tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-288645732024-03-13T14:31:45.791-07:00....Soli Deo Gloria....I am not wise. I am not a theologian. I am a daughter of the King redeemed by grace trudging along in this world the same as you. I am a sinner, who is seen as righteous by a majestic and good God because of a perfect Savior who died a gruesome and horrific death so that my head could be sprinkled with the blood of the lamb.Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-45461318235917564572007-03-31T16:07:00.000-07:002007-03-31T16:10:28.665-07:00i've moved!!!well...not really. But my blog has moved. <br /><br />It is now located at:<br /><a href="http://jroramblings.wordpress.com/"><br />http://jroramblings.wordpress.com/</a><br /><br />Thanks!!Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-57216398259223942622007-03-28T17:29:00.000-07:002007-03-28T17:55:05.703-07:00Both/And...In the past week, there is one particular passage from the book "God is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself" by John Piper that my mind has been mulling over hour upon hour upon hour. Not only has the passage been further exalting the nature of Christ in my soul, but it has also been mortifying the sinful tendency in my heart to exalt the nature of Jenn. I tend to think that I am worth something because I am mostly patient, and often kind, and usually merciful. I end up thinking that I am doing well in my sanctification process because I am sometimes humble and every once in a while meek. In all actuality, the sanctification of Jenn is a long, slow road that has many more u-turns than it should. But I tell myself that it's <span style="font-style: italic;">hard</span> to be both kind AND humble-you get one or the other, but, HA, never really both. It's more of an either/or type of situation here. <br /><br />But this passage....oh this passage. When I make the oh so feeble and oh so humbling attempt to put my name in these sentences, I once again see my need for Christ, for His blood, for His intercession on my behalf. I once again hear the gospel resonate in my soul and once again I am hit over the head with my sin and Christ's lack of it. The only response I have is to shake my head in disbelief and kneel before my glorious God in overwhelming thanksgiving. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"What I am trying to express here is that the glory of Christ, as He appeared among us, consisted not in one attribute or another, and not in one act or another, but in what Jonathan Edwards called "an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies." In a sermon titled "The Excellency of Christ" Edwards took as his text Revelation 5:5-6 where Christ is compared both to a lion and a lamb. His point was that the unique glory of Christ was that such diverse excellencies (lion and lamb) unite in Him. These excellencies are so diverse that they "would have seemed to us utterly incompatible in the same subject." In other words:<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">we admire Him for His glory, but even more because His glory is mingled with humility<br /></span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">we admire Him for His transcendence, but even more because His transcendence is accompanied by condescension<br /></span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">we admire Him for His uncompromising justice, but even more because it is tempered with mercy</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">we admire Him for His majesty, but even more because it is a majesty in meekness</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">we admire Him because of His equality with God, but even more because as God's equal He nevertheless has a deep reverence for God</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">we admire Him because of how worthy He was of all good, but even more because this was accompanied by an amazing patience to suffer evil</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">we admire Him because of His sovereign dominion over the world,but even more because this dominion was clothed with a spirit of obedience and submission</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">we love the way He stumped the proud scribes with His wisdom, and we love it even more because He could be simple enough to like children and spend time with them</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and we admire Him because He could still the storm, but even more because He refused to use that power to strike the Samaritans with lightening and He refused to use it to get Himself down from the cross. <br /></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">....And that's what makes Jesus Christ uniquely glorious, excellent, and admirable. The human heart was made to stand in awe of such ultimate excellence. We were made to admire Jesus Christ, the Son of God."</span><br /></div></div></div>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-13301218728302757312007-03-25T20:58:00.001-07:002007-03-25T21:07:05.441-07:002 posts in one day? gasp!That's right...it's been all of 10 minutes and I'm posting again. <br /><br />This time, just to provide you with a link to an article about <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/april/20.29.html">Passion</a>. I cringed, I laughed out loud, my respect for Piper grew, and I was reminded of my appreciation and overwhelming thankfulness for Sovereign Grace Ministries.<br /><br />My favorite part:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"Audience screams went up in pitch when Beth Moore took the stage on the second day of Passion '07. No one who watches Moore teach ever forgets her."</span><br /><br />I can say with utmost certainty we would all agreement with this statement. :-)Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-78855450333001374792007-03-25T20:36:00.001-07:002007-03-25T20:36:11.452-07:00I AM is....Jeremiah 29:11. Matthew 6:25-34. Luke 12:4-11. Luke 12:22-34. Psalm 33:10-11. Psalm 57:1-11. Psalm 138:6-8. Proverbs 19:20-21. Isaiah 14:26-27. Ephesians 1:11-14.<br /><br />These are just a few times in His word that the Uncreated One has attempted to calm my wandering heart and mind. I can feel His Spirit whispering into my ear saying "I cannot plan the end and not plan the means. I have created you for a purpose-to worship Me. But I have also created you with passions in your heart that will allow you to fulfill your purpose. Trust in Me. Rest in My promises. You are My daughter and I love you. Nothing can change that. I will make My name known through you. I will make the Earth resound with My glory through you. Any desire that you have is mere dirt compared to the banquet I have prepared for you. Any dreams that you try to fulfill in YOUR fleshly timing will pale in comparison to the plans that I have for you in My perfect timing. Be captivated by Me-focus your gaze upon Me and never look away. I alone will last. This world and all its things will fade away. I am the Alpha and Omega. Before you were even a speck in your mother's eye, I had already formed you in MY eye-your looks, strengths, weaknessess, your ambitions, your voice, your heart, and your spirit. Every piece of you was made by Me, for Me. I will calm the noise in your soul with My touch. I will alleviate the frenzy in your mind with My peace. I will bring contentment to your fearful heart with My promises. I AM. You were not. I AM. You are not. I AM. You will not be. I AM reigns forever. I AM is worthy of your trust. I AM is deserving of your praise. I AM is the most Beautiful One. I AM is the lover of your soul. I AM killed His son for You. I AM imputed His Son's righteousness to you. I AM looks upon you as perfect. I AM is enough for you.Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-35495119230047163362007-03-20T16:37:00.000-07:002007-03-20T16:51:37.212-07:00O Sinful Heart...A friend of mine recently posted this on a group blog, and I thought to post part of it, as I was greatly encouraged/affected/reminded of the gospel in reading it. <br /><br /><em style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"I think that I make to many decisions based on how I feel. If I let myself become informed by subjectivity, it will only lead to despair in a fallen world. Yet at times I cannot alleviate this weight that presses in on me so. My heart yearns to be joyful, but it as if my sin will not allow it. I begin to preach myself the Gospel again, but its foundation has been loosened in my life because of sin. It has almost lost its effect. How can I profess something that my life does not support? How can I call myself a child of God and yet live as a forsaken one? How can I sing a lyric that proclaims the sinner that I once was, when I am that now? O' sinful heart, you bring me to despair. I cannot bear my own </em><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">deceitfulness."</span><br /><br /></em>I've gotta say, I think that our theological heroes would be pleased with the biblical accuarcy and heartfelt honesty that is written here. Even more, I think that God the Father is pleased that the writer here so understands the effects of sin, the still deceitfulness of a believers heart, and our continued inability to do anything about it apart from grace. <br /><br />To read the full post, click<a href="http://single-focus.blogspot.com/2007/03/deceitfulness-of-heart.html"> here.</a><br /><br />HT: Single Focus<br /><em><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /></em>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-83584901937782239542007-03-11T20:32:00.000-07:002007-03-12T20:41:54.001-07:00sure I'll serve-BUT....Imagine the following conversation:<br /><br />Bob: <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Hi Jane. There is going to be an opportunity for ministry this week at a local homeless shelter. I was wondering if you would be interested in serving the Lord with us in this way. </span><br /><br />Jane: <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Sure! I would love to serve in that way. I really have a heart for that particular ministry! The only thing is, I'm only available between the hours of 2 PM and 5 PM on Thursdays, because I have school and work and friends and the gym and errands and TV shows. So it better be during that time, otherwise, I won't be able to. And, if there is any messy/yucky work that needs to be done, you're going to have to get someone else to do that, because, well, you know, that really isn't my forte. And, I'm really only going to be able to come if Rose comes too, because it just won't be as much fun serving the Lord if Rose wasn't there. Oh. And I hope it's okay it I complain some of the time while we're serving, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">because</span> it's going to be hard work, and I want people there to know how hard I'm working. And while we're on the subject of complaining, know that if everything doesn't go exactly the way that I have planned, you'll probably hear some grumbling on my behalf. And I hope it's okay if I pass out a bulletin at church this week letting everyone know that I'm giving up 3 hours of my time in order to serve in this way, because I want to make sure that everyone knows that I have the heart of a humble servant. </span><br /><br />I don't know about you, but if I were Bob, I think I'd tell Jane to take her three hours of available serving time and stick them...ahem...um yea, I mean, that I would tell Jane her service was no longer needed. At least, not THAT kind of service.<br /><br />The Lord really did a number on my heart these past two days as far as serving is concerned. I was asked to serve in this one area, and the events that transpired since then have shone a spotlight on my ever selfish, ever sinful, and ever in need of a Savior heart.<br /><br />Why do I only want to serve on MY terms? How is that my definition of serving has even come to have anything to do with me at all? Do I only serve so that other people will notice? Do I care more about the praises of man that the praises of God? And who ever said serving was all fun, all the time? Serving is about sacrifice, and denying of self, and dying to self. Will my motives for serving always be half God-glorifying and half Jenn-glorifying?<br /><br />This past weekend, the topic of waiters was a hot one among some of my friends and I-for one, many of us have experience in the food industry, but also, we recently had a not so positive <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">experience</span> at Olive Garden. As I reflect back upon my time as a waitress, as a SERVER, I'm realizing some things. When I walk up to the table, to introduce myself and to take their order, no matter what kind of day I'm having, I put a smile on my face and try to come across friendly and kind, because their <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">restaurant</span> experience isn't about MY current disposition, or MY preferences, or MY desires. It doesn't matter that I've now pulled a double 3 days in a row, and I seem to permanently smell of food. It's about their current need for something (food) and my current ability to help satisfy that need. I am at their beck and call, and if they need their sweet tea glass refilled 10 times in 2 hours, I'll fill it with a smile on my face each and every time. Why? Because there is hopefully a reward at the end of the evening for me-a nice large tip.<br /><br />How much more so should I serve outside of the restaurant world in this same way? First of all, we are called to serve one another. But secondly, there is also a reward for us, and an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">absolutely</span> certain reward at that. There would be some tables, that no matter how impeccable my serving of them was, the tip that they would leave left much to be desired. But when it comes to service as a believer, I know that my Father will be glorified. I know that He will be pleased with my actions and with the glory He receives, and that I in turn, will somehow be blessed. I know what the end result is.<br /><br />You may be reading this, and thinking "That's all well and good Jenn, but here's the thing. I'm busy! I go to school and I work and I've just got stuff to do. At the end of the day, it really just isn't the right time for me to serve right now. It's not my heart's greatest desire."<br /><br />Well friend, the greatest servant of all, Jesus Christ, laid down His own desires to submit to His Father's will. He prayed in the Garden, that if it were at all possible, the Father would take this cup, this death on a cross, away...that if it were at all possible God would make His glory known and His people redeemed in some other way. <span style="font-style: italic;">One</span> of the desires of Christ's heart was to have the cup removed-but it was not His ultimate desire. The utmost and foremost desire of Christ was that His Father's will would be done, and in whatever way Christ was called to serve, He would serve joyfully, and humbly, and fully.<br /><br />Praise God that Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, is always about doing His Father's business, and is always about the glory of His Father. Praise God that He was a servant, doing that which was not the most fun, but that which He was called to do. Praise God that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, is living and breathing in me, because this means that there is hope for me! This means that I am being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ. I am being continually sanctified, and perhaps one day, I will say with my whole heart "I would LOVE to serve you in that way" and mean it fully and completely and to the glory of God.Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-70594937647995625432007-03-01T14:33:00.000-08:002007-03-01T15:17:52.028-08:00He has clothed me with the garments of salvation!!!<span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;color:#990066;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ba149d;"><strong></strong></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;color:#990066;"><strong></strong></span><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, Sans Serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i></i></span></span>Modesty.<span style=""> </span>I’ve already said a lot about it. <span style=""> </span>I think you can tell that it’s a subject about which I am passionate.<span style=""> </span>But it doesn’t really matter what I have said.<span style=""> </span>And it doesn’t really matter that I am passionate about it. <span style=""> </span>What matters is what the word of God says.<span style=""> </span>And it matters that God is passionate about it.<span style=""> </span>He is passionate about purity of the heart, mind, body, and soul. <span style=""> </span>He is passionate about the redeemed being continually conformed into the image of His perfect son, Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. <span style=""></span><o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> <p class="MsoNormal">Scripture on modest apparel:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>1 Timothy 2:9-10<br /><span style=""> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-29706">but with what is proper for women who profess godliness--with good works.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Titus 2:3-5<br /><span style=""> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-29892">and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, <span id="en-ESV-29893">to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Scripture on causing others to stumble:</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Mark 9:42<span style=""><br /></span> <span id="en-ESV-24573"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.</span></span><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Luke 17:1-2<br /><span style=""> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-25641">And he said to his disciples, <woj>"Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!</woj> <span id="en-ESV-25642">It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span>Scripture on the Glory of God:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>1 Chronicles 16:29<span style=""><br /> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> bring an offering and come before him!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;</span><sup> <o:p></o:p></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>(Not in the splendor of beauty or the splendor of yourself, but the splendor of Holiness)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Romans 12:2 <br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Do not be conformed to this world,</span><sup style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> </sup><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.</span><sup style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><o:p></o:p></sup></p> <o:p></o:p>Isaiah 61:10 <p> <span id="en-ESV-18851"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> my soul shall exult in my God,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.</span> </span></p> <p>Praise God! I love this Scripture! Marinate in this...you are adorned in robes of righteousness and garments of salvation. PRAISE YOUR GOD!!!<b><b></b></b></p>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-38087666684097531432007-02-22T15:55:00.000-08:002007-02-22T15:56:26.677-08:00Christian Romance Novels and the Gospel....When I first wrote the previous post, some people took issue with it. E<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">specially</span> the part about Christian romance novels. It was said that these are books that thousands of Christian women have read for years, and since they are "Christian" books and sold in "Christian" stores, why would any caution be needed? <br /><br /> This was my response:<br /><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">My main concern for myself with Christian romance novels is that they are focused on finding your soul mate, not the gospel; not Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That would be a concern with any book. If, at the end of it, I cannot lay the book down and have my soul cry out "To God be the Glory," there is an issue. And of course this goes with anything...music, movies, books, hobbies, etc. I am not trying to put a legalistic slant on what we do or do not do as believers. God created romance. God created a woman's desire to be pursued. God created a man's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">desire</span> TO pursue.<br /><br />But greater than all of that, God sent His son the Christ, and was pleased to crush Him, even unto death, so that His name might be sung out unto the ends of the earth. I see an issue when the focus is faith that one day my prince will come, instead of faith that my King has come and is risen and reigns; when the focus is romance, not Christ; emotion, not reality; the soul mate, not the Savior; a wedding dress, not the Wedding Feast; an earthly groom, not Him who was Slain before the foundations of the earth. Romance is not a sin.<br /><br />These books and movies are not sin, in and of themselves. But when our hearts are more moved upon reading works of fiction than Romans 9, there is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. This is not all girls, at all times, in all places, with all books or movies. But it's more prevalent than we would realize I believe. I would just urge us, as woman, to be sensitive to our sisters in Christ. To make sure that we are speaking into their lives and breathing grace-we do not know our potential love stories and dreams of romance to be true or certain. Christ and Him crucified-the only thing that is forever true and certain.</span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-30082934347073375622007-02-18T15:59:00.000-08:002007-02-18T16:00:05.084-08:00emotional modesty part 1...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ok</span>. This post is perhaps a bit more controversial, and I get that. But it's something I still believe and have seen damaging effects from it since originally writing this, so again, I thought it might be worth posting here.<br /><br />I am not the first or the only person to bring out this idea. I have heard it from a well known pastor and also a mentor in my life. (Recently as well, Carolyn <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">McCulley</span> brought up the same idea on her blog.)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">In the same way that guys are physically stimulated, girls are emotionally stimulated. A guy may be stirred up by a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">scantily</span> clad woman passing by but for many girls something else pulls at our heart strings even more. It's a conversation over lunch after church one day where you begin to get a glimpse into the heart of this particular man. You begin to be attracted to his heart. From there on, you may read into the tiniest things. You catch yourself adding his last name to yours and perhaps thinking of your wedding more often. You spend more time getting ready for a game night because you know he will be there. An intense emotional attraction can be more dangerous for many of us women than an intense physical attraction. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">So, men often struggle with lusting and pornography because of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">visual aspect</span> of it-it appeals to that part of their mind and body. Obviously, we would be in agreement that porn is bad in it's very essence. But also, it sets up this perfect physical specimen to which very few real women will ever measure up. It sets you up for disappointment. It focuses on the fantasy, not reality.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">In the same way, I would say chick-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">flicks</span> are pornography for girls. They appeal to our base desire for complete love and tenderness and emotional <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">attachment</span>. I know many girls watch movies such as "The Notebook" or "Ever After." At the end of the movie, their focus is on this amazing leading man who was handsome and athletic and caring and kind and masculine and loved kids and simply perfect in every way. Their hearts begin to long for that and feel neglected without it. Watching these type of movies turns girls on emotionally-which is often our weakest and most susceptible spot. It sets these men up as emotionally in tune and sensitive men that are constantly aware of and responding to their wife or girlfriend's needs. It sets up an emotional standard that men cannot meet 100% all the time. It sets us up for disappointment when you compare the men in reality to these men in fantasy.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">How many guys, turn to pornography when feeling lonely or unfulfilled or just bored?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">How many girls do you know, in finding themselves single on Valentine's Day, turn to a romantic movie and a pint of ice cream?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Where is the difference? They are the same problem just one is more obvious and on the surface. They are both longing for that which is not true. One is just more publicly viewed as sinful and shameful. Both cause our hearts to lust after things that do not exist.<br /><br />Now, unlike <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pornography</span>, you <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> watch chick-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">flicks</span> without sinning. But I would just urge girls to be cautious. To view "The Notebook" through a Gospel lens and realize that it's events are just as much fiction as the events that occur in Star Wars. When, and if, you get married, you are not marrying a Prince Charming or a Noah (from "The Notebook"). You are marrying another sinner who is forgiven of his sins and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">iniquities</span> by the blood of the Christ-<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">just like you</span>. Marriage is not the beginning of happily ever after. It is the beginning of a different kind of sanctification and a training ground for being a humble and loving servant all the time. When any of my friends get married, my earnest prayer is that instead of having stars in their eyes, they would have the cross in their eyes.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Powlinson</span> addresses it from the romantic novel view and says " The romantic novel genre has even made a crossover to evangelical publishing houses. The sex is cleaned up; the knight in shining armor is also a deep spiritual leader who marries you before sleeping with you. but the fantasy appeal to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">intimate</span> and romance lusts remain as the inner engine that allures readers."<br /><br />The only person any man should strive to be more like is Jesus Christ. He should not be trying to be more like any leading man in any Hollywood movie or work of fiction. Christ alone is ideal. Christ alone is to be emulated. Christ alone is to be exaulted and longed for. Christ alone will never fail, never disappoint, and never forsake you.<br /></span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-32702906167088335272007-02-14T16:46:00.000-08:002007-02-14T18:16:10.252-08:00modesty survey....<a href="http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.therebelution.com/img/rebelution_ads/ms_banner_ad.gif" alt="TheRebelution.com: The Modesty Survey" title="TheRebelution.com: The Modesty Survey" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.therebelution.com/about/alex_and_brett.htm">Alex and Brett Harris</a>, along with their sister and others, recently put together a modesty survey. It's on their blog "The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rebelution</span>" and it's called "<a href="http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/">The Modesty Survey</a>." They asked Christian guys to take it, and have published the results today. I would encourage you to check it out. I've been reading through some of the responses, and here are some of the ones I find most interesting, or at least, worth repeating. Again, this is not directed at anyone nor said for any particular reason other than that it is on my heart, and needs to be on our radar as Christian women.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shrugs, the short shirts and jackets that just cover the chest, draw too much attention to the bust.<br /> </span>59% of guys agree or strongly agree with this statement. They say the shrugs that don't tie across the chest are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ok</span>, but if there is a tie across the chest, it is extremely attention drawing for them.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Strapless dresses are immodest.<br /> </span>65.9% of guys agree or strongly agree with this statement. They say it makes you look half naked. Also, you spend half the time pulling at the dress to keep it up, which doesn't help them either.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Girls can be modest by layering (e.g. wearing camisoles under v-neck shirts</span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="javascript:popUp('definition.php?id=27')"></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> to hide cleavage) even if some of the layers would be immodest by themselves.</span><br />78.7% of the guys agree or strongly agree with this statement. They say it is a great way to make immodest clothing modest. But there is overwhelming agreement that lace camisoles are immodest as they look too much like lingerie.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wearing pants with words across the backside is a stumbling block.</span><br />84.3% of the guys agree or strongly agree with this statement. They say it is as if they are being baited to lust after you.<br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Any shorts that are shorter than mid-thigh are immodest.</span><br />83.8% of the guys agree or strongly agree with this statement. A humorous remark was made that most guys wear boxers that are longer than that. They say that when you are standing, it might be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ok</span>, but when you sit down, it's usually not.<br /><br />6. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauchos are modest.</span><br />60.7% of the guys agree or strongly agree with this statement. They remind girls to be careful that they are loose fitting gauchos and not low riders. Many of the guys said they CAN be modest, but often are immodest when it comes to the way they fit on a girls butt.<br /><br />7. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seeing a girl's chest bounce when she is walking or running is a stumbling block.</span><br />76.5% of the guys agree or strongly agree with this statement. They also say that they realizing when you are working out and running, there may be little you can do to stop this. But they ask that you be aware that it is a huge problem for guys and to do what you can to help them and to just be discreet when possible.<br /><br />8. <b style="font-weight: bold;">Wearing glitter lotion is not</b><span style="font-weight: bold;"> a stumbling block.</span><br />59.6% of the guys agree or strongly agree with this statement. But seriously, I laughed out loud when I read some of the remarks for this one.<br />"It looks like something a 12 or 13 year old would do. Plus, it makes a mess, and anytime a girl is wearing it I seem to get it on myself and my clothes. Kind of like a pet shedding hair, except it's you shedding sparkles."<br /><br />"Not a stumbling block. However, you get them all over the church pews and then they find their way onto my face. It's not funny when I have to explain to other people why there is glitter on <i>my</i> face."<br /><br />The overwhelming majority of guys say that glitter lotion is unattractive and childish. One guy said it was vain because "...flesh was not meant to glitter." They do say that if the glitter is on the chest and downward it goes from being childish to being immodest.<br /><br />9. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Even modest pajamas are inappropriate for a girl to wear in public.</span><br />48.6% of the guys agree or strongly agree with this statement. They say that pajamas are for when you are in bed, and guys obviously know that, and so they start thinking about your bed. Basically, PJ's=bed, which means guys are thinking of women and bed all at the same time.<br /><br />Then, there were a few open ended questions. One of them was "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Guys-if you could say anything to your sisters in Christ about modesty, what would it be?</span>" I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sooooo</span> urge you to go read some of the answers to this question. Praise God for men that value biblical <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">femininity</span> and modesty and a woman after God's own heart. Some of my favorite excerpts:<br /> <br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> "Please don’t take modesty lightly. As your brother in Christ I value the relationship that I will have with my wife someday. When I am tempted because of you I lose a part of myself that I am trying to save for her."</span> (this was by a 16 year old!)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> "Would you rather be the tool by which guys satisfy themselves or the beautiful thing God created you to be, pure for your husband? My flesh prefers the former, but my heart pleads for the latter."</span> (this by a 17 year old!)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> "God gave you girls huge power over us men as we are wired to respond to a woman's body when it's revealed or hinted at. It's part of God's perfect plan for marriage and yet it's another thing that Satan has twisted and is using against us to make us think that we are not living up to God's standards, since it is like a re-fall every time one of those thoughts crosses our minds, no matter how small it is or how quickly we dismiss it. We know it's not all your responsibility, but you can help."<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> "Please, please, please take a higher standard in the ways you dress. True, we men are responsible for our thoughts and actions before the Lord, but it is such a blessing when we know that we can spend time with our sisters in Christ, enjoying their fellowship without having to constantly be on guard against ungodly thoughts brought about by the inappropriate ways they sometimes dress. In 1 Corinthians 12 the apostle Paul presents believers as the members of one body - we have to work together. Every Christian has a special role to play in the body of Christ. </span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">That goal is to bring glory to the Savior through an obedient, unified body of believers - please don't hurt that unity by dressing in ways that may tempt your brothers in Christ to stumble."<br /><br /></span>Anyways, I found the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">survey</span> results to be an interesting read and would encourage you to use some of your idle time this weekend to look them over. Also, remember to read it with an open mind, and be ready for the Spirit to work as He will-convicting, encouraging, blessing, etc. The goal of this survey is neither legalism, nor condemnation. But instead, a greater zealousness for purity by the blood of Christ.Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-12412798514815350592007-02-12T14:05:00.001-08:002007-02-12T18:14:12.252-08:00modesty-not JUST for sundays....In the coming days, I plan to post here some previously written short essays on dating and modesty-both physical and emotional. This topic has been on my radar again, as <a href="http://www.joshharrisblogson.blogspot.com/">Josh Harris</a> has been doing a sermon series on purity recently at <a href="http://www.covlife.org/">Covenant Life</a>, and <a href="http://therebelution.com/">the Rebelution</a> blog has been doing a modesty survey. Plus, with Valentine's day just around the corner, dating/courting, marriage, guy/girl relationships seems to be the hot topic.<br /><br />These are comments that I wrote on my friend <a href="http://rdhill.blogspot.com/">Ryan's</a> blog long before I had ever contemplated even HAVING a blog. I'm going to edit them some but the heart and soul of what I was trying to get at when I wrote them last spring is still there.<br /><br />Also, this is not an attack, nor specifically directed. This is a topic about which I feel passionately, and these are just my thoughts.<br /><br />Let's begin with physical modesty....This post was written in response to a question as to whether or not girls should dress modestly in church.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Modesty is a weird issue. Not weird in that there are some gray areas over what is important, but weird in that girls simply do not understand just how visually stimulated guys are. We all struggle with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lying</span> and pride, but lusting is something much more common to men than women. It's a sin area that many woman can't wrap their minds around. I've heard many a girl say "It's their problem. They need to just not look at me like that." I think the root of the problem lies in how we, as men and women, relate to one another in Christ. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I'll speak only of what I know many girls do. Often, with each Christian brother that they meet, they look upon him as a potential boyfriend or husband first....then, once they decide he isn't the one for them, they "demote" him to the position of brother in Christ. So instead of being concerned with helping him stay pure because he is their brother, they are concerned with getting and attracting his attention. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">In Song of Solomon, numerous times Solomon states "my sister, my bride." Always my sister first. If we, as believers, were to have that mindset, I think it would go a long way towards dealing with the purity thing. Even once married, your spouse is first your brother or sister in Christ, and we are to treat them as such.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Beyond that, it's also a HUGE heart issue for girls. They wear makeup and revealing clothing to get attention and to feel pretty, because that is where their self worth lies. My heart breaks for these girls, but then, it just makes me that much more zealous for the purity of the guys that I know. I have said before "Curses upon the woman that makes my future husband stumble and lust over her in his heart and mind." To an extent obviously, that's just a joke. But it's a heart check for me. Am I causing someone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">else's</span> future husband to stumble?<br /><br />So is it important for girls to be modest in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">church</span>? My answer is a RESOUNDING yes. But why do we need to clarify it with "in church?" If you are going to be a modest woman, you should always be modest. Are you a servant <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> in church? Are you joyful<span style="font-style: italic;"> only</span> in church? I have friends who have "church wardrobes" and "non-church wardrobes" and this simply astounds me. If it's inappropriate before God and fellow worshippers on Sundays, why in the world is it appropriate Tuesday evening? There should not be a dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. Men have a hard enough time dealing with non-believers who dress scantily-the last thing they need is to have to fight this battle when hanging out with their sisters in Christ.<br /><br />And yes, no matter what you wear, chances are some boy some where will be able to find something to lust after. And yes, it is THEIR sin. They will be held accountable for it. But for the girls who have been talked to about their apparel, who then continue to wear immodest clothing because they view it as their freedom in Christ, this is now YOUR sin as well. You also will be held accountable for it. You may not understand this sin in their life, but once you are made aware of it's existence and your possible contribution to it, I believe that there is now a level of responsibility and accountability on your part as well.<br /><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> </span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-25809636595397649092007-02-05T19:17:00.000-08:002007-02-07T13:50:12.663-08:00there were People like me...(Part 2 of 2)So these people like me....<br /><br />They too don't settle for <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ok</span> sermons that are just mostly true doctrine. They too won't settle for songs that mostly center on the cross. Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of people who are passionate about theology. And there are plenty of people who are passion about worship. But <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sovereign</span> Grace is a rare mixture of the two. They are passionate about correct theology and biblical truths that are manifested in both the preaching <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">and</span> the worship. It is not an either/or thing, but a both/and thing.<br /><br />The conference that I mentioned in my last post, well, it was a intellectually strenuous at times. You had to be constantly discerning. You could never just sit and take notes (except for one session). Many statements had to be carefully weighed and considered next to biblical truth. Many conversations happened after the fact discussing whether this lined up with Scripture, and whether this outline point could be upheld by Scripture. Many times a lyric from a song was brought up-as to whether it was God glorifying or man glorifying. We couldn't just worship and learn. How I longed for a theological <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">stress-free</span> environment! Instead, it was a theological marathon.<br /><br />But this marathon was good for many reasons. One, we all came away having grown in our discernment skills. Two, we all came away with a greater appreciate and love of Sovereign Grace. But most importantly, we all came away with a greater realization of the importance of NOT compromising where the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bible</span> is concerned. We came away more in love with the absolute truths of Scripture and humbled by the pastors in our own lives that seek to make this occur in our churches.<br /><br />I mentioned before that Sovereign Grace combines both correct theology and passionate worship. John Piper, of course, says it more eloquently than I:<br /><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"Singing and knowing. Rejoicing and reasoning. Delight and doctrine. That's Sovereign Grace Ministries. it is so rare, and so needed...so Sing on, Sovereign <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Grace. And</span> whatever you do, don't stop studying and thinking and preaching about our great Savior."<br /><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> "God exists to be worshipped—to be admired and treasured and desired and praised. Therefore, the Word of God is written primarily to produce worship. This means that if that Word is handled like a hot-dish recipe or a repair manual, it is mishandled. And the people will suffer. The Truth of God begs to be handled with exultation. And our hearts yearn for this and need it. Something in us starts to die when precious and infinitely valuable realities are handled without feelings and words of wonder and exultation. That is, a church starts to die, without preaching."<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"</span>So there are always two parts to true worship. We can say it in two pairs: there is seeing God and there is savoring God. You can't separate these. You must see him to savor him. And if you don't savor him when you see him, you insult him. Or another pair would be this: in worship there is always understanding with the mind and there is always feeling in the heart. Understanding must always be the foundation of feeling, or all we have is baseless emotionalism. But understanding of God that doesn't give rise to feeling for God becomes mere intellectualism and deadness. This is why the Bible continually calls us to think and consider and meditate and remember on the one hand, and to rejoice and fear and mourn and delight and hope and be glad on the other hand. Both are essential for worship."</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><br /></span>But this isn't just my opinion or John Piper's opinion-that correct doctrine in our preaching and worship is vital. Paul says to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-4:4<br /><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing, and his Kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">reprove</span>, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. Fr the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."<br /><br /></span><br />Paul charges Timothy, and really, God charges us, with the importance of having sound teaching. The importance of both seeing and savoring Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />So those are some of the things I have learned and found in the last 730<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ish</span> days. 1) That fear of man is the root of most of my sins which is easily manifested in pride, self-sufficiency, independence, and <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">lieing</span>. 2) It is so important to address possible issues in friendships in the moment. It saves so much time, heartache, and sin. Most importantly, it allows God to continue receiving His due glory from the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">friendship</span>. 3) Theology doesn't have to exist <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">separate</span> from Passion and vice <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">versa</span>. True doxology flows from a correct theology, and both are <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">absolutely</span> necessary in the believer's life.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-29217460804007485042007-01-30T15:31:00.000-08:002007-01-30T18:37:52.707-08:00there were people like me...(1 of 2)There weren't too many people who thought like me. Especially not my age. Most people didn't question the lyrics to the worship songs and the content of the sermons. But I was frustrated. I was confused. It did not seem like the church I was involved in matched with the church in Acts 2. But it wasn't just my church, it was a lot of churches. We seemed to be more concerned with just getting people in the doors than we were with authentically discipling them. It seemed like the God of the Apostle Paul, Martin Luther, and Jonathan Edwards was a much more powerful and majestic God than my God. My God seemed to be small, almost pocket sized.<br /><br />In youth group, we talked about how God wanted us to live a pure life-abstaining from drugs, sex, alcohol, etc. God wanted us to obey our parents joyfully and share the gospel and serve people across the world. But I felt like I had this pocket Jesus. A Jesus I could pull out at will when I needed help. A Jesus that I could grasp, and comprehend, and understand. A Jesus that was easy.<br /><br />In the Sunday sermons, it seemed as if the things that were presented were packaged in this user friendly format. It seemed as if things were marketed up in order to attract the consumer-it seemed like a business. I can remember one sermon series entitled "10 Habits of Highly Effective People." Sounds like a motivational series right? It was actually a series on the 10 commandments. It provoked me that we would switch the word 'habit' for 'commandment.' It was as if these were suggestions to follow if you wanted to be a good person, instead of laws that were given to the Israelites in order to show them their need for a Savior.<br /><br />Also, I was so very frustrated by the songs we would sing. I was so very tired of singing about myself-what I was going to do, what I had done, what I wanted.<br /><br /><pre style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Faithfulness, faithfulness is what I<br />long for.<br />Faithfulness is what I need.<br />Faithfulness, faithfulness is what.<br />You want from me.</pre> or<br /><br /><pre style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Come, now is the time to worship</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Come, now is the time to give your heart</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Come, just as you are to worship</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Come, just as you are before your God</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Come</span><br /><br /><br /></pre> The above songs aren't bad or sinful by any means. But they are man focused. And isn't it always the time to worship? It feels like we are singing to each other, about ourselves. Instead we should sing to our Lord and Savior about Himself. I didn't want to sing about me. I am dirty and unclean and wretched. I wanted to sing about God-who is perfect and holy and looks on me with love, when He used to look upon me as an object of wrath.<br /><br />Also, I was tired of singing songs that were just "almost" biblically correct.<br /><br /><pre style="font-family: verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Crucified, laid behind a stone<br />You lived to die, rejected and alone<br />Like a rose, trampled on the ground<br />You took the fall and thought of me<br />Above all...</pre>I know a lot of the frustration came from differences in doctrine. But I just didn't think that Christ was thinking about me, above all, when He was upon the cross. I think He was thinking about His Father's glory above all. I think He was thinking about what was being accomplished for the Kingdom above all.<br /><br />You might be thinking I am crazy. You might be thinking that I am legalistic and over analyzing and over thinking. Trust me, my best friend thinks this about me often! :-) (And it is something that I have to be cautious of. And I love her for cautioning me time and time again.)<br /><br />But I look at it this way. If Susie has never been to my church before, and then comes one Sunday. Perhaps she is called to respond to the Gospel, which she does obediently by repenting and believing that day. Now, say the first song she sings as a believer says "You thought of me above all." This causes her to think of HER importance. Of HER worth. Of HER good deeds. It's subtle, but trust me it's there and it's dangerous. I think the achilles heel of Christianity today is the believer that thinks he or she is good and therefore DESERVES salvation. It's a slippery theological path.<br /><br />So all this mumble jumble to say that I was frustrated. And my friends at my church back home listened to me, and they understood what I was saying, but they thought I was over thinking. That I just needed to let it go, and not focus on the bad stuff, but rather the good stuff. <br /><br />Recently, I myself questioned a friend on this. We were at an event where they were asking people to give money so that they could go take the gospel to unreached people. I didn't feel so led at that moment because I don't agree with everything they stand for. Then, for a minute, I thought maybe that was wrong. Maybe it was ok if it wasn't 100% truth, so long as it was mostly truth. So I asked this friend if perhaps I <span style="font-style: italic;">should</span> give. If perhaps it would be better for a watered down gospel to go out than for no gospel at all. And his response resonated in my heart, and confirmed what I had been thinking at first.<br /> He said "Look at the Bible Jenn. What did Christ do? He didn't present a watered down gospel. He presented absolute truth. Isn't that the example we then should follow? Why settle for less than biblical truth?"<br /><br />That, my friends, sums up the confusion in my heart before I got involved with Sovereign Grace. We should not settle for mediocre and almost absolute truth and only a tiny bit wrong. We are not called to settle! Christ does not want His church, His BRIDE to settle. <br />And it was 730ish days ago that the Lord led me to a group of churches where there were people like me....<br /><br /><br />...to be continued....Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-58562629951979051522007-01-23T15:43:00.000-08:002007-01-23T16:15:16.065-08:00erasing shadows....So often in friendships, we let little things go by, unchallenged and unbroached. It may be an off the cuff statement. It may be a misunderstood action. It may be the very lack of action. We let these little things build upon one another until all of the sudden, we just break and the friendships are often impacted in a negative way.<br /><br />Once again, this was something I didn't have a title for until Diane Taulbee mentioned that her and a friend had made a committment to one another and to the Lord. They wanted to actively "erase shadows" from their friendship. If an action or comment by one gave the other an uneasy feeling, they would verbalize their concerns in those moments. This is in contrast to allowing slight hurt the opportunity to fester into a open sore.<br /><br />I can't say that I have always been successful at doing this in my own life. In fact, I can flat out say that I have intensely failed at this time and time again, due to sin, e.g. self-pity, carelessness, pride. <br /><br />But I can say this: the concept is more prominent in my mind. The desire to erase the shadows is there. The blessing of friends who understand the importance of this is there. The able strength of the Holy Spirit is within me. <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"Be killing sin, or it will be killing you."</span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">~John Owen</span><br /><br /><br /><span id="en-ESV-16609" class="sup">Proverbs 8:6-8<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">6</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Hear, for I will speak noble things,</span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> and from my lips will come what is right, </span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-16610" class="sup">7</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">for my mouth will utter truth;</span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> wickedness is an abomination to my lips. </span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-16611" class="sup">8</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">All the words of my mouth are righteous;</span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. </span><br /><br />Zachariah 8:16-17<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-NIV-22993" class="sup">16</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-NIV-22994" class="sup"><br />17</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD.</span><br /><br />2 Corinthians 6:4, 6-8<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-28882" class="sup">4...</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-28884" class="sup"></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-28885" class="sup"><br />6</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-28886" class="sup"><br />7</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="en-ESV-28887" class="sup"><br />8</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise.</span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-3969448030797241072007-01-09T11:57:00.002-08:002007-01-09T13:04:29.056-08:00730ish days ago....Ok. So I know the closing days of December are really when you are supposed to sit and ponder the failures of the past year and hopes for the future. But you see, I was a little busy.<br /><br />I was a little busy meeting my new nephew, Josiah Scott, who was born on December 21. I was a little busy in Misssissippi getting up at 5:30 AM to shoot Bambi. I was a little busy flying home on a plane and finally doing Christmas with my mom and Jeff and Phillip. I was a little busy packing for Passion and preparing my heart to meet with the Lord. Needless the say, New Years came and went without any thought being given on my part to resolutions or anything along those lines.<br /><br />In the days since Passion, I have had nothing to do however except sit and ponder. I have had all the time in the world to journal and dream and wonder and regret. And one thing keeps coming to the forefront of my mind.<br /><br />It was this coming weekend, 2 years ago, that I first walked through the doors of a Sovereign Grace church. It was a little over 730 days ago that I was first introduced to this movement of churches. I can still remember that first Sunday very vividly in my head. The night before, I had looked up directions on Mapquest in my dorm room and hadn't really given it much thought other than that. The service starts at 10 AM. I left my dorm at 9:45 AM. First mistake. It takes 5 minutes to get off campus at 20 MPH. Bad start. Even worse, I start heading south on 13th St instead of north. It takes me about 5 minutes to realize this. So, by the time I'm heading the correct direction, it's already 10 AM. I almost gave up, and thought, I'll go next Sunday. But I didn't, and kept driving along.<br /><br />I finally (after 3 more wrong turns) show up to the church around 10:20. It's the middle of worship I figure. I'm used to Baptist churches where you enter from the back and can sneak in quietly when you are late and figure who is going to notice you. I'm praying that this is the same situation at this new church.<br /><br />But alas, God is a funny God. The church meets in a school (because, as we all know, church is about the body of people, not the building itself). They meet in the cafeteria of an elementary school, where the doors are located on the side, meaning you have to walk in and EVERYONE WILL SEE YOU. Even worse, they worship with the lights fully on-no dimmed mood lights here. Which means, as you walk in, LATE, you will catch everyone's eye.<br /><br />What will they think? They're going to not like me because I am late. I hope I'm dressed ok. What if I can't find Joe and Tara and other people I know? What if they didn't even come this Sunday? What if I have to sit by myself? Man. I'm such a loser. I should just get back in my car and go home. So, instead of walking in at 10:20, I stand in the little foyer, trying to hide from all these strangers, fearful of what they would think of me.<br /><br />Now, get this. It's gets worse. Some member at the church was also running late. And she's walking up and doesn't know me so she introduces herself and asks if I want to walk in with her. I LIE and say "That's ok. I'm waiting for a friend." This way, maybe she'll walk in there and say "Don't judge the girl who is about to walk in really late. She's waiting for a friend. That's why she's late. It's not her fault."<br /><br />It was a sad sad day in the life of Jennifer Lorraine.<br /><br />I didn't really know what all those thoughts and fears were. I would have said I was just nervous, being by myself in a new place. I never saw it for what it was for quite sometime. One day though David Gilland was joking around with me and I was doing something because of my fear of man. I'm sure I shot back some joke in the same vein, but I couldn't stop thinking about those 3 words. FEAR OF MAN. Which really comes down to pride-thinking that anyone would even care to dwell upon me or rest their thoughts upon me, thinking that this world is somehow focused upon me.<br /><br />So 730 days ago began the destruction of self-of pride, vanity, self-worth, independence, fear of judgment, and fear of man. It's a long and slow path, but in the grace of God, I can see growth in my own life and pray that others can as well.<br /><br />So as I reflect back on 2006, I can't not think about Abundant Grace Community Church. And as I reflect back on the church, I can't not think about my life before Abundant Grace. In the coming days, I plan to write more things that I have learned since coming to know this body of people. The things I have learned from these people and the sins that have been put to death in my heart as I have grown alongside these people.<br /><br />It all began, 730ish days ago, when I was running late to church....Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-21420582052395874132007-01-09T11:57:00.001-08:002007-01-09T11:57:49.639-08:00midget legs grow....<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">panicked...</span><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" >alarmed</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">...</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">anxious....</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">scared to tears...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The day was over 15 years ago. I was 5. The city was Brandon. The place was </span></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" >Bealls</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. We were shopping. And I was lost. All I wanted to do was sit down and wail. I had lost my mom and my little midget legs couldn't find her anywhere! I can still remember that overwhelming feeling. You're lost and its scary because what if you never get </span></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" >unlost</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">? What if you never find your way out?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It's funny though. Years go by, midget legs grow, and things change.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">grateful....</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">humble....</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">indebted....</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">smiling....</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The day was 2 days ago. I was 20. The city was Atlanta. The place was the World Congress Center. We were at Passion. And I was lost. All I wanted to was praise my Sovereign God. I had left my group of friends to go drop something off on my own and somehow got turned around in the Go Center and had no idea how to get back to where they were. The 22,000+ other people wandering around didn't make it any easier. But do you know why I was lost? Because for the last 4 days, I had really had to find my own way. I rarely made a decision as to where to go, what to do, when to show up or what to eat. The Lord had blessed our little Passion contingent with men who were gifted and desirous to lead as the Lord has so called them. The Lord had also blessed this contingent with women who were desirous for these men to lead. Being lost wasn't scary. It was representative of just how much these men had lead and just how fully we had followed. Being lost was a moment to praise God.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You see, we girls had been praying for this. Not that I would get lost, but that these men would lead humbly and that we, as women, would follow humbly. That these men were serve us by leading and we would serve them by submitting & allowing them to serve. That the Lord would have both genders playing the roles that we, as Godly men and women, are called to play.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And you know what? It happened. Doors were held. Luggage was carried. Dinner was planned. Seats were saved. Biblical fellowship </span></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" >occurred</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Probing questions were asked. Encouragement abounded. God was glorified.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Of course, we spoke up and thanked the guys for their leadership. We praised the Lord for allowing all of this to happen. But I just wanted to take a minute to brag on these God glorifying, Christ exalting, Spirit following male friends of mine. I wanted to tell the world that this type of interaction is not dead. </span></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" >Complementarianism</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> does not just exist among generations of old, but it is alive and well among my generation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You might be thinking,"So what? big deal. The men led, and you followed. That was nice of you." Oh my friend, it was not </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >just</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >nice</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> of us. It was us, in the grace and kindness of the Lord, mortifying sin in our own lives.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Look at Genesis 3:16:</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >To the woman he said, </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" > "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" > with pain you will give birth to children. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" > Your desire will be for your husband, </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" > and he will rule over you."<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">This is the text in scripture following the fall of Adam and Eve, and all of mankind. When it says "desire" here, this, in the Hebrew, is saying that your desire will be to overpower, to overtake, to rule over your husband (you can see the parallel language in verse 4:7 as well...it's clearer if you know Hebrew, but it is not totally obliterated by the English translation). Women's desire is for the role that her husband is supposed to play.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Women's desire, if left unchanged by the power of the Spirit, would be to control and subdue man for her own gain. (There are of course, negative consequences from the fall for men, but I'm just talking about women here.) So, just the fact that the men were ABLE to lead is reason enough to praise God, but even more so that we WANTED them to lead. This is evidence of God is stripping away layers of self-exaltation and pride. He is replacing those layers with humility and submission in </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">preparation</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> for the roles we will play in the future.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">So to my fellow women:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Thank you for submitting. Thank you for creating environments that allowed these guys to lead. Thank you for the encouragement you were to me in reminding me to die to my sinful desires.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">To those guys:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Thank</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> you for seeking the Lord. Thank you for growing in the roles that He has set before you. Thank you for leading humbly. Thank you for serving so effectively, efficiently, and kindly. You made it a joy to follow you.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">To my God:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Thank you for both justifying us and sanctifying us. Thank you for answering our prayers. Thank you for working in our lives-molding our wills to your will and our desires to your desire. We praise you for your goodness and mercy and kindness. Keep this desire burning. Keep this growth continuous. Keep your glory central. Keep your name </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">anthemed</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">. Keep us mindful of our stance in grace.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">PS For any of you </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">hanging</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> off the edge of your seats, I got </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">unlost</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">. I found my friends. And we all lived happily ever after. :-)</span><br /><br /></span></span> <div style="text-align: center;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:130%;" >~THE END~</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-67079076668158801532006-12-12T07:53:00.000-08:002006-12-12T08:53:01.015-08:00Come for Me....As I walked slowly out of room T005, I <span style="font-style: italic;">almost</span> succumbed to tears. Tears of exaustion from having not slept well for 2 nights in fear & preparation of this exam. Tears of gratefulness that my exams were finally over. Tears of frustration that I did not fare any better on the exam. <span style="font-style: italic;">Almost</span> tears.<br />Instead, I pulled myself together and walked over to the ivy covered bench. As I began to organize my bag of exam necessities, I pulled out my Ipod (an absolute vital instrument to my studying routine). I just wanted to put those little speakers in my ears and drown out the world. In God's sovereign mercy & kindness, He knew just what song my weary heart needed in that moment-"Come for Me" by Charlie Hall.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Jesus come & take me away</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I long to see your face</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and this world is broken</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">yet beautifully made</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Jesus come take me away</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Jesus I will patiently wait</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">until like a vapor I'll fade</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">help me fulfill all Your dreams for these days</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Jesus I will patiently wait</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and You'll come again with a shout</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">like a thief in the night</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">You'll come riding on clouds</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and finally the voice</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I have followed for life</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">has a glorious face that is lit up with light</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and You'll come for me</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">no more pain...peace</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">no more fear....release</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">just lost and consumed with my glorious King</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Jesus today I am tired</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and I need your music to come and inspire</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and I give myself to be refined in this fire</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">but Jesus today I'm so tired</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and you'll come again with a shout</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">like a thief in the night</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">You'll come riding on clouds</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and finally the voice that I have followed for life</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">has a glorious face that is lit up with light</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and you'll come for me</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">no more pain....peace</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">no more fear....release</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">just lost and consumed with my glorious King</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and you'll come for me</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">come for me....</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">come for me....</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">come for me.....</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">come for me. </span><br /></div><br />As I listened to these words, my heart began to soar and I could no longer hold back the tears. But what would have previously been tears of despair, were now tears of longing. I had been looking forward more to the end of exams than I was to the coming of my King. I had been more fearful of doing poorly on my exams than I was of doing poorly in the service of my King. I had forgotten that today will pass...that my life is a vapor. But the Kindgdom of God shall reign forever and ever, and one day, He will come for me.<br /><br />But today...today I am so tired. I desparately need His song to fill me and inspire me and lift me up on eagle's wings.<br /><br />And I ache for the day when there will be no more pain...no more fear...no more worries...no more tears...no more heartache. The day when Christ comes back and I can finally see the face of my Lord and Savior-He who chose me, He who died for me, He who loves me. To be able to worship Him face to face, with every ounce of my being. Even now, when I worship with all that I have and all that I am, there is still a part of me that is withheld from Him-a part that is dwelling on that which is of the world and that which will fade. I am brought to tears even as I write this just thinking about that day. THAT GLORIOUS DAY!!!<br /><br />Perhaps you are also tired today. Maybe the holiday season has drained you of energy. Maybe you also are exausted at the end of another draining semester. Maybe work is just more than you can handle right now. Friend, I think that you, like me, have ceased living in light of THAT day. You are weary in this world because you have forgotten that this is not your home. We are just pilgrim's, passing through.<br /><br /> My prayer for you is that the Lord would awaken a fresh stirring in your heart for the day when you "..will see his face." (Rev. 22:4)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">multitude in heaven, crying, 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">blood of his servants.' Once more they cried, 'Hallelujah! </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.' And the </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, 'Amen. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Hallelujah!' And from the throne came a voice crying, 'Praise </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.' </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">thunderpeals, crying, 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure' - for the fine </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">said to me, 'These are true words of God.'</span><br />Rev 19:1-9<br /><br /></div>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-30084589455347681172006-11-30T11:29:00.000-08:002006-12-05T19:14:35.502-08:00God's Sovereignty in all things.<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I can see the Lord's sovereignty in so many things in my life.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I can see the Lord's sovereignty in my parents divorce. Were they not to have gotten divorced, I would not have grown up both a Southern Baptist and a PCUSA denomination. If I hadn't grown up in both of these churches, I would not have had the theological sampler plate that I did. This would have made my reformed-charismatic views of today much MUCH harder to come by.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I can see the Lord's sovereignty in Joe and Tara Donato moving to Alachua once they got married. Had they not, I would not have ended up at First Baptist of High Springs my freshman year. Had they not, I would not have left High Springs when the youth pastor did. Had they not, I would not have ended up at Abundant Grace. I would not doing life with these blessed people. </span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I would not be living with girls who are "heavenly sandpaper."</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I can see the Lord's sovereignty in my friendships. The fact that Aimee Hill and I used to not like each other at all. And now, she is one of my best friends-as well as her whole family. And my friendship with Aimee led to my friendship with her brother Ryan as well as David Young. My late night conversations with these two guys led to so much theological growth on my part and the Lord used them in profound ways in my life. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The fact that Caitlin Faulk dated Keith Bogart who was best friends with James Barber who went to UF when I was in high school. This meant many trips up to UF and many opportunities to fall in love with Gainesville and to become desirous of going to school here.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">All of these things have led me to where I am at...there is no possible way that these events are random happenings. There is no way that these are coincidences. These are the events of my life that have been sovereignly ordained by a sovereign God to give me the theological background I have, in the church that I am in, in the city in which I live-exactly where he wants me to be so that I may serve Him here. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But it is not just big things in my life that cause me to stand in awe at the sovereignty of God. I say this in all seriousness-I can see the sovereignty of God in Florida Gators football.<br /><br />Stop Laughing! I'm serious! So many crazy things had to happen in order for the Gators to get to the National Championship. Let me explain:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">1. The Florida Gators spent the first 3 weeks at number 7. After week 3, we jumped to number 5 because we beat Tennessee and # 2 Notre Dame lost to #11 Michigan.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">2. Until week 7, the order of undefeated teams was: Ohio State, Auburn, USC, West Virginia, & Florida. At week 7, Florida beat LSU and jumped to #2. The same five teams were still undefeated and in the top five, the order was just a little changed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">3. At week 8, BCS Standings came out. Florida lost to Auburn 27-17 on the road. The other top 5 teams remained undefeated. There are now only 4 undefeated teams on the road to the National Championship and Florida is #6 in the BCS.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">4. In week 10, the next undefeated team fell. USC lost to unranked Oregon State! Florida moves to #4 in the BCS. There are only 3 undefeated National Championship contending teams remaining.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">5. Week 11 saw the beginning of the destruction of the Big East. West Virginia lost to Louisville. The Big East emphasis has now switched to either Louisville and Rutgers who are both still undefeated. Florida stays at #4. In front of us are undefeated Louisville now, and Michigan and Ohio State. Texas and Auburn both have one loss (Texas to Ohio State and Auburn to Arkansas).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">6. In week 12, Texas loses to unranked Kansas State. Auburn lost to Georgia AT HOME! Louisville loses to Rutgers as the Big East continues to implode. Florida stays at #4.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">7. In week 13, USC jumped to #3 and Ohio State and Michigan didn't change. Florida stayed at #4.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">8. In week 14, Michigan lost to Ohio State so they dropped to #3. USC moved to #2. Florida stayed at #4.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">9. In week 15, USC famously lost to the UNRANKED Bruins!!! We beat Arkansas for the SEC Championship!<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">That my friends, is how the BCS (and AP rankings for the first 7 weeks). How did the Gators manage to win all their games? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">1. In order to beat Tennessee, Florida came back from a 17-7 deficit at Tennessee. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">2. In order to beat Alabama, Florida had to come back from a 10-0 deficit at the beginning of the 2nd quarter. Late in the second quarter, Christ Leak, the non-running Florida quarterback, ran for 45 yards down to the Alabama third yard line. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">3. In order to beat LSU, Tim Tebow actually THREW his first 2 touchdown passes, and the UF defense racked up 3 interceptions, recovered 2 fumbles, and scored a safety. This is also the game with Tebow's basketball style pump pass to Tate Casey. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">4. In order to beat Vanderbilt, Christ Leak RAN (yes RAN) for 2 touchdowns and Florida blocked 2 punts. We also had a messed up snap and the holder threw to Tate Casey for a 2 point conversion. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">5. In order to beat South Carolina, Jarvis Moss blocked a 48 yard field goal attempt. This was Moss's 2nd blocked kick that night. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We didn't have an easy Big 10 schedule. We had the toughest schedule in college football this season-I think all would agree to that. We didn't beat every team by 20 points or more the way Ohio State did.<br /> We often barely squeaked out a win. We often got "lucky" as other teams fell to unranked teams. I won't argue with that. But I will argue with the statement that we just lucked ourselves into the National Championship. With all the mishaps and special team scoring and Christ Leak RUSHING and Tim Tebow stiff arming and all the other teams losing....it's not a coincidence. In order for Florida to get to the National Championship, so many things had to just go right. So many things had to be sovereign. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It didn't just happen. God ordained it. Why? Why us and not Michigan? Honestly, I think one reason is Billy Latsko. Billy and his family all go to my church here in Gainesville. Billy walked on to the team in 2002 and was awarded a scholarship in 2004. I think the Lord has heard the prayers of the Latsko family (and the Tebow family). I think that Lord is blessing these two young men and their team. I'm sure there are other reasons for it. But I would bet blessing Billy has a lot to do with it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">God is sovereign. Just look at the Gators journey to the BCS National Championship!</span></span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-5361099358120599292006-11-16T20:36:00.000-08:002006-11-17T08:59:25.222-08:00I need Him...<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >It is my firm belief that pride is the most deceptive sin of all--at least in my own life, for I suppose I can not truly attest to sin in the lives of others. But I do believe this is my greatest struggle as a child of God.<br /><br />One of the main reasons for this is that pride can take on so many different forms. It can come in the form of self-preoccupation-being so consumed with ones own self, that the needs of others are paid little or no attention to, for his focus is himself.<br />It can come in the form of self-exaltation-the need to be exalted and looked upon as good or fun or popular or right or strong or whatever attribute that you exalt. The latter is often how I think of pride.<br />But I think an the most dangerous form of pride for us as Christians is that of self-reliance-believing that our human self is able to satisfy our human needs in any way, shape, or form.<br /><br />I find it humbling that in the moments after the Lord has corrected a false mindset in me, I am astonished to see that I ever could have thought how I did previously. This was the situation I found myself in this past Tuesday evening. I was listening to a sermon by Bob <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Kauflin</span> entitled "Pursuing God's Presence." It was an exposition on 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. Bob's first point was that in order to pursue the presence of God, we need to have a desperate dependence. Paul says in this chapter<br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> "No one can ever say Jesus is Lord, except in the Holy Spirit." </span><br />We cannot confess Christ genuinely unless the Holy Spirit enables us too. In order to even confess our belief in Christ, we need the Holy Spirit-we cannot do it on our own.<br /><br />Bob spoke of hurting his back while helping his son move and, though fine for a while, a week later, he was stuck in bed and was really unable to walk. He says this:<br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> "In that state, I realized how dependent I was on my wonderful wife who did so<br /> much to serve me in that time and help me....I felt my need.</span>"<br /><br />I can not even begin to tell you how the Spirit began to work in my heart at this moment in the sermon. Somehow in my sinful mind, dependence was a weak thing. Only weak people are dependent. But strong people, they are independent and they do not need anything from anyone. I, Jennifer, am strong. I am independent. For example, when my car got yet another flat tire in September, I did not call a brother in Christ for help. Instead, I fixed the situation on my own. I got the spare tire put on, I got myself to the repair shop, and I waited around for 2 hours until it was fixed. I could have called and asked for help, but for whatever reason, I have this self-dependent mindset.<br /><br />This mindset of course goes even deeper than flat tires. It pervades my life spiritually as well. If I was struggling with scripture memorization, I wouldn't pray for the Holy Spirit to enable my memory and sharpen my mind because this is something that I should not need help with. A 5 year old can memorize Scripture! I was ashamed to go before the throne of God with something as simple as this. I should be able to accomplish this on my own. This goes for most of my sins-deception, judgments, etc. It is as if I am a twenty year old toddler who is stuck in a perpetual state of "No! I'm a big girl. I can do it!"<br /><br />Toddlers. What amazing things we can learn from them-especially in the area of dependence. I care for a 23 month old twice a week. She is dependent! She needs me to get dressed, to buckle her in the car, to get her food, to keep her clean. It might be said that of course she is dependent, she is physically unable to satisfy her needs. Yes! Exactly! If Ella were to try and change her own diaper, I can only imagine the disastrous effects!! She would be showing not just an inability but also a stupidity in attempting to accomplish for herself something that I am perfectly willing and desirous to do for her (and can do it a million times better).<br /><br />Do you see the parallel to my spiritual life? I, Jennifer, am unable to satisfy my own needs. It is not a weakness to admit inability, it is wisdom! To realize that I am insufficient, inept, and unable-to realize that I am in need of not only a Savior to meet my spiritual needs, but a Creator-Provider-<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sustainer</span> Abba God to meet all of my needs.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Bob also said this<br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> "Dependence is revealed in the asking."</span><br />And it is the Spirit who enables us to cry out Abba Father. The Spirit helps us in our weakness.<br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"Prayer is a sign that we are desperately dependent on God."<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">It should be no surprise to you then that I told my accountability the area of spiritual disciplines that most needs work is my prayer life. I need to ask the Lord for His enabling Spirit more often.<br />But praise the Lord that conviction and <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">repentance</span> are not the end. His mercies are new each day-so today, I can come before the throne and admit my need to be dependent. <br /></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br />I will never be able to do well academically if the Lord does not sharpen my mind and provide for me ample study time. I need Him.<br /><br />I will never be able to take my next breath if the Lord does not <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sovereignly</span> ordain it to be so. I need Him.<br /><br />I will never be able to glean anything from Scripture without the Holy Spirit's working in my heart to open my eyes to the truths that are before me. I need Him.<br /><br />I will never be able to "pick" the right husband for myself without the Lord's discernment. I need Him to correctly form my desires. I need Him to cause me to realize that I will never marry a Prince Charming, but a sinner saved by grace like myself and that the purpose of any marriage (or relationship of any kind) is to serve the Kingdom and bring glory to the Lord. I need Him.<br /><br />I will never be able to be good enough for God-no matter how many Piper books I read, or how many hymns I love, or how many missions trips I go on. I need Him!<br /><br />I will never be able to satisfy the wrath of a righteous God on my own. I need the blood of His Son to be sprinkled on my head. I NEED HIM!</span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-84564606869712952972006-11-10T08:25:00.000-08:002006-11-17T08:59:51.248-08:00Why politics frustrate me....<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >Politics make me think about many things. Of course, I think about my views on the war in Iraq, taxes, and abortion. I think about how divided our country is. I think about God's plan for my state, my country, and this world. I think about how disgusting it all is at times. So then, I think about moving to the bush and never coming back!<br /><br />A few years back, I was all gung ho for politics. I was a dutiful conservative and watched "The O'Reilly Factor" and "Hannity and Colmes" and loved all things "fair and balanced." I loved the "West Wing" (Democrat loving as it was) and "The American President" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." I was involved in Youth in Government and Mr. Dyches has told me since I was 15 that my name was going to be on a ballot one day and he was going to be there to vote for me. I wanted that! I would spent time debating politics and policy and decisions with my friends. I campaigned for politicians I supported in 2004. I had the buttons and the plans and the zeal for it all.<br /><br />The problem is, the Holy Spirit was working in me (as He always is, hopefully). He was stirring up within me a sense of discontent with this political zeal of mine. See, the problem was this-I was spending more time trying to convince someone to vote for some man and in turn, spent MUCH less time talking with people about my faith. And it makes me wonder, as believers, how much time should we spend campaigning for politiciains?<br /><br />I 100% believe that God is in control of all things-including elections. (And for a timely article on God's Providence in Elections, click <a href="http://www.one-focus.blogspot.com/">here.</a>) I also believe that our efforts in trying to turn out more voters and talk with people about the issues at stake are not void. I think that the Lord uses our efforts to cause His will to come about in politics as He does in all things. And I think that we absolutly need conservatives in the political arena.<br /><br />But when a politician you support wins the race, the glory MUST go to God, not us and our own human efforts. And in those unfortunate situations when a democrat (sorry folks, but I'm a pretty hard core conservative) wins a race, the glory also MUST go to God. There cannot be thoughts of "If we had only worn a blue tie last Friday" or "If we had only passed out more buttons." No matter what human effort we put in, if it is not the Lord's will, it WILL NOT happen! (Think back to the days of hanging chads and pregnant chads. Despite all the effort put in by voter recounters to find all the ballots for Al Gore they could, George Bush still won.) So, no matter what the outcome, the glory must go to God. Period.<br /><br />But, how involved in the campaigning process should we be? I feel like we should be "campaigning" for God five quadrillion times more than we should be for any politician. I mean, I don't think we should be out on the streets waving "Go God" signs or anything, but those 2 hours that we spend going door to door trying to convince people to vote for a man, how much more redeemable would that time be if instead we went and got a caramel apple cider with an unbeliever and spoke with him about the gospel of God? How much time do people spend sitting around debating policy and politics that could instead be spent in meditation and prayer for the Lord to make his might and power shown among this nation?<br /><br />And one last thing. I've heard many conservative people pray for George Bush and for Dick Cheney and for other like minded leaders. But h</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">ow many of us pray for Hillary Clinton, or John Kerry, or</span> </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" href="http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w051205&s=lizza120605">Barack Obama</a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >? <a href="http://henryinstitute.org/commentary_read.php?cid=346">Russell Moore writes</a> "It is easy for Christians to pray for political figures who court our votes. There are several organizations out there devoted to encouraging believers to pray for President Bush. We are commanded to pray for President Bush. But our responsibility doesn't end there....It isn't easy to love and pray for someone who stands at odds with your worldview. But it pleases the God who wants all to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth."<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">So yes, I care about politics. It shapes the world that I and my children will grow up in. I haven't missed voting in an election yet, and I rue the day that I do. (ahem, Kimmy) But more than that, I care about the glory of God. And if the glory of God can be manifested most in House with Nancy Pelosi as its Speaker, then my prayers, along with Russell Moore and his family's, will be for her.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Think about is this way. Any of the hotly contested elections in our nations history are just that...history. Most of the men are dead and the only people that really know anything about it are historians, librarians, and high school students. But, the cross. Friend, Christ died on the cross 2000 years ago and it is still a living, breathing, effecting thing. The cross alone will last. The cross alone will still matter in 200 years when Nancy Pelosi and the Clintons have long since ceased. Make your life about things that matter. The only thing that matters-to glorify God and enjoy him forever.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><br /></span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-1162396576159696352006-11-01T07:48:00.000-08:002006-11-17T09:00:02.979-08:00Sugar Coated Youth Ministries<div style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: left;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Time magazine recently did an article about youth groups in America. It discussed how youth groups in the 90's presented a watered down gospel in order for teenagers to be entertained and having fun. It then discussed a trend in some churches to do the exact opposite of this by presenting</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">heavy doses of absolute truth and doctrine and scripture.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">A quote from the article says this:</span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> </span></span><br /></span></div><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"Believing that a message wrapped in pop-culture packaging was the<br />way to attract teens to their flocks, pastors watered down the religious<br />content and boosted the entertainment. But in recent years churches<br />have begun offering their young people a style of religious<br />instruction grounded in Bible study and teachings about the doctrines<br />of their denomination. Their conversion has been sparked by<br />the recognition that sugarcoated Christianity, popular in the 1980s and<br />early '90s, has caused growing numbers of kids to turn away not just<br />from attending youth-fellowship activities but also from practicing their faith at all."</span><br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="">You can find a link to the article </span><a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1552027,00.html"><span style="">here.</span></a><span style=""><br /><br />HT: Al Mohler</span></span></span><span style=";font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></div></div>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-1162255986800631702006-10-30T16:49:00.000-08:002006-11-17T09:00:15.545-08:00CJ @ Southern<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >This last week, CJ Mahaney was at Southern Seminary preaching at their chapel services all week. Bob Kauflin was there with him leading worship. What a wonderful experience for these southern baptist students to have experienced a Sovereign Grace worship service!!!<br /><br />Al Mohler provides a </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" href="http://blog.togetherforthegospel.org/2006/10/cj_at_southern_.html"><span style="">review </span></a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">of the week and has this to say about </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">CJ</span> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"He</span> appeared in Alumni Chapel in sartorial splendor. Here is proof. What a friend. What a preacher. What a servant."<br /></span><span style=""><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="">The links to the audio of the sermons can be found </span><a href="http://www.sbts.edu/resources/Audio_Resources/Chapel_Messages/Fall_2006.aspx"><span style="">here. Enjoy</span>!!</a> </span></span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-1161915687961166192006-10-26T18:48:00.001-07:002006-11-17T09:00:30.892-08:00The Seriousness of Sin<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >So I have been thinking lately about sin, and our reactions to it. I have been thinking a lot of us view sin as simply an inevtiable part of our lives. I have been thinking that a lot of times, what Person A considers sin, Person B just considers a matter of difference in convictions. I have been thinking about our susceptibility to become numb to sin and to participate in that which isn't REALLY holy because it is all in the name of spreading the gospel and showing the world that we as Believers can have fun too. Basically...I have been doing a lot of thinking. And there are two quotes that I wish to share with the world about all of this. But first, to begin with Scriputre.<br /><br />First of all, yes, Scripture DOES say in Romans 3:23 </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">And I think many of us embrace this and think I have sinned, which means that I WILL sin, so why not sin here-today and now-cause I'm going to sin somewhere on down the road. BUT, Ezekiel 36:27 says<span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I will put my Spirit in you, and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.</span> </span>An expository on this verse that I was reading by Charles Spurgeon talks about the fact that the very Spirit which is God has deigned to dwell in mortal man, and yet we offend Him daily by sinful actions and thoughts and desires.<br /><br />How is it that we forget that we have the Comforter within us-the Savior left so that the Comforter may come and yet we would rather watch an unpure movie or laugh at an unkind joke. I think that it is because we are so callous with our own sin that we therefore are callous with the Spirit of God within us. I think it is because we don't understand the depravity of our every sinful action that we are not more grieved at the wretched nature of our sinful soul. Somehow, we have gotten to the point where we think that when we sin, it does not offend the Holy God. Charles Spurgeon has this to say:<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">The Spirit also works conviction. Conviction is more forcible than illumination:<br />it is the setting of a truth before the eye of the soul, so as to make it powerful<br />upon the conscience. I speak to many here who know what conviction<br />means; still I will explain it from my own experience</span>. <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I knew what sin meant<br />by my reading, and yet I never knew sin in its heinousness and horror,<br />till I found myself bitten by it as by a fiery serpent, and felt its poison<br />boiling in my veins. When the Holy Ghost made sin to appear sin,<br />then was I overwhelmed with the sight, and I would fain have fled<br />from myself to escape the intolerable vision. A naked sin stripped of all excuse,<br />and set in the light of truth, is a worse sight than to see the devil himself.<br />When I saw sin as an offence against a just and holy God, committed by<br />such a proud and yet insignificant creature as myself, then was I alarmed.<br />Sirs, did you ever see and feel yourselves to be sinners? "Oh, yes," you say, "we are sinners."</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">0 sirs, do you mean it? Do you know what it means? Many of you are no more<br />sinners in your own estimation than you are Hottentots. The beggar who exhibits<br />a sham sore knows not disease; if he did he would have enough of it<br />without pretenses. To kneel down and say, "Lord, have mercy upon us<br />miserable sinners," and then to get up and feel yourself a very decent<br />sort of body, worthy of commendation, is to mock Almighty God. It is<br />by no means a common thing to get hold of a real sinner,<br />one who is truly so in his own esteem; and it is as pleasant as<br />it is rare, for you can bring to the real sinner the real Savior,<br />and He will welcome him.<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><span style="">And also this:<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"let us abhor the sin which brought such agony upon our<br />beloved Lord. What an accursed thing is sin, which<br />crucified the Lord Jesus! Do you laugh at it? Will you go<br />and spend an evening to see a mimic performance of it?<br />Do you roll sin under your tongue as a sweet morsel, and<br />then come to God's house, on the Lord's-day morning,<br />and think to worship him? . . . Sin murdered Christ; will<br />you be a friend to it? Sin pierced the heart<br />of the Incarnate God; can you love it?"</span><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="">Do you love sin? Do you pay to be entertained by sin? The very sin which crushed the Son of the Most High God? I hear people say "But this is fun." Friend, God has not called you to live a life of fun. He has called you to live a life that brings glory to Him? He will not ask you one day "How much fun did you have?" Is your life proclaiming the name of Christ? Is your life resonating that glory that is God's through out the world?<br /><br />I know this can become legalistic. I know that is what this can tend towards. This is right and that is wrong. So then people say they don't want to be legalistic and they have freedom in Christ and yes, friend this is true. In God's gracious mercy though, it won't be this way. But ask yourself. Is the activity that you so wish to do beneficial? Is it good? What is motivating you? Can God receive Glory from it? WILL He recieve glory from it? Is it causing another brother or sister to stumble?<br /><br />I'm not asking you to be legalistic. I don't want to be legalistic. I just want us to consider that it was sin-murder, hatred, envy, gossip, jealousy, lies, disobedience, etc.-for which Christ hung on the cross. Sin murdered the living breathing incarnate God...will you be friend to it?<br /></span></span></div><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span></div><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ></span></div><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span></div>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-1161281853450979302006-10-19T11:03:00.000-07:002006-11-17T09:00:43.049-08:00Embracing Accusations<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >My friend Michael recently reccomended a song to me by one of my all-time favorite groups "</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://shaneandshane.com/">Shane and Shane</a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >" The song is called "Embracing Accusations" and at first glance, even if you know Shane Barnard, you begin to wonder if his theology has just gone totally off the deep end. It seems to be essentially a song praising the devil, for he is right.<br /><br />Shane says he was running on the beach one evening before a show and was meditating on Galatians 3:10:<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written “cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He said he was overwhelmed with guilt at this truth from Satan...that because he does not follow everything written in the Book of the Law, he is cursed. Satan was trying to tear apart Shane's faith but instead, ended up preaching the gospel to him. Yes, he is cursed BUT Christ paid that death for us, so he is cursed no longer. For this passage from Galations doesn't end there, it goes onto to say in Galations 3:13:<br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written “cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This song isn't on a CD yet so you can't hear a edited version of it, but thanks to the world of YouTube, you can listen to a scratchy yet still amazing performance by <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZYBbEBWQJFM&mode=related&search=">Shane and Shane here</a><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >These are the lyrics.<br /><br /></span><p style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" ><em>Father of lies, coming to steal kill and destroy<br />All my hopes of being good enough<br />I hear him saying, “cursed are the ones who can’t abide” </em></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><em><br /></em></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" ><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">He’s right, halleluia, he’s right</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">That I am cursed and gone astray</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I cannot gain salvation</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Embracing accusation</span><br /></em></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" ><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Could the father of lies be telling the truth of</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">God to me tonight?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">That if the penalty of sin is death, then death is mine</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">I hear him saying, “cursed are the ones who can’t abide”</span> </em></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">The devil’s singing over me an age old song<br />That I am cursed and gone astray<br />Singing the first verse so conveniently over me<br />He’s forgotten the refrain.<br />JESUS SAVES!!!</span><br /><br /></em></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">PRAISE GOD. I cannot gain salation. I would never even come close to earning or securing my own righteousness. This is the song that I sing, I was cursed, but Jesus saves. What Satan has meant to condemn me instead cause me to once again look at the cross in awe and humble adoration and overwhelming praise.<br /><br />Praise God that I serve a risen King who took my curse upon Himself. Praise God Praise God Praise God!!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28864573.post-1158732137438511002006-09-19T23:01:00.000-07:002006-11-17T09:00:55.205-08:00These are a few of my Favorite Things<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >"The Hills are alive...with the Sound of Music."<br /><br />Know what that is from? It is one of the songs from Rogers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music" which is a movie that I was practically spoon fed from birth (well, that and the Atlanta Braves. But with the way the Braves played this year, I'd bet Julie Andrews could pitch a better 9th inning that half our bullpen!! While singing!)<br />But, I digress. I can still remember acting out the grand party scene from the musical on our stairs with my little brother and Julianne Reed (we made Phil play 5 year old Gretl. Glad to see that this had no long lasting effects on his masculinity!)<br /><br />Anyways, another song from this musical is also "My Favorite Things." When the children get scared during a thunderstorm one evening, Maria begins to sing to them a song about her favorite things:<br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Brown paper packages tied up with strings</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">These are a few of my favorite things...</span><br /></span><pre style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:11px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></pre> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >She says that when she is scared or hurt or sad, remembering her favorite things always cheers her up! Well, I am neither scared, nor hurt, nor sad...but I am STRESSED! And I thought that perhaps sharing with you all some of my favorite things might, A) bring a small bit of happiness into your life as you explore and fall in love with some of these and B) relieve some of my stress as well! So...enjoy my frivolous and silly post.<br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br />1) <a href="http://www.pandora.com/">Pandora Internet Radio</a><br />My most recent internet obsession. You type in your favorite song or artist and they create a radio station around the key elements of the song. As they suggest each subsequent song, you tell them whether you like ir or dislike it. They then adjust your listening preferences and then suggest another song. I built a radio station around Derek Webb. The songs they play for me now have elements of acoutsitc and electric<br />instrumentation, sections of strings, sections of piano, major and minor key tonality, vocal harmony, and a dynamic male volcalist.<br /><br />It's so cool. They have added some of my favorite artists to my radio station just from knowing I like Derek Webb (who by the way is one of my favorite artists. And he now has a website with his latest CD "Mockingbird" available for free download with his blessing. <a href="http://freederekwebb.com/pages/index.aspx">FreeDerekWebb.com)</a><br /><br /><br />2) <a href="http://www.theologicalramblings.com/">Theological Ramblings</a><br /><br />Anyone who knows me the tiniest bit knows that I am not your normal person. One of my abnormalities is the degree to which I love theology.<br />I am actually studying it this semester with Joe and Tara Donato. Joe put togehter this giant archive of articles on different theological<br />subjects from which we read each week before meeting to discuss. If you are ever looking for information on a particular topic, chances are, you<br />can find what you are looking for in the articles section of this website.<br /><br />3) <a href="http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/index.cfm">Movie Ratings</a><br /><br />I hate going to a movie that a friend has suggested and then being shocked at the content of the movie. By God's grace, there are numerous websites on the internet that provide a play by play of the good and bad elements of a movie (sexual content, violence, language, and spiritual aspects. This one is my favorite. It's provided by Focus on the Family as well I believe.<br />They also provide insite on TV's, and DVD's and music. I just usually only use it for movies.<br /><br />4) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/">Internet Movie Database</a><br /><br />I love this place. You can look up quotes and actors and random facts. It's just a basic fun site for when you are bored.<br /><br />(This is a pretty boring and already known about link. But it can't hurt.)<br /><br />5) <a href="http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=44116">Theologian Quiz</a><br /><br />My friend Ryan got this link from his friend Mark. You answer the theology question and then it tells you how similar you are to theologians of the past. I was </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >78% Anselm and 73% Calvin. Luther was surprising low on mine, and Barth was surprisingly high. Obviously not 100% accurate, but fun nonetheless.<br /><br />6) <a href="http://beta.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21271356&postID=115834940776642317">Emotional Modesty Checklist</a><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br />So whenever the topic turns to dating and relationships, typically physical purity comes up. But I am a huge proponent of emotional purity and wish that people would be just as concerned with one as the other. But, when emotional modesty DOES come up, the question is always, "How do you know what's right or good?" On my friend Ryan's blog, the topic has been discussed almost to exaustion in the last half year or so. But a recent post of Ryan's prompted someone to post this comment which I found incredibly practically and useful, as did a group of 6 girls at my house. Hope you enjoy it as well.<br /><br />7) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NINJQ5LRh-0">Treadmill Music Video</a><br /><br />So the whole world knows about You Tube. My favoritest thing on You Tube is this music video by "Ok Go." It's...well...in my opinion too amazing for words. And apparently VH1 agrees with me because they performed this on treadmills at some awards show (not sure which one, award shows aren't really my specialty).<br /><br />8) <a href="http://earth.google.com/earth4.html">Google Earth</a><br /><br />So you download this thing and it shows you a satellite of anywhere in the world. Type in your address and see your house from space. Seriously. For stalkers like me (honestly, I was a HUGE fan of facebook news feed. Satisfied my curiousity MUCH faster!) it's a great thing. (Just kidding. It's not in real time exactly. And I'm also not really a stalker. But it is still accurate. Makes me feel like I'm in the CIA for all of 5 seconds. Actually, it makes me feel like I'm on the same level as Jack Bauer...which just rocks my socks off.)<br /><br />9) <a href="http://chickfila.com/comingSoon.asp">Free Chick-Fil-A for a year.</a><br /><br />Ok. This site ITSELF doesn't actually give you free chick-fil-a for a year. There is something you have to do. What happens is that every time a brand new chick-fil-a opens, the first 100 customers get free chick-fil-a for a year (it comes in the form of 52 value meal coupons. This means a sandwhich, side, and a drink). But, lots of people know this and therefore you have to camp out in advance of the opening. I've now done this twice and the last time we camped out for 22 hours prior to the opening. To some of the adults reading this, this may sound INSANE. But to the poor college students out there, you realize just how stinkin' worth it this is.<br /><br />This will link you to the page with all the grand openings in the next 60 days. Just call corporate and they will give you an estimated date of opening.<br /><br />(PS, the gospel is typically presented at midnight as well by the President of Chick-fil-a. Not too shabby in the least.)<br /><br />10) <a href="http://www.challies.com/archives/002092.php">The Successor</a><br /><br />I may be VERY wrong, but I think a lot of the people who read my blog are familar with Sovereign Grace Ministries. If you are, you'll love this link. I'm not even going to spoil it for you for explaining it. (There's even a comment by Mr. Gilland, the worship leader at my church in Gainesville. He's FAMOUS now!!)<br /><br />(If you don't know what SovGrace Ministries are, e-mail me! I'd love to tell you more about this movement!)<br /><br />11) <a href="http://custom.despair.com/">Don't Despair!</a><br /><br />Remember those stores in the mall that sold pretty pictures surrounded by a black border with a motivational saying on the bottom? In the mid-90's, they seemed to be all the rage. Well, this link is to...the exact opposite of that. For those of you who love satire and sarcasm, this is for you.<br /><br />My favorites are <a href="http://despair.com/ambition.html">Ambition</a>, <a href="http://despair.com/compromise.html">Compromise</a>, <a href="http://despair.com/discovery.html">Discovery</a>, <a href="http://despair.com/loneliness.html">Loneliness</a>, <a href="http://despair.com/med24x30prin.html">Mediocrity</a>, <a href="http://despair.com/motivation.html">Motivation</a>, <a href="http://despair.com/potential.html">Potential</a>, <a href="http://despair.com/wishes.html">wishes</a>,<br /><br />12) <a href="http://www.moleskine.com/eng/default.htm">Moleskine</a><br /><br />I love to write. Journal. Prayer write. Vent write. Digest Write. Quote Write. Memory Write. Whatever Write.<br />And I LOVE to do it in my moleskine journal. They've been used by Picasso, Hemingway, and Van Gogh. Oh. And by Jessica Caldwell ;-)<br /><br /><br /><br />Well friends, that's all I got. 12 of my favorite things which are all somehow linked on the World Wide Web.<br />Hope that this provided some form of entertainment for you. It certainly made me less stressed and less focused on my checklist of 73.5 things to do before the sun sets on the third day, so I'm grateful for that.<br /></span>Jenn Romanskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15181046786438609152noreply@blogger.com1