David

More Worthy Resolutions

21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him. (Resolutions 1 through 21 written in one setting in New Haven in 1722)

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God' s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Proverbs 20:6,‹A faithful man who can find?Š may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, to do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narrations never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord' s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, never to do any thing of which I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

I really like resolution #22 and #25. Trusting in a greater happiness and love that is found in God alone.

James

Worthy Resolutions

With the new year here, I've read many blogs and articles which discourage new year resolutions because they tend to exalt man and his accomplishments. I agree that resolutions can result in the exaltation of man, but at the same time I think they could go in an opposite direction and result in the exaltation of God. I think that Jonathan Edwards' resolutions are an example of how resolutions can be a good thing which benefits man the most and glorifies God the greatest. Here are just a few of his resolutions:

THE RESOLUTIONS

of

Jonathan Edwards

---

BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT
GOD' S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST' S SAKE.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.

In the next few weeks, I will post the rest of his resolutions. They are such Godward thoughts and aspirations to aim for.

JT

2008 Devotions

My plans are to read the Chronological One Year Bible in the the mornings. To suppliment the morning reading Sharon and I are going to read John Stott's Through the Bible Through the Year. Please pray for us and let us know of your intentions for Bible Study this year!

David