The Habits and Joy of Holiness

I've been wanting to post this quote for over a week now, but am finally making time to do it...

"[A] definition of habit is 'a behavior pattern aquired by frequent repetition.' This is the principle underlying the fact that the more we sin the more we are inclined to sin. But the converse is also true. The more we say no to sin, the more we are inclined to say no."

(From Chapter 14 "Habits of Holiness" pp. 181-182 in the 25th Anniversary edition of The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, copyright 1978, 1996, 2003)

And then today I read this one in the final chapter...

"Jesus said, 'If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my FAther's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete' (John 15:10-11). In this statement Jesus links obedience and joy in a cause and effect manner; that is, joy results from obedience. only those who are obedient - who are pursuing holiness as a way of life - will know the joy that comes from God."

(From Chapter 17 "The Joy of Holiness" pp. 207-208 in the 25th Anniversary edition of The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, copyright 1978, 1996, 2003)

No News is Good News

I have been wanting to post my thoughts about the tragic events that occurred at Virginia Tech ever since I heard about them (which was actually Tuesday morning - I've been a bit disconnected from the news recently). But what is there to post? I've been praying for the students and families affected by this awful tragedy, read the blogs of many who were in the building when the shots went off, caught some of the news programs about the event... but in the midst of this tragedy, does anyone really care what I think? Hopefully our thoughts are with those who have been devastated by these events, not with what general bloggers think about them.

But today I did have a thought I felt worth sharing. I saw online today that the gunman sent a package with video and photos to NBC after killing the first two people, before he headed over to the other building where he brutally ended the lives of 30 more. NBC did the right thing by allowing authorities to view the items for the investigation, but did the wrong thing by showing parts of it and distributing it to other news outlets.

This is exactly what the gunman wanted. He wanted to be famous. He had been starved for attention before his decision to take out so many, he hoped to at least get the attention after his suicide. He wanted to inflict all the pain he felt inside onto others, even beyond those who murdered and wounded with bullets. And NBC was his weapon of choice.

Rather than focusing on the gunman, which gives him the fame and might likely encourage future killers just as lonely, just as attention-starved, just as mentally messed-up, the attention should be solely on those whose life ended that day, or are in hospitals from Monday's events, or are related to those shot. Let's focus on the victims - make them the human interest story in all of this. Don't let someone with such deep depression receive the attention - he was starved for attention before the incident, it's too late to change that, so let's not try.

And yes, there is a reason I have not used the gunman's name in this post. Hopefully after reading you know why.

Uncreatively Creative

Is it just me, or is this an extremely uncreative idea? Everyone has a day - Earth Day, Mother's Day, Administrative Professional's Day, Nurses Day, Sweetest Day, Anti-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Day (ok, I made that last one up). So how creative is it to come up with a day for creatives?

If they really want to be creative, they should do something on the equivalent of February 30th every year.

Or celebrate creativity on every day beginning with "M' and ending in "Y" in every month that begins with "M" and ends in "Y".

Or celebrate creativity on the 11th of the 11th month at 11:11 (oh wait, that's Veteran's Day).

Or celebrate creativity everyday! Now THAT's a creative idea.

From CR to CR (Cedar Rapids to Czech Republic)

This June, I will get the privilege of going with 6 other people to the Czech Republic to help with an English/Business camp. My church has conducted this camp for the past 7 years, and I am thrilled to finally get to be apart of it. We partner with our sister church in Trinec (on the eastern side of the country) and with International Messengers, a missions agency that specializes in English camps. Rather than re-type everything here, I've made a PDF of the letter I'm sending to friends and family that you can read.

If you would like to support this trip financially with a one-time gift, please email me so I can send you the appropriate form to include with your check to International Messengers.

If you want to support me through prayer, whether you give financially or not, also please email me so I can send you updates of what I and the team will need prayer for.

Holy Bodies...

Read this hard-hitting "2x4" a couple days ago. Once again it is from Jerry Bridges, this time with help from Michel Quoist and Susannah Wesley...

Our physical bodies and natural appetites were created by God and are not sinful in themselves. Nevertheless, if left uncontrolled, we will find our bodies becoming "instruments of wickedness" rather than "instruments of righteousness" (Romans 6:13). We will be pursuing the "cravings of sinful man" (1 John 2:16) instead of holiness. If we watch ourselves closely, we can see how often we eat and drink just to gratify physical desire; how often we lie in bed in the morning simply because we don't "feel" like getting up when we should; how often we give in to immoral looks and thoughts simply to satisfy the sin-tainted sex drive within us.

Michel Quoist, in his book The Christian Response, says, "If your body makes all the decisions and gives all the orders, and if you obey, the physical can effectively destroy every other dimension of your personality. Your emotional life will be blunted and your spiritual life will be stifled and ultimately will become anemic." Over 200 years ago Susanna Wesley wrote, "Whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind - that thing is sin to you."

I needed this one today...

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So 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.

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

A fresh approach

I appreciate it when people take a fresh approach to something ordinary. I think that is one thing (of many) that attracts me to Jesus. He was routinely taking the mundane things that people took for granted and breathed fresh life into them. Whether it was religious traditions like the passover or daily jobs like farming, Jesus had a way of making you think about these things in new ways.

In our day and age, websites are extremely common. So how do you make your site stand out? Here's one author's very creative attempt to combine humor, out-of-the-box thinking, and advertising into one website that will attract attention and readers. I have no idea if she is a follower of Jesus, but I can't help but think this site makes Christ smile.

(Thanks to Seth Godin for the link)

Will success change you?

I am not a golf fan. I understand the game from friends and in-laws who love the game, but I have no desire to take up the sport nor lose time watching it.

But today I was changed (if just temporarily). Cedar Rapids native, Zach Johnson, was surprisingly in the hunt. During a commercial break on another program I was watching with my kids this Easter afternoon, I flipped channels and noticed on CBS that Zach had a two stroke lead over Tiger and a couple other golfers with about 5 holes to go.

I was glued! My oldest daughter suddenly became a golf fanatic as I described the game and Zach's possible accomplishment. We cheered his shots, groaned over his bogey on 17, and held our breath while the last few golfers finished out. In the end, the Iowa-boy ended on top! (Or should I say "bottom" since it is the lowest score that wins?)

I got online tonight to find out more about Zach's accomplishment when I saw this excellent post by my good friend, Kim Pagel, who caught some of the post interview. What impressed me most is that when Zach was told how this would change him, Zach said "My professional life will change, but I will continue to be the same person as I was before winning the tournament. I've got supportive people around me who will see to that. I'm just a midwest boy from Iowa."

What a great response and attitude! Hopefully it will turn out true, especially if Zach finds more success on the links. And hopefully I will have the same response and attitude if the Lord brings success my way (obviously it won't come on the golf course!).

Photo from ESPN.com

I'm no longer "Taking Back the Church"

A while back, I joined Facebook (as I shared here). Shortly after this momentous occasion, I was asked to join the group "Taking Back the Church". I LOVE God's Church, and so I was eager to join a group that was passionate about God's vehicle for connecting His followers together.

Fast forward to Wednesday morning, April 4. I had a very bizarre experience (at least bizarre for me). I was awakened by my 8 month old at 5:30 am. I stumbled into his bedroom to try and comfort him, and within seconds I knew he was hungry and my breasts could do NOTHING for him.

So I shuffled back to my room with T in my arms to hand him off to my wife who was better equipped at feeding him milk. It was at this point my bladder was screaming at me from being so full from all the water I drank before bed, so my stupor now led me to the bathroom to appease Mr. Bladder.

Now, usually when something like this happens, I flush the toilet, climb back in bed, and fall right back to sleep (I think it should be illegal to get out of bed before 7:00). But as I am doing all of the above-mentioned things, my mind is going crazy. I have one thing in my head: I need to leave the Facebook group "Taking Back the Church".

On a normal morning I can't think clearly until after I've had a shower, but I had questions and reasons coming to me at blinding speed. I felt as if it was God talking to me, asking me "Who are you taking the church from? Why does it need taken back? Was it stolen? Illegally purchased? Kidnapped or hijacked?"

"Erin, it is MY Church. It has never left My hands. You can't "take" the Church unless you are trying to take it from Me. But not even the gates of hell will prevail against it and take it from Me. Don't try to "take" the Church at all - just BE the Church. That's what I want from you."

As I lay in bed, I can't get these thoughts out of my head. I was trying to rationalize all of it - "these thoughts are just an extension of a dream I'd been having before T alerted us to his hunger needs," or "it's no big deal, it's just a Facebook group after all." But when I finally gave into the thoughts and said "okay, I'll leave the group" did I finally drift back to sleep until my alarm coaxed me awake.

And so, I am making good on my promise. Today, I am leaving the Facebook group "Taking Back the Church" because I feel like God is calling me to just BE the Church, not "take" the Church, and love it and accept it with all of its flaws because He is washing the Church with His Word, making her a pure and spotless bride for the wedding day in the new heaven.

How to Know Right from Wrong

Another gem from Jerry Bridges...

Years ago a friend gave me what he called his "Formula: How to Know Right from Wrong." The formula asks four questions based on three verses in 1 Corinthians:

• "'Everything is permissible for me' - but not everything is beneficial" (1 Cor. 6:12). Question 1: Is it helpful - physically, spiritually, and mentally?
• "'Everything is permissible for me' - but I will not be mastered by anything" (1 Cor. 6:12). Question 2: Does it bring me under its power?
• "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall" (1 Cor. 8:13). Question 3: Does it hurt others?
• "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). Question 4: Does it glorify God?

As simple as this formula may appear, it is powerful in developing conviction - if we are willing to use it. These questions can get rather searching. But they must be asked if we are to pursue holiness as a total way of life.

(from Ch. 9 "Putting Sin to Death" pp. 122-123 in the 25th Anniversary edition of The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges copyright 1978, 1996, 2003)

Picking Your Battles

For some reason, I just can't help but think that there are better things to fight against than the emerging church. But apparently a certain Missouri baptist man would disagree with me.

As I finished the article, I couldn't help but have this verse run through my head:

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:1, NIV)

P.S. The church sign is a joke. I made it at Church Sign Generator!

Obedience, Not Victory

From Jerry Bridges again...

God wants us to walk in obedience - not victory. Obedience is oriented toward God; victory is oriented toward self. This may seem to be merely splitting hairs over semantics, but there is a subtle, self-centered attitude at the root of many of our difficulties with sin. Until we face this attitude and deal with it we will not consistently walk in holiness.

This is not to say God doesn't want us to experience victory, but rather to emphasize that victory is a byproduct of obedience. As we concentrate on living an obedient, holy life, we will certainly experience the joy of victory over sin.

(From pp. 22-23 in chapter 1 "Holiness Is For You" in the 25th Anniversary edition of The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, copyright 1978, 1996, 2003)