My great NEED for Jesus

At the park today I was talking with an acquaintance that I have known for a while, but I would like to get to know better. She is very insightful and I appreciate her deep thinking. Our boys love running around wild with each other because they come from the same "rough and tough" boy mold.  We were lucky nobody got hurt during the stick fight!

We were discussing the blog world and all its pros and cons. We were saying we obviously do not agree with what everyone writes in blogs, but who are we to judge. Everyone has a different opinions about everything. If we do not agree, we should just stop reading it. She said for example, "I did not realize you had such a great love for Jesus. I would never comment whether I agreed with everything you wrote, it is not my place to judge." I agreed with her, but I welcomed discussion if someone wanted to talk about what I write on my blog. I am not offended if someone did not agree with me. I told her that I felt God wanted me to start this blog and I pray that every blog entry will be to glorify the Lord, whether it be about what God is teaching me,  our adoption, my children, or just crafts. I tend to always worry about what people will think, but I pray that the Lord will get the glory, not me! There is going to be mixed emotions (sin vs. kingdom perspective) with every blog entry I write, but I pray that his love would shine through me and people would see Jesus, not Melissa. I am so glad my friend thinks that I have a great love for Jesus, but my love for Jesus is so small in comparison to my great NEED for Jesus. I constantly fail in loving Jesus, but HIS LOVE NEVER FAILS! He is constantly pursuing me and he will finish what he has started. I have just realized that nothing fills my empty cup like Jesus can. The things of this world leave me empty and wanting more.

 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

This NEED I see in myself, I see in my children. Henry, three and half, completely dropped his nap around his third birthday, so by Friday, he is a train wreck. He is exhausted! So by the time we got home from the park today at 1:30, he was crying and screaming at me and saying "Nothing will make me happy, nothing will make me happy!" I knew he probably needed a nap, but he will just be up until 10:00 if he takes one. He kept saying, "Nothing will make me happy!" I said, " Nothing will make you happy?" He said, " Well, TV will make me happy!" I said, "Henry, you have to read in your room for thirty min. before you watch TV." Henry said." I don't want to read in my room! I don't like reading books!" He is beyond tired at this point!! He kept saying, "Nothing will make me happy!" Then I gave him an ice cream sandwich, because I did not feel like dealing with him anymore. (to be honest) Then, I said, " Is that making you happy?" He said, "Yes!" Then after he finished, he started crying again to watch TV. I said, "Henry, I thought you were happy now?" Then he started again, "Nothing will make me happy!" I said, "Jesus will make you happy!" Henry said, "No, Jesus won't make me happy, only TV will!" I said, "Henry, nothing will truly ever make you happy, except Jesus." He said, "TV will make me happy! "Henry I am going to pray that Jesus will make you happy." So I prayed for him while he kicked and screamed. Finally, I took him to his room and made him stay there...five minutes later he fell asleep! Oh, well...Dee...I guess we are going to have a late night!!

Oh, how I see my own self in Henry! I kick and scream as Jesus continues to love me and mold me and make me more like him...so I will experience true happiness!

What is the person and work of Jesus anyway?

   In my last post I talked about the person and work of Jesus in my life. This is just a glimpse of what this really means.
      Sin entered the world with Adam and Eve. This sin was deadly and caused all men to go to hell. God told Adam and Eve he would send a person to rescue them from their sins. God's son, Jesus was the rescuer that was sent here to earth to take on the sin of the world. He was the sacrifice needed to save us from eternal hell. He was crucified, died, buried, and rose again. He was the ultimate sacrifice.

   God works in our life to change us. He reaches down to earth and rescues us from ourselves. He opens our eyes to believe that the gospel is true. We are justified before God, we obtain Jesus' perfect righteousness. God does not see our sin anymore, he sees Jesus! We have just been adopted into the family of God. We are not orphans anymore.

   From the time we are justified to the time we die to go to heaven to be with Jesus forever, is called sanctification. Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ. Often, Christians think that God rescued us from sin and because God did this great thing, we now owe him and must DO for him. We have to make ourselves become more like Christ. We can ask him for help, but ultimately it is up to us. Well...I have tried to change myself, and I am no good at it. The bible says that God is the one that sanctifies us.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! Gal. 2:21

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thess. 5:23-24

    God continues to mold us into his image. He wants us to be image bearers, to reflect Christ. God loves us and he cares deeply for us. Why would he adopt us into his family and then treat us like orphans again. Remember, when he sees us, he sees Jesus!
   This is such great news! God does not call us to do things for him, he calls us to rest in him and trust him. We do not have to feel pressure "to do the right christian thing," God will finish what he started and he loves us too much to keep us where we are. In the process of him working in our lives, he will give us Christ-like desires to spend time with him in his word, he will show us our sin and make us miserable, so we will trust him more. Then he will fill us up with his love and then this love will overflow into every area of our lives. This love will compel us to love "the least of these", the poor, the forgotten, the unlovable, the widow, the orphan...
   Once God starts to work in our lives, we will realize we are at war with the world. Our sinful nature still lives inside us,

 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:15-20

But, don't worry God has already won the battle!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 

   The christian life is tough. We are aliens and strangers longing for a country of our own. We are in the world, but not of the world. How do you live in the world, but not of the world? By abiding in Christ. Trusting that his grace is enough. The person and work of Jesus in your life is all that is needed to live a Christ fulfilled life. Our own efforts leave us tired and exhausted. Go to God with your struggles and he will give you peace and joy in your weaknesses.

 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinth. 12:9

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

   The gospel reality is that God in Christ makes dead men come alive by making them sons and by lavishing his love on them, he causes them to want to do their fathers will. All this is from God.

 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Phil. 3:12

Elizabeth Turnage at Living Story wrote about sanctification in a recent post.

My friend Jane at Compelling Grace always has great insight about the gospel that helps me to grow in Christ. This one in particular is a must read about Grace and more Grace...