Moving!!!

Hi readers!

I am officially moving this site. As you know, I've been torn about continuing this blog after finishing my one year journey through the Bible. I absolutely love reflecting on and writing about Scripture, but since I've started my other blog, The Arizona Russums, it's been hard to juggle both of them. I have been trying to do so for the past few months, because I really feel convicted about writing about Scripture and encouraging other women to lead obedient lives according to God's word, but it is really hard to run two blogs, and I feel that this one has been suffering miserably. I am still reading my Bible every day, reflecting on what I want to write about on this site, and I even pop on every now and then and start drafts about what God is revealing to me. However, I have about ten drafts in my box that are yet to be finished. See the problem?

But I have found a solution (I think)! I don't want to give up Flowers Fade completely, but I don't want to maintain two blogs anymore. So from now on I will be posting my regular Flowers Fade postings on The Arizona Russums once a week on Fridays. Flowers Fade Friday. I like it. Hopefully, it will be great encouragement to you as you finish out your week and head into the weekend. And, hopefully, it will make me more consistent in posting about our amazing God and what He's been teaching me through His Word lately.

Thank you to all of you who have followed this blog and supported me and encouraged my journey through the Bible. I hope to continue to encourage you on my other blog. Hope to see you there!

Love always,
Jen

Rest

I am one who struggles to rest. To stop. Slow down. To do nothing for the glory of God. Micah calls me out on it all the time. While he is very good at keeping the Sabbath - his usually spans ALL of Saturday AND Sunday - I struggle mightily to stop and rest in Jesus. Here's a great word from Carolyn McCulley on rest and the Sabbath.  She is summarizing a Tim Keller sermon, and you know if it's coming from the duo of McCulley and Keller, it's going to be good. Here is a quote from Carolyn's blog (you can read the full posting here):


"Why is it hard for us to rest? Because we are always seeking affirmation and identity in our productivity and accomplishments. But the incredible concept of Christianity is that the only One to whom you have to prove yourself has already completed what you cannot do. Jesus is the only One who can truly say, "It is finished." Therefore, it is through the finished work of Jesus that we can rest."


"The Sabbath is an act of liberation. "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." (Dt. 5:15 NIV). If you don't rest, you are a slave -- a slave to your job, to the expectations of others, to your own reputation, whatever. "

Love + Knowledge = Discernment

In I Corinthians it says that "knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (I Cor. 8:1). True. No one likes an arrogant, know-it-all boasting about what they KNOW, even if what they know is about God. And no one likes advice offered without sensitivity or compassion. People would rather see that you KNOW how to LOVE through your actions than hear about what you know with your words.

However, Paul makes it clear in Philippians 1:9-11 that love without knowledge is also foolishness. In verse nine, Paul begins a pray for the church at Philippi (a church that was very dear to him) and he says:

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

We won't really know how to love people unless we are being continually filled up by the knowledge that comes from God's Word, so that we may discern how to BEST love those around us. Because the feeling of love can be deceiving. We can feel like we love someone, but to refuse to the convict them of sin because we care about their comfort more than their holiness is not love. To fear saying something to a friend, because they might take it negatively or it might affect the friendship is not love - unless I am trying to love myself more than I love my friend. Love is not easy. It's not always comfortable. Sometimes it means drawing a line, forming a boundary, disciplining a child or a student, convicting a friend, or confessing a sin. And sometimes it's hard to figure out HOW to best love someone. Do they need a hug? To hear a passage of scripture? A meal? An invitation to church? Help writing a resume? An exhortation?  A swift kick in the butt? To be confronted by a pastor? Love doesn't look the same in all circumstances and the only way we can truly know how to best love those around us is to continually be built up in the knowledge of God's Word - which results in discernment - and to go forth in prayer.

Speaking Out Against Sex Trafficking

My friend, Anne, just posted this letter yesterday on her blog. I highly suggest you read it. She also wrote a full blog post before the letter (press previous post) explaining her opinion on the issue in more detail.

http://azhappyhour.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/open-letter-to-kiss-fm/

Basically, sex slavery is rampant in our country, especially in Phoenix, which I believe has the 2nd highest rate of the trafficking in the country. Of  course almost everyone thinks sex slavery is wrong - except those sick individuals who manipulate women and sell girls' bodies I guess. But the thing is we don't live like it's wrong. We live like the sex that is so pervasive in our society is okay. It's okay that our films are becoming increasingly illicit and graphic. It takes a lot to even earn an R rating these days. It's okay that there are strip clubs and lingerie stories and adult video shops on every corner in Phoenix. It's okay that boys in elementary and middle school are looking at soft porn on the Internet and will likely be addicted to doing so for the rest of their lives. It's okay that push-up bras are being sold at Abercrombie kids. It's okay if you want to to enter a wet t-shirt contest, a body paint contest, or a hand bra contest like the one Anne is speaking out against in her letter. It's okay for men to buy sex, as long as it's over the Internet or at a strip bar and as long as it doesn't involve actual "intercourse."

Right?

Wrong. Our society's desensitivity to sex is what leads to sex trafficking. It's after men are exposed to pornography, strippers, and prostitutes that they become disillusioned into thinking it might be okay to force a girl into the sex industry. It's after men are sexually abused that they are willing to abuse others. It's when girls think it's fun to wear a wet t-shirt or take off their shirts to win a trip to Vegas or concert tickets (and the attention of every guy at a bar) that these girls soon find themselves surrounded by men who will force them, manipulate them or threaten them to take off their clothes. It's the fault of every Christian man who secretly looks at porn, buys filthy magazines, or rents dirty movies for perpetuating the horrific crime and sin of sex trafficking, and it's the fault of the church for failing to convict and confront these sins. Yes, I said it's your fault "Christian" man - who refuses to repent of your sin of feeding the sex industry of our country by clicking on websites and buying media that filters more money into this sick economy. If no one was buying, they wouldn't have anything to sell right? Shame on Christian men for being the demand in the supply and demand chain of the sex industry in our country. For you, it's only an Internet ad or an adult movie on Netflix, but for someone else it's an actual human being, a young girl that is bought and sold and has no other choice.

*I used the word shame in this post and I hardly ever use the word shame. But the truth of the matter is that shame covers the illicit sex in our country. Shame covers the abuse, the rape, the exploitation. Shame covers the photo shoots of topless models and the back rooms of the strip clubs. Shame covers the computer screens hosting pictures of naked women. But I have a Savior who takes away the shame of the world. I have Savior who redeems, restores, and is "making all things new" (Rev. 21:5). His name is Jesus and He has the power to remove the guilt and shame of the sex industry and impart His grace on both those who instigate these crimes and those who are the victims of these crimes. It is my sincere prayer that Jesus will shed light in the darkest corners of sex trafficking, that He will convict the hearts of those girls thinking about entering KISS 106's hand bra contest and that He will lead the church to repentance over its involvement with this sin and grow up strong, pure, godly male leaders in churches across the country.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

~Titus 2:11-14~

Near and Far

I often find myself tempted to try to "figure out" God's plan for salvation - to try to discern who in my life will next receive God's grace and become "saved."

I remember a few years ago when I first realized the foolishness of this all. To think that there are always signs to indicate where God's spirit is going to move and whose hearts are going to be changed.

Because people are fickle and deceitful and misleading, and God is not.

How many times have you thought you were making progress with someone spiritually, sharing the Gospel with them, looking for signs that their heart was softening, only for them to almost "lead you on" in a spiritual sense? They visit church a few times or maybe even start attending regularly, they read the Bible, or at least talk about intending to explore the Bible, but eventually you realize they are not really changing. They are still hardened.

And how many people know of someone so hard, so hurt, so angry, so evil, who was changed by God instantly? In a moment, the Holy Spirit entered into their unlikely heart and their ungodly life and transformed them forever in the name of Jesus Christ. Think of Paul on the road to Damascus. Think of the friend you know who was literally saved by Jesus while high on drugs, on the brink of suicide, at a treatment facility for any number of disorders or addictions. Think about those who are saved while serving a life sentence in prison for horrific crimes.

I personally know people who were saved by Jesus in some of those situations above. They did not appear to be seeking the Lord. They were not searching. They might have even openly admitted a hatred or at least a mistrust or an unbelief in God, and yet He invaded their lives at exactly the right time.

This is not to discount that a slowly softening heart is sometimes an indicator of God's grace in someone's life. Sometimes it really does happen in the pretty, predictable way. You invite a friend to church. They might say no at first and then they accept. They are interested. They have questions. They seek your counsel. You point them to the Bible. You might point them to another Christian leader. They are open to God's word and over the course of days, weeks, months, or maybe years, they learn and trust that Christ is their Savior.

But there are also people who appear to begin this journey to salvation only to harden their hearts repeatedly or more deeply during the process. They might go to church and mock it. They might read the Bible only to scrutinize it in their unbelief. They might ask questions only in a prideful attempt to baffle or argue with believers. Although at first this interest can look like a spiritual awakening of sorts, it is really only a hardened heart actively attacking the church instead of living in apathy like many other unbelievers.

My point to all this is that I have had to destroy the conceptions in my own mind that I can figure out who God is going to save. Sometimes He saves through an invite to church, sometimes He saves in the midst of a drug overdose. I don't know what God is going to do, because He is so powerful and mysterious in a beautiful way.

All I know is this:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience--among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved... -Ephesians 2:1-5

We are all dead before Jesus invades our hearts and lives and makes us alive. I once was dead, and God made me alive in Christ. God can save those who seem near to knowing Him and those who seem far, far away from ever loving Him. There are no limits to God's grace. And, really, whether we seem near or far does not change the fact that we are dead without Christ. You can't be more dead than dead, regardless of whether or not you have ever visited a church or read the Bible. So instead of trying to figure out who God might save next, I want to live a life where I passionately share the Gospel with all, because God in His great mercy sometimes saves those who seem near and sometimes saves those who seem far away.

Encouragement

While Paul suffered greatly for the name of Christ, and often found himself pursued, imprisoned, abandoned, beaten or left for dead, he was also continually supported by faithful friends and fellow ministry workers. Throughout Paul's letters, he at times detours from his writing to mention those friends who have been helping him. He will list all sorts of names like Timothy, Luke, Justus, Clement, Epaphroditus....and all kinds of other names I can't even pronounce. Sometimes I feel kind of like I do with the genealogies of the Old Testemant. The "I'm tired of reading all these names; let's get back to the good stuff" feeling...

But recently I've realized that these names of Paul's friends and co-laborers ARE the good stuff. These are the people who visited him in jail, sometimes even finding themselves imprisoned alongside him. They would bring him food and clothing. They would house him. They would travel with him, experiencing hardship, hunger, and persecution. They would painstakingly pen his letters for him (remember they didn't have computers or even ballpoint pens). They would carry his letters to churches abroad, often taking long and dangerous journeys to bring the word of God to various cities throughout Asia Minor. They would pray with Paul, weep with Paul, enourage Paul, and eagerly soak up his teaching and live by his example.

So when Paul praises "Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father, he has served me" (Phil. 2:22) or when he rejoices over Epaphroditus who "nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life" (Phil. 2:30) to help Paul, I am learning to realize how essential this encouragement was. When Paul says that Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus "are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers...and they have been a great comfort to me" (Col.4:11), I can only imagine how nice it must have been to have just a few Jewish friends in the midst of being imprisoned in the foreign culture of Rome.

So I ask myself, how can I encourage those around me who have devoted their life to ministering to God's people? How can I support and encourage my pastor and his family, especially as we go through this time of uncertainty with our chuch location and finances, as they await the birth of their fourth child and wonder how in the world they will get a vehicle big enough to hold their whole family (so excited to see what God provides!)? How can I serve my friends who serve abroad as full-time missionaries in some of the most remote or poorest places in the world? How can I labor alongside them as Paul's fellow workers did, even though I am halfway across the world? Can I suport them financially? Can I send a care package? Go visit them? Send them a letter or e-mail of encouragment? Pray for them often? Pray for the culture in which they live and the people to whom they minister? Instead of finding myself bored with Paul's thank you lists in his letters, I am finding myself inspired to encourage my own pastor and missionary friends in new ways. Praising God for His constant transforming of my mind.

Being a Gospel Wife

It's funny how in marriage God really uses your spouse to balance you out... In marriage you learn to humbly accept your husband's conviction when you are slacking in godliness, while at the same time you learn to be bold and loving in calling your husband out when you see an area where he is not applying God's truth to his own life. Micah and I do this all the time. I will gently remind him that he is not entitled to certain things in life - relationships, promotions, money, what have you. That he should rejoice in suffering and live for God's glory, not his own. At the same time, Micah will lovingly remind me to be thankful in the midst of any circumstance. He will convict me of worry and encourage me to trust God's plan when my own plan is not working out (which usually means God is hindering my own foolish planning to show me something far better).

I will leave you with an encouraging pasage I just read from Carolyn Mahaney's blog and her current series on marriage:

Hopefully our husband does encourage us to pursue a deeper knowledge of God, but we are not dependent on our husband to grow spiritually. We are accountable before God to seek His face and obey His Word. Remember, when it comes to the grace of life, we are heirs with--and not under--our husband (1 Pet. 3:7).

 

In order to be a gospel wife, we must be rooted in God's Word.

This means we must be avid students of Scripture, regardless of our husband's spiritual pursuit. We should daily dig into the Bible, regularly read good books, and eagerly absorb and apply our pastor's teaching. We shouldn't assume that deep theological study is only for the men. Neither should we try to hide our own lack of spiritual growth behind our husband's lack of leadership.

Grace to you; grace be with you

Piper points out in Future Grace something important about the way Paul begins and ends almost all his letters to the churches. I am currently reading through Ephesians right now, which serves as a perfect example of Paul's typical saluations....

Ephesians begins with the phrase "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (1:2).

Then Paul ends his letter to the Ephesians with this line: "Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible" (6:24).

Notice that I bolded the prepositions "to" and "with." Piper points out that these small words are very important to the way God's grace works through Scripture.

Piper explains that as Paul begins his letters, he must realize that the written words will be God's grace to those who read them. Piper imagines Paul thinking as he writes his letter, "grace is now active and is about to flow from God through my inspired writing to you as you read - grace [be] to you." Then when Paul is about to end his letter, he realizes that the flow of God's grace through written words is about to end, but because God is so good, there must be another form of grace to sustain the readers once they are done reading. When the question rises, "What becomes of the grace that has been flowing to the readers through the reading of the inspired letter?" Paul answers with a blessing, "Grace [be] with you." This is the grace that is "With you as you go home to deal with a sick child and an unaffectionate spouse. With you as you go to work and face the temptations of anger and dishonesty and lust. With you as you muster the courage to speak up for Christ over lunch." This is how God's grace remains with us each and every day.

This is the beauty of reading and being filled by God's word. His grace comes to us through the Scriptures and it remains with us as it transforms our minds, softens our hearts, and fills us with the Spirit, changing the way we act and think and talk every single day. But Piper says it better than I ever will: "We learn that grace is ready to flow to us every time we take up the inspired Scriptures to read them. And we learn that grace will abide with us when we lay the Bible down and go about our daily living."

Fill yourself with the riches of God's grace in His Word and pour out His grace on others because He has promised His grace is with you where ever you go...

Future Grace

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am currently reading John Piper's Future Grace and it is soooo good. However, I am reading it very slowly, partially because Piper needs to be read slowly and partially because my school workload is way too demanding right now to read for fun...

But anyway the book is awesome. I highly recommend it and I might share some quotes from it from time to time. Here is the first one...

"The only debt that grace creates is the 'debt' of relying on more grace for all that God calls us to be and do..."

~J.Piper

God's Tenacity

In 6th and 7th grade, I had an awesome humanities teacher, Mrs. Mayer. She, sadly, passed away a few years back from an ongoing battle with cancer. However, her impact on me as a student will never be forgotten. I can remember specific assignments from her classes way back in middle school better than I can remember many events from high school or college.

One specific assignment during 6th grade sticks out in my mind. Each student was given a difficult vocab word, as in word-that-we-had-to-look-up-in-the-dictionary-because-we-had-never-heard-it-before difficult. And then we had a to write a poem that used the word correctly. My word was "tenacious"...

te·na·cious adj \tə-ˈnā-shəs\persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired

Recently, as I was reading through Philippians, I was struck by God's tenacity. He is tenacious with His beloved. He is persistent in loving us, shepherding us, correcting us, forgiving us, and sanctifying us because He values His children. What a tenacious God we have!

Philippians 1:6 says: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

God is at work in us. He has done, is doing, and will do amazing things in our hearts and lives because of the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. If I think about my own life, I can think of the way God called me to Himself, how he protected me in my youth by allowing me to be raised in a Christian home. He convicted me during my early 20s that I was not living a life that was truly humble and glorifying to Him. He has molded me and changed my heart and so many of my habits and characteristics over the past three years. Now He continues to teach me through His word, sharpen me through Godly friendships both old and new, and refine me through my marriage. And in the future, no matter what happens - good or bad - on this earth, He has promised to save me and glorify me for all eternity.

I can't recall exactly what I wrote about for my "tenacity" poem in 6th grade, but if I were to write a poem with this same vocabulary word now, surely I would write about my tenacious God.

Humble AND Gentle AND Patient AND Loving!?!?

I am reading Ephesians now. I'm making my way backward through GEPC (General Electric Power Company, God Eats Peanutbutter Cookies... yes, I know Peanut Butter is two words, but that is how my Young Life leader taught me... or just Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians if you prefer to be traditional). I have been enjoying my time going through these books slowly, concentrating on just a few verses a day, and I have a bunch of posts on Philippians and Colossians partially written. I promise I will get them up soon.

But I thought for now, I would focus on today's reading, because today's reading helped me TODAY. Isn't is lovely how God's Word does just that? If we are faithful to read His Word, He is faithful to teach our hearts how to apply it. In Isaiah 55:11 it says: "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. His Word does not return to Him empty. I think sometimes we think this verse just applies to sharing the Gospel with unbelievers. We know that God is at work in people's hearts when we share His Word, whether or not we see results. But the same is true in our own lives. When we read the Word or hear the Word preached, God is at work. Just because I am already a Christian doesn't mean that God's Word has any less of an impact on my life. And today was the perfect example of that.

This morning I read the first part of Ephesians 4, which reads:
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. - Ephesians 4:1-3

Lately, I've been dwelling on this idea of living a life worthy of God's calling. Or at least I thought I had been dwelling on it, until today when my Bible footnotes convicted me of what a worthy life really looks like. The footnotes after this verse kindly pointed out that the life of one striving to love Christ will be marked by humility, gentleness, patience, and love for others DAILY.

Eeek. I happen to struggle quite a bit with some of those traits. Okay, all of them. Why can't it say be disciplined and generous (I'm far from perfect, but I feel like I have a better grasp on those two). But it doesn't say that. It says I should be humble AND gentle AND patient AND loving.  And it's not a grab bag. I can't work on being patient today and focus on loving tomorrow. We are called to be like Christ in His utter humility and His alluring gentleness AND His everlasting patience AND His undserved love EVERY day. Can you say "conviction?"

So I walked around campus today, thinking about this verse from time to time. (Because God, by His grace and power, was teaching my heart to meditate on His Word, even though I wasn't consciously choosing to do so....like I said His Word does not return to Him empty). And when I got home, God put me to the test. I went running after school and when I got back to our apartment around 5:30 I was hot and sweaty and anxious to jump in the shower. But I saw that Micah had just called me and seeing that it was his first day at a new job and we hadn't solidified our plans for the evening and he always gets on me for not answering my phone, I decided I should probably call him back. But my heart did not want to. Not because I didn't want to talk to him; I was very excited to hear about his first day on the job, but I didn't want to talk to him before I took a shower. I just wanted to take a shower and for him to come home while I was getting dinner started and then we could talk over dinner. That was my plan. It made sense. It was convenient. A phone call before showering was not convenient. But I called him anyway. However, I quickly became annoyed that we were talking on the phone when we could be talking in person in ten minutes, so I asked to get off the phone so I could jump in the shower. Even when I was off the phone, I felt myself annoyed. Annoyed that talking on the phone for five minutes delayed my shower for five minutes, which would undoubtedly delay dinner by five minutes which might throw off all our plans for the evening. Being way too transparent in my thought process right now... but that's what it was....controlling, selfish, sinful.

But then, thankfully, I remembered my verse. I took a deep breath and thought "I am supposed to be humble and gentle and patient and loving. I am pretty sure to be irritated when Micah gets home from his first day at a new job is the opposite of living a worthy life. It's funny (and sad) how I can get so upset over five minutes that don't go according to my plan. So I sucked it up and got over it. I welcomed Micah home with joy instead of frustration, because God is faithful to teach us how to apply His commands when we meet with Him and delve into learning His statues, His character, and His ways.

Something new...

I am going to break away from the usual purely Scripture focused posting and share a few blog postings that have been a great encouragment to me lately.

I have a million things to share from my own reading of Philippians combined with the Matt Chandler "Philippians" video series that we are going through with our Missional Community (is he okay with the fact that I call him "Matty C" and get excited that he slams us with convicting truth and application week after week?), but first I want to share these links with you. Plus, I have found that reading Christian blogs by amazing and faithful men and women STIRS my own affections for Christ (which is something Matty C. told us to search for in our own lives... what stirs your affections for Christ?). AND in Philippians, Paul tells us to "join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us" (Phil 3:17). The writers of these blogs are awesome Christian leaders to imitate...

First, thoughts on rest by Bob Glenn, one of the pastors who contributes to Desiring God. I have been struggling to truly rest lately and this was very convicting and encouraging.

Secondly, Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters have just started a series on biblical marriage over at their blog, Girl Talk. These two posts have encouraged me quite a bit as a newlywed. This first posting is a great reminder that God loves marriage (after all, it's the analogy He chose to describe the love of His Son for His church), and He is constantly at work in my own marriage, even when it doesn't feel like it. In this second posting, Carolyn reminds me that the world's ideal for marriage, and probably even my own sinful ideal for marriage, does not match up with God's plan for my marriage. She encourages me to read the Bible with a sense of humility and an eagerness to bring my marriage before the Lord and ask HIM how he wants to shape me into a Godly wife. It's not about me. It's  not about Micah. It's about God's glory.

Enjoy!

You know I'm bad, I'm bad - You know it...

So Michael Jackson got something right... we are bad. I am bad. You are bad. He was bad (I'm not even going to go there...)

This isn't my most uplifting post, but it is meant to be humbling...and when you are humbled, I hope you turn fully and joyfully to your Savior, Jesus. So I guess, in a sense, this post might be uplifting after all...

I just want to take a moment to remind you...and myself... that we are not good. Psalm 53 says: God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one (53:2-3).

Not even one. We are not good. We do not seek God of our own accord. We don't please Him. We don't have anything worthy to offer Him. Isaiah says that even our most righteous deeds are like a "polluted garment" or a "filthy rag" in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6). Apart from Christ, we are despicable in the eyes of a holy God and rightfully so.

So why do we spend so much time thinking we are good? Thinking we are right? Thinking we are entitled to certain things? A house, a car, a job, friends who love us, family who supports us, happiness, health, money in our savings account? That we deserve to be respected, loved, praised, admired, comforted or encouraged? We don't deserve these things. But admit it, even when you say that Jesus is your everything and acknowledge with your lips that you deserve nothing, you don't always live your life thinking that way. At least I know I don't....

The Bible is clear that we deserve death for our sins (Romans 6:23), and anything less than that is by the grace of God. Even the very air we breathe each day is an undeserved gift from a good God. However, I can say those words with my mouth, but I don't necessarily always live those words by the way I act and, especially, by the way I think...

Because when I am wronged, I think it's not fair. When I am frustrated, I want a fast fix to my problem. When I am sinned against, I want an apology. I want repentance. I want a resolution. I may say I don't deserve my health, my wealth or my happiness, but my negative, selfish attitude when things go wrong would indicate otherwise...

So stop for a moment today, and ask God to open your eyes to the truth. When you find yourself frustrated or feeling wronged and resentful, pause in prayer and ask God's Spirit to fill you with truth. Ask the Holy Sprit to overcome your fleshly ideas of entitlement and speak the Word of God to yourself, "there is none who does good, not even one."

But don't stop there. Think of Chirst. Who came. For you. Who died for you, even though you do not deserve it. Who suffered through a death that HE DID NOT DESERVE. He was entitlted. He belonged in heaven, yet he came to earth. He was supposed to wear crown and not one made of thorns. He deserved honor and instead he got a death sentence. Christ, who deserves every title of glory, praise, honor, and fame, became disentitled for you and for me.

What a beautiful gift. It is my hope that after you ponder, seriously, your own depravity, your own filth, your own incapability of doing anything good on your own, you will turn to Christ. And you will see His purity. His goodness. His utter holiness. And you will know that His righteousness is yours, not because of anything you have done, but because He came to make you new and clean. And that you will live and love and forgive joyfully because of the One who became disentitled to give you a new title... Child of God (I John 3:10).

The Grace to Endure

I just started reading a book by John Piper called Future Grace. I am only a little ways in, but it's good, as all John Piper's books are, of course. Briefly, this book is about what it looks like for Christians to live obedient, fruitful lives (a theme I am always wanting to learn more about if you haven't noticed yet). The premise of this book is that we are obedient to God, not because of gratitude, but because of love, and that we obey not becuase of his faithfulness in the past, but because we have faith in the grace he will give us in the future. Piper, of course, does not say that God's past grace is unimportant or that we should not be thankful. He only points out that we will never continue to be obedient in the future if we don't have faith in God's future grace that he will provide both on this earth and in heaven. Thankfulness for the past is not enough to stir morality is pitiful sinners. Like I said, it's good. I am giving you this intro on the book in case I share anything else from it over these next few weeks or months.

So I was reading Piper's chapter on anxiety in the book (because apparently my breathing troubles might be caused by anxiety...yuck...want to get that sin out of my life ASAP), and I stumbled across this beautiful, intriguing phrase..."the grace to endure." Piper was talking about the fear of public speaking that haunted him throughout his childhood and into college. It seems almost funny now, as he is one of the most well known pastors in America, but he was plagued by anxiety about speaking in public for years and years. Like shaky voice, shaky hands, all the kids in the class and the teacher felt bad for him kind of anxiety. And he said he prayed hundreds of prayers for help during those years and God only provided the grace to endure...

The grace to endure. What a humbling, intriguing idea. Sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers how we want him to or when we want him to. However, he gives us the strength to keep going despite our trials. Our very lives are a mark of God's grace, so if life is hard, and God gives us the strength to keep going and keep trusting in Him, despite hardship, that is God's grace in our lives. We don't deserve endurance.

This phrase led me to the Bible, where I read all I could about enduring and endurance. Here are a few of the things I found...

Luke 21:19 "By your endurance you will gain your lives." Jesus is telling his disciples about the hardships they will endure as his followers after he leaves earth. He says they will be mocked, hated, and possibly even killed, but their endurance in persecution is a mark of their salvation.

Romans 5:3-5 "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Love these verses. So not only do we not deserve to endure, but God uses endurance to strengthen and sanctify us. Endurance results in character and character produces hope. The result of endurance is hope in God - and his future grace.

I Peter 2:19-20 "Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God." The context of this verse is a command for slaves to be subject to their masters. But this is a truth for all believers. We are to endure suffering, even when we suffer for doing good. This is a mark of God's grace in our lives, because it shows that we are following the example of Christ, and God looks on this kind of endurance with favor and blessing.

Hebrews: 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Here our lives are compared to a race that must be run with perserverance all the way to the finish line. Anyone with running background knows that races are not easy. Race day means you push your body to perform at your maximum level. Races are hard, but it is exciting to finish them well. Here Jesus is, again, the example of the model racer. His race included a cross right before the finish line... He endured more than we can imagine and finished his race perfectly so the rest of us could finish our races with endurance as well.

How is God giving you the grace to endure today? How is this producing hope in your life?

No grudges allowed...

Thankfully, I have never been one to hold a grudge. It's not that I have never wanted to... my sinful flesh sometimes likes the idea of remaining bitter or even being vengeful when I have been hurt or betrayed. But thankfully God has made it impossible for me to stay mad at people for too long. In the moment, it seems annoying. I think "I want to be mad at you. You don't deserve my forgiveness." But for some reason, God has given me a heart that can't really hold a grudge, and it is a HUGE blessing, even when my sinful heart doesn't really appreciate it.

The Bible speaks boldy about grudges. They are not allowed in the Christian life. Colossians says the Christian life should look like this: "bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive." (3:13). It's not that we won't ever be hurt or wronged by a Christian brother or sister. We will be. The Bible is pretty clear that as we live in the flesh, we will be wounded by friends and family, even by people who love the Lord, but fall short at times.

What should be our response? To bear with each other's failings. To forgive. It seems like a difficult task, and it is, but it is also possible because of Christ. Jesus has forgiven our utter betrayal of him. He is perfect and loves us completely, yet we fail Him time and time again. But that cross of forgiveness is always there. Always prepared to bear our sins. So we too, with grateful hearts, should forgive those who sin against us.

There have been lots of Christian analogies about bitterness and unforgiveness. The first one that comes to mind is that bitterness is like a cancer of the soul. While this is not straight out of Scripture, the author of Hebrews does warn his readers to make sure "no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled." (12:15). Clearly, there is something poisonous about bitterness, and unforgiveness can be harmful to the church. So obey God today... bear and forgive...because you have a Savior who has done the same thing for you at a far more drastic price.

Lovin' Jesus Today (and Always)

Not much to say about these verses, because I think they speak for themselves in giving glory to Jesus. I am slowly making my way through Colossians right now, trying to read no more than half a chapter a day in order to really soak it all in. I leave you with these verses today as you rejoice that you have been raised with Christ. Set your mind on Him today...

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

~ Colossaians 3:1-4 ~

Tidbits from Psalm 51

Psalm 51 is one of my favortite Psalms of all time. It's the Psalm David wrote after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his affair with Bathsheba and his murder of Bathsheba's huband. Although it was deeply personal for David, it also sets a beautiful example of what our hearts should look like before the Lord as we humbly seek His forgiveness...

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions." (V1)-  Here we see that God forgives us, not because of we deserve it. He forgives us according to His great name and character. He forgives us because He is the source of all love and mercy. He is love. He is mercy. Therefore, He forgives dirty sinners like us. It's for His name and His glory. What a great reminder to approach God with awe and humility. We have no worthiness to provoke His forgiveness. We are not entitled to His mercy.

"Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight..." (V4) - Our sin is against God. Yes, we can sin against others as well, hurt them, harm them, betray them, but ultimately our sin is against our sinless and Holy God. How often do I forget how depraved I really am in comparison to my absolutely pure and faithful God? But this verse reminds me time and time again to confess the utter failings of my heart to my forgiving God, instead of slipping into the pride and deceit of thinking "I'm not so bad..."

"Let the bones you have broken rejoice..." (V8) - The pain of God's discipline and conviction shoould lead to joyful repentnce! God' "breaks our bones" in a spiritual sense to ultimately heal us from sin and strengthen us in holiness.

"Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you." (V13) - The story of our own salvation and ongoing repentance should be shared. God's redemption in our own lives IS the Gospel and we are called to share it with others. God's work in our lives is a tool He uses to draw other sinners to Himself. So be honest about your sin and give the glory to God for the way He continues to save you from your flesh day after day!

"For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (V16-17) - God cares about our hearts more than our actions. He doesn't want religious followers who sacrifice and perform deeds out of a sense of pride or fear. Instead, He wants believers that do good works because of a heart that loves and worships a good God. Notice all the verses above reflect a heart that is contrite. Humbly asking for the Lord's mercy, humbly admitting sin, joyfully thanking God for His forgiveness, and joyfully sharing the Gospel. God delights in a humble, joyful heart.

Reward?

I am departing a bit from my usual structure of simply reflecting about what I am reading in God's Word during my own quiet times...

This past week at our Missional Community Group, we somehow stumbled upon discussing the idea of "reward" in heaven. One guy in our group asked "If I want to out-do people on earth, so I have more reward than them in heaven, is that wrong?" Yes, our pastor replied. Thank goodness. I don't think acting out of "selfish ambition" (Philippians 2 happened to be what were studying that night) - sinfully competing with your neighbor to earn God's blessing - is really going to get you any type of reward on earth OR in heaven.

A girl in our group quickly piped up and said that JESUS is our reward in heaven, which was considered the "John Piper" answer.

And another guy asked, why use the term "reward" at all then, if reward just means salvation or eternal life with Christ?

For some reason, I felt really fired up about all this. How could anyone even compare our idea of earthly rewards (money, fame, material goods, comfort, praise and acknowledgement) to the glory and goodness of KNOWING God and living eternally with Him? First, I have to admit that a few years ago, I might have had some of the same questions about reward, but as I see more and more of God's grace and goodness  in my own life, and reflect on the love He has for me that covers all my awful sin, the last thing in the world I am thinking about is what kind of "rewards" I will get in heaven. Are you kidding me? I get to go to heaven?!?!

So this conviction led me back to the Bible to search out what God really says about reward. For some reason, over the past twenty years or so (or maybe it just seems like the last twenty years, because those are the years I have been alive to see), it seems like there has been this growing idea about reward in heaven, an obsession with being honored by God there, the whole idea that good deeds on earth will result in jewels in one's crown later on or gifts or prizes or something like that.

But the Bible doesn't really talk about reward as jewels at all. Here are some examples:

God to Abram (soon to be Abraham): After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." (Genesis 15:1) This is right before God takes Abram outside to count the stars... indicating that the heritage God will build through Abram's line will be vast. The blessing is getting to be the earthly "father" of God's people. God's heritage. His sons and daughters. His blessed Israel. Pretty amazing reward if you ask me...better than a jewel in a crown or some heavenly sports car.

The Psalmist David writes in reference to God's commands: "Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." (Psalm 19:11). What is the reward here? Well, first of all following God's Word prevents us from folly and hardship (it "warns" us about sin). But secondly, the reward of following God is to have assurance of salvation and ever-increasing growth of character. The reward is being a more holy, obedient child of God. The reward is NOT trying to be more obedient so God will reward you.

Jesus says to his disciples "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6). I don't know exactly what Jesus meant by this (he said the same thing about the discipline of fasting as well... but here it seems to indicate some kind of earthly blessing. Intimacy with God perhaps. God's favor toward the prayer itself. Some kind of other blessing for obedience. It seems like a simple example of the way that God longs to reward and bless his obedient children during their earthly lives.

Paul says: What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. (I Corinthians 9:18). Here Paul is talking about his responsibility and calling to share the Gospel. His reward IS getting to share the Gospel. How I wish I could be more like Paul....

And now my two favorites...

The writer of Hebrews, in the Hall of Faith, explains that Moses chose to forsake his comfortable Egyptian upbringing to live with his poor, enslaved Israelite poeple because "He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward" (Hebrews 11:26). Moses not really know of Christ like we know of Him. He probably had some vague idea that God would send a Messiah, but even that was probably pretty hazy. Yet, he was willing to suffer as Christ did, because He knew that God was great and worth suffering for. His reward was in heaven. In this same passage, the writer talks about all those who died without seeing much, if any, earthly blessing for their faith. Abel was brutally murdered by his brother. Noah lived through the flood. Abraham wandered around and lived in tents in order to obey God. Yet these men "all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth... But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:13-16). The reward for their faith is to dwell with God in a heavenly city. I can't wait until the day I am there with them!

And finally, I think Colossians 3 says it best: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward (Colossians 3:23-24). Our inheritance is life with God. To be counted as sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. To be the brothers and sisters of our Savior Jesus Christ. Everything else pales in comparison. Any other blessing or reward is "rubbish" compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8).

I'm not saying that blessings won't abound in heaven. I can't even imagine the goodness that awaits us there. The Bible doesn't say that much about it in detail, but Jesus promised he has prepared a place for us there, and I know there is going to be an amazing feast when the bridegroom, Jesus, celebrates with His bride, the chuch. Other than that, I don't really know what heavens rewards will look like... except that I know I will get to see the Father and the Son face to face, and there is NO better reward than that.

"Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance..." -Psalm 16:6

Trusting in Chariots

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

--Psalm 20:7

I am making my way through the Psalms once again (just read 37 today - a favorite), but I keep coming back to this idea I read earlier about trusting in chariots. How often do I trust in chariots instead of trusting in the Lord?

In the days the Psalms were written, chariots and horses were important. Psalm 20 is a Psalm of David. David was a mighty war hero and he used chariots and horses all the time. During his reign, the Israelites finally defeated many of their idol-worshiping, pagan enemies and claimed the Promised Land for Israel. The boundaries of Israel were constantly expanding and God's people were blessed. Basically, David was in his chariot A LOT. He was fighting other kingdoms that also had chariots and horses and other military equipment, and these tools and vehicles were often the deciding factor in who won the battle. Usually, he who had the most chariots claimed the victory. But David knew that God's strength is not contingent on man-made chariots. Sure, chariots were useful, but ultimately God decides the outcome of every battle, every challenge, every trial. And many times throughout the Old Testament, God gave victory to His people despite their lack of forces, horses, or weapons. God is sovereign over everything and He always has good planned for those who follow Him. We are just called to trust Him.

So what are the chariots I trust today? What chariots are you trusting? Now that I have this degree, I can finally get this job. Now that I have this new computer, my design company will take off. Now that I have this volunteer experience on my resume, I will get into grad school. Now that I lost ten pounds, I will finally feel confident and healthy. Now that I read this new article, maybe I can finally get my baby to sleep through the night. Now that I heard this speaker/read this book/downloaded this sermon, maybe I can finally overcome this sin that is plaguing me. If only we could buy a new house, we could finally be more hospitable and offer to host our Bible study. If we could only save up X amount of money, we could buy this item, start this program, donate to this cause. The list goes on and on. I am only trying to think of examples that seem relevant to the women in my own life.

A chariot is something that is good, useful, a blessing even, but it's also something that threatens to steal our trust. If we put our faith in chariots instead of in the Lord, we are foolish. God will decide if and when our business takes off or whether or not we get into grad school. He is sovereign over parenthood and those first uncertain, exhausting months of motherhood. He is sovereign over who reads our resume and whether or not we are hired for a job. He is the giver of our house and our money and has commanded us to be hospitable and genrerous, despite the number in our bank accounts or the square footage of our home. God is always good, and we are called to trust Him. We can be thankful for the chariots He has given us - the talents, material items, money, experiences that help us succeed in various worldly pursuits, but we must know that even if we lose those chariots, God is still good and He has promised to provide for us. He doesn't need chariots to bless or protect His children.

A Change of Mind...and Heart

So I've been thinking quite a bit this past week about ending this blog, and I might even go so far as to say I have been convicted about it. For some reason, God keeps placing it on my heart that this blog is significant. I don't really know why. I don't really think it's a phenomenal blog, but I've been thinking a lot about my other blog, where Micah and I tell funny stories about life in Arizona and the adventures of being newlyweds, and I've just been realizing that this blog is so much more important than that one. The other blog isn't bad. It's a lovely, funny glimpse into our lives, and I know our parents love reading it since we are so far away from them. But I am reminded daily, by the prompting of God's Spirit, that this blog, right here, is a meaningful endeavor to which God has called me.

Now granted, this blog does not have many followers and my other blog gets way more hits each day. But I know that the words here encourage certain women in my life (thank you all for your lovely comments), and I just think there is something valuable in that. I was talking to my best friend a few months ago, and she was explaining how so many of the stories in the Bible are new to her. She did not grow up in a Christian household and became a Christian after college. Her faith and her story are beautiful to me, and I love that she is so eager to learn more about the Bible. How often do I take for granted my own knowledge about the Bible? I was blessed to grow up in Christian home, go to a Christian elementary school, even to fall under the instruction of some amazing teachers at my church in college. I had the books of the Bible memorized by 2nd grade and could explain the main differences between Elijah and Elisha by the 3rd grade (Elijah came first, because "j" comes before "sh"...never forgot that little trick). But I am not normal. God has given me the gift of being raised to know His Word, and I want to share that gift with others. He has also given me the spiritual gift of teaching (which I realize everytime I find myself in classroom full of teenagers and somehow find myself at home there, despite my limited education, background, or skill as an educator), and He has given me the earthly talent of writing fairly well. Ever since middle school, I have always, always wondered how He wanted me to use writing for His glory, and this blog seems to be one simple way of doing just that. Truth be told, one of the biggest sins of my youth was not obeying the Lord, despite all I knew about His Word and His character. I wasted so many years of high school and college not really loving the Lord with my whole heart (and therefore not really obeying Him because the two go hand in hand), even though He had blessed me with so many opportunities to know Him and love Him and obey Him.

So here's the deal... I want to honor God with this blog.... even if that means encouraging or teaching the five or ten women who read it regularly. This blog is not perfect. I sometimes get nervous that some great pastor is going to stumble across this blog (I'm thinking of John Piper or C.J. Mahaney or Mark Driscoll here... as if they would ever spend their time reading my blog... ha!!!) and tell me that parts of it are theologically unsound. I pray that I am staying true to Scripture in what I write, and I rely heavily on the ESV Study Bible commentators to keep me on track. I want women to be able to use this Bible as a resource, whether they are looking for encouragement with a certain struggle or want to study a certain section of Scripture when preparing for a Bible study. Now I know there are many blogs that provide resources far better than mine (http://www.desiringgod.org/ is a favorite when prepping to teach a Bible study), but I want to use what God has given to me and share it with other women. So unless I hear God calling me in another direction, Flowers Fade is here to stay, and I plan to make it more searchable as it grows, so you can look up entries by topic or by book of the Bible. Thank you for being a part of this ongoing journey. I hope you are blessed by reading this blog as much as I am blessed to write it.

The Year in Review.

Well, I am done. Thousands of pages, chapters, verses. Sixty-six books. Two testaments. One Bible. And what an amazing year it's been. This year has been full of transitions, great joys, and difficult trials. It included engagment, a wedding, the first six months of marriage, quitting a job, moving to a new state, starting graduate school, finding a new church, and making new friends. Thankfully, God and His promises sustained me through all of these many changes and uncertainties.

I can honestly say that never before have my day-to-day life and the Word of God been so beautifully intertwined. I have always known the Bible fairly well, but this year the Bible truly changed me. It influenced my attitudes, my decisions, my actions. It made me swallow my pride and say "I'm sorry," it made me pick up a rag and bottle of sanitizer and clean dirty public bathrooms for the glory of God, it made me take a deep breath of patience when Micah was frustrating me, it made me reach out and say "hi" to a neighbor when I just wanted to be alone. I was not perfect this year by any means. I was far from perfect, and I had God's word to remind me of my sin, my depravity, my awful flesh. But I also had God's word to convict me and to remind me of the power I have in Christ to say "no" to sin. I have the Holy Spirit, who empowers me to live by God's word. And God's Word teaches me to repent, to serve, to be patient and self-controlled, and to love my neighbor. I love God more and I love His Word more after spending this year studying scripture. I long to be changed by His Word more and more as I continue my life on this earth.

So what's next? The strangest thing about reading through the Bible in a year is that you don't really know what to do when you get done. I look forward to slowing down the pace of my reading. I am excited to spend time meditating on one or two chapters of the Bible a day, instead of studying three or more chapters at a time. I have also been convicted that I need to improve other areas of spiritual discipline in my life - namely prayer, which I have really been neglecting since the move this summer. I am excited to delve into deeper, longer times of prayer, to listen to some sermons, to read some theological books, to think of more ways I can be Christ to my new community here in Arizona. But I am also excited to read more of the Bible... I delight in the fact that God's character is so full of goodness, holiness, and power that there will always be more for me to learn from reading His Word.

Reflection #6 - Reading Revelation

I actually just finished Revelation (and my year-long journey through the Bible) on Saturday, but because of the busyness of the Christmas season, I haven’t been able to blog during this past week. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on Revelation and what I learned when reading it, before I take a step back and reflect on the whole past year and what lies ahead for this new year.


The main thing I have learned in reading Revelation is that I know hardly anything about the end times… no one does. Even those things I thought I understood, such as the conversion of a great number of Jews in the last days (Rev. 7), cannot necessarily be taken literally. Some scholars believe that a large number of ethnic Jews will be converted in the final days; others believe the Jews symbolically represent the church in general, since all Christians are adopted sons and daughters of Israel.

The ESV Bible editors often offer the different viewpoints on controversial verses and passages in the Bible. For example, they will explain viewpoints A, B, and C and then say that both A and B are possible, while C is not because it contradicts another area of scripture. Sometimes they even say one viewpoint is most likely and why. But the notes in Revelation do not offer such insight. The commentators explain the different historical schools and how they interpret Revelation, but they can’t say which school is right, because no one really knows God’s timeline between now and the end of history. God reveals to us what He want us to know and He keeps hidden those things that are best kept undisclosed, such as when God tells John not to reveal what the seven thunders say in Revelation 10. The ESV commentary says it best: "Christ's church must live by faith amid the unrevealed mysteries of God's purposes."
However, there are a number of things we do know from Revelation that can comfort us despite what we don’t know:

• God is the good creator and sustainer of the universe. "Worthy are you, Our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." (Rev. 4:11)

• Jesus is victorious over sin and death. "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war... From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations... He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almightly. On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords." (Rev.19:11, 15-16)
• Jesus is the slain lamb who washes us clean. "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." (Rev. 5:9-10)

• God hears and responds to the prayers of his saints. "And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth." (Rev. 8:3-5)

• Suffering for God now results in glory later. "And they have conquered him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death... Also I saw those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." (Rev. 12:11, 20:4)

• Heaven will be amazing. "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Rev. 21:3-4)

Don’t shy away from reading Revelation because it’s difficult to interpret. I suggest you read it with a quality Study Bible or commentary, but definitely read it because it’s full of so many great promises from God. Instead of worrying about what I don’t know about the future, I know I have a God that I can trust now and always, who has sealed my salvation and my future in Christ.