"So where does the strength come from to see a race to its end??? From Within!!" Missionary to China, and famous runner, Eric Liddell spoke those words long ago after winning a race for the Lord!! So, what happens when what resides within has not been sanctified?? Friends, if we are not certainly surrendered to God, we might follow for a while and then we will falter!! True to its doctrine, the Nazarene Church seeks to let others know that we do not simply accept Christ into our hearts, but that we believe we must declare Him Lord of our lives and allow the work of the Holy Spirit to purify us from all sin! Now, understand of course, that sin represents anything that separates you from the known will of God. Therefore, instead of being separated from God, the hope is that we are set apart for God's special purpose! Surrender, sweet, sweet surrender starts with being entirely wrapped up in the Love of God! You know what??? I know I thought God cared about me, but I didn't know that He loves me the way He loves me, you know? In fact, when asked if I had a personal relationship with Jesus, my answer was of course, "yes!" Yet, did I really know how personal God was meant to be to me? No, Not even close!!
Highschool Graduation's main memory: Tears!! All my schoolmates were so excited about grad night and I knew that I was not going to go anywhere near that party! I remember walking across the stage to be handed my high school diploma with great sadness and relief! When my family came over to congratulate me, I just started to sob! My mom just held me and my family along with a few church friends looked on in surprise!! Why on earth would this 18 year old who just graduated be sobbing?? Well, perhaps I should explain a bit more. Truly, when you've been holding your breath for 4 years for something to end and it ends, let me tell you, there is great emotion involved! All I knew is that the nightmare was over and it ended without me choosing the world over Christ! Praise the Lord, some of those tears were tears of joy and victory, and Praise Him still that some of those tears were tears of built up suffering and rejection!! Ouch! Rejection for any reason hurts, but when that rejection feels so deeply personal to who you are, the pain digs a little bit deeper!! However, I still needed to find my identity in Jesus fully!! Yes, I really needed to understand what our beautiful Saviour died to offer me and how very personal it was indeed. When your identity is in Christ, you never walk through suffering alone!! There is a Savior and He knows rejection and pain personally and He knows all about your pain personally as well!!
What a difficult road to find acceptance, only to be utterly and totally disappointed!! Finally, Highschool was over!! "Well, Lord", I thought, "with almost no friends, and with never having had a boyfriend, has the pain of loneliness finally past me by?" The Lord replies, "No, Jennifer, not until you find me as your everything, as the one thing that can satisfy your soul!!" Sadly, Jennifer cannot hear the reply very well! Convinced that going to a Christian school would mean finally being accepted, Jennifer placed her hope in a future at Point Loma Nazarene University! Oopse!!
My soul must come under the hand of the Spirit; just as a piece of clay is on the potter’s wheel and is made to revolve and is touched by the fingers of the potter and moulded into what he wishes it to be, so must I lie passively in the hand of the Spirit of God, and he must work in me to will and to do of his own good pleasure, and then I shall begin to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, but never, never till then. I must have more than nature can give me, more than my mother gave me, more than my father gave me, more than flesh and blood can produce under the most favourable circumstances. I must have the Spirit of God from heaven. Then comes this enquiry, ‘Have I received him? What is the best evidence of it?’ The best evidence of it is this: am I resting upon Christ Jesus alone for salvation? (C. Spurgeon)
Funny how often discussions arise as to Salvation by works, right? Well, I can tell you right now with great pride that I've never felt that I could earn my Salvation by anything I could ever do..!! However, I'm sooo guilty of Idolatry!! I'm so completely guilty of thinking that yes, Salvation comes from the Lord, but that the Love, Peace, and Joy that result from Christ's Salvation alone, can come from other sources, worldly sources! As mentioned in earlier blogs, I was outsourcing for Love, when God is Love!! So, was I resting upon Christ Jesus alone for Salvation and all that being saved means? No!!
Are you resting today soley upon Christ Jesus alone for Salvation, yet emptying it of its power and joy? Furthermore, are you seeking the fullness of Salvation in Christ alone?? Friends no other good thing is out there that does not come down from the Father above...the one who made those beautiful heavenly lights..!!
In the next few blogs I'm going to slowing walk through my college experience with all of you. Moreover, I'm going to share things with all of you with lots of Scriptures and with more of a vague approach to the details. However, college at Point Loma was where I first was called to be a foreign missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, as we approach that section of my college career the details will be very vivid as that will glorify God!! May the God of Love, Peace, Joy, and Purpose reveal to you daily that only He is Good and worthy of all praise and glory...
I would like to leave you with a beautiful song as you ponder what kind of Savior calls you even now!!
Highschool Graduation's main memory: Tears!! All my schoolmates were so excited about grad night and I knew that I was not going to go anywhere near that party! I remember walking across the stage to be handed my high school diploma with great sadness and relief! When my family came over to congratulate me, I just started to sob! My mom just held me and my family along with a few church friends looked on in surprise!! Why on earth would this 18 year old who just graduated be sobbing?? Well, perhaps I should explain a bit more. Truly, when you've been holding your breath for 4 years for something to end and it ends, let me tell you, there is great emotion involved! All I knew is that the nightmare was over and it ended without me choosing the world over Christ! Praise the Lord, some of those tears were tears of joy and victory, and Praise Him still that some of those tears were tears of built up suffering and rejection!! Ouch! Rejection for any reason hurts, but when that rejection feels so deeply personal to who you are, the pain digs a little bit deeper!! However, I still needed to find my identity in Jesus fully!! Yes, I really needed to understand what our beautiful Saviour died to offer me and how very personal it was indeed. When your identity is in Christ, you never walk through suffering alone!! There is a Savior and He knows rejection and pain personally and He knows all about your pain personally as well!!
What a difficult road to find acceptance, only to be utterly and totally disappointed!! Finally, Highschool was over!! "Well, Lord", I thought, "with almost no friends, and with never having had a boyfriend, has the pain of loneliness finally past me by?" The Lord replies, "No, Jennifer, not until you find me as your everything, as the one thing that can satisfy your soul!!" Sadly, Jennifer cannot hear the reply very well! Convinced that going to a Christian school would mean finally being accepted, Jennifer placed her hope in a future at Point Loma Nazarene University! Oopse!!
My soul must come under the hand of the Spirit; just as a piece of clay is on the potter’s wheel and is made to revolve and is touched by the fingers of the potter and moulded into what he wishes it to be, so must I lie passively in the hand of the Spirit of God, and he must work in me to will and to do of his own good pleasure, and then I shall begin to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, but never, never till then. I must have more than nature can give me, more than my mother gave me, more than my father gave me, more than flesh and blood can produce under the most favourable circumstances. I must have the Spirit of God from heaven. Then comes this enquiry, ‘Have I received him? What is the best evidence of it?’ The best evidence of it is this: am I resting upon Christ Jesus alone for salvation? (C. Spurgeon)
Funny how often discussions arise as to Salvation by works, right? Well, I can tell you right now with great pride that I've never felt that I could earn my Salvation by anything I could ever do..!! However, I'm sooo guilty of Idolatry!! I'm so completely guilty of thinking that yes, Salvation comes from the Lord, but that the Love, Peace, and Joy that result from Christ's Salvation alone, can come from other sources, worldly sources! As mentioned in earlier blogs, I was outsourcing for Love, when God is Love!! So, was I resting upon Christ Jesus alone for Salvation and all that being saved means? No!!
Are you resting today soley upon Christ Jesus alone for Salvation, yet emptying it of its power and joy? Furthermore, are you seeking the fullness of Salvation in Christ alone?? Friends no other good thing is out there that does not come down from the Father above...the one who made those beautiful heavenly lights..!!
In the next few blogs I'm going to slowing walk through my college experience with all of you. Moreover, I'm going to share things with all of you with lots of Scriptures and with more of a vague approach to the details. However, college at Point Loma was where I first was called to be a foreign missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, as we approach that section of my college career the details will be very vivid as that will glorify God!! May the God of Love, Peace, Joy, and Purpose reveal to you daily that only He is Good and worthy of all praise and glory...
I would like to leave you with a beautiful song as you ponder what kind of Savior calls you even now!!
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