Unexpected treat (and a minor soap box). . .

God is good. I mean really really really really good. Kinda beyond description.

So it has been a long and rough week, but I was on Facebook tonight just minding my own business, when suddenly, out of nowhere, someone I went to high school with sent me a message on Facebook chat. We weren't enemies in high school (I mean common, it's me), but we had some rough times. I was me and he was kinda a ghetto kid who often would mock me for, well, being me. Overall we got along, but after he graduated ('05) I didn't hear much from him or even about him. I saw that he joined the army, but I didn't know much beyond that. I wondered how he was doing and if he was walking with God (I wasn't sure if he was even walking with God in high school).

So he starts up a conversation and is asking me about how I'm doing and where I am and what I'm planning on doing. When I told him I was at a Bible College in Indianapolis as a Biblical Counseling major who is the Student Council President, I was expected him to start mocking me again like he had so many times before. I was shocked when he expressed interest to hear more. We keep talking and he is in Afghanistan with 10 months left until he goes back to San Francisco. Once he goes back, he is planning on leading a worship team that would play all over the Bay Area. Wow. Is this the same guy? Well not really. He said that after high school, God did some big things in his life that forced him to cling to God. He wasn't the same guy. God had changed him.

*WARNING! RICHARD IS STEPPING UP ONTO A BOX THAT CONTAINS SOAP AND IF YOU ARE NOT READY FOR IT, DON'T TELL ME I DIDN'T WARN YOU! THIS IS AT LEAST TWO OR THREE LINES OF TEXT AND IF YOU CONTINUE ON, IT IS YOUR OWN FAULT( if you aren't ready for it, go to the bottom where you see more bold font and right underneath that, I will step off the box of soap)!*

How often do we put limits on God? How often do we think that something, no matter what it is, is impossible for God to do or change? Which heart is so hard that He can't melt? What obstacle is so big that God won't do it? Now I'm not saying that God will always choose to act just because He can, but why do we all too often limit God? How many times has He blown each of us away? Maybe a better question is why we have such short memories spans? We know He is faithful, so why does that not matter?

I think it is because we don't "feel" it. Now I am about to seriously pimp-slap (I don't know if that is appropriate, but it is too late) the next person who says, "I know God promised ______ in the Bible, but I just don't FEEEEEEEEEELLLL it!" Who gives a flying fart in space (a British term, not mine) what you feel? If God promised it is His Word, it is better than any feelings. Or should I say "truer" than any feelings.

What is so beautiful about God is that no matter how we feel, He is faithful and He will always keep His promises. In those times that something seems impossible, He is just as faithful. We are so driven by our feelings nowadays that it seems like we are elevating our feelings over God's promises. This is not only wrong but stupid (sorry, I'll watch my language). This is some of the best news since it isn't dependent on us for God to keep His promises. He isn't sitting on his thrown slouched and solving a Rubki's cube saying "Man, I don't wanna do this right now, I'm not feeling it right now. Come back later when I feel like keeping my promise."

We need to take His promises as His promises and not let our feelings limit Him in what He can do.

*FOR THOSE WHO STOPPED READING UP THERE, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO COME BACK TO A RICHARD WHO IS MORE EVEN TEMPERED AND WILL NOT BE GETTING BACK ON HIS BOX TONIGHT FOR FEAR THAT THE RAIN WILL TURN HIS SOAP BOX INTO A SOAP SUD PARTY ON THE STREET CORNER WHERE RICHARD AND HIS ONCE PROPERLY SHAPED BOX WERE EARLIER!*

It was amazing to see how different he was and it served as a reminder that I'm no better than him. We are both ill-deserving sinner saved by God's grace. We both committed enough sins to fill the oceans and put our Saviour on that cross. The miracle that I see so clearly God did in this young man's life is the same one that He did for me and continues to do in my life. He saved me and is saving me. When Paul said that "none is righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10) this does not somehow magically exclude me.

I know I mentioned this in my previous post, but I am struck by the boldness of Jesus' words in Luke 7 when He says "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." Jesus know that we each have an infinite number of sins, but I think this is about perception. She was a sinful women and the other man was a teacher of the Jewish law. She knew she was filthy and needed lots of forgiveness. The other man, not so much. He needed just as much forgiveness, but he didn't think he needed it.

I was that man. I was religious and the young man was more known for his sins. But in the end, we both need the same unmerited favor. Now that I know that just by being religious does nothing, I realize that I have been forgiven of much and because of that, I love much and will continue to love much.

*Please be in prayer for my friend, Gilbert Lucero serving in the U.S. Army who is currently deployed in Afghanistan. He is serving his country well and is striving to serve his God well*

In light of my previous post. . .

Let me start this off by saying, if you haven't read my pervious post "And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart" go read it and then continue with this one.

ok.

So after God rocked my world and then rocked it again (monday and tuesday), I went to the office of Crossroads' Executive VP and talked to him about it and kinda looked for what my next step is supposed to be. He was ecstatic about the whole thing and was pumped for me. It being a trial in my life, I was a little more reserved in my response to God dealing with me. When I asked him about what was next, he reminded me of the parable of the guy who lent money to two guys and canceled both debts (one of 50 denarii and one of 500 denarii, representing 2 months' wages and 20 months' wages respectively) from Luke 7:36-50. This parable is told after the sinful women anointed Jesus with the expensive perfume and the Pharisee whose house they are eating in gets bent out of shape about the whole thing. The point of the parable is summed up in verse 47 where Jesus says "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little."

What an incredibly powerful statement that is. I think why I didn't love God as much as I should have when I was younger is because I thought I only had a few sins and they weren't big enough for Jesus to really worry about, so it wasn't a big deal. Now that I realize that my heart is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and (to borrow a term that might rub some the wrong way) completely, totally, and utterly depraved, I love God a lot more because I realize that I have been forgiven of so much.

After we talked for a few minutes, he draw a diagram for me about this. There was a man at the bottom (narrow part) of a cone-shaped thing (that opened up wider and wider), arrows on either side of the man and God & holiness at the other end of the cone. The arrows on either side of the man represented (on the left) his awareness of sin and (on the right) his gratitude or love towards God. As the man worked his way up the cone toward God & holiness, the arrows got longer (aka. the more he saw himself for who he was, meaning how sinful he was in light of a perfect & holy God and also that he would have more gratitude and love in light of seeing all that he had been forgiven on).

I had never thought of it this way before, but that definitely needed to be my response to God pealing back more of the curtain that revealed more and more of my sin to me. I was originally frustrated and angry with myself, but John reminded me that that would lead to condemnation (which Romans 8:1 says is not the case for Christians).

So I am definitely not there yet, but it is encouraging to see God working on me. Praise God that my salvation is not in my hands, but in those of my Lord & God. . .

. . .And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. . .

Recently, the combination of "How Great Is Our God" & "How Great Thou Art" has been playing over and over again in my mind. I have been stuck specifically on the last stanza of the beloved hymn:

"When Christ shall come, with shout of acclimation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And then proclaim: "MY GOD, HOW GREAT THOU ART!"

I don't know why, but this classic hymn along with this contemporary chorus makes my heart bow down and makes me realize how great He really is.

As I told my best friend Ben last night, "God picked today to deal with me" and He really did. After listening the the Mark Driscoll sermon (at the bottom of this blog) and having a crucial conversation with a friend, God revealed area after area of areas in my life where I need to step up and be a man. Right now, I am a boy with facial hair, but am far from being a man. This includes (but isn't limited to): school, homework, President of the Student Body, relationships, body, time in prayer, time in the Word, memorization of Scripture, maturity, time management in general, and my relationship with Him. Too many times have I made excuses as to why I am not where I need to be in these areas, but part of being a man is taking responsibility. This is just a glimpse into last night, but what kept going over and over in my mind is "I can't wait 30 years to learn these things, I need to get them right because I'm not guaranteed tomorrow. If I want to finish strong like the Apostle Paul, I need to need to be running hard now, cause I don't know when the finish line is coming." Obviously, with everything that happened with Caden's death last year this has been on my mind more than ever. God gives life and takes it away; we will never know why specifically everything about it, but it happens.

Within the last hour I have received news that a young man, Johnson Ko, who was a Freshman when I was a Senior at my high school (who was now a Senior), died in his sleep last night. I still know and keep in touch with many of the students (it's a small Christian high school of about 100), including my younger sister who was in his class. I asked Ben, who is there today, what the mood is around the campus, and it, as you can imagine, is mostly shock. He was fine yesterday, had a part in the school play (with opening night that was supposed to be this Thursday, now will be postponed), and was living his life like any other day. But, as Ben reminded me, He is with our Father and is fully alive for the first time.

As we have gone through Caden's passing, we understand what is going on with his family and friends right now. There is obviously sorrow that he is no longer with us, but what rejoicing should be ours because he is in an infinitely better place walking with His Saviour and Creator. Please be in prayer for all everyone involved. He was definitely saved, and I think his family is as well.

It's His sovereignty that God brought the rebuke last night and then today the reminder why this is crucial. We aren't promised tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation. If you're saved, today is the day to live a life of sanctification and holiness. It is the day to ask God to reveal where you still need to grow and then make those changes. It is the day to let His Word transform your life.

When that day comes that I kneel before Him like Johnson Ko is doing today, I want, not only my lips, but my life to proclaim "MY GOD, HOW GREAT THOU ART!"

P.S. - I have a new playlist at the bottom of my blog. The first song is a beautiful version of Come Thou Fount. Please check it out. . .