Book Review: Redemption, written by Mike Wilkerson, reviewed by Mandy

Redemption is a beautiful unfolding of God’s exodus story for the Israelites, and an eye opening examination of the human condition as we place anything above the one true holy God. It’s a sad and yet thrilling exam. Sad and yet thrilling because it reminds the reader of how lost we are without the gracious loving God who’s story we are really telling.

This book is not shy about issues. Real, deep, miserable, ugly issues called sin. There is not one chapter in here that will not touch the reader, and I can challenge any reader to not see themselves with in the pages.    

The end story of Redemption is simple: Jesus is our redemption! The back story to Christ’s story is the Exodus. Wilkerson illustrates though out Redemption how the Exodus of God’s chosen people (deliverance from evil and restoration to God), is an illustration of our falling into idolatry and Christ’s restoring us from that.  But the exodus story is not complete until Christ’s story ends it.

We are living stories of God’s relationship with mankind. We live our lives based on the interpretation we have of life; abuse, addiction, and suffering from various sin habits are all things that effect how we see our life stories, those we tell ourselves to make sense of our lives. Most times when we tell our story we are doing so without acknowledging that our stories are really God’s story and God’s story is always about God. His story rewrites our story into something much bigger then ourselves.

For God’s own reasons and his people’s sake he allowed pain, suffering, rejection, to enter into this world, BUT God’s fatherly covenant love remained solid and true. Our story is not always what we would expect. God is the writer and he knows best what his people need as he narrates an unfolding life. 

Within God’s story of the Exodus we see a cycle where God takes the nation of Israel through and this is the same cycle we see in our own lives as we move through our salvation and sanctification. Deliverance: defined as the movement from slavery to freedom; ransom: the high price God paid to purchase our freedom and renewal: seeing God restoring his original design in creation.

Many times our desires that are displayed in sinful habits and behaviors start as an innocent longing for something.  Our natural desires are not the problem; good things are good. It’s when we take those longings that could be met fully in Christ and strive to do it on our own, when we expect those good things to fill those deep desires; dis-believing God’s provision. Insatiable desire in the bible is called lust. Ephesians 4:19 says the greed of lust is “a continual lust for more”. Fixating on desires (or lusts), leads to attitudes that are demanding, entitled, and at worst, blame shifting. Or fixating on desires or lusts feeds on desires and lusts that should be squashed in the beginning.

All people have two responses to our desires: we can reach for God’s gifts for his glory and our joy, OR we can grumble and grasp in greedy rebellion against God. When we grumble we are accusing God of ill intent toward us, ingratitude for his provision, and refusal of the terms of God’s blessing (his law). We have a tantrum.

James 1:14 says that our temptations are inside of us. They are exposed by situations in life that we are in. The answers for our temptations are always rooted in the words of God: that he is good and that he is in control. When we allow smaller temptations to grow and become rooted into us we are setting the stage for sin to take hold. Those smaller desires that we entertained become the root of the sins that tear apart our lives.

God has done amazing things. Everywhere he shows himself, as the Israelites saw him over and over in their exodus experience, so he also shows himself to us. And yet we willingly trade in God’s truth for lies of this world, which is idolatry. And under all sin, is idolatry. Anything that we hold higher than God, anything that we dwell on in our hearts and minds outside of God, anything we hunt for that offers some satisfaction other than God, Anything that we place into our foundation other than God to find happiness, meaning in life and identity.

The underlying root of all our sin is idolatry; and it is manifested in so many ways: the perversion of power, money, love, success, sex and religion. All things that are not bad in and of themselves, but perverted into sins from idolatry makes them a tangible means of expressing whatever we are holding as an idol. Idolatry is not about bad behavior, it’s about what we love.

Sin enslaves and sin deceives. An idol wants us to believe it will take care of us, give us what we want, relieve our pain, and free us while God does not. And to believe this is to serve God’s enemy. Could God over look our sins? Not even a little. God doesn’t blow off our sins for that would make him unjust and cheapen his grace. When we try to stop sinning by our own power we will find ourselves shamed because we will fail. Our hope was falsely placed in ourselves. Pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps is so much how we have come to expect success at anything. If we see ourselves slipping into a bad habit or sin we expect to have to work hard to get ourselves out of it. But this is always short lived, and weak.  If we put our hope in something or someone that fails you, you feel ashamed. Shame is the exposure of foolish trust in a god who is not GOD. Shame exposes what we worship.

God lovingly deals with our sin, not by covering it up and hiding it, but by justly exposing it and Jesus taking the wrath we justly deserve to place upon himself so we are saved. Without this propitiation we wouldn’t have to opportunity to repent to God. The question becomes do I really believe God? Do I trust what he has said? Do I have genuine faith in him?

Christ is the glorious ransom for the sins that we cannot clearly see to understand the magnitude and the sins we don’t fully understand the weight of ramifications they cause. The only answer for any sin is trusting Jesus totally. Nothing else will do.

What I remember the cross and Christ’s love for me and my selfish sins that he took with him, I find myself satisfied. Replacing my discontented anxious thoughts with an understanding of his amazing grace and love. What in the world do I really have to be anxious over? Really?? God’s amazing love and comfort in all points of life are a joy and a reality that so easily slips away when I try to do life alone. A longing to be preoccupied with Christ and his salvation is building in me, not so that my life will be satisfying, but so that I will see Christ and be satisfied.

Is this semantics?  No, it’s not. To be satisfied in Christ means that I can be satisfied even amongst the trials of life. As Paul stated from his prison cell. Opposed to this, to have Christ so as to have a satisfied life leads to frustration in trials, for if Christ loved me would he not give me what I want to be satisfied? A sad reflection of a misunderstanding of salvation and Christ’s love. 

So is it wrong to ask God for good things? To desire things that God might give to us? No, but we need to ask with the right motives, keeping God in his place as God, and asking in a manner that reflects our true dependence on him.  All of this with the Spirit’s leading to reveal the true desires of our sinful hearts and filling those desires with the satisfaction of Jesus.  

When we live as though God gives us peace, joy hope and freedom we are using God. When we realize that God is our peace, joy, hope and freedom-because he gives us himself-we find we are changed. Not by our own power and might, but by his. Does God give us peace, joy, hope and freedom? YES, but only through himself, never apart from him. It is beholding God’s glory in Jesus Christ that we are changed. He is the greatest gift he gives.
And then God was with us…Jesus Immanuel was born to be among the people. God’s character of compassion, graciousness, slow to anger, steadfast in love, faithful, forgiveness and justice taking on the physical form of Man!! Mercy, grace, peace, joy, steadfast love walking among the people.

 And beyond all that is the presence of the Holy Spirit, another way for us to experience God’s character. Dwelling right in those who are in Christ (Rev. 21:3-4). Could he be any closer?
God’s story is about being with us. From beginning to end all he has done and is doing reveals to us who this awesome, mighty all knowing all loving God is. And there is no greater knowledge than knowing that God truly is with us. Even when don’t feel him? Yes, even then. When we feel abandoned, or are suffering? Yes, even then. If he did not want to be close to us he would not have done any of this. Christ sealed it, and we can know this to be true regardless of the situation, sin or assorted trouble we face. We make the decision to take him at his word and know that what he offers is infinitely more than anything sin and tempt us with. For God is our Promised Land.

LORD help me to be satisfied with all you have given. Satisfied to the point of not grumbling about what we don’t have and feelings of unjustness over what you have given to us. Show me areas of life that I am grumbling about because of an unseen lust or desires that keeps me from allowing you full control of my life.

Reading Redemption has been good. Not that it was easy, for there were so many times I could see myself worshiping any number of different idols, trying to escape my situations, and slowly understanding the root has been a misunderstanding of who God is and trusting that his word is truth. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is challenged in knowing the character of God, which really is everyone on earth.

           Paring down my notes from this book was very hard. There so much material that Wilkerson covered and so much that I gleaned from it that my notes were 11 pages long, single spaced. But as you can see it was possible to reduce; which I’m sure you are thankful for! Another good read.

Anna as Peter

Anna shut her hand in the car door today. All by herself, not watching where her hand was when pushing it shut...and there she was, stuck. Going too weak and crazed to think about opening it back up to free herself, and turning terrified eyes straight to me to plead. Save me! Do something! As soon as her hand was free "Mommy I want to go home now. Take me home". 

Peter turns terrifies eyes to Jesus. Do something, save me! I have lost focus, and found myself paralyzed into an inability to help myself. The waves are to big, obstacles overcome, and there is only one thing I can do. Cry out. Take me to a safe place. (Matthew 14:22-33)

The one difference is Anna wasn't focused to begin with, or maybe she thought she was, only experience had not yet taught her where her focus should be. I guess that is also like Peter, he thought that his eyes were in the right place, that watching Christ walk the waves effortlessly was enough. It was enough, he had it, but his fear overcame what his eyes were showing him. The faith he had in Christ should have been bolstered by what he witnessed and yet is was not.

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Our faith should be made strong by our own testimony, the knowledge that Christ took upon himself all my filth, sins that I could not pay for. That should make my life giddy with joy. A strong faith that looks daily on the cross...so that I could walk across the ocean.

Lord, you who watch us stumble, Thank you for rescuing us. For taking us to yourself, loving us even when we forget to watch you. Thank you for never giving up on us when our faith is failing and falling and slipping. Your love is amazing.
Your hope is intoxicating and the joy of your cross drives me to praise you.
amen.


PS. Thankfully Anna was fine. Her hand wasn't even bruised. Small blessings that lead to immense Praises.

When my little girl clings...

Anna is so afraid of dogs and cats. So afraid.

Biking in the neighborhood sometimes becomes terrifying for her, when a dog seems to come out of no where. They come galloping to greet her with tongue hanging out the side of their mouth, panting a welcome; and her response is a scream of fear. She'll drop her bike and come racing back to me on foot to grab my legs while crying out "No, go home; mommy make him go!"

Cat sitting for our neighbor is also an adventure. Holding thirty pound Ben on one hip, while Anna clings to my pant leg, while I attempt to clean a litter box, fill the food dish and check the water bowls...sigh.
"Anna, let go of my leg! This is silly, I can't get around the house with you hanging on like this; go sit on the counter stool if you want to get away from the cats."

I have scoffed at her fear, trying to make it small, while brushing off her clinging.

Wait, am I ever afraid? Oh yes... And during that time I am so thankful to cling to something bigger then myself. Something solid. God.
 Christ on the cross and his covering my sins with his forgiving grace, allows me to come close to my Father and BE with him...clinging.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 
 
Does she need to learn what to do during these times so she's not frozen with fear. Yes, of course, but she can only do that with my reassurance and guidance, shown to her in love. Impatience and scoffing only show her I find her fears unreasonable and closes the door to our relationship. God doesn't do that to us...for he is with us, and will strengthen and help us.

I should say, "Anna, I love you. And I know this makes you scared, But I am here with you. We'll walk through this together, with God as our guide. Because sometimes, mommy is scared of things too."

Lord, help me remember to love my children the same way you love me...passionately.

 

Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ
Written by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Dennis E. Johnson

This entire book, in a nutshell, is about the Gospel. It’s a close look at the beautiful nature of the Cross, how we have forgotten that beauty and how taking our eyes off the Gospel  has led to a multitude of works based attempts to gain the love, peace and joy we desire.

            Forgetting Christ’s redemptive work on the cross and the Father’s love that placed him there, our sins that made it necessary for the action, and our lack of ability to repay that sin debt, leads to a self-centered, action based, feel good religion that doesn’t reflect Christ’s love, grace or forgiveness. Despite our best human efforts of changing ourselves we have no hope of accomplishing true heart change without knowing and seeing God’s glory.  

God's amazing, awesome, unlimited love continually forgives our lifetime of sins, not for anything we have done, but because he delights in his love for us. Christ's work on the cross finishes and demonstrates this unfailing love.

              In the call to love and counsel others we can see the need to present the gospel through all of God's word, not just the first time someone comes to the understanding of salvation, but determining to see the gospel over and over in all of God's word. This brings us back, time and again, to see our sins for what they are, to the saving knowledge of the Gospel and leads to heart change that is not about burdensome work to slave through, but lovingly responding to Christ's cross. Therefore obedience to God is a joyful overflow of gratitude.

             Did I enjoy this read? Oh yes!  What did I get out of this book? So much...I'm not sure where to begin. The joy of knowing my lifetime of sins are taken from me onto the cross because of God's love for me (not because I'm all that, but just because that is God's nature) is awesome. It's like the amazement of knowing a friend loves you despite your flaws, only a million times more, for what is human love when you can know GOD's love? Would I recommend this book? Most definitely. If I had a million dollars, I'd send it to everyone I know (but maybe I'll say that about all the books I've been assigned to read *wink*)!

 

Renovations in progress...

Renovations are life, right now. About two months ago, I started studying under a friend and mentor who is also a Christian counselor. Along with two others, we have begun to train for a biblical mentoring certification under her, and it's hard. The books are not hard to read, but the material is very challenging; and to date, I've only finished half of my first required reading. Every chapter I've been faced with questions about how I view my faith, the depth of my understanding and questioning why I think the way I do.

Recently, I described my studying like having my heart ripped open, examined and then gentle placed back together. It's hard; and yet I am so enjoying the process. It hurts, but I see my exposed sin and faulty thinking as another testimony to God's grace, for he loves me still!

As it says in Hebrews 4:12-13  For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Ugly in my humanity, unable to hid ANYTHING, and yet it says in Ephesians 2:4-7 

 ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

 Is anyone else thrilled by these words?! God is awesome!

And then, because of Christ's cross covered those sins for me, Romans 12: 2

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 

I realize that to some transformation may sound very uncomfortable and even threatening. But God doesn't want us to stay where we are...he longs for us to be molded into his son's perfect likeness, and that is a life long process that is beautifully painful, and only finished when we are with him in heaven.

So in the months to come, as I study, I thought I would share my findings, just in case you are looking for a challenging read. But I warn you, God will not allow you to read these books without moving in your heart too. That's what happens when we think on his cross and what it means to us.

Thank you LORD!!

This Blog is Not at all what I intended it to be...so let's just say it's on the back burner for the time being. I may use it in the future for Anna and Ben, but until that time comes, don't expect to see much of anything new here.

Another set of jewelery.
They turned out pretty good, the only hard part is finding time to creat them!