Well, this book is as wonderful as anyone who's read it will say. For me, it's brought me to my knees in humbling adoration, offering all that I know to offer this God-- a repentant heart. It hurts when someone tells you that you are wrong. But thank God! Where would we be without those people? On a fast road to hell, I'm sure. Francis Chan is so gifted. I've never heard him/ seen him speak. Maybe I'll look him up in a few minutes...
Of course I just HAVE to share what I've read so far. Instead of this being a blog about my life, I should title it "Candice's Book Reviews." What do you think?? Ha!
"Can you worship a God who isn't obligated to explain His actions to you? Could it be your arrogance that makes you think God owes you an explanation?"
"The point of your life is to point to Him."
"Are we in love with God, or just His stuff?"
"Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter... God's definition of what really matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love."
"We don't have to worry about a burdensome load of commands because when we are loving, we can't sin."
"The critical question for our generation, and for every generation, is this:
If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?"
"Right now, a hundred million angels are praising God's name; He certainly doesn't need to beg or plead with us. We should be the ones begging to worship in His presence!!"
"What matters is that we spend ourselves."
"Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers."
"All our righteous acts are like filthy rags... compared to God's perfect holiness, that's how our good deeds appear."
Ok, I want to expound on the last 2 quotes. But first, did any of that feel like a slap in the face? I really hope it did. I hope, as it has been doing for me, it would give you a reality check. It's not, nor has it ever been, about you.
"Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers." -- This sounds very radical, but I believe it is very biblical. But don't be so judgmental (like I was tempted to be) that people who have normal jobs, as in not ministry-related, are in any sense of the word "normal". I was thinking of a few of my friends... Kailey and Ms. Sara for example who have both entered the profession of teaching. Yes, they work in public schools. And yes, in a crowd they might not stand out physically as a Jesus Freak. But their lives would very much confuse and cause questions for an unbelieving person. Kailey's husband is a worship pastor. They are very, very involved with their church family. I'm sure that teachers who will work with Kailey will question why she never involves herself with their latest gossip, or how she can love the hardest and most misbehaved of children. It's the same with Ms. Sara. Her heart is for the lost. She daily welcomes people into her home from all walks of faith, including those who have yet to start their walk! Her joy, patience, faithfulness, and hospitality make many people question where her abilities come from.
I can think of so many others I'm blessed to have in my life who are living lives of this crazy love. Could you say the same about your friends? Or better yet, could you say the same about yourself?
About our so-called righteous acts-- I really enjoyed how he explained this to me. Are you ready? If you are a guy & you are reading this, I hope you have a strong stomach. Ladies, I pray this would open your eyes to this truth:
The phrase "dirty rags" literally means menstrual garments. For a more modern interpretation, think of used tampons. If you are highly disgusted, you get his point!! He writes, "It's hard to imagine something more disgusting that we could brag about or put on display. But compared to God's perfect holiness, that's how our good deeds appear."
Does that just go above and beyond your understanding? How could Someone be THAT good and holy and perfect? And how could we be so sinful and unclean?
My point is not to make you feel condemned, I'm talking to myself here, too! But I long for people to see God as He is. Not just rules, labels, boxes that we have all put him in. I want to see God for God. Before you call Him a loving God, remember that He is also a holy God. And before you question His actions, remember that your life in comparison to Him is like a... well, I don't need to say it again. Hopefully you get the point.
We have to realize this before we can offer our lives to Him and accept the greatest gift that He has given us- His Son. It's interesting that just this morning, Ms. Sara and I read Henry Blackaby's blog & he was writing on the subject of true salvation. If we don't obey God, that means we don't really love Him, which means we do not belong to Him, which means we are unbelievers. Then, I read the same explanation in Crazy Love. He talks about these "fruitless Christians" who according to the Bible are not Christians at all. Christ didn't die for us to give only a little bit to Him, or to only agree with and obey half of the Bible. It's all or nothing. (Reminds me of an old song... Cause I want it all, or nothing at all...)
He goes on to say that this is why the Church today is so dysfunctional and unsuccessful. Most of the people IN the church are not really OF the church, meaning they have not committed themselves to Jesus, meaning they don't have a real relationship, meaning... they are still lost.
I hope you are getting this. It is nonnegotiable. If you think God will excuse your sin for a time, you are wrong. If you really loved Him, you wouldn't have time to live in sin. Yes, I am telling the truth. Read your Bible.
I won't apologize if this sounds harsh-- it's supposed to be. For far too long have we allowed unbelievers to call themselves Christians and live lives that are all about them. It is LOVE that brings us to Christ and LOVE that causes us to change everything that once was. It is LOVE that makes us cry out for forgiveness and LOVE that sustains our faith. When we love Him, we will forsake everything else.
I think I've gotten the point across. I want people to know the Truth. Once they grasp that- the fact that they are recklessly and relentlessly loved- they will be freed from the power of their sin... free to love this Love that makes it all worth while. The only thing that matters. To love and be loved by God.
Put in Me
Oh mercy fall on me like a warm blanket on my cold, cold heart. Clean me with Your blood that turns me white on the inside. I'm on my knees again cause I'm breaking Your heart. Your heart.
Put in me what I cannot buy with gold. Put in me, oh God, come restore my broken soul. Put in me what I cannot give myself. Put in me a clean heart.
I know all my broken places like the back of my hand, that slaps Your face again. Wash me in Your love and hold me tight like a baby, 'til I have no memory of ever breaking Your heart.
Put in me what I cannot buy with gold. Put in me, Oh God, come restore my broken soul. Put in me what I cannot give myself. Put in me...
And the joy when you restore me, I will stand and walk again. I will run into this world, I will call them to come in. But I will not point my finger or grow that wicked skin that cannot remember what I will not forget.
How I broke You... how I'm broken...
Put in me a clean heart.
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