Joseph Kony, Scandelous Grace and Social Justice

Have you see this video?


Chances are, some of your facebook friends have posted about it. In fact, I've had over 30 friends share the video in my news feed. There are over 10 million views on YouTube alone. It has gone viral. Why?

My generation is a generation obsessed with social justice.
There is a very real desire for justice to reign. Both among Christian students and non-believing students social justice is very popular. Groups like Invisible Children and Amnesty International and International Justice Mission reach young people of all walks of life.

But why are so many millennials (people 18-30) drawn to social justice? Honestly I don't really know. I have a few guesses because I know the things they value - honesty, being up front, perserverance in the face of trouble, and risk taking. (Laura wrote a great article about them and the things they value. She's the resident expert!)

Why does it matter? Why does it matter that my generation is obsessed with social justice?

Because my God is obsessed with social justice.

My Lord loves the outcast. He loves the down-trodden and the weak. He loves to comfort those who are suffering. He wants all to be free from slavery and bondage. He is both just and the justifier. He is the good judge who administers justice.

"But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it and take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless" Psalm 10:14

"Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause" Jeremiah 50:34a 

"My comfort in suffering is this, Your promise preserves my life" Psalm 119:50 

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisioners with singing;" Psalm 68:5-6 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11:28-30

The Lord always has been, and always will be, about social justice. His abundant mercy and grace are offered to us even when we don't deserve it. The fact of the matter is that we're not so different from Joseph Kony.

In fact in God's eyes I'm basically the same.

We're both sinners separated from God.

God, the good judge, demands truth. He doesn't let guilt go unpunished. He demands justice.

I think we delight in justice because we were made in the image of a God who delights in justice. But funny enough, we don't ask for justice for ourselves.

We don't beg for speeding tickets when we get pulled over (actually wait... my friend Nate did that one time) or demand that we get punished for every lie we tell.

We want justice in every area but our own lives. What we really deserve from God is death. An eternal separation from him because we haven't lived up to his standards.

Every single person that has ever walked the face of the earth deserves to go to hell.

You, me and Joseph Kony are all in the same boat.

But God.

God loves social justice. He loves the outcast, the failure. He loves you, me and Kony all the same.

He loved us all the way to Calvary. All the way to his own death.

He administered the justice you, me, and Kony deserve on himself because he's a good judge. He punished himself for our mistakes.

So often we glaze over this. This scandelous grace that we don't deserve. The Lord loves Joseph Kony the same way he loves you and I. The offer is the same whether you've told one little white lie or murdered thousands.

Jesus died on a cross so that you can be forgiven of your sins and have an eternity with God.

You, me and Kony all have this option.

Please please take it.

And please please please pray that Joseph Kony does also.

Linking up with Thought Provoking Thursdays and Faith Filled Fridays


If you have a been encouraged would you also consider subscribing over in the sidebar? You can have Angi Does Ministry delievered right to your inbox or your favorite reader to make sure you don't miss anything.

When things don't go how you planned

Thursday evenings I get together with a group of girls who are involved in our ministry and read God's word. One of my dear friends Korina opens her home, serves us tea, and organizes everything.

Korina and I at her Bachelorette Party

Each week is filled with laughter and fellowhship as we look at different women in the Bible. Korina is so good at delegating leadership to others! Some of the girls that come have had the chance to lead a Bible study for the first time.

I rarely lead because I love giving opportunities for other girls to lead and step out in faith in a new way. But nobody was able to lead last night's study so I offered.

I spent the afternoon thinking about different women that I have read about and Abigail, the wife of David, came to mind. She's a pretty dang awesome woman of the Lord and people rarely talk about her (you guys know how I like the obscure parts of the Bible! Hello Philemon and Habakkuk!)

So I wrote out this whole study of how Abigail was wise and prudent and honoring to the Lord. I made connections between her character and the Lord's character and how we can see the Glory of God through her actions. I had questions planned to show us how to take action steps like Abigail did. And you know what?

I didn't use a thing.

We read all the way through 1 Samuel 25 (after discussing the background of Saul and David) and I asked (like I always do, almost out of habit) if any verses in particular stuck out to anyone.

Elizabeth and Tina leading worship in our Bible Study

Someone asked about the last 3 verses and how it was okay for David to have multiple wives.

And our conversation just flew from there. We talked about polygamy and adultery, how the law came to be and our need for it, why Jesus had to die on the cross and the role of grace in sanctification. The gospel was shared and God's character revealed. Scriptures were exchanged and testimonies were shared.

It was the best Bible study I think we've had. And I couldn't have planned it in a million years.

Oh Lord you're so smart in the way you plan things out! Thanks for sweet girls who share the gospel and make people feel so comfortable. Thanks for being a discoverable God! I love that you want us to know you, that you make yourself available for us! Thank you for the cross and how you glorify yourself through it. I love when you are the plan changer and we get to be along for the ride. Please continue to use the conversation that was had, and ultimately your word to increase the faith of the girls who attended. You're so gracious in trusting us to share your word! Thank you thank you thank you!

Did you see that Laura is starting Faith Filled Fridays? I'm linking up with her to share this neat story of what God is doing! You should too!!

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife

Sometimes I read the story of Joseph and I just feel so bad for him. First being sold by his brothers as a slave and then being jailed for something he didn't even do. And yet through all of it, he is so faithful to the Lord!

I just love how Joseph reacts when tempted to cheat with Potiphar's wife:

"Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" 

"But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" - Genesis 39:6b-9

How honoring Joseph is to his master even when he isn't there. Now this of course backfires a teeny bit because Potiphar's wife lies to her husband and accuses Joseph of rape, but even then Joseph is honoring to God.

Joseph knew he had earned the trust of his master and could not squander it. He was honoring to his master even in the face of temptation.

Joseph knew what had been entrusted to his care and was careful to preserve it.

As Christ-followers we have many things entrusted to our care. We've been chosen as stewards of money, houses, jobs, skills, time and more. We've also have a few other really important things that God has trusted us with - the gospel and salvation message, the sharing of His word, and the teaching of other disciples.

 "And the things that you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable me who will also be qualified to teach others"

Can you believe it?! God has chosen us as tools to make sure His message of salvation spreads through out the world! Seriously, that is such a priviledge!

Just like Joseph was careful to honor his master by not abusing his trust, we must be careful to honor our Master. We must be good stewards of what he has put in our care.

Good stewards of our money by giving first to his kingdom.

Good stewards of our time by investing it in ways that are eternally significant.

Good stewards of our possesions by knowing who they really belong to (not us!).

Good stewards of our unique skills by using them to glorify God. (shameless plug for the Uniquely Made Women's Conference here! If you don't know what this looks like in your life you might consider checking it out! Plus it's only $40!)

Good stewards of the gospel by sharing it with others  and leaving the results up to God.

Linking up with Thought Provoking Thursdays

If you have a been encouraged would you also consider subscribing over in the sidebar? You can have Angi Does Ministry delievered right to your inbox or your favorite reader to make sure you don't miss anything.

Fighting off Birds of Prey

Remember the other day how we talked about birds of prey?

Sorry. I know its still not funny. But that bird is so cute how can I resist?

Okay actually I'm sitting in Starbucks audibly chuckling at that bird. Maybe it is a little funny.

Ahem. I'm just going to go ahead and move on and not try to think about that funny bird up there.

But really, remember yesterday's post about the cutting covenant that the Lord made with Abram? If you missed it go here and brush up on Genesis 15. Specifically Genesis 15:10-11:

Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away

Just imagine if you were Abram. You're really old, childless, and God just promised you that you would have a child of your own. In fact, God promised you that your descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Oh yeah and you're going to get all this land that your enemies live in.

It's hard for me to imagine that I would react in the same way that Abram did. Abram believed God right away. This was the reason he was counted as righteous before God. (Gen 15:6; Rom 4)

Even though Abram believed God, he asked the Lord to give him some assurance. This was not a lack of display of faith by any means, just Abram needing God's reminders (think of the same way that we might continually go back to God's word when we're trusting him for something big).

In the Lord's grace, he assures Abram through a cutting covenant.

So Abram prepares everything he needs for the cutting covenant- a cow, a goat, and a ram that are all 3 years old, as well as a dove and a young pigeon.

(side note/distraction.... has anyone actually ever seen a baby pigeon? I'm convinced they don't actually exist. They just appear in cities full grown. lol)

At this point Abram is pretty invested. Not only emotionally and spiritually but also financially. That's a pretty good stock of animals to sacrifice. But Abram did it joyfully because it was for the Lord.

But now picture this- you've just prepared all this stuff for the Lord and then birds come down and start attacking it! Huge falcons trying to steal your offering to the Lord! What would you do?

Would you just sit there and let it happen? Allowing the birds to take away your offering to the Lord.

Would you fight for a while and then give up because it just wouldn't stop?

Or would you persist? Keep fighting until you literally can not do it anymore?

Abram drove them away. He spent the rest of the day fighting off falcons until he fell in a deep sleep after the sun went down.

There will always be falcons whenever we set out an offering for the Lord. Our task is not to find a place where there won't be falcons but to persist in the battle.

Anyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12)

Things will be hard but we can persevere, through Christ. Don't you want to be like Paul at the end of his life and say "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim 4:7)?

All we need to do is follow the writer of Hebrews: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12:1-2)

With eyes fixed on Jesus we can persevere and fight off any falcons that might come our way

Linking up with Laura to Brag on God

Dead Birds and a Weird Oven

Uh that might be the weirdest title I've ever had for a blog post. But it's really what this passage of scripture is about. Really.

It's in Genesis 15 where God makes a covenant with Abram. Here's the highlights:

verse 1: The Lord comes to Abram and assures him that He is with him. "I am your shield, your very great reward"

verses 2-3: Abram gently (maybe not so gently) reminds God he still doesn't have a child and asks what he can have instead.

verses 4-5: The Lord makes a promise to Abram. Not only does he promise an heir from his own body (as opposed to the current heir from a servant) but he promises that Abram's offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. 

Also this passage is one of the passages that makes me feel better about my sarcasm. The Lord says "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them" Okay so maybe the Lord isn't being sarcastic, he's just reminding Abram who's boss but still... 

verse 6: "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited to him as righteousness" 

 verses 7: The Lord promises to give Abram land

 verse 8: Abram is a fraidy cat and asks the Lord to assure him that he'll take possession of the land

verses 9-21: The most awesome part! The Lord and Abram partake in a "cutting covenant" This is where the dead birds and weird oven come in. So what the heck is it?

I'm fascinated by the types of covenants that are made in biblical times. This probably goes along with my love of the Old Testament stories. So finding this new (to me) covenant was super exciting!

"Cutting a covenant" was a ritual between two parties where the parties cut animals in half and then lay the halves on the ground facing each other with a space in between them. I was going to put up a picture to help you visualize it but then my better judgement got to me. Be thankful ;) The parties would then walk through the space together. Should either one of the parties break the covenant it was said they would get the same fate as the animal. Um ouch.

Okay so Abram slices up some animals and then defends them against some birds of prey. Not birds of pray:

Sorry that wasn't funny. Moving on.

Here's where it gets weird. Abram falls into a deep sleep and sees a vision. The Lord assures him of his possession of the land. "Know for certain..." the Lord says.

And then "when the sun had set and a darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces" (Gen 15:17)

A Tannoor- an ancient earthenware oven

It's not uncommon for the Lord to turn into crazy things (remember the Pillar of Fire and Smoke??). The Lord turns into a weird ancient oven (see above) and a torch. There's lots of thoughts out there about what they mean but it's really not that important right now. What's more important, in my opinion (which is not necessarily right) is the fact that the Lord alone walked through the pieces.

Only God sealed the covenant. God promised on himself to honor his promise to Abram. The promise that was sealed was from God to Abram, not from Abram to God.

God gave Abram a no-strings-attached promise and swore to uphold it by passing through the pieces of dead animals. The covenant was a covenant of grace. Abram didn't have to do anything, including pass through the animals, to ensure that God would keep his promise. God will (and did) honor his promise to Abram simply because it is in his character.

Oh Lord you are so gracious to us! Thank you for the promises that you give  us- promises of eternal life and redemption and forgiveness. And thank you that you fulfill them because you are true. You do not lie. Thank  you for the grace you continually show us and give us. 

Linking up with these amazing women:

We are THAT family, Women Living Well, Internet Cafe Devotions, Good Morning Girls

Gracious Punishment

I have a great small group! I've talked about them before but I just love them. Our wise leaders are taking us through the whole Bible in looking at the Mission of God. Which I'm so excited about because I love that particular topic!

Last night we were talking about how God reveals Himself and His mission through the first 12 chapters of Genesis. Super awesome stuff.

From the beginning God has been concerned about inviting people into His mission. He chooses to use Adam and Eve to fill the earth and now invites us into the redemption of the Earth.

So in Genesis 11 we're at a place where God has commanded his people to "become fruitful and increase in number; multiply the earth and increase upon it" (Gen 9:7, right after the flood) and the nations are in the process of spreading.

And yet we find a problem. They stop.

As they're moving eastward (following the commandment of God) they become distracted and decide to settle there. They decide to build a tower to the heavens. Probably it looked a lot like this:

That friends is a ziggurat. My high school World History teacher would be proud I remembered that. But I digress.

So here they are right in the middle of the mission that God gave them and they just stop. Why? Pride. Ultimately it came down to the fact that they thought they could do societal life better than the way God wanted.

So what happens? God comes in and takes over. Just like the wisdom of Solomon says:

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails (Prov 19:21) 

God messes up their language so they can no longer understand each other. This is the beginning of distinct languages through out the world. This will force the families to scatter, like God wanted, rather than stay together like they had planned.

God's grace seems to be missing. And yet it is here. The grace of discipline, of prevention, of purpose. God's ways are always right. Even if we mess up on the first try.

The grace of God is preventing them from again clinging together and avoiding God's command to go to the ends of the earth. God's grace is confusing their languages so that they will live in obedience to the command. Often times God's grace looks a lot like punishment.

Just like the grace in the Garden of Eden. God exiles Adam and Eve so that they won't live forever in a sinful state.

God's way always prevails. God's grace is that he'll work things out in the way He planned. God's grace, even when it looks like punishment, is that He is God and we are not.


Linking up with: On Your Heart, Finding Heaven

PS. Do you know about the Uniquely Made Conference yet? Read all about it and how you can enter to win a Kindle Fire here!

Win a Kindle Fire!!

Today is maybe one of the most exciting posts I've written! I've been waiting and waiting and waiting to share this and now I finally can!

I'm so happy (like over the moon happy!) to introduce the very first ever Uniquely Made Conference!!

Grab a button and tell your friends!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.uniquelymadeconference.com/" title="Uniquely Made Conference" target="_blank"><img src="http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o304/laurakrokos/imspeaking-1.jpg" alt="Uniquely Made Conference" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Master Plan Ministries and Riverside Baptist (David Platt's mentor is the Pastor) are partnering together to put on the Uniquely Made; Displaying the Glory of God conference. It's a mini conference for women of all ages and seasons of life, designed to help women be intentional in using what God has given them for His glory. The purpose is to help women discover and use their gifts and strengths for making God known for the expansion of His kingdom.

And I am so excited because I get to speak, joining a host of other incredible ladies including my one of my very favorite people Laura Krokos!

So want to come? Oh I hope you can, it is going to be such an inspiring weekend with an eternal impact.

And did you catch the price!?! $40. Yup, just $40. Isn't that awesome!?!

And there is an opportunity to win a kindle fire over at UniquelyMadeConference. There are multiple chances to win and multiple ways to enter.