Wisdom and Understanding

"Take my instruction and not silver, 

and knowledge rather than choicest gold. 

For wisdom is better than jewels; 

and all desirable things cannot compare with her."

Proverbs 8:10-11

As I was preparing myself to go to college three years ago, I asked the Lord to teach me what "the fear of the Lord" meant. A little bit at a time, He allowed me to experience moments that would lead me right into the fear of the Lord. However, what I learned was not what I expected. 

"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; 

Pride and 

arrogance and 

the evil way and

 the perverted mouth, 

I hate."

Proverbs 8:13

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, 

and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

Proverbs 9:10

Words like "wisdom", "understanding", and "knowledge" of the Holy One started to make sense. These weren't things I obtained by doing something (being in church, listening to sermons, raising my hands during worship, or even sharing my faith with others). God taught me that these were merely a result of my wisdom and understanding of Him.

As I begin to learn this lesson, I am struck with conviction and anger at how I  have been living my Christian life...often times with the wrong motivations...

Colossians.

Paul says a prayer for the church of Colossae, and he does not pray for good health, financial provision, or any blessings because of their faithfulness. No, he prays that:

"...you may be filled with the knowledge of His will 

in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 

so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, 

to please Him in all respects, 

bearing fruit in every good work 

and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, 

for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; 

joyously giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light."

Colossians 1:9-12

If I am truly seeking to live my life for the fear of the Lord then I believe, according to these pieces of Scripture, I need to be constantly seeking the Lord in order that I may grow in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Then, and only then, will I be able to glorify Him in EVERY area of my life.

"Therefore, 

if you have been raised up with Christ, 

keep seeking the things above, 

where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."

Colossians 3:1

When I committed my life to Christ, there were certain areas that did not align with God's call for me as a believer. A few of these included the music I listened to, the movies I watched, and the way I dressed. So, in order to throw off the sin that so easily entangles, I cleared my iTunes, broke my CD's, changed my movie selections, and practically cleared out my closet.This was not an easy task, especially since my friends, who were not believers, still consumed this media. I was very encouraged by this Scripture, though:

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 

so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, 

children of God above reproach 

in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, 

among whom you appear as lights in the world."

Philippians 2:14-15

Now, I believe that how we live our lives says a lot about us as believers and whether or not we are continuing to "seek the things above". The way I live, and the way I look towards outsiders, will state my desire for the Lord. What is my reaction to hard situations in life? What is on my radio in the car? What movies are on my shelf? What am I wearing?

One of my recent passions has been a desire for modesty among Christian girls. If we are going to be "children of God above reproach" in this world, then one thing we NEED to do is stand out, not blend in, in the way we dress. 

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, 

but a woman who fears the Lord, 

she shall be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

In light of everything I have learned about fearing the Lord, I have realized that it is my job as a woman (and a woman who longs to one day become a wife and a mother) to be dedicating my life to growing in my knowledge of the Lord first and foremost, and as I do that I desire to not only protect the sanctity of my body for my future husband, but also to help out my brothers in Christ in their walk with the Lord. 

As Christian women, we have all heard this...multiple times, I know. However, have you heard what the guys are saying? The majority of what I have learned about real modesty has come directly from the mouths of the men:
"I have encountered nothing more difficult in life than to try to avoid looking at a woman who is dressed in a revealing way."

"It is so much easier to talk to a girl when we don't have to worry about looking at her inappropriately." -Junior High Boy

I am convinced that truly dressing modestly does not come from "appropriate" and "inappropriate", one way or the other, but rather from the fear of the Lord. 

Seeking to grow in our knowledge and wisdom of Him, and then letting that permeate how we dress.

Now ask yourself (and maybe even a friend, too): Are you seeking to grow towards a greater knowledge of our Lord every day? Are you intentional about protecting the life that God has given you, and using it in every way to reflect Him? When people see your life outside of church events, do they know that you are a child of God, a light to this world?

I challenge us to really think about this, and take action to change the things that we need to. With God's strength and courage, we can, and when we do, I believe He will grant us more than we can ask or imagine.

Jenna's Journal.

Following Paul's Example

The Apostle Paul's story is not one of the ordinary. Being a persecutor of the church, then suddenly an evangelist for the church, his story reveals the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Because of his extravagant story, many people look up to him...I know that I do, and I have since I've committed my life to serving Christ. But I wonder, do we look up to Paul because of his great commitment to serving Christ, or because he is well known by his story and the books he wrote that are recorded in the Bible?

Many of us probably imagine Paul as a great preacher, in front of the crowds, sharing the good news of salvation to the Gentiles. We imagine him in the spotlight, like our pastor on Sunday mornings, or that famous author/speaker who comes to speak every now and then.

Although there were times that Paul was able to teach large crowds from up front, I believe Scripture tells us that they were not as numerous as the times he spent in prison, in shackles, being beaten, whipped, and stoned. Nor were they as numerous as the times he spent teaching and discipling the next generation of leaders so that they could be the ones to build up the churches.

So we look up to Paul, and we want to be like him and follow his example.
Yet, how willing are we to go all the way and make the same commitment he did?

Many of the pictures we have today tend to misrepresent what prison would have been like for Paul. The top two pictures are prisons much like the ones Paul could have been in. The left is one in Rome, which is where Paul spent the latter part of his years, and the one on the right is in Philippi. Neither are spacious or comfortable looking. Nor do they have beds and sinks like the prisons we may picture of today. No, these prisons are tight, dirty, muggy, hot, and not meant for people who are claustrophobic. THIS is where Paul lived most of his life, but not until after the authorities would afflict him. Paul committed his entire life to the Lord; it was not a side thing that he did twice a week. He had no other duties in life but to share the gospel with the Gentiles, no matter the cost:

"Giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love..."

2 Corinthians 6:3-6

One thing God has been teaching me lately is how living a life for Christ is one of extreme commitment, not being comfortable and "doing good deeds". It's not about being a nice, happy person, going to church, being in a Bible Study, and volunteering in a ministry. A life that is committed to Christ is one of pure motivations, intentional decisions, and walking by the Spirit.

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, 

and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."

Galations 5:16

Every day we need to chose to 

"not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind, so that [we] may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Romans 12:2

Every. Day.  

Committed. To. His. Greater. Glory.

Whatever a farmer plants (sows) is what he will harvest (reap). If he plants corn, he will harvest corn. If he plants beans, he will harvest beans. Let's say it is easier to plant beans than it is corn (I'm not a farmer, so I don't know if this is true or not, but let's just say..), so the farmer plants beans and expects to harvest corn. Now, we don't need to be farmers to know that this is just silly, not to mention impossible!

Well, Paul says the same thing about our lives in Christ:

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; 

for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, 

but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."

Galatians 6:7-8

Just like whatever the farmer plants he will also harvest, the same is true for our lives.

Wherever we invest our time, energy and committment (sowing) is what we will be rewarded for (reaping). This does not mean the journey will be easy, or the decisions a breeze to make. In fact, it shouldn't be easy, and we should hope that it is not. Because if it is, then we have done something terribly wrong: we have become like the world, we have conformed.

This Christian life is NOT about the happy feelings we get when we go to a conference or experience a good worship night. 

Though these things are good, and encouraging for our walk with the Lord, True Commitment is when we remain faithful (and joyful) in the midst of the hardships of life. 

When nothing seems to be going "right", and we're able to raise our hands and praise God that He is doing a mighty work in our hearts.

True commitment is living with integrity, whether someone is around or not:

Being modest because we know that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and we want to guard it with our lives; Watching the words we say so that they are not hurtful to those around us, but rather so that they build others up; Being careful of the movies/shows we watch and the music we listen to, so that we may glorify God with Every area of our lives. 

True commitment is choosing to not participate in an activity with our friends (even if they are Christian friends) because we know that in doing so, we will just look like one of the world. 

True commitment is taking the time to reach out to non-Christian friends, and if we don't have any to find some, because that's what being a believer is all about!

True commitment walks in the Spirit all day, every day; not just when we are at church or doing devotions

We cannot stay within the walls of our churches, christian schools and homes and expect the Word to be preached to those who do not believe. They Will Not come to us, we Need to go to them. And it is not the job of the pastor, or missions pastor to do so. It is the job of the body of Christ. That is us!

I am challenging myself, along with anyone else who wants to give up the worldly-Christian life, to step out of the comfortable walls. 

To be willing, EVERY DAY, to say Yes to God and No to the patterns of this world. 

To soak in Scripture and pray for discernment of what is glorifying to God and what is not. 

To follow Paul's example, and make myself nothing so that Christ can be everything.

"Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; 

for when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:10

Righteous Anger-Is it possible?

"Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing."

Psalm 37:8

The term "righteous anger" is used a lot within Christian circles. It's used to explain our desire for justice in this world. We get righteously angry when someone is mistreated, or we see God and His Word being disrespected. Jesus even had righteous anger as he turned over the tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12-13). But have we, as Christians, taken this concept further than we ought?

For as long as I've been in the church, I thought I understood this righteous anger: "It's okay to be angry, as long as it is for a good cause". But is that really what it is? Or have we turned it into a way of justifying our anger against people, organizations, and our government?
There are many passages in Scripture that talk about this topic; like the one below from Ephesians, that warns us against sinning when we are angry:

"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."

Ephesians 4:26

And we are told over and over again in the Psalms and Proverbs,  to wait for the Lord:

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation"

Psalm 5:3

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

Psalm 27:14

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry."

Psalm 40:1

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."
Psalm 130:6

"Do not say, 'I will pay you back for this wrong!' 
Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you."

Proverbs 20:22

 Paul also gives some instruction on this in the book of Romans:

"Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good" 

Romans 12:9b.

and

"Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."

Romans 12:19

So how are we to respond to all these pieces of Scripture? Well, if I've learned anything from being in Bible school it is this: look at the context.

"'Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, 

for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. 

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; 

for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' 

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Romans 12:19-21

So when something is done that is against God's Word, and all you want to do is give that person a piece of your mind, don't. Wait on the Lord. Vengeance is His. But what are we suppose to do in the meantime? "Overcome evil with good". Love. Trust in the hope that God has promised to us. Know that He has already won, and He will not let evil come out on top. Seek Him. Cling to what is good: cling to His Word. And in doing so, I believe He will lead us to a place in which we can stand up and defend Him and His Word. 

In other words, we need to be carefully watching our motives. We can be righteously angry, but in doing so, are we fulfilling an internal bitterness towards someone? Or are we desiring and longing for God's perfect plan to prevail? Has this anger occurred because we have been hurt personally, or because God is deliberately being disobeyed?

I've been wrestling through these questions a lot lately for myself and some anger I have been dealing with. I find great encouragement in Psalm 37. I need to trust in the Lord and delight in His ways. I need to spend more time praying, cultivating a faithfulness within myself, and committing my way to Him. I need to wait on the Lord and delight myself in Him.

So I challenge this upon myself, and to my brother and sisters in Christ: Where is your heart when you are angry? Do you need to stop and Wait on the Lord first?

"Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.  

For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb.  

Trust in the Lord and do good;  

Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.  

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.  

Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.  

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light 

And your judgment as the noonday. 

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently (longingly) for Him;  

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.  

Cease from anger and forsake wrath; 

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.  

For evildoers will be cut off, 

But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land."

Psalm 37:1-9

We are ALL the church!

I have always been passionate about youth...junior high girls in particular.

It all started when I was a student leader my senior year of high school. I was paired with an adult co-leader and thrown into a leadership role for a small group of 7th and 9th grade girls.

I had no idea what I was doing. For the first few weeks I just observed, watching my co-leader guide a time of discussion amongst the girls. I slowly began adding my input, and asking thought-provoking questions of them. A few months into the school year, my co-leader pulled me aside and asked if I wanted to lead the group by myself, as she had administrative things she needed to get done during the small group time. I said yes, not knowing that this decision would spark my passion and love for students and being a leader amongst the next generation.

I went off to college the next year, leaving my beautiful girls behind, but never forgetting all they had taught me and never giving up my time of prayer for them.
With a fire in my heart, I plugged into a church closer to my school. The junior high pastor and female associate immediately welcomed me as a leader into their ministry. I jumped right in. Paired with a senior high co-leader, we led a small group of about 10 girls on Sunday mornings. For the first few weeks I felt lost, I had no idea what to do! But, the girls were patient with me, and helped me along the way.

That summer, God called me to stay in Eden Prairie as an intern at the church under the junior high female associate. My passion continued to grow, and I was excited for the next year of small groups and being able to pour into my group of girls for another year. The female associate discipled me and took me under her wing not just during the summer, but throughout the school year as well as the following summer when I got to intern again!

 As school went on, and ministry happened, my heart grew more and more passionate for this ministry. (And when I say "ministry", I don't mean the programming, I mean pouring my life out for the sake of the next generation)

Junior High Ministry is two-years long, then they are off. This first group of girls that I had are now in high school. I am still able to pour into them, but I also get to invest in a new group of 7th graders!

However, the point of this blog is not to give you a story of where God has taken me physically in ministry, but to show what God has done IN me, spiritually, THROUGH ministry.
Each Wednesday night, I stand amongst a group of about 250 junior high and senior high students as we worship. And each week, I am taken aback by their Love for the Lord, and their Desire to know Him more. This is one of my favorite things about ministry: The encouragement from them in  my own faith journey..

Often times, adults, or even myself as a leader, think that we are "above" these students, and that they are still in the 'process' of growing towards spiritual maturity. And we let them go to Sunday School and Youth Group so that they can reach their prime before we send them out or, in some cases, even allow them into the "big church".
I have a problem with this. A BIG problem.
I recently heard someone say, "Students aren't going to be the church, they ARE the church". And as part of the church, they are part of the body, therefore, we can learn from them, just like we learn from others "our own age". The majority of the spiritual growth in my personal life throughout middle and high school came from those much older than me. There was a group of women that took me into their Bible Study. I was the only student and they were all at least 25 years older than myself. This group changed my life. And I theirs.

I recently had a student talk to me after church service on Sunday about how uneasy they felt with the message, and how it sparked conviction, longing and desire for the Lord. Is this not what we are supposed to do after we hear the Word of God? But yet every week we rush out of the worship center with our minds already set on the next thing we have to do. I am guilty of this, and this student helped me to stop and really think about what God's Word was saying in my life.

So my question is this, to those young and old; Are you going to sit on the sidelines and do what you've always done, receiving what you've always received and move through life in a comatose state? Or will you stop, observe, and welcome those of other generations around you: how they worship, their passion and longing for the Lord, their desire for others to know the Lord, and the cry in their hearts to feel accepted, even amidst their own church family. In doing so, your life will be changed and you will change the lives of those around you.

The church is not about the building, it's not about Sunday morning or Wednesday night, it's certainly not about the programming that happens, or even about the type of music that is played during musical worship.
The church is a body of believers who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, and long to encourage, uplift and spur one another on towards the work of the Kingdom.
Yes, the church of today has lost this vision...but that doesn't mean we have to.
How are you doing your part as the body of Christ, as the church, in your sphere of influence?

Jenna's Journal.

"Cancer"

That's a word you don't like to hear, from anyone, but especially not from your family.

On December 13, 2011 I got a call from my dad. As he informed me that he had been diagnosed with Colon Cancer, the news caught me off guard. Just as everyone will say "I didn't think it'd happen to me," I, too, really did not expect it.
"How far along is it?" I remember asking him.
"Stage 3."
Whoa. That's serious. I had to sit down and gather my thoughts. "My dad has cancer"... That sounds weird! And how am I suppose to respond to that?!

The rest of that finals week and then my weekend in Arizona were that same way: numb. I wasn't sure how to respond, and thought that maybe it wasn't actually true.
But it was, and 6 days later he was going in for surgery to remove the cancerous part of his colon (in hopes that this would take away the cancer and he would not have to do chemo). Well, he had surgery and they successfully removed the cancer in the colon. But after they opened him up, they found cancer in the small intestine as well.
More words you don't want to hear: It has spread. Stage 4 (of four). Chemo Therapy.

But God is good, and we also received the news that it was not on the lymph nods. This is wonderful because it means that it won't spread any further than where it is at.  It is also very uncommon for a Stage 4 cancer to not be found in the lymph nods, so we are thankful.

We spent the next week in the hospital as dad recovered. It was a slow recovery, but it was awesome to be together as a family. I realized then, too, what true love is. My parents have always set a wonderful example of a great marriage, and as I watched my mom consistently be there for my dad, taking walks with him, staying up late, sleeping in a chair by his bed, I hoped that someday I can be even half the mom and wife that she is!

For the first couple days, dad was on an epidural which basically took away any pain that he could have had. It was great. But once they took that out, and his digestive system didn't wake up right away, they had to resort to a tube down his throat in order to remove what was currently in his stomach and wasn't passing through. He had the tube for a couple days, which hindered him from talking or feeling well at all. Seeing dad like this was hard since he is usually very talkative and upbeat.

Christmas day the tube came out and he felt great. It was a different Christmas for all of us, but what a blessing to still be able to be together as family, no matter where we are!

My brother and I were also blessed to be able to be with the extended family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I can't help but be thankful for the close relationships I have with all of my extended family. I am very close to all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I know this isn't something that every family gets to have.

The next day after Christmas, the doctor released him, and my dad came walking through our front door that evening. It was so wonderful to have him home. Not only was I getting lonely being at home by myself, but it hadn't been Christmas in my mind without dad around. The joy of having him home was enough, but we also got to celebrate Christmas on the 28th. After cinnamon rolls for breakfast, we popped in the yule log DVD, distributed presents and began opening. This is probably my favorite part of the holidays: traditions.

Dad has a long road ahead of him, starting chemotherapy on January 16th. But there is something that I will never forget my mom saying, "This is the cup that God has given us. We will take it, and we will rely on Him."
I love my family, and am very thankful for them each day, especially in this time! We are touched by all the love, prayers, and encouragement we have received the past month, and as the reality sinks in, we are only drawn closer to the Lord and His comfort and strength! 

"The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 

I have set the Lord continually before me; 

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.

You will make known to me the path of life; 

In your presence is fullness of joy; 

In your right hand there are pleasures forever."

Psalm 16: 5, 8-9, 11

Jenna's Journal.