You Alone Can Resuce

I'm sitting here at my desk on my lunch break overwhelmed with this simple fact: Jesus alone can save. Listening to Matt Redman's amazing song, "You Alone Can Rescue".

My pride sometimes ignores it.

The world I live in tries to disprove it.

My flesh tries to evade it.

My mind tries to convince me otherwise.

My heart, in all truth, knows that it is it's only plea for hope and redemption.

As I stated in my last post, this past year has had it's share of trials for my heart in particular to God's faithfulness and his plans for me. Daily God is redeeming the fact that he has a perfect plan. I have always known this to be true, but it seems like this is getting hammered into my being.

It's surely interesting though-this whole process. It seems that God has had to take me through a valley of self reliance to allow me to come to the realization that pride [hoping in myself] inevitably leads to a destruction, (Proverbs 16:18) and that true salvation comes through a humble spirit (James 4:6) fully reliant on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

You see, the truth I must cling to is the truth that I am completely lost without Christ's life, death, & resurrection. God's faithfulness in this blows me away. Here we are in Holy week (I didn't intend to write about holy week) and God continues to point me to the cross.

We observe Good Friday in a couple days and I hope that my heart is fixed on the fact that Christ took on all of my imperfections and sin and pride and inconsistencies of my life and bore the punishment.

I'm learning that it's not about me. It's not about what I can or can't do. It's not about the fact that I'm not good enough. It's about the fact that he has saved. He is the only one that can allow us to live a Holy life, to die to ourselves, and to lift us out of the grave of our sin and pull us into life.

I hope you enjoy these lyrics and download the song and let it speak a true message of the grace of the gospel to your heart. Friend, I pray that you will be changed by GRACE in the same way I am being changed every day. I promise your efforts will never be good enough and when your life is over, all the counts is the work of Jesus in our lives.

Matt Redman
You Alone can Rescue
Who, oh Lord, could save themselves,
Their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea
Your grace is deeper still

Who, oh Lord, could save themselves,
Their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea
Your grace is deeper still

You alone can rescue, You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise

You, oh Lord, have made a way
The great divide You heal
For when our hearts were far away
Your love went further still
Yes, your love goes further still

You alone can rescue, You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise

Blessings,

AJ

What's Goin On.

Since the last post, there has been a lot go on in the lives of the Brantley's. We have loved being married. It has certainly had it's share of deep deep joy but it has certainly had its time of brokenness and hurt. You see, Lindsey and I have sin and broken places within us. Inevitably, we were not spared from the fall from grace. Our marriage is often a great reminder of this fall as we continually realize that the other is not perfect. We don't behave in the exact way that the other would want and we just downright get underneath each other's skin sometimes. [Shamelessly admitting that my marriage is not perfect...WHAT?!?! who does that?]


Fortunately for us, this is not where the story ends. Although we suffer the hurt and pain from the effects of the First Adam's decisions, there is great redemption and joy in the second Adam. The second Adam, Jesus, came and redeemed the fall. In marriage counseling, we were told over and over again that we would have no greater arena to minister than in our marriage. This has proved itself oh so very true. Marriage makes me see how selfish and stupid and inconsiderate I am sometimes, but it allows me to seek redemption and grace greater than any arena in my life. I love Lindsey so very much. The moments of compassion and gentleness that she shows me in my stubborn, sinful ways are such great evidence and an example to me of how my wretched life has been redeemed and that although I carry a weight of sin and flesh from the first Adam, I champion a story and life much greater in Jesus. I need grace. I need to daily be redeemed from my junk. I am not good enough on my own. [Are there any other ways for me to put this...]


As for an update on our lives, we are loving living in Buckhead in the midst of everything. We never have a shortage of cool places to visit or great places to eat. It's a great place for a newly married couple to live. Lindsey is teaching special ed in Henry County and very much enjoying what she does. It amazes me how she daily ministers to some of these students and their families. Her patience and compassion for them is so great. She is vigilant and loves to see students work through the difficulties of their circumstances. I am so proud that she is my wife.


I am still working at Novelis. (http://www.novelis.com/ if you want to know more). I love my job and I love the people I work with. They truly are some of the kindest and most genuine people that I have ever known in the professional work environment. Mid to late last year Lindsey and I really went through a hard time over a potential ministry opportunity that came our way. Our lives were almost certainly heading toward this opportunity but it quickly became clear that the Lord had other plans. Some things about this hurt and took some time for the Lord to heal in me. What I have learned is this:

1. God is Sovereign (I always know this eternal fact, but I love that God chooses to teach it to me and remind me of it so often.)


2. His plans are perfect.


3. Ministry takes place in everyday life and God has made me a light.


4. God still has a plan for me. It may not be what I thought it once was. But it is perfect.


5. Jesus is all I need. Past the hurt, past the seemingly broken dreams, (I know it sounds cheesy) my life is found in Him.

There's so much more. There's so much more to tell. Our lives are an adventure and I'm so very glad to walk this journey. There truly is nobody else I'd rather have smell my rank breath early in the morning than Lindsey. She's a saint. I don't deserve her.

Thank you for listening. Pray for us. Pray that we love Jesus more than anything and seek to live a life that changes lives.

Much Love.

Hitched!

We did it! We are married and we are the Brantley's!

Like everyone warned, the wedding day flew by and we wished it could have lasted longer! We wanted so badly to visit with everyone who came to share in the day. It's the first and last time all of those people were in that one place at one time, to support you and recognize God's beautiful purpose in the love commitment of marriages. We enjoyed the smiling faces and presence of our incredible friends and family, and we were (and still are) overwhelmed with the kind words of encouragement and generous gifts.

Mexico was a blast, and life here in Atlanta is treating us well. God blessed me with a teaching job several weeks ago, and AJ is still enjoying his new job very much. We are thankful for His provision in a time of newness and transition.

We look forward to feeling "settled" and establishing routines that will become "us". As we seek purpose in daily life together, we're praying for a home church and for relationships around us and in our work places that will allow us to share the love of God. I think some things that will mark these first few months together are: cereal suppers, coupon clipping, watching seasons of "Lost" in our evenings together, and enjoying the discovery of how silly we both are, in ways we never knew until we shared a home.

I just want to brag on my incredible husband for a moment. I was diagnosed with mono a few weeks ago and it hit a hard point this last weekend. He has taken such great care of me- he's cooked, cleaned, taken me to the doctor, gone out looking for Tylenol 3 (which isn't everywhere) and heating pads for my neck (which are $40 at Walgreens, $20 at Target, just FYI...) He has truly laid down his life and desires to serve me in a time of "sickness". I couldn't ask for a better care taker and friend. I'm now the "snorer" (I hope it goes away when the mono goes away!) and he sleeps sound with earplugs.

He is the best.

Lindsey

Being Brantley

Nearly two years ago there were a lot of things going on in my life. God was bringing me out of some hurts that would eventually prove to teach me foundational truths about my identity in Christ and my identity as a man folliwing Christ.

In the midst of all this was my good friend Lindsey. Lindsey was constant in my life but in a random way. We had a great friendship that was very dear to both of us. It was honest, revealing, and comforting while maintaining a sense of guarded protection. Although I often times considered pursuing Lindsey, I was able to refrain in Godly respect. I truly saw Lindsey as a sister of the Kingdom and never felt that I had the 100 percent go ahead to pursue. So I refrained. During this process for reasons other than me (and maybe because she had a slight crush) Lindsey greatly considered moving to the Atlanta area. In the time that followed, she had experiences that filled her with joy but also had experiences that caused great pain.

Although Lindsey never moved to Atlanta that summer two years ago, she is now less than 2 months away from moving to Atlanta as my wife. There is this beautiful story that God was weaving between the two of us. When we almost started dating two years ago God showed us that He was not ready and that His timing was not set. In the time that we waited, God taught us a few things before drawing our hearts together in a beautiful, romantic, divine romance. He has done that very thing in us. The people closest to us will agree that it hasn't been the easiest road but it is the beautiful road of joyful grace that God has gracefully invited us to be a part of. God has been teaching us beautiful lessons and is stripping us of baggage and selfishness so that we can choose to love each other as Christ has loved the church.

I invite you in to following our lives together, but more than that I hope you see the story of Gods love for his people. The way Jesus lived and died speaks deeply to the human heart in ways that no earthly experience can truly grasp. I believe marriage is the closest earthly experience that we partake in that allows us to understand the way Christ passionately loves and pursues his bride. My hope and my life’s prayer is this: may Lindsey and I love one another in way that Christ’s love and jealousy for his bride is made plain so that others desire to taste and see the glorious riches of Christ Jesus.