i've moved!!!
well...not really. But my blog has moved.
It is now located at:
http://jroramblings.wordpress.com/
Thanks!!
It is now located at:
http://jroramblings.wordpress.com/
Thanks!!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Both/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 hard 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.
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.
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.
"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:
- we admire Him for His glory, but even more because His glory is mingled with humility
- we admire Him for His transcendence, but even more because His transcendence is accompanied by condescension
- we admire Him for His uncompromising justice, but even more because it is tempered with mercy
- we admire Him for His majesty, but even more because it is a majesty in meekness
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
....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."
Sunday, March 25, 2007
2 posts in one day? gasp!
That's right...it's been all of 10 minutes and I'm posting again.
This time, just to provide you with a link to an article about Passion. 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.
My favorite part:
"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."
I can say with utmost certainty we would all agreement with this statement. :-)
This time, just to provide you with a link to an article about Passion. 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.
My favorite part:
"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."
I can say with utmost certainty we would all agreement with this statement. :-)
I 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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
O 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.
"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 deceitfulness."
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.
To read the full post, click here.
HT: Single Focus
"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 deceitfulness."
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.
To read the full post, click here.
HT: Single Focus
Sunday, March 11, 2007
sure I'll serve-BUT....
Imagine the following conversation:
Bob: 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.
Jane: 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, because 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.
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.
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.
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?
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 experience 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 restaurant 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.
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 absolutely 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.
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."
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. One 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.
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.
Bob: 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.
Jane: 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, because 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.
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.
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.
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?
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 experience 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 restaurant 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.
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 absolutely 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.
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."
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. One 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.
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.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
He has clothed me with the garments of salvation!!!
Modesty. I’ve already said a lot about it. I think you can tell that it’s a subject about which I am passionate. But it doesn’t really matter what I have said. And it doesn’t really matter that I am passionate about it. What matters is what the word of God says. And it matters that God is passionate about it. He is passionate about purity of the heart, mind, body, and soul. 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.
Scripture on modest apparel:
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, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness--with good works.
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
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.
Luke 17:1-2
And he said to his disciples,
Scripture on the Glory of God:
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, 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.
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Praise God! I love this Scripture! Marinate in this...you are adorned in robes of righteousness and garments of salvation. PRAISE YOUR GOD!!!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Christian Romance Novels and the Gospel....
When I first wrote the previous post, some people took issue with it. Especially 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?
This was my response:
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 desire TO pursue.
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.
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.
This was my response:
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 desire TO pursue.
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.
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.
me....
- I'm Jenn Romanski
- From Gainesville, Florida, United States
- I exist to see the Renown of the LORD spread unto the ends of the earth. Everything is just means to do that through