Forthright Fixation

“Ever upwards!”

The exhortation has been flung about often in emails, conversations, and posts here at Forthright Fixation. The pursuit of Christ and the fullness of His purposes for our lives at present has always been our preoccupation–the posts we’ve written here have been inspired by a delight in Him and what He’s teaching us and walking us through. The blog was intended to be an outlet and an encouragement, helping in the various seasons of life we’ve been in.

And each season comes to a close, and it’s a necessary, humble routine of the Christian life to say “All right, Lord, turn the page and lead me into new things. That season was good–but it’s Yours to end.”  Turning corners is always a step of faith.

I could wax nostalgic and poetic (I probably already have, more than I’d like to admit) about how I’ve loved being a part of Forthright Fixation, how God’s used each of these girls to encourage me, and all that would be true and right. But it’s unnecessary.

God’s been moving me, and all the other girls here, into new seasons. Seasons where we’re called to invest heavily into other projects and to steward our time wisely for His glory. In keeping with Jim Elliot’s admonition, “Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God,” we’re going to try to be wholly invested in these new things.

Unfortunately, that means that Forthright Fixation is being pushed aside, in a way. The blog will remain up as a resource of sorts, and maybe there will be occasion for us to post very sporadically. We’d love to hear from you if you have an encouragement or testimony you’d like us to share, yet as we plunge ourselves more deeply into these new waters He’s got us swimming in, we might be delayed in responding. Forgive us if that’s the case.

Thank you all for your encouragement and readership–it’s been a blessing interacting with you over our common adoration of the Savior. Press on, beloved. Follow Him ever upwards.

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When all around us the wicked seem to be prevailing, slipping down our spiritual mountainside seems almost inevitable. This was the problem Asaph lamented in Psalm 73. The first 14 verses of the psalm are Asaph’s specific cries over the wicked that effortlessly prevail in life. As Dave Gibson, a Moody chapel speaker put it: he was discouraged that when “he put his dollar in, he didn’t get his Dr. Pepper out.” Asaph was struggling to stay spiritually afloat.

However, by verses 15-17, Asaph realized he needed to recalibrate his heart. He acknowledged that if he were to continue in the way he was going, he would fall into despair and he would discourage other believers too.

The chapter closes with Asaph finding his heart’s contentment and rest:

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge that I may tell of all your works.” (Psalm 73:25-28 ESV)

Asaph finally found his rest in God alone. He understood that even while all the wicked in the world were prospering, God was his refuge, his strength, and his portion. He grasped that being near to God proved to be the very essence of good.

Wicked, prosperous people are just as prevalent today as they were in Asaph’s. They’re all over; we see them as CEOs, executives, managers, and even presidents of major corporations, thriving and prosperous without much effort at all. They seem to have everything they could ever want at their finger tips. They live the “good” life. They only ever put one dollar in and manage to get two Dr. Peppers out.

This is discouraging for us as believers. We live morally, work hard and serve the Lord but we feel like we’ve been gypped of any goodness life had to offer us when we struggle to pay our bills, finish homework assignments on time and minister in our churches effectively. We have to fight off jealousy, bitterness and contempt towards the unrighteous that succeed.

But these are not the right attitudes to have; Asaph knew that and he, by God’s grace, changed his heart accordingly. Instead of slipping off the mountain slopes headed for despair, he clung to what he knew to be true:

“Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” (73:1)

There is much we can learn from Asaph and his struggle. We can watch our steps and stop when we see ourselves following his pattern of complaining. We can read his Word, pray, and fellowship with other believers to draw us closer to the Lord. We can remember the promises he’s given to us, his children, and rest in his unchanging nature which will keep us from stumbling. And finally, we can remind ourselves what the “good” in this life really is: to be near to God.

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Stupid, wayward, dependent, and vulnerable. You and me, eh? Scripture often flatters us with such demeaning descriptions: That’s right, it calls us sheep.

We can deny it all we want, but sheep are dumb creatures, and they need a shepherd. As sheep, our value is entirely wrapped up in the Shepherd who keeps us. God treasures us more than we can comprehend and He’s fiercely devoted to our well-being, both individually and as a flock. He protects and disciplines; seeks out and comforts; He sacrifices, rescues, nourishes and leads.

After meditating on this rich analogy threaded throughout the Word, I’m humbly aware that no extensively profound verbiage that I could muster would add to the words of the Shepherd Himself. His sheep know His voice. A few of these passages have been particularly soul-strengthening to me lately, giving me a deeper trust and joy in just being a sheep in the Good Shepherd’s care. Please read these, brother or sister, whether for the first or the fiftieth time, and listen to His Shepherd’s heart for you.

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness…. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak…”  -Ezekiel 34:11-16

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.  -Isaiah 40:11

The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.… I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” -John 10:3-4, 11-18

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.   -Psalm 23:1-3

All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.  -Isaiah 53:6

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”   -Rev. 7:17

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Hännah: I have been drowning in grace this week, and it’s been amazing to see God’s favor and blessing at every turn. New opportunities, old friends visiting, and many prayers for wisdom have punctuated my week, and He’s been gracious to meet me in my need of Him. Praise His name!

Kaitlin: This week I was encouraged by the truth found in Psalms 138:8 and 139:13,14. Not only has the Lord known me since before I was born, and fashioned me the way He desired to, but He has a plan for my life and will never forsake what He was created. I am known by God, and for that I rejoice!

Kate: This weekend I went on a mini personal retreat of sorts, and God really reminded me through that time of the truth that if I pursue Him first, my other priorities will fall into place. Keeping God as my first priority isn’t a matter of scheduling my life just enough, or saying “yes” and “no” to all the right things, it’s about engaging God first and foremost and submitting my time to Him.

Riette: I’m in MN this weekend, visiting some dear friends. Please pray for a refreshing time and fellowship that is God-centered and encouraging. I’m having a blast, but I’m already dreading when I have to leave on Wednesday.

Steph: Lately, as I’ve confronted a myriad of unexpected decisions, I’ve plunged to a new depth of understanding of Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart” — it’s an active distrust of my emotions, circumstances and wisdom as I throw my entire self into His mighty sovereign care for my life.

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By Peter Schellhase, guest contributor

In an age of eschatological politics, some may perhaps be forgiven for confusing Election Day with the Last Judgment. The messianic expectations of Barack Obama’s supporters have only been matched by the American apocalypse prophesied by his opponents.

But tomorrow, Americans will lay down their campaign signs and return to their ordinary lives. What will Christians do?

God’s people—the church—are in the unique situation of living in the world but having citizenship in another place. We are, in a sense, “ambassadors,” representing the interests of the eternal Kingdom.

Before we get all wrapped around the axle trying to define an American political position based on the policies of Heaven, it would be good to remember what God’s priorities have been and continue to be in the world.

God’s purpose is to glorify Jesus Christ in human history. History since the Cross is a sort of dénouement in which the grand work of Christ, now fully revealed in history, is worked out in all its splendor, gathering God’s people to himself in all times and places.

The mission of a Christian is to preach the Gospel in heart, word, and deed. This means speaking and living by the message that Jesus came to reconcile his chosen people to God by suffering God’s wrath for their sins. It is the message of freedom from sin and judgment.

Christian duty does not begin or end with, or particularly consist in political action. Politics is simply an inseparable part of human life. It is the art of dealing with other people in the public sphere. So the evangelical mission applies to politics just as much as to everything else. Yet the discussion of a “Christian politics” is troublesome precisely because Christians are primarily citizens of a heavenly polis. Something is lost in translation. This is why Christians disagree over political means and even political ends, and why we should not sin by judging one another over political differences.

So, “with malice toward none, with charity for all,” continue to live Cross-centered, Christ-preaching lives. Even in turmoil and the rise and fall of worldly leaders, God’s plan has never been set back at all; every event, however frightening, leads to the fulfillment of his plan. Trust him.

~

Peter Schellhase is a student of political theory at Patrick Henry College. He blogs sporadically at The Original Soapbox.

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Hopefully many of you will be out, rain or shine, exercising your right to vote today. We are being told by many that this year’s election is of a historic nature, and one of the most important in America’s history. Not a day has gone by in over six months when I can remember looking at the news and not hearing about Barack Obama, John McCain, or the slew of other individuals running for various offices.

For many Americans, today is going to determine what tomorrow looks like. I attend a large university made up of students on every part of the political spectrum, and tomorrow, even if I didn’t know who won the election, I would be able to tell by simply observing the mood on campus. Some groups will be rejoicing–all smiles and high-fives throughout the day and for a good week or so. Other groups will gear up to blame everything that goes wrong in the next four years on whomever we elect today. Many will feel a sense of peace and hope. Others will suffer from a gloomy foreboding, and even anxiety as they try to face the next four years.

Tomorrow, it won’t take much discernment to notice whether someone voted Democrat or Republican. Excepting those who feel compelled to vote for a third party, our nation is largely split into these two groups.

As Christians, however, our primary alignment is not with a political party. Our citizenship is with Heaven, and we know that God (who is never up for election) is the ultimate authority over heaven and earth.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ… (Philippians 3:20)

In light of our true citizenship, what will we–the Christians–look like tomorrow?

Will we be anxious and downtrodden if our favored candidate does not win? Will we heave a great sigh of relief if they do? The results of this election will reveal to each where we have placed our hope. If we place our hope in the election, we will surely be subject to fear and anxiety as the ballots come in this evening. Where our hope is today will be evident tomorrow.

Friends, may I urge you today (and in the days upcoming) to recount God’s authority and preach it to yourself. God will not simply make do with whomever is elected today. He has ordained the outcome of the election from eternity past.  And no matter who is elected, God is still on the throne.

As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:15-19)

Also, let us not cease seeking God after the election is over. No matter the results, we are called to pray for those in authority. God isn’t sovereign over just the election, He is sovereign over each and every decision our next president, congress, and supreme court makes.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Finally, let us never lose sight of eternity. This world, and the powers that come and go within it never define our ultimate hope.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

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Hey Girls. Sorry this is late. It appears we’ve been busier than we’d like to admit. Please pray for our sanity in this busy season! Thank you.

Kaitlin: After attending Moody’s annual Missions Conference last week, and sleeping through most of my Fall break, I started classes again on Wednesday thankful to get back into routine. While Missions Conference was tiring, it was good to be reminded that there are lost people outside of my little Moody bubble. I’m grateful for the opportunities I had to listen to other missionaries talk about their work, and it was an extra special treat to hear Steve Saint speak 3 times! Press on, fellow Believers!

Kate: “The state of your soul is the most important thing about you,” says the dusty sticky note sitting in plain sight on my desk. That truth grows faint in my heart sometimes, but God has been reminding me, even today, of how important it is to remember. A low test grade, topsy-turvy emotions, and even my failure to work diligently DON’T separate me from the love of God. They are NOT the most important thing about me. The state of my soul, my most desperate need, has been taken care of. Who am I to mentally put the trivial worries of life as more important than the glorious Gospel? I am saved and loved by God, and nothing can (or should, at least) compete with the assurance that brings.

Hännah: Seeing my own sins more and more clearly this week has left me both a bit weary and even more pierced by the glories of redemption. I’m suddenly very thankful for the resurrection and the hope and confidence I have through it. There is no joy that can surpass seeing things aright in light of Christ.

Riëtte: This week God reminded me of the importance of sleep, and the act of humility that it is. Sometimes I think that if I go to sleep the world will come to an end if I don’t first finish ”______”. [fill in your own blank.] What a prideful thought! When we admit our dependence upon God through the gift of sleep, we are humbling ourselves and trusting God with the things we keep ourselves busy with. Remember, God is the only one who gets His to-do list done every day. Tomorrow is a new day, with new mercies! Hallelujah!

Stephanie: In a season where I so want to be in control of my own happiness, the Spirit recently set this verse in a new light: “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in You!” (Psalm 84:12) To trust God is to be blessed. “Blessed” isn’t just a meek little consolation prize. God’s plan is to lavish me with blessings, and when I align my wayward heart with His sovereign plan, I can be thoroughly blessed indeed!

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