A while back as I was reading, I had a little revelation. And by that I mean just this, I gained some understanding and insight. Jesus in the gospel of Matthew taught about fasting; likewise, in Isaiah 58 the Lord reveals what kind of fasting is acceptable/unacceptable to Him. So between those two places, we learn some things...
First off, I am not a spiritual giant if I fast. Jesus plainly spoke, saying, "When you fast..." He wasn't trying to get a bunch of people to start doing the right thing; he wasn't trying to persuade the people to begin a spiritual habit of fasting. He simply said (paraphrasing), "when you fast, here's what it should and shouldn't look like." So if we fast, then we're walking in obedience to what we're already expected to be doing. So if we fast, awesome! We will reap the blessings of obedience. If not, maybe we're missing something.
Secondly, Jesus talks about fasting in the midst of discussing both prayer and giving to the needy. All three of these things are to be done in secret; Jesus says in Matthew 6:1, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." But if we do it unto Him, He says "...your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
So when Jesus (directly afterwards) tells us to store up our treasures in heaven, and not on earth, we can get a glimpse of where our treasures lie by our "acts of righteousness." If we can't do them for the sake of obeying the Father, and doing it to please Him, we have no reward; there is no treasure in it. But if we keep our "acts of righteousness" in the secret, without letting our right hand know what the left hand is doing, God will reward us and we can know where our treasures truly are.
Also, look at Isaiah 58. The Lord is far less concerned about the "acts of righteousness" than He is about the heart of the person doing it. Israel cried out, "we have humbled ourselves! But why haven't you recognized it?" What did the Lord have to say about it? He rebuked them for their strife and anger with others; he rebuked them for exploiting workers; he rebuked them for not taking care of the poor and needy; he rebuked them for letting people go hungry; he rebuked them because the naked were not being clothed; he rebuked them because they didn't loose the chains of injustice and set the oppressed free...
The Lord had much to say. He also said, "Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? ... Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?" It's much like Samuel when he rebuked Saul...
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king."
We so often get caught up in our "acts of righteousness" but fail to do the things we've already been told to do. When a day of fasting is filled with fights and anger, it shows us our true self. Maybe we're not humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God like we think we are. I know I can be way too "Justin-focused" at times to be of any use to anyone else. But praise the Lord there is hope for me!
When I turn and obey what I should be doing; when I turn my focus off of a "day of fasting" or some other "act of righteousness" and turn my focus to the Lord, I have this promise from the end of Isaiah 58...
"Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Almost Two Weeks Later
Tomorrow will make two weeks from the day I asked Hannah to marry me (and I'll say it again... she said YES). Since that day, it has been a blast telling everyone I can think of about it. The story of November the eighth has not grown one bit boring to me in my mind at all. Every detail about that day still amazes me (including the details of the proposal... that was a blast!).
In the process of telling everyone, I've had all sorts of responses. There are those who are way too happy for their own good about it (and I love that response lol), those who say "congrats, I hope it works out" (and it will!), and the people who don't seem to know what to say.
And the fun part about this process is this... You find out how many people really love you. Now, I'm not shallow and saying that if someone gets more excited, they love you more. But I do know for a fact that all over the place both Hannah and I have been blessed with people in the family, church, workplace, and more offering to do things for us. So many people are willing to serve in whatever capacity in order to make the process easier for us.
It's actually humbling, to know how many people love you and are willing to go the extra mile (or extra miles) in order to have a great and stress-free start to married life.
To all you people, I say thank you! Hannah is the one person in this world who means everything to me, and this whole spectrum of people who celebrate with us make it more feasible to enjoy this season of planning and preparing for that blessed day.
In the process of telling everyone, I've had all sorts of responses. There are those who are way too happy for their own good about it (and I love that response lol), those who say "congrats, I hope it works out" (and it will!), and the people who don't seem to know what to say.
And the fun part about this process is this... You find out how many people really love you. Now, I'm not shallow and saying that if someone gets more excited, they love you more. But I do know for a fact that all over the place both Hannah and I have been blessed with people in the family, church, workplace, and more offering to do things for us. So many people are willing to serve in whatever capacity in order to make the process easier for us.
It's actually humbling, to know how many people love you and are willing to go the extra mile (or extra miles) in order to have a great and stress-free start to married life.
To all you people, I say thank you! Hannah is the one person in this world who means everything to me, and this whole spectrum of people who celebrate with us make it more feasible to enjoy this season of planning and preparing for that blessed day.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Faith and a Notepad
Just in case you don't know, I teach the middle schoolers once a month (along with Hannah and Roger). We have a blast down there, enjoying fellowship and learning together from the Word of God. There's never a dull moment!
I know lately both Hannah and I have encouraged the students to begin forming good habits such as taking notes to help them take hold of truths. Each week I tell them they need to bring their Bible to church, and that through the week they should be reading it, getting familiar with it...
All the students downstairs are great - they love the Lord and they love each other, and they're very well behaved (and respectful of authority!). I'm impressed by their concern for the lost at their young age... I could go on, but I think the point is made. The middle school class is a great bunch of believers!
But last week something amazing happened! One of the middle schoolers brought a tiny notepad and took some notes. The notes written down were the same thing twice - "holy means set apart." And that was it. No great elaborate notes of my eloquent speeches and descriptions (that's joke, by the way lol). It was just an effort made towards taking notes.
Here's why this amazed me so much this week. I believe those scribbles on the notepad weren't fruitless, but the birthing of faith. The authority in those students' lives are their parents, but they look to us teachers down their as an authority to a degree. And this student of whom I speak has taken the words of teachers who have been alive longer and began to put them into practice. Maybe it's not grandiose, but it's a start!
To you, it may not seem like much. But for a young person to take those words of someone "above them," and begin to act on them (whether or not they see the point of it), is a birthing of faith. A life of faith isn't one that is above authority, but properly understands the authority that God places in your life.
Now I'm not suggesting that if I say something, then the students are obligated to do it. But this student is trusting that someone wiser, who has already passed through middle school, may have insight and understanding that he or she doesn't. And this is a perfect place to begin walking by faith, and to keep walking in faith.
So I will continue to encourage the students to do this this, and if by faith this student continues to do this, I am certain that the Lord will bless her for it. By the way, this student of whom I speak is none other than Abby!
I love all the students down there, but last week this stood out to me above anything else that happened. They all love the Lord, and I just pray that they will be faithful to keep walking in faith and growing in the Lord. The Lord has great things planned for them - I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do in all their hearts this year.
I know lately both Hannah and I have encouraged the students to begin forming good habits such as taking notes to help them take hold of truths. Each week I tell them they need to bring their Bible to church, and that through the week they should be reading it, getting familiar with it...
All the students downstairs are great - they love the Lord and they love each other, and they're very well behaved (and respectful of authority!). I'm impressed by their concern for the lost at their young age... I could go on, but I think the point is made. The middle school class is a great bunch of believers!
But last week something amazing happened! One of the middle schoolers brought a tiny notepad and took some notes. The notes written down were the same thing twice - "holy means set apart." And that was it. No great elaborate notes of my eloquent speeches and descriptions (that's joke, by the way lol). It was just an effort made towards taking notes.
Here's why this amazed me so much this week. I believe those scribbles on the notepad weren't fruitless, but the birthing of faith. The authority in those students' lives are their parents, but they look to us teachers down their as an authority to a degree. And this student of whom I speak has taken the words of teachers who have been alive longer and began to put them into practice. Maybe it's not grandiose, but it's a start!
To you, it may not seem like much. But for a young person to take those words of someone "above them," and begin to act on them (whether or not they see the point of it), is a birthing of faith. A life of faith isn't one that is above authority, but properly understands the authority that God places in your life.
Now I'm not suggesting that if I say something, then the students are obligated to do it. But this student is trusting that someone wiser, who has already passed through middle school, may have insight and understanding that he or she doesn't. And this is a perfect place to begin walking by faith, and to keep walking in faith.
So I will continue to encourage the students to do this this, and if by faith this student continues to do this, I am certain that the Lord will bless her for it. By the way, this student of whom I speak is none other than Abby!
I love all the students down there, but last week this stood out to me above anything else that happened. They all love the Lord, and I just pray that they will be faithful to keep walking in faith and growing in the Lord. The Lord has great things planned for them - I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do in all their hearts this year.
Monday, November 10, 2008
I am the Happiest Man Alive!
Yes, I am the happiest man alive. I just had the best weekend of my life. After the most wonderful fourteen months of my life, I asked Hannah to be my wife (and to all the smart-alecs in the world... she said YES!). She is by far the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, and I get to keep her all the rest of my days.
We've both been so blessed. The Lord has blessed us so tremendously along the journey. The Lord even was so awesome to help me with the process of asking. I wanted nothing less than to be able to honor her and let her know how much I loved her. So I made plans, and made plans, and there were some kinks that just wouldn't get worked out. I struggled and struggled to finish out the plans, but it was the Lord who guided me to the perfect idea.
So I can't take too much credit, if any at all. He's been at work amidst our relationship to shape us, and cares about us enough to work wonderfully in the whole process.
I have found more than a good thing; I've found the best thing. And I agree with all the people who have told me that "I am marrying up"! :)
I couldn't be happier; we couldn't be happier. It seems too amazing to be reality, and all we seem to be able to do is rejoice in the Lord and praise Him, and thank Him for His many blessings. Some of these blessings include both sides of the family who are rejoicing along side us, and another one of these blessings is a church full of people who are rejoicing with us.
The Lord has been so good to us. I apologize if I linger in the clouds for a couple of ... years, but I'm just ecstatic beyond belief.
And if you want to see the ring on the lovely hand of the future Mrs. Justin McConnell, there are pictures at http://www.plantedandrootedinchrist.blogspot.com, my future wife's blog, and also at http://www.aseasonofharvest.blogspot.com, my future mother-in-law's blog.
Thanks for rejoicing with us!
We've both been so blessed. The Lord has blessed us so tremendously along the journey. The Lord even was so awesome to help me with the process of asking. I wanted nothing less than to be able to honor her and let her know how much I loved her. So I made plans, and made plans, and there were some kinks that just wouldn't get worked out. I struggled and struggled to finish out the plans, but it was the Lord who guided me to the perfect idea.
So I can't take too much credit, if any at all. He's been at work amidst our relationship to shape us, and cares about us enough to work wonderfully in the whole process.
I have found more than a good thing; I've found the best thing. And I agree with all the people who have told me that "I am marrying up"! :)
I couldn't be happier; we couldn't be happier. It seems too amazing to be reality, and all we seem to be able to do is rejoice in the Lord and praise Him, and thank Him for His many blessings. Some of these blessings include both sides of the family who are rejoicing along side us, and another one of these blessings is a church full of people who are rejoicing with us.
The Lord has been so good to us. I apologize if I linger in the clouds for a couple of ... years, but I'm just ecstatic beyond belief.
And if you want to see the ring on the lovely hand of the future Mrs. Justin McConnell, there are pictures at http://www.plantedandrootedinchrist.blogspot.com, my future wife's blog, and also at http://www.aseasonofharvest.blogspot.com, my future mother-in-law's blog.
Thanks for rejoicing with us!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Do I Realize the Authority of Jesus?
I've been reading through Matthew, and there have been many intriguing things that have been sinking into my heart which I hope to write on. But today I just want to take note of the authority of Jesus; His position of authority.
After the sermon on the mount, Jesus heals a man with leprosy first thing. The man obviously recognizes Jesus' position of authority, because he kneels before the Lord, addresses Him as lord, and makes his request humbly. "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
It's like going before a king to ask for something (and in this case, the King of kings). Praise the Lord we can come before the throne boldly and with confidence to ask, but I hope we don't forget who we're approaching. I don't want to come before my King irreverently, just on the basis of boldness and confidence. Though I am at peace before my King, He is the ruler of all, and may I not forget it.
And now back to the man with leprosy... The Lord's response was simply, "I am willing, be clean!" He touched the man, and immediately this man was healed. Just a few words, and it was just as He said. This was the case in the next man in Matthew recorded approaching Jesus.
A centurion approached the Lord as He entered Capernaum, and asked for the Lord to heal His servant. But when the Lord offers to go see the servant and heal him, the centurion also addresses Jesus as lord, acknowledging that he is not worthy to even have Jesus under his roof. And this is what the centurion says...
"Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
Wow, now that's faith! In fact, Jesus says He hadn't found faith like that in all of Israel. How could the centurion have the faith to just trust in the word of the Lord to accomplish his request? The centurion understood the authority of Jesus. The centurion was given authority from his master to rule over those under him. Likewise, Jesus had been given authority from the Father. And if the Lord says it, it will be done as He says because of the authority given to Him by the Father.
So how does that apply to me? Do I really understand Jesus' place of authority? Both the man with leprosy and the centurion obviously did; it is evidenced in how the approached the Lord. And they both trusted that from His position of authority, He could accomplish what they asked. The centurion didn't even need to see it with his eyes. He knew if Jesus said it, it would be done. Do I have the faith that takes Jesus at His word, whether or not I can see it being fulfilled? Do I have a proper understanding of His authority, so that I can take His word and recognize it as reality?
I may not be all the way there; who in this life is perfect? But if the Lord says it, it is so. When He says He will take care of all our needs, I can bank on Him meeting all my needs. And the Lord wants us to have the kind of faith to be like the centurion. He didn't see the healing of his servant until he walked all the way back home. I believe it's in Isaiah where it says that the word of the Lord does not return empty. We have His promises, and if we really understood His authority... if we truly saw that the Lord is the One on the throne... we could walk in faith knowing that when we arrive, our servant will be healed. We can walk in faith knowing that the Lord will meet our every need, even before we see the need met. And by His grace, I will walk in that faith to the glory of God.
Praise the Lord! Thank you Jesus for your promises.
After the sermon on the mount, Jesus heals a man with leprosy first thing. The man obviously recognizes Jesus' position of authority, because he kneels before the Lord, addresses Him as lord, and makes his request humbly. "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
It's like going before a king to ask for something (and in this case, the King of kings). Praise the Lord we can come before the throne boldly and with confidence to ask, but I hope we don't forget who we're approaching. I don't want to come before my King irreverently, just on the basis of boldness and confidence. Though I am at peace before my King, He is the ruler of all, and may I not forget it.
And now back to the man with leprosy... The Lord's response was simply, "I am willing, be clean!" He touched the man, and immediately this man was healed. Just a few words, and it was just as He said. This was the case in the next man in Matthew recorded approaching Jesus.
A centurion approached the Lord as He entered Capernaum, and asked for the Lord to heal His servant. But when the Lord offers to go see the servant and heal him, the centurion also addresses Jesus as lord, acknowledging that he is not worthy to even have Jesus under his roof. And this is what the centurion says...
"Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
Wow, now that's faith! In fact, Jesus says He hadn't found faith like that in all of Israel. How could the centurion have the faith to just trust in the word of the Lord to accomplish his request? The centurion understood the authority of Jesus. The centurion was given authority from his master to rule over those under him. Likewise, Jesus had been given authority from the Father. And if the Lord says it, it will be done as He says because of the authority given to Him by the Father.
So how does that apply to me? Do I really understand Jesus' place of authority? Both the man with leprosy and the centurion obviously did; it is evidenced in how the approached the Lord. And they both trusted that from His position of authority, He could accomplish what they asked. The centurion didn't even need to see it with his eyes. He knew if Jesus said it, it would be done. Do I have the faith that takes Jesus at His word, whether or not I can see it being fulfilled? Do I have a proper understanding of His authority, so that I can take His word and recognize it as reality?
I may not be all the way there; who in this life is perfect? But if the Lord says it, it is so. When He says He will take care of all our needs, I can bank on Him meeting all my needs. And the Lord wants us to have the kind of faith to be like the centurion. He didn't see the healing of his servant until he walked all the way back home. I believe it's in Isaiah where it says that the word of the Lord does not return empty. We have His promises, and if we really understood His authority... if we truly saw that the Lord is the One on the throne... we could walk in faith knowing that when we arrive, our servant will be healed. We can walk in faith knowing that the Lord will meet our every need, even before we see the need met. And by His grace, I will walk in that faith to the glory of God.
Praise the Lord! Thank you Jesus for your promises.
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