Pistikos Nardos - A Poem

Oh Jesus Christ, my Savior

bring Your fire, bring Your rain.

Burn away the dross of self-life,

'til Your life alone remains.

I want nothing more, oh Jesus

than to have a single eye.

Looking always for Your smile;

Your desire, my delight.

But how oft I am distracted;

pulled away by worthless things.

I grieve and spit upon the face

that bled and died for me!

So captivate me Jesus!

Make me ever, only Yours!

I am nothing on my own, Lord

come and take Your rightful throne.

I surrender all to Thee, O Christ;

my life is not my own.

My eyes, my mouth, my hands, my feet

are now, oh Jesus, Yours!

Burden me, Beloved King

to feel Your anguished heart.

Cleave my hand to the spiritual sword

for the voiceless one in dark.

Ever, onward, upward

soldier, will you now repine?

Your loving Savior grants you

grace sufficient for the fight.

May the cross be e'er before me,

leaving all to follow Thee.

For the Lamb alone is worthy!

May the world see Him in me.

~MJ

October Musings...

It's October already! Wow! Is anyone else amazed at how quickly September flew by?

Well, it's been awhile since I posted anything on this blog. It's been a very busy last couple of weeks! Forgive me for my absence....

 "The preoccupations of young women…do not change very much from generation to generation. But in every generation there seem to be a few who make other choices."

– Elisabeth Elliot –

I've read this quote before, but lately I've been thinking a lot about this. I'm turning 18 tomorrow and there's something about birthdays that cause me to reflect.

I want to be one of those few....those few who choose to reject the typical pattern of a young woman and live a life of radical abandonment to Christ. I don't want to be obsessed by the newest movies, caught up in the latest fashion trends, or absorbed in seeking the attention of young men. I don't want to waste my life in comfortable apathy. 

I want Christ. I want to be full of Him, used by Him, and in love with Him. Oh, how I want to be one of those few in this generation that would pursue Christ, no matter what anyone might say or do. 

I desire these things so much...and yet I see how far I am from them. 

I still see the reeking selfishness in my heart, the bitter pride that bites and attacks those closest to me. I am grieved to observe my disobedient heart, my judgmental mind, and my piercing tongue. 

I know. He is sanctifying me. He is continuing to grow me up and chisel off the ugliness. But sometimes, doesn't it feel like it's taking forever? Or that it's not even happening at all? 

Oh God, help my unbelief!

I'm reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9.

“'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

How good it is to know that my sanctification rests in His hands! His grace is sufficient and I can trust that He will continue to do what He has promised to complete. 

But oh, that doesn't mean that I will ever stop praying and pleading with my Father! He is the only One who can make me one of those "few;" I must continue to ask Him, as He has commanded, to seek His ever-straying servant. It is only through His extended grace that I will ever seek, love, and serve Him more. 

May the Lord make this following verse the prayer of our hearts....

"Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways." Psalm 119:37

A Sweet Aroma

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
~Ephesians 5:1-2

I love this passage of Scripture.

The great calling. The challenge. The imagery. It's all so beautiful.

Many of you who have read these verses probably think I am going to be writing on the first part of verse 1: "be imitators of God." Yes, I love that part of the verse (so much so that I wrote a blogpost about it here), but that's not what struck me several days ago.

The part that struck me was the end of verse 2: "an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." In this verse, it is describing Christ and His sacrifice, giving the word picture of a fragrant aroma or pleasing smell wafting up to the Father's throne.

I knew I had read something like that somewhere else in the Bible, but where?

After looking in the concordance, I found it: 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;"

In the verse from Ephesians, Paul was describing Christ as a fragrant aroma, but in 2 Corinthians, he uses the same analogy for us.

Like I stated earlier, I think that that description is beautiful. But what truly is that fragrance? If we are supposed to be the sweet aroma of Christ, where does it come from? Look at verse 14 again: "...and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place..."

The knowledge of Him in every place. That's it. That is the fragrance we are supposed to be. Wherever we go and whatever we're doing, we should be as a lit candle emanating the refreshing scent of our Lord. What an incredibly challenging thought. And there's more....

Continue reading in verse 15: "For we are a fragrance of Christ to God..."

To God? Why would we be a fragrance to God? I searched the Word again and found what I was looking for.

Think back, far back into His story (yes, history) and recall what the Israelites did that caused a fragrance to reach the throne room of heaven.

Sacrifices. The importance of sacrifices are seen all throughout the Old Testament.

Look at Genesis 8:21 for example, "The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done." This verse is referring to the promise God made to Noah after he came off the ark and offered a sacrifice to God.

Here's another verse from 2 Chronicles 2:4, "Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening..."

Sacrifices were an important thing to the Lord. When Christ came, He died as the Ultimate Sacrificial Lamb, so that there would no longer be any need for sacrifices. Even though we are not held in bondage to making daily sacrifices in a physical sense, what does Paul exhort us to be in Romans 12:1?
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

There's the word again: sacrifice. And here is where we tie everything together. We are called to present ourselves unto God as a sacrifice, so that the fragrance of Christ may be evident to those around us, as well as to the Lord Himself.

Oh, that we might understand the importance of surrender, that we would lay everything upon the altar of Calvary. The "Church" of America seems to have all but forgotten this important truth. We are such a distracted people; it is absolutely pitiful. We find the little trinkets of this world so alluring and captivating, yet compared to the glory and beauty of our great King, it is rubble.

This brings me to yet another passage of Scripture. Read it all and read it slowly, allowing it to sink into your soul.

"'A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the Lord of Hosts to you, O priests who despise My name.
But you say, 'How have we despised Your name?' You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The table of the Lord is to be despised.' But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil?
Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly? says the Lord of hosts.
But now will you not entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly? says the Lord of hosts.
Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you, says the Lord of hosts, nor will I accept an offering from you.
For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
But you are profaning it, in that you say...'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it, says the Lord of hosts, and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand? says the Lord.
But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and My name is feared among the nations."
~Malachi 1:6-14

Have you been honoring the Lord as He deserves?
Do you find the Lord's work tiresome?
Have you been promising complete devotion, yet giving utter complacency?
Would you give the same devotedness to the president that you give to your King?

Oh, that we might see Him as He is and give Him the sacrifice He deserves! Let us give Him our everything!

"Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as You choose.

Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee."

~Take My Life, Frances R. Havergal

Morning Dedication~

Oh, how I long to walk with Jesus throughout the day, continually fixing my eyes on Him! This morning, I was flipping through The Valley of Vision (a book of Puritan prayers and devotions) and reading what caught my eye. I came to a page entitled, "Morning Dedication". It is my prayer this morning. May He be my everything!

"Almighty God,
As I cross the threshold of this day
I commit myself, soul, body, affairs, friends, to thy care;
Watch over, keep, guide, direct, sanctify, bless me.
Incline my heart to thy ways;
Mold me wholly into the image of Jesus, as a potter forms clay;
May my lips be a well-tuned harp to sound thy praise;
Let those around see me living by thy Spirit,
trampling the world underfoot,
unconformed to lying vanities,
transformed by a renewed mind,
clad in the entire armor of God,
shining as a never-dimmed light,
showing holiness in all my doings.
Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands.
May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain.
In needful transactions let my affection be in heaven,
and my love soar upwards in flames of fire,
my gaze fixed on unseen things,
my eyes open to the emptiness, fragility,
mockery of earth and its vanities.
May I view all things in the mirror of eternity,
waiting for the coming of my Lord,
listening for the last trumpet call,
hastening unto the new heaven and earth.
Order this day all my communications according to thy wisdom,
and to the gain of mutual good.
Forbid that I should not be profited or made profitable.
May I speak each word as if my last word,
and walk each step as my final one.
If my life should end today, let this be my best day."

"O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!"
Psalm 84:8-12

Imitator of God

During my morning devotions yesterday, I was reading Ephesians 5. This is what I read:

"Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
~Ephesians 5: 1-2 (NASB)

I have read these verses many times before, yet have never really taken them literally. When I read them yesterday morning, I caught a glimpse of the weight of Paul's words.

"Be imitators of God," Paul commands the Ephesians. This is no light order. Instead, this is a Christian's highest calling!

Imitate: to follow as a pattern, model, or example; to be or appear like; resemble

This is the process of sanctification; the process that will never fully be completed until the redemption of our bodies.

Yet, while on the earth, we as believers, are called to serve Christ, to imitate Him with our lives! This is a daunting task, but for believers we can hold onto the promise that "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

As I was reading Ephesians 5:1, I was thinking to myself, "How can I relate this verse to my own life? What are some practical ways of imitating Christ in my everyday life?" The rest of this blogpost will be dedicated to answering those questions.

In one sense, there are many ways to relate the verse to your own life. Yet, in the other sense, imitating Christ and giving your all to Him is not something that you can just fit into your everyday life. It requires a heart change.

Paul is an excellent example of this devotion, this love for God, this incredible mindset. It is seen clearly in his epistles. Here are some of the verses that are perfect examples of this.

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)

This is an amazing declaration. For Paul, Christ is not a part of his life, Christ is Paul's life. In other words, Paul was completely and totally surrendered to Christ. Everything he did, everything he said, everything he thought, every breath he breathed was for the glory of God and the furtherance of his kingdom. I'm not saying that Paul never sinned, but I am saying that Paul realized that Christ is the sole reason why we are alive and lived his life for his Savior!

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20)

Jesus Christ purchased His sheep, His children on the cross. As Romans 6: 18 says, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Even though we have been adopted into the family of God, we as Christians are still slaves of Christ. As such, we need to surrender our all to our Savior and King!

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Philippians 3:7-8)

These verses sum up the point from Philippians 1:21: to live is Christ.

This is no simple thing to do though. Applying this principle to your life is one of the hardest things to do. Like I said earlier, it requires a changed mindset, a changed heart.

Do you count everything as loss compared to Christ? Is Christ your everything, your All in All or do other things take first place in your life?

This blogpost was written in hopes that it would challenge your way of thinking, the way you live, as it has challenged mine.

Becoming an Imitator of God Application (Here are some ideas to apply to your life):

• Give God everything. In order for Him to be your First Love, you must remove the idols and other things that have taken Christ's place in the past. In prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of previous or existing idols and sins you need to deal with in your life. Ask forgiveness for these things and make restitution, if needed. Commit your previous idols to the Lord and ask Him to give you the strength needed in order for them not to become your First Love again.

• Examine your schedule. Are you too busy for the Lord? Have you been spending time with Him everyday or have you been allowing other things to get in the way of spending time with the King of Kings? During our move, that was one of the hardest things for me. It was so easy to allow other things (ie: painting, unpacking, etc.) to get in the way of my time with the Lord. That is the most important and special thing I get to do in my day. I, an unworthy and utterly wretched sinner, get the privilege to proceed into the throne room of Almighty God, the Creator, Savior, and Lover of my soul! Yet, how many times have I made the excuse that I was too busy to pray, too busy to speak with the Lord and receive the blessings of spending time with Him? I have so little to give to Him, when He has given everything for me? How wrong, how terribly wrong!

• Memorize Scripture. The Bible is as sharp as a double-edged sword, and "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16) When battling with temptation, Scripture is the best weapon to equip ourselves with.

• Look at the Fruit of the Spirit and discover what qualities you fall short in. I did this a couple months ago and it was so helpful for me. After I wrote down a list (yes, a list) of character qualities I need work in, I did my own study for each one, looking at what God says about each character trait along with its opposite.Pray that the Lord would help you to conquer your weaknesses and make them your strengths.
  

Example:
Character quality that needs work: joyful heart in all circumstances
What does the Lord say about joy? Philippians 4:4, Proverbs 17:22, Galatians 5:22
What does the Lord say about a complaining and grumbling spirit? Philippians 2:14-16
What verses should I memorize to battle a complaining spirit? Philippians 2:14-16, Colossians 3:17


In conclusion, I wanted to post a song that has been very powerful in my own life. I wasn't able to figure out how to upload the song on this post, but I do have the song in my playlist. To listen to the song, just scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the song "My Passion" by Travis Cottrell. I believe that this song ties up everything perfectly. May Christ be the passion of your life!