Living as we are called

True Praise

2010-08-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

When thinking of praise, the first thing that comes to mind is a subject or object of it. At church we often think of songs being a means of praise. There are plenty of earthly topics that might be categorized as praiseworthy or noteworthy. Michael Jordan was the greatest ball player ever; praise given a great champion. A few students in our youth group are valedictorians. Good for them! A small child obeyed a parent when the parent left the room. Good job. These are types of praise that I readily think of or associate with when not thinking of a group of musicians and tech members who perhaps lead a congregation corporately in a church worship service - a ‘praise team.’

Praise generally involves some superlative and either speaking of it or calling positive attention to it through other means. Forgive my prosaic approach, as it is my desire to improve from general thoughts to specific thoughts.

The Bible re-defines for me what is accomplished when we praise the Lord. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”

Psalm 22:3 says, “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” Reading these verses makes it very clear that praise moves us from God’s gate into His court, and that He is enthroned or residing in our praise! We can honor any other feat and it doesn’t necessarily involve us. When we praise the Lord we are literally moving close to Him. That is one of the best ‘stop and ask directions’ moments I can think of.

God graciously shows us through His Holy Word where He is found. This is a blessed thing, and at once sobering. Hebrews 13:12-16 says, “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

We have the great Savior who bought and sanctifies us through His blood. The imagery of the gate, camp, and cost is plain. Our life is not invested for this city that doesn’t last, but the city that is to come. God’s praise is not accomplished cheaply and the power and implication of it is vast! Let our songs of praise be a sweet complement of our life purpose. “Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!” (Psalm 103:22).

Written by Andrew Yancey

The Faithfulness of God

2010-08-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a home where I was taught much about God, Jesus and His death on the cross and the work of the Church. I had very caring grandparents who instilled much of God’s Word into my life. My parents were committed to a local church and sent me to a good Christian school. After seeing my sister be saved and hearing her admonishments to me to seek God for repentance, I began to understand my sin in a personal way. As my parents and teachers pointed me to God’s Word, I came to know of God’s provision of sacrifice in His Son. It was then that I confessed my sin and prayed for Christ to be my Savior.

Looking back on my junior high and high school years, I see the fruits of my salvation, both in the actions I had, as well as the desires and motivations of my heart. However, my understanding of God’s authority and sovereignty was very limited. I did not attend a church like the one I attend now. The Christian school I attended was very casual in terms of theology, and focused more on the rigidities of the Law, mostly by having many rules and expectations that were required of students, but lacking the foundation of Christ as the motivation for obedience. I did not understand the character of God or the deep mysteries of His Word.

When I look back on these years of growing up, I see God’s faithfulness in growing me through the limited understanding I had of His Word, as well as through the means of the Christian people around me who encouraged me in my faith. I see now that one of my greatest temptations was failing to maintain a mind that was self-controlled and set upon Christ. My emotions were easily swayed by the circumstances around me, and I know now that this can probably be attributed to a weak understanding of God’s providence and sovereignty over all things. I would cling to Him and His Word in difficult days, but this was always coupled with discouraging thoughts and accusations against God for allowing such trials. In essence, I was conflicted by the emotional fluctuations of a sinful heart.

When I graduated high school, in my immature faith, I chose to follow the ways of this world for a season. I rebelled against most of what I had been taught. It began “innocently,” with a rekindled childhood friendship. I began to spend more and more time with worldly friends. I soon even pursued a dating relationship with a young man who was not a believer. This man had absolutely no interest in things of the Lord, but yet praised me for my “good” behavior. During this time, I slowly began to move away from the church, oftentimes lied to my parents, and further distanced myself from the ways of righteousness I had once engaged in.

There is one distinct thing I remember about this wayward season of my youth: my conscience was deeply troubled. When I would come home from being out with my friends, and after sneaking quietly up to my room, my thoughts were tormented by the knowledge of how I was disobeying all that I knew to be true about God and His Word. I was miserable and filled with guilt. In God’s gracious mercy, He soon caused this young man to break off our relationship – abruptly and painfully. I was devastated! I spent weeks grieving this loss and even sought out ways to win him back. My entire world had become defined by this relationship.

But in God’s sweet providence, He had orchestrated this event as a turning point. He only allows His children to go so far in their sin, and thankfully, He did not leave me to myself. He rescued me from my sin and restored me unto Himself. He left me with nowhere to turn but back to Him. I started attending a new church in the area where I was introduced to God’s sovereignty, the teachings of Calvinism, and began to hear theological teaching like I had never been exposed to before. These truths brought great comfort and assurance to my mind and heart.

A couple of years later, the Lord moved my family to Florida very unexpectedly to care for my dying grandfather. This was one of the most pivotal events of my life and has come to be remembered as one of the most precious. It is here where God has taught me what it means to be a Biblical woman. Through the means of Riverbend Community Church, I have learned (and am definitely still learning!) what God’s Word has to say about authority and submission, manhood and womanhood, service in the church, practicing the “one another’s” of the Bible, pursuing Biblically-informed emotions, discipling and mentoring younger believers, caring for the weak, coming to love and value the call to singleness (for however long that may be) and gaining a scripturally sound view of my own sinfulness.

It is here that I have learned to study my heart – to recognize the evil and deceitful machinations that are always at work in it. It has brought many days of discouragement, frustration, sorrow, and confusion. But most importantly, it has brought days of gratitude – for it is God’s proven faithfulness to restore me in the midst of revealed sin and the consequent repentance that comes with it. I have learned things I never would have learned had I stayed in the places I once was.

One of my greatest sinful tendencies is to be controlled and even paralyzed by what others think of me, to the point that my imagination runs uncontrolled. These sinful emotional struggles have been revealed and refined (and continue to be) by the means of the leadership and friendships God has blessed me with throughout my years at Riverbend. It has been God’s particular goodness and mercy upon my life to bring me here for this season. I have done nothing to earn this goodness, and I am amazed by His abundant provisions. My life’s ambition is to please God, and I want to do this by learning how to live out His Word.

“…Set the believers an example if speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching…Practice these things, immerse yourself I them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by doing so you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
(I Timothy 4:6-16)

~ Written by Melissa Affolter

Worshipping in Singleness

2010-07-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

The truth of this verse is that Paul is calling believers to true worship. That we would live our lives according to the Holy scriptures the best we can with the work of the Holy Spirit in us and showing through us. We are to be the radiant image of Jesus Christ to this lost and dying world without compromise. Is there a difference in the way we worship in the aspects of being single or married, believer? Speaking as a single young man, and worship leader for Riverbend Community Church, I have found over the years that there should not be a difference in the way we corporately worship. Personal worship is perhaps different, because as a married believer, you have someone other than yourself to engage in that time with you. As a single believer, you become very concentrated on where God has you in your singleness and the pursuit of biblical manhood or womanhood in your life. The view we should have of God does not depend on being married or sinlge, for He is the God who does not and will not change. He had brought about redemption through His Son Jesus Christ for the single and married alike. We have been called to worship Him no matter what chapter of life we are in or the state of our being single or married. Being married is a picture of Christ and His Church, but this does not mean that the love He has for single people is any less. We are to live out our singleness to the fullest until we truly believe we have fulfilled all that God has for us in that singleness. The truth of God’s Word is what drives our worship, not our circumstances. “But the hour is coming , and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him” (John 4:23). So let us not gauge our worship on the extent of our marital status, but on the merits of Christ. He has redeemed and bought us with His blood that was shed on the cross. This should cause us to rise each morning with a new song to sing, single or married.

“All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name” (Psalm 66:4).

Written by Heyward Evans

Suffering as a single

2010-07-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

On July 24, 2008 I was hit with some very heavy news. Cancer! The news was so heavy that it brought me very low and I cried out to God for strength to handle this news. Moments after my prayer, it was as if God had literally poured out upon me buckets of grace. I could feel God’s grace sustaining me. I will never forget that moment not because of the news of cancer but because the reality of His grace. The news of cancer was heavy upon me but His grace was measured out more.

As I sat in my apartment and considered all the decisions that needed to be made, I imagined that my singleness was going to be compounded. I had always enjoyed my singleness and the freedoms it provided, but felt overwhelmed with immediate needs I would no doubt face alone. I thought, “I might not be able to handle everything alone.” Was I finally going to feel just how alone I really was? It was not long into the planning process that I saw God direct my every step. He was evidently directing my path and I could not deny it.

Just as God allowed me to feel His outpouring of Grace, He also allowed me to test very familiar promises and find them ever faithful. One particular promise was Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.” I was never alone! He was always with me.

It was also clear to me that my trial was not for me alone, but for those around me. So many of my close friends told me how God was using my trial to strengthen them in their faith. This brought me great Joy!! God is our refuge!

This trial and suffering was also an opportunity for me to learn about the body of Christ in a new way. For the first 13 or so years of my faith I had seen a different side of the church. This trial catapulted me to the other side. I was amazed at the response from my Church. Phone calls from my Pastors came immediately. They wanted to take care of me and make sure I was ok. I was amazed! I was prayed for by our deacons and anointed with oil just as God’s word prescribes for those who are sick. I got to experience all this!

There were three women God provided, that stepped up in support and encouragement. Each of these women had different strengths and God supplied the exact strength I would need at each moment. Melissa was my organizer and kept me straight for my appointments and immediate needs. Karen was the one who answered the phone before the first ring went through and said, “What’s wrong?” Then rushed me to the emergency room when I had an allergic reaction to the chemo at 1 in the morning. Missy was my friend whose words were always apples of gold in settings of silver. Whether I needed to be encouraged, or rebuked or even to consider something I hadn’t before, Missy was there. The Lord provided many more and my list can be a mile long of all the kind intentional ways the Church had ministered to my needs.

So back to being single- My initial thought of my singleness being compounded was short lived. According to Isaiah 54:5, “The Lord is your husband”. This verse is very true for every believer, but it is experienced differently in men and women. Women, who have been biblically created as the weaker vessel, have different needs then men. Because this is true one thing I needed as a single woman was a provider! I was able to watch God provide for my every need. I was without want! He was my provider, and he used different means to provide. He provided financially in amazing ways; 3months before I was diagnosed with cancer I purchased an Aflac cancer plan, my job was gracious with my needed time off, and my family was able to house me when I needed more direct care. God provided for all my needs and He used the church as His hands and feet.

Although my actual run with cancer was only 6 months it took about 1 & ½ years to recoup from the treatments. The doctors say I am healed! I am not in remission but completely healthy. I really was not expecting that response, and was truly ready for whatever God had for me. But He chose to heal me. I cannot help but think of those who went on to be with the Lord during my own run. I am grateful and humbled! The only conclusion I can draw is that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. I give him praise! I find great peace in His ways, because He does all things well.

There are so many things that the Lord taught me through my suffering and it is hard to summarize in a blog entry. But one thing held the anchor tight was that God is sovereign and that this little suffering came from His hand. Knowing that He was the one in control gave me great peace.

Written by Patti Parks