How did we sink so low?

Isaiah 63:17-19

O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?  Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.  Your holy people held possession for a little while; our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.  We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name.

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When did we lose sight of Your holiness, Lord?  When did we begin treating You as if You didn't matter, or worse, as if the only reason for Your existence is to give us what we want when in reality, it is the reason of our existence to give You what You deserve?  When did we forget that when we pray, we are talking to the Most High God, the God Almighty, the God of Creation?  How is it even possible?

God, please make us a people that fears You for who You really are, not because of some contrived notion of who we think You are.  You are holy, and who are we to ever forget that?  May we always seek to serve You to the best of our abilities, and not because we happen to feel like it or want to, but because You deserve nothing less.

Teach us how to fear You.  Teach us how to walk with wisdom.  Teach us how to give You Your due reverence.

Amen.

Another Perspective

Social media has suddenly blown up with the hullabaloo that Phil Robertson's remarks made.  I understand there was a ruckus, and I understand that it is, in fact, an issue that America as a nation needs to deal with.  However, have we chosen the right battle?

A few weeks ago, I read the story of how 80 believers in North Korea were rounded up and shot.  Their Bibles were being referred to as "pornography" and anyone in possession of one was to be killed.  Where's the indignation over that?

Yesterday I read an article about how Syrian believers were massacred senselessly.  I read how church services were interrupted with shootings and how the bodies of whole families were found in the bottom of wells.  Where's the heart break over that?

When there are people who are dying because they believe that Yeshua is also haMashiach - that is, Messiah - then the fact that someone was asked to leave a tv show due to a few remarks doesn't quite raise my hackles.  I think there's a lot going on with the whole Duck Dynasty thing, but I also think we need to wake up and realize that there are a lot worse things happening in this world we live in.

Guys, persecution is real and it really effects believers around the world.  America's form of persecution is minor compared to a lot of countries.  But there will be a day when that is not the case.  Yes, there will be a day when it won't matter anymore where you live or which passport you happen to carry.

We are the body of Christ, and right now, the story that lies heaviest on my heart is not the one about a man who made some controversial remarks, but rather is the story of my brothers and sisters getting tortured and killed in Syria.  That is the story that breaks my heart.

  

Church, we need to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters.  We need to pray that God gives them the boldness they need to stand up for the gospel, the grace to pray for their enemies, and the peace that passes all understanding to guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

That's my prayer, and I hope you'll join me.

P.S.

Here's the link to the Syrian story.  I hope you'll read it and that it will open your eyes to the reality of the persecuted church:  http://voiceofthepersecuted.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/largest-massacre-of-christians-in-syria-ignored/

A Merry Christmas to You

It's that time of year again!  We all know what I mean.  It's the month of Christmas cards, updates on life, hot cocoa and sparkly ornaments hanging on trees in our living rooms.

Well, I won't be home for the family portrait or update this year, so I have decided to officially become a grown up and write my own Christmas letter.  Without further ado, my Very Merry Christmas Letter:

Dear friends and family,

Words cannot describe all the the Lord has seen fit to teach me this year.  How can I even begin to put words to my new experiences or try to accurately depict the joy that has met me?  I'm not sure that I can fully put words to this, but I will try.

Back in May, I finished up my third semester at Criswell College, which, if you count the other miscellaneous college classes I've taken elsewhere, thrusts me halfway through my junior year.  Due to being so very close to finishing up said college career, it was hard to make my next life's decision.  The decision?  Take a year off of school and head to the Middle East for a time.

Why on earth would I do that?  Sometimes I don't even know myself why I do half the things I do.  I do have to say, though, that decision is one of the best things I've ever done.  The Lord has been faithful to teach me more about prayer, what it means to live in a community of believers who all come from different backgrounds, and how it looks to truly be working as if unto the Lord.  That last one has been a lifelong lesson, and one which is finally beginning to sink in.

The most meaningful thing I've learned this year:
It's not necessary to have radical experiences in order to grow a deeper faith.  Sometimes, we really do just need the quiet and faithful leading of the Lord when we simply put one foot in front of the other as we strive to walk in obedience.

My favorite memory:
Walking the streets of New Jerusalem knowing that my baby brother was in the process of being born

The most eye-opening experience of the year:
Working hard to pass HB2, a pro-life bill that would close down most of the abortion clinics in the state of Texas.  To be honest, I think that's the first time I've ever truly felt like I was on the front lines of battle.  Words cannot describe how amazing, exhausting, and rewarding that experience was.  At the end of it, I really just have to give praise to God and proclaim His goodness!

So in a nutshell, I've learned a lot this year and pray that God continues to teach me in the years to come.

Soli Deo Gloria and Merry Christmas,
Alex