Author: Aaron Hufty

Re:Verse passage – Revelation 5:9-10 (day two) 

You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation vs 9b

Im sitting in the hotel lobby in London about 6 hours before we have to get up and head for the airport to fly home. We are more than ready to be home. Less than ready for the heat, but it has been a life-changing mission-affirming two weeks of ministry. Informal and formal concerts numbered around 15; many kingdom conversations, and prayer over people; one life given to Christ.

One aspect of the tour that surprised me at every stop was the way people responded to the kids singing, especially when we sang Old Lang Syne set to new words. We were reminded time and time again that the Lord is alive and active across the globe. His death and resurrection was for every tribe and nation. It was exciting to see the gospel in  action.

Re:Verse passage – Romans 8:28-30 (day two)

 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Vs 28

It is midnight in Northern Ireland as I write this blog, and the Youth Worship team has just finished an incredible day of ministry. As I sat down to write this blog, I re-read the passage and after our day today it struck me quite differently. All things worked today, and nothing did. All of the plans that we have made over the past several months were meticulous, and nothing went according to them today. We did, however, have more ministry opportunities than I could have imagined. Although the schedule was turned upside down, God orchestrated every moment for his glory. We prayed, shared testimony, sang, and shared more than we thought possible, simply because we were willing to let him interrupt or plans, and recognize his were so much bigger and better. God’s perfect plan is always the best. Our prayer should be to surrender everything to his great call on our lives. Thanks for loving these kids, and allowing them to minister at home, and across the world.

Re:Verse passage – 1 John 4:19–21 (day two)  

And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. Vs. 21

For God so loved…Love the Lord with all your heart…This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.

How do we truly reflect the Imago Dei in our lives. The answer seems almost too apparent, we love. If this isn’t abundantly clear, re-read John’s gospel, and all his letters. If there is one characteristic that demonstrates the nature of our creator, it is love. We are instructed over and over again to display this trait in every way that we can. Love the Lord – love each other.

We spend so much time complicating that command. We attach qualifications to our love, even in our families, our churches, our friendships. Loving someone doesn’t mean that we agree with everything they say or do, and it doesn’t require them to meet a standard before we start to love. Love first, figure out to get along later.

Re:Verse passage – Jeremiah 29:10–14 (day two) 

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. vs. 12

As Pastor Chris said yesterday in the re:vlog video, 70 is a lifetime. Jeremiah contains many words of warning and admonition to kings, leaders, and people of every station. The Lord had been speaking to the people through prophets for generations, and this exile was not a surprise to those who were listening.

That’s the key to this passage; listening, keeping alert, and not straying from the path. There are many instances where people go through hardship, and they turn to every possible source of help and hope, and in their desperation they finally turn to the Lord. This is not one of those times. The Lord, in his mercy, had promised a time of hardship and exile because of the  people’s sin. There were, however, a remnant who remained faithful throughout the struggle. God reminds us of his presence throughout the trial. In this case he gives a timeframe, just like he did to Moses. Struggles can be a part of a larger narrative that the Lord is teaching you, and others. Sometimes, your job is to endure. You are to remain faithful. The Lord is not absent, he is always at work.

Re:Verse passage – John 10:10 (day two) 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

Abundant life sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Rich, full lives is what each of us desire at some level, and although the definition will likely differ for each person, we want some measure of abundance. As we study this oft quoted verse, we should remember that an abundant life is not simply the absence of the ‘thief’, but more importantly the presence of Jesus. His nearness is fullness. To know him should color what it means to be full. If we long after him in all things, it should change what we mean by abundance. May each of us seek to be in the presence of Jesus today.

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–27 (day two) God created man in His own image…vs. 27a

This has been a seminal passage for me as I have attempted to navigate the calling to worship ministry. The word ‘create’ has much to say to us beyond the one time act of creating. As God created, we who are made in his image, should create. We cannot create out of nothing, as God does, but we can use what he has given us to form, shape, and imagine beyond to the limits of our imaginations (another divine gift). The word has even permeated out leisure, we call it re-creation. Each time we design a building, paint a picture, sing a song, write a poem, work with our hands, etc. we are tapping into the very fabric of God’s creative nature. Our hope, as believers, is to help others see the built-in God-image that is giving them the ability to see beyond the possible. In her book Walking on Water, Madeleine L’Engle says the creative artist bears the ‘wound of transcendence’. They recognize the very art they perform is evidence there is more.

Don’t come to me next Sunday and tell me you can’t sing, or draw, or create. God didn’t make an exception with you. If you have breath, you have a voice. It may not sound like mine, but what would be the fun in that. Use what  you have, in whatever means you have and recognize that each creation bears the distinct mark of its Creator.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20

Re:Verse passage – John 14:6 (day two) 

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

As we embark on this thirteen week study of the exploration of life, and how we are created to live fully, it is so wise that we begin with the author and perfecter of our faith, Jesus. Jesus, the Word become flesh, who was with the Father at creation when we were spoken into creation, declares for all the he is life. There is no equivocation, no alternate route, no misunderstanding. Jesus is life. C.S. Lewis would refer to passages like this in his Mere Christianity when he states that Jesus is either who he says he is or he is a mad man. There can be no in-between. If we want to fully understand life, and who we were created to be, we must begin with Jesus. No other model will measure to him. As we walk through this summer series, would you consider Jesus as your reference, your guide, and your help in understanding who you were created to be?