Those Who Have Walked in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light

   
 Two months have passed and I already feel like it’s not okay to cry anymore. I’m not allowed to talk about it.

     This last September, my precious baby went home to be with Jesus. The time has passed slowly since. Every day, I struggle to push the pain aside and continue on with my life. My heart aches to hold the little person I know I’ll never meet this side of heaven. I want so badly to know who he or she was. That tiny human being, just barely the size of a pecan, already had a unique identity. I’ll never get to see that little person bloom into the person he or she was created to be. I wish I could look down and see the little bulge in my tummy that ought to be showing by now, but it’s not there.

     I don’t understand why, but it feels as though my hurt is supposed to magically be gone. No one has really said it, but I know people get tired of hearing about it. Miscarriages happen all the time, after all.

     I’m tired of acting like I’m perfectly happy when I see other women at church affectionately rubbing their baby bumps. I’m so sick of pregnancy announcements on social media. Sometimes, I want to scream at people, “Just stop! It HURTS.” I wish I could turn off the ache in my heart, but it just doesn’t work that way. Sometimes I’m angry at the world. Sometimes I question God in His infinite wisdom. Why did this have to happen to me? What did I do wrong? Questions and accusations continually fight for my joy and try to rob the assurance I have in a loving Savior.

     There is one thing that I do know. God is good, and He is sovereign over everything. Yes, He let this happen. Bad things happen not because our God is cruel or unjust, but because we live in a broken, fallen world in which senseless death occurs. Inside, I have a heart that is twisted and bent toward evil. No, I didn’t do some great evil to bring God’s wrath and punishment upon my baby, but I am a part of the brokenness of this world. I do know that God has used this suffering to draw me to Himself, and His grace on me is more than I’ll ever comprehend. That He could die for me, knowing that I could still question His love for me is more than I can fathom.

     I could have never known the awesome, real embrace of my Heavenly Father so intimately if I had continued to live in my self-serving blissful existence. He has extended a raw, intense love through His people and through His Word that I would have never felt in any other way. I still don’t know why this happened, but I know that through it, God has brought me into a unique place that I would have never known otherwise. There is no guarantee that this won’t happen again, but I trust Him. No matter what happens, no matter how dark the days become, my hope is in God.

Father, Break My Heart

“Father, break my heart.”

     It seems like a strange thing to say. I’m not a person who delights in pain and suffering, but sometimes I find that I get caught up in my own agenda and wrapped up in my own efforts. This causes constant frustration and anxiety, and I hate it. You see, Jesus Christ is the sole reason I exist. Without Him—without His incredible grace in my life, I would have drowned long ago in my own miserable self-pity. I cannot function in this world without utter dependence upon Him, but sometimes I simply forget.

     My life and any pain I might experience may seem laughable to most. It’s true, I have never had to scrounge in a dumpster for a meal, I have always had a comfortable place to sleep and clothes on my back, and I haven’t lost anyone precious to me recently. Even so, there are times where I sink into such desperation and hurt that I simply cannot keep going. All motivation to do anything is stripped away, and I feel like just collapsing on the floor and never moving again. Proverbs 14:10 agrees, “The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.” These are the times that I need most to remind myself of the truth of my Savior’s love. In these times, I have experienced the deepest bitterness, but I have also known the sweetness of being broken before God. Sometimes, I have to cry out to Him and beg Him to take away my meaninglessness, because I just can’t do it on my own.

     No matter how hard I work, how hard I try to make my life have purpose through the things I do, I CAN’T. The sweetest prayers of desperation have come to me when my heart was at its hardest. One time after a particularly long dry season, I stood with the congregation at my church as we sang, “Lord, now indeed I find Thy power and Thine alone can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone.” I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth, but the words “Lord, break my heart” echoed through my head as tears stained my cheeks. It’s easy to forget how dependent I am upon God for my every breath when I have more than I could ever want at my fingertips. Friends, I want to remind you (and myself) that we exist to bring glory to God. There is such glorious joy and truth in this statement! When we realize this, we can live in total satisfaction, knowing that we can praise God in every tiny thing we do in our everyday lives. Nothing is so trivial that it escapes His notice, and nothing is so insignificant that we cannot bring glory to God in it. Find your joy in Christ, and if you’re reading this, please remind me to do the same.

"As Christ Loved the Church..."

Has anyone else noticed the current trend within the church that encourages us to essentially hate and write off the Church for her many shortcomings? I have, and it saddens me. While I have to admit that we haven't been the perfect example of Christ's love over the centuries, we are those who Christ loved and gave Himself for (Eph. 5:25).

Too often we expect perfection from those who are mere sinners, saved from eternal wrath by the blood of a loving Savior. We nitpick every fault and claim her to be totally ineffective for Christ. This isn't our calling, nor our purpose! God created us to rely on one another though Him, to strengthen each other and to make up for each other's weaknesses. We are precious to God, not only as individuals but also as a whole. How dare we be so arrogant as to call what has been made clean by the blood of Christ something filthy or something to be ashamed of?

The truth is, we're all filthy, stained, and wretched. It is Jesus who makes the difference. I love my Savior, and I therefore pledge myself to love His body, His bride. I love the people of God, and I'm sorry to say I've been one of those who mocked and ridiculed the Church. She may not be perfect, but she is loved by Christ. That is all I need to know.

My Not-So-Secret Identity

After running into an old friend from high school this evening, I've realized what a different person I've become in four short years. I'm not sharing this for my own glorification. Any positive change that has taken place in this small life can only be attributed to my Savior and His work in my heart. I think it took me a long time to discover "the meaning of life" as well as how to live with that purpose in mind, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I'll never forget the inexplicable depression I felt each morning as I trudged up the stairs and made my way to my first period English class, even though it feels like another lifetime. Sometimes I'd lay my head on my desk and let a few tears slip for no reason at all. I drew strange doodles and wrote depressing poems to alleviate my pain. It all seems so silly now, but still so real.

The worst time of all was my choir's annual Coast Trip. Ordinarily, it was something that I looked forward to all school year. My senior year was different. I dreaded it completely. I had two or three friends in particular who always had a knack for dressing and acting the right way to get every guy's attention. Me? Not so much. They offered to fix my hair and do my makeup. I always felt like it was out of pity. I had very short, unbecoming hair, I dressed mostly in black, and I was a tad chubby. My worst fears were confirmed one night as three of us were boarding together for the evening. My friends were discussing different kissing methods. Before that, I hadn't even realized that there might be more than one way to do it. As I was beginning to doze off, I heard one of them say,"Poor Kim. She doesn't even know what it's like to be kissed." That hurt, at the time. In hindsight, the whole thing is pretty laughable considering the fact that neither of them married the boyfriends that they were discussing. Right then, it didn't matter. I only knew that I was completely undesirable and that my friends literally felt sorry for me.

A little over a year later, I spent the greatest summer of my life in a very different place. I began to read the bible for myself-- not just to read it, but to hunger for it. It was exciting, epic even! I also read a book by John Piper (Don't Waste Your Life) that opened my eyes for the first time as to what my purpose for living might be. All the time I had been struggling with my lack of identity. I longed for something, some unknown part of me to be discovered, to make me beautiful. I wanted to feel that sense of being important and irreplaceable to someone. I was just beginning to catch the first glimpses of that in Christ, as I revealed in a song I wrote at that summer camp, a song I simply named, "Satisfy"

I lift my heart, I raise these hands
To worship You, to worship only You
There's nothing else 'cause no other love
Compares to the one you poured out on us

Only You, only You, Jesus
Only You can satisfy
Only You, only You, Jesus
Only You can satisfy

So take my heart and take these hands
I'll worship You, I'll worship only You
There's nothing else 'cause no other love
Compares to the One you gave on the cross

It was simple and to the point. Even so, I had (and still have) a lot to learn. Fast forward a year, and I've just ended the worst relationship I could have imagined. The "boyfriend" I thought might soothe the lack of love I felt cheated on me, and I felt more worthless and hopeless than I could have ever imagined. I had never realized why girls cried when they broke up with guys. I always rolled my eyes and thought, "Get over it." Time passed, yet the whole ugliness of it wouldn't go away. Not for a long while, anyway. Slowly, gradually, I began to get it. I began to surrender. Over a year later, my prayer became, "Not my will, but Yours be done."

When I prayed that prayer in a new place, both literally and figuratively, I never imagined that I'd be engaged  to the most wonderful young man I'd ever met a year and a half later. I never imagined that God had something good and beautiful in store. He had a plan for wholeness. You see, I had literally given up to the point of deciding to become a missionary and remain single, not because I felt undesirable, but because I didn't want those things anymore. The "love" I had received was superficial, weak, and conditional. I knew that God's love wasn't any of those things.

When I see myself now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm far, very far from perfect. I'm a broken human being, just like the rest, yet God has done something miraculous. He took away the confusion. My identity, the one I searched so hard for and never really found, had to die. I'm no longer Kimberly Cordell. I'm a daughter of the Most High God! He loves me, and He knew I'd be satisfied only when His purpose for my life became something I understood, longed for, and fought for. I was born to proclaim His greatness! In doing so, He gave me a new mind, new desires, and a new self. I'm not my own, because He died for me. My life has been hidden with Jesus.

Colossians 3:3
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Living for the Glory of God

     This is something I wrote a few weeks ago with the intention of sharing it with the youth Sunday school class at my church. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to present the lesson. Interestingly enough, a spontaneous conversation started tonight at the youth group meeting, and my "lesson" suddenly seemed incredibly relevant. Here it is:

What is the one thing that excites you the most?

Do you read the Bible regularly? Why or why not?

What is our ultimate purpose?

Our purpose is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Isaiah 43:7

What does glorify mean?

To make God look as great as He really is with the way we live, act, speak, etc. 1 Corinthians 10:31, Psalm 72:19.

Why live my life for Christ when I can simply live for myself and do whatever makes me happy?

We were created to bring Him praise; therefore the only thing that truly satisfies and fulfills us is to live in right-standing with God. One act of disobedience was enough to separate us from Him forever and bring the wrath of God upon us.  Once we have trusted in Him for salvation, we automatically want to make Him happy! Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” We obey Him when we love Him. If we don’t obey Him, we don’t really love Him and we don’t actually belong to Him. 1 John 2:3-4, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ecclesiastes 12:13.

Why must God punish sin?

Because He is holy & just! Sin is breaking God’s perfect law. A just judge cannot simply pardon a crime (i.e. murder, theft, etc.). The law demands that the criminal be punished, just as the Law in the Old Testament demands that our offenses against God must be punished. The Old Testament Law (the Ten Commandments) was written to show us that we can never measure up to God’s standard on our own, therefore we need Jesus, God in the flesh, the only man who lived a sinless life, to take our sin upon Himself at the cross. This is what is known as atonement, the reconciliation of God and humankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:1-10, Philippians 3:9-10, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 5:17.

Therefore…

              When we understand how much we desperately need Jesus, all we have to do is trust in His atoning work on the cross on our behalf. When that happens and we begin to realize all He has done for us and how much it cost Him, how can we not want to live for Him? When someone does something kind for you, don’t you try to do everything you can to show your thanks, and to repay them by any means possible and to make them happy? (Not that we could ever repay Jesus for what He’s done for us!) This is why I have chosen to live for Christ! John 5:24.

              If you’re a believer already, you represent Jesus wherever you go and with whatever you do, so act like it! Don’t cause others to curse God because of your behavior. Instead, live in such a way as to bring honor to Him; cause others to want to have that same hope that lies within you. Let the light of Jesus shine in you, and let others see Him in you.

              You only have one short life to live, and the choices you make right now matter. Don’t waste what you have been given. When you come to the end of your life and you stand face-to-face with God, what’s going to really matter? Live for the glory of God!

My Calling

"The craziest thing happened to me this morning. When I opened my eyes, the first thought I had was literally from Isaiah 5:6-7, which talks about Isaiah being in the presence of God. He explains that he is 'a man of unclean lips,' then a seraphim touches a burning coal to his lips and tells him that his sin is atoned for.

Later this morning, I was sitting at Starbucks drinking a vanilla chai latte, reading Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin, when I stumbled across the page that you see pictured.

Finally, the message at church today centered around the church in Acts, particularly the passage about Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, and Philip's willingness to answer God's call. The last slide on the projector was a quote from Isaiah 6:8. It simply said, "Here I Am. Send me!"

Is that crazy or what?"

--

"As if all of that craziness I posted earlier wasn't mind-boggling enough, I went to a completely different church tonight and we sang THIS:

To the desperate eyes and reaching hands
To the suffering and the lean
To the ones the world has cast aside
Where you want me I will be

I will go, I will go
I will go, Lord send me
To the world, To the lost

To the poor and hungry
Take everything I am
I'm clay within your hands
I will go, I will go, send me

Let me not be blind with privilege
Give me eyes to see the pain
Let the blessing You've poured out on me
Not be spent on me in vain
Let this life be used for change

I wanna live for you
Go where you lead me
I wanna follow you


-I Will Go by Starfield"

--

"I do believe I've just experienced the strongest, most blatantly obvious call to missions today.

So God, I know what You want. The question is where, how, and when.

Here I am. Send me."

----

If you're wondering what I'm posting here, this is something that happened to me on September 2nd of this year. You see, ever since I was an awkward junior higher sitting in my eighth grade class, I've had this deep, quiet, hidden desire to be a missionary. As I grew older and learned more about the Savior I was serving, that desire grew with me. I'm not sure what it's going to look like yet -- where I'm supposed to go, what I'll do, and for how long, but it's a genuine desire. What you see above are my facebook posts from that day.

Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.

(Psalm 37:4-5 ESV)

All You Need Is...Love???

Valentine’s Day, more than any other day on my calendar, saddens me. No, it’s not because I’m single, lonely, or because I have no one to give me chocolate. What bothers me is our preoccupation with what our culture has defined as love, which is merely romance.

Before I go any further, please understand that this entry is intended for young, unmarried people—specifically in their teens and twenties.

Nowadays we define singleness as a negative thing. If you don’t have a special person to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, chances are you’re spending the day feeling miserable and lonely, and if you’re not, everyone else thinks you should be. As if that’s not bad enough, those who are “in relationships” (pardon my facebook terminology, but I’m referring to those who are in dating relationships with no real commitment or intention to eventually marry) tend to go about flaunting their “non-singleness” with those horrifying kissy-photos that makes us all feel a bit nauseous.

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

My point is that there is so much pressure to be in some sort of relationship from essentially every angle that sometimes we begin to wonder what’s wrong with us if we’re not. I cannot begin to express how very backwards this way of thinking is! Every day we’re bombarded with what looks like the perfect picture of romance via the movies we watch, the books we read, the music we listen to—in fact, you don’t even have to resort to the media for your daily smut intake. Simply walk on to your nearest high school or college campus and you’re bound to stumble across a couple making out in the hallway. Sometimes it’s enough to make me wish I was blind.


I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. Song of Solomon 8:4

What’s really sad is when I see this “singleness is evil” mindset take over in our youth groups. I’m not saying that a healthy relationship cannot/should not ever begin in such a setting, but I AM saying that the pressure, the flirtatiousness, the suggestive clothing is so, so, SO WRONG!!! Shouldn’t church be a place of refuge, a place to re-fuel spiritually so that we can be ready to face the trials and temptations of the world?

I remember going to winter camp with my youth group one year; one of the guys came for the sole purpose of getting some random girl’s phone number. You may not think that this example is really a bad thing, but look at the bigger picture. What good do these things do for you, let alone your brothers/sisters in Christ, assuming that you’re actually saved? If your goal is to take the focus off of Christ and to put it on yourself, go home. I’m not saying this to be harsh or unloving. I’m saying it to prevent you from hindering yourself and others in your walk with God. Don’t be a distraction!

Singleness is not as bad as the majority tends to think. Most people eventually end up getting married, so don’t live your life in pursuit of that one object. Be content where God has you right now, growing closer to Him daily. Use this unique time in your life to serve and glorify God to the best of your ability. Oh, there is so much more to life than the pursuit of Mr. or Mrs. Right! Do something to make your life count—to make your Savior look as great as He truly is! He loves you so much more than anyone else ever could. Let us not stand before Him one day, having nothing to account for but our pursuit of mere human love. Let God be your focal point, your greatest desire. No one should take your Savior's place in your heart!

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

Although I have yet to experience it for myself, I do know that it will be so much more beautiful and satisfying if only I wait for the right person in God’s perfect timing, and if I can conduct myself in the way that most pleases my Savior in the mean time. After all, our star-breathing God has much better plans for us than we have for ourselves! I’m pretty sure He knows what He’s doing!

Something Crazy

What you see in this picture are the remains of my Twilight books and movies. Tonight I did something that I've been putting off for a long time. I did some research.


Let me back up a bit...


Ever since I read the first book, I immediately noticed the power these books had. Ask any girl who has read the books and she'll tell you that they're extremely addicting. I quite literally couldn't put the thing down. In fact, the first time through I finished the book within a few short hours. As if that wasn't bad enough, I HAD to read the rest of the series--I couldn't leave it alone. I started trying to write stories like Stephanie Meyer, to find other books that gave me the same thrill, and I even had my hair styled similarly to one of the characters on the movie, Alice Cullen.


Unlike a lot of fans, I wasn't proud of my obsession. I tried to hide the fact that I was interested in Twilight from almost everyone I knew, even from my friends who enjoyed the books. I knew reading them was wrong. Although the series is immersed in the occult, I managed to justify reading it by telling myself that I knew the truth--they could never convince me to start practicing Wicca or anything of the sort. I could not, however, ignore the blatant sexual immorality the book contained. It starts so subtly and innocently that I hardly noticed. The further I read in the books, the more I blushed. The scary part is how real Bella's experiences feel to the reader.


I was raised in a godly home. I've gone to church all my life, I attended a Christian school, and most importantly I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ at the age of thirteen. My point is that I've been taught the difference between right and wrong since I was born. There is something about those books that causes young women like me to lay aside our convictions and moral standards long enough to indulge in these things that we know to be wrong. It lets or minds wander into places they have no business being. Our Heavenly Father calls us to be pure!


Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8


When I moved out of my parent's house seven months ago, I put those books on my shelf (I used to keep them hidden) as a statement that I'm old enough to make my own decisions when it comes to what I read, watch, listen to, etc., but whenever someone would come into my room and look at that bookshelf, I felt so ashamed. It bothered me to think that in reading those books, I was setting an example for others, particularly girls younger than me. I was telling other believers that reading garbage and justifying sin is okay. It is absolutely not okay, as God tells us as believers to be separate from the world. Allowing such darkness into our heart causes us to be hardened, to be desensitized to the point where evil looks like good, and good bores us. Even if we don't think the things we read, watch, and listen to affect us, they do. Because I made a habit of hiding these books from my parents, I learned to hide other things from them as well. I also found myself desiring human "love" (romance) over the all-satisfying love of our Savior.

As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19

I've gotten rid of the books before, believe it or not. I used to own the entire series. One day I tossed all of them in the trash (as I mentioned earlier, I knew that reading them was wrong). About a year later, I bought the first book again and I checked out the rest at the library. Believe me when I tell you these books are nearly impossible to get rid of. There's something unnatural about them. Once you read one, your thirst for them becomes insatiable. After reading several different accounts online, I found that many other Christian girls have experienced the same struggles with the Twilight books. Although it's terrifying to realize just what an impact these books have on young women, it's comforting to know that we are not alone in our fleshly struggles (see Meag's Blog, an account from another girl who has struggled with Twilight).


No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13


Tonight, however, I did something crazy. I tore up the pages of my Twilight books and shattered my DVDs. I don't want to allow any room for temptation.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

So, my friends, I ask you to pray for me. I'm just as human as anybody else, but God is greater than my sinful heart AND He is greater than the lies of the enemy!


But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? Galatians 4:9

The Anthem of My Life

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. Psalm 73:25

Oh, if only that could be the anthem of my life! I so long to live a radical, sold-out life for Jesus Christ. I desire to reach out, to serve, to spread the richness and beauty of my Savior before I get any older.

I want to push ahead, to seek out and accept challenges with a joyful and willing heart, to do the things that aren't easy. I want to take others by the hand and join in a relentless pursuit of our God. If only I could pull others out of the pit and by God's grace, help them find level ground. I want to be transparent, letting the Holy Spirit shine through me at every angle, that I might disappear and that He might be glorified.

This burden, though I don't understand it, is growing stronger every day, but how can I bring my Savior glory when I can't even accomplish the bare minimum? I burn bridges instead of building them. I tear people down instead of encouraging them. I waste countless hours in procrastination and selfishness instead of redeeming the time.

Oh God, help me to be faithful in the small things! Let my life please You right here, right now. Thank You for supplying me with strength and for upholding me with Your mighty hand. May You and only You be exalted, Lord. Let me yearn for You with all I am! With all I have! To YOU be the glory!!!

Jesus, You satisfy me completely. When I allow Your love to consume my heart, there are no empty spaces left. Your immeasurable love fills every hole, every crack. When my heart is full of You and bursting with Your steadfast love, what more could I possibly want? You fill me completely and You heal this shattered heart. Your love makes me new; it transforms me completely. "Whom have I in heaven but You?" When I have Your all-satisfying love, how could I ever ask for more? Why should I desire more when I have everything in You?

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:18

Grow Up!

“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance and of faith toward God.”

Hebrews 6:1

These days it seems like I’m learning a new concept every few hours or so, whether it’s something practical, spiritual, or relational. Many of these supposed “new” things aren’t new at all though. Rather, they’re right under my nose if only I would take the time to read the Word of God with an open and expectant heart.

The first thing I learned was that everything we do in life should be motivated by an overwhelming desire to magnify our Savior. The sad thing about is that I had to go outside the Word of God to realize this, and when I finally did discover this truth, I was amazed by it. Amazed by what though? By the fact that the world didn’t revolve around me after all? My life and the choices I made affected others outside myself? People either will bless or curse my God who I claim to love based on how I think, speak, and act? Is this really so shocking? The Bible has said the same thing for all these years. It’s nothing new.

Fast forward a couple of years to today. Most of what I’ve learned lately concerns the Church, the body of Christ, the people whose actions in the world ultimately represent Jesus Christ to a dying world.

Love. Love is the single most important aspect of a Christian’s life. Everything we believe is based on the fact that God loved us so much that He sent His son to save us from our depravity, and that we were created to love Him with all that is within us. If we cannot love our God with abandon, we cannot sacrificially love our brothers in Christ, and that my friends is how the Bible says that the world identifies us as Christians (John 13:35). In other words, if you cannot love others, you don’t love God(1 John 4:20-21). Period. If we are to be like Christ, and His love is unrelenting, why isn’t the Church being transformed radically, and in turn affecting the world around us?

Truth. Without a love of and a desire for the truth, we will misrepresent our Lord to the unbelieving world. To take away from or add to the truth of God’s Word actually takes the glory that belongs to God alone and puts it upon ourselves as sinful man. Love and truth go hand in hand, much like faith and works cannot exist without one another (see James 2:14-26). Oftentimes I’ve seen one practiced without the other. Revelation 2 speaks of a church that practices truth without love in verses 1-7. The warning against this practice is very sobering. In contrast, verses 18-29 warns those who practice love without a desire for the simple truth of God’s word to straighten up, so to speak. One church seems to have life and love, yet lacks truth. The other has truth, but remains cold and dead, but Jesus said, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the LIFE” (John 14:6).

May I also remind you that in the pursuit of truth, the single most important ingredient is immersion in the Word. The divine revelation we experience today—our knowledge of Jesus Christ and who He is comes from the Bible. It is our compass, our foundation, our sources of truth. Before you study any other religion or philosophy, you must have a firm and steady diet of God’s Word. Without it, you will fall into error. Also, if you think for one minute that the Bible is boring, the reason is because you don’t read it. I promise!

Freedom. Freedom from sin and condemnation is something we’ve been given through Christ. There is no reason whatsoever to dwell on who we’ve been or what we’ve done because we have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. We can know that we are wretched sinners, undeserving of God’s grace apart from Jesus, but through Him we are of infinite value to our Heavenly Father. There is nothing we can ever do, nothing we HAVE to do once we are saved to attain eternal life. Rather, the works we do, the passion we have for our Savior will overflow out of us as an outward expression of what He has done in our hearts.

I wish the American Church would return to the simple truth of the gospel, apart from extra-biblical signs and wonders, and apart from legalistic rules and regulations that do nothing whatsoever for ourselves or those around us. The fact that we were sinners and Christ died for us is enough. Now let us grow up and give our all to God!!!