Follow the Leader

Count the Cost

2012-01-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

At such a cost our freedom was garnered... this a cost we could not pay.

Nothing we have could be offered for our own redemption... yet this is a bill that must be paid.

God demands an accounting for the life He gave... and each sin adds to a debt that never stops increasing.

So how??? How do we pay a debt we have absolutely no means of paying?

That's easy... Jesus paid it all.

And yet... is it really that easy?

Out of love God sent His only begotten Son. Out of love Jesus came to be born of a woman. Out of love He came and bore the reality of the human life... pain, loneliness, humiliation... hunger, fatigue, distress... abandonment, separation, and death... even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). Out of love Jesus walked this earth searching for those who would believe and follow. Out of love He rose again in victory over death, so that through His death and resurrection we too could share in His victory.

So again I ask... is it really that easy? Simply put... No.

Why would we think it would be? It seems far too many of us who claim Christ, to one degree or another, live in a way that takes the sacrifice of our Savior for granted. I know this firsthand since I used to be one of them... and at times still may be. The question is why? Why do so many continue to take Him for granted? Why do so many continue to take the steep cost for granted?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

I lived many years of my life claiming to be a Christian... and yet I never knew what that meant. I never knew... or better put... I never understood what my redemption cost. The high price that was paid for the forgiveness I received... the cleansing, restoration, and salvation I received. I didn't know or understand because I didn't want to know or understand. Something in me knew I would have to change... and that I would have to give up some things if I was to live a life of faith. I wasn't willing. Sadly... I wasn't willing. But thanks be to God... He is patient.

Now, after almost four and a half years of learning, walking this life of faith, and having my eyes opened to the cost, I am now beginning to understand... although I will never fully know or comprehend it all. Jesus paid the ultimate cost. It was a debt He did not owe that He paid for all of us who had a debt we could not pay. And what do we do in response to this??? What do we do to show our gratitude? How do we respond to the ultimate act of grace? Do we believe... yes. Do we go to church... yes. Do we allow God to change us... yes, to a degree. Do we count the cost... sadly I think for most Christians the answer is no. My answer was no for a large majority of my life.

But what I am speaking about here is not counting the cost of the sacrifice of Jesus. That is something we can never know. We can never truly know the cost of God the Father sending His Son. We can never know the cost of the Son laying down His life. We can never know what it cost Him. But what I am speaking about hear is something we can know. Something we should know. And that is the cost of following Him. What will it cost us is the question. I hope that many, if not most Christians have come to grips with the fact that Jesus had to die in order for us to be saved. I hope that we as a body of believers have deep gratitude that goes beyond words for what our Savior has done for us. What I don't know, and what I am trying to get at hear is do we understand that His cost will lead to our cost?

Following Jesus will cost you something. Following Jesus should cost you something. Following Jesus through the veil and in through the narrow gates of heaven should cost us all we have... but it doesn't. My question is... would we be willing to give it?

This past Sunday as I sat in church and we sang songs worshiping our God and Savior this really started to sink in for me. One of those songs was by Jared Anderson called "Pleasing to You." Some of the lyrics go like this...

"I give my life, my all
Taking the cross I will follow
Jesus my heart must know
I'm pleasing to You

Sanctify me
You are the light to guide me
To the place where I am
Only if pleasing to You"

Do we give our lives to Him... do we give our all?

Do we give all we have to give for the honor of knowing Jesus Christ?

Do we allow Him to take us to a place where we will be pleasing to Him?

Another song was called "I Give Myself Away" by William McDowell, and some of the lyrics go like this...

"Take my heart
Take my life
As a living sacrifice
All my dreams, all my plans
Lord I place them in your hands

My life is not my own
To you I belong
I give myself, I give myself to You

I give myself away
I give myself away
So You can use me"

Do we offer up our heart... what we love, enjoy, watch, listen to, partake in... and our lives?

Do we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to our God?

Do we realize that our life is not our own... but that we belong to Him?

Another song was "Refiner's Fire" by Brian Doerksen and the lyrics go like this...

"My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy"

Do we have the desire to be holy? To be set apart for Him? To stand out as children of the Light?

Do we choose to be holy as He is Holy... or do we choose to live as the world does, unwilling to give up the things we used to do, desire to do in the flesh, or cling to as we long to be in control?

Do we allow Him to purify our hearts? And do we realize that we hamper the cleansing of our hearts by holding on to the trash the world has to offer?

And yet another song was "Overtaken" by Gateway Worship and the lyrics go like this...

"CHORUS
God, You're taking over all of me, I'm letting go so
You can come and have Your way in me
I leave it all behind me 'cause Jesus saved my life
Now every day I worship You, my King

VERSE 2

Jesus Christ, I thank You for the love You've
Given me, though I deserve nothing
Everything I have, I owe it all to You
Nothing that this world has got to offer
Satisfies my soul, I still hunger
Pouring out my heart, I'm filling up with You"

Do we let go? Truly let go of what this world has to offer?

Or do we cling? Cling to the temporal pleasures that take away from our offering to the Lord?

Do we realize that we don't deserve anything and that all we have is due to Him and through Him?

Do we recognize that nothing this world has to offer can satisfy us?

If we answered yes to any and all of these questions... then why?

Why do we still do the things we ought not to do, and fail to do the things we ought to do? (See Romans 7:13-25)

As I thought about this today and I remembered that this is a blog I started to write way back in March of 2011, I also remembered why I never got around to doing it. People don't like to hear messages like this. But again I turned my thoughts towards the music we sing in churches and one imparticular which is "For the Sake of the Call" by Steven Curtis Chapman and the lyrics go like this...

"Nobody stood and applauded them
So they knew from the start
This road would not lead to fame
All they really knew for sure was Jesus had called to them
He said "Come follow me" and they came
With reckless abandon they came

Empty nets lying there at the waters edge
Told a story that few could believe and none could explain
How some crazy fishermen agreed to go where Jesus lead
With no thought for what they would gain
For Jesus had called them by name and they answered

CHORUS
We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die
For the sake of the call"

Are we certain we have heard the voice of our Lord? If so why don't we follow?

Why don't we also follow with reckless abandon?

Do we wonder about what we will gain? Or worry more over what we will have to give up?

Will we abandon it all for the sake of the call? For no other reason than that Jesus is worth it?

I wonder that when we pass on if this song will be sung for us? For how many of us will it be sung?

In Luke's gospel Jesus tells a couple of parables that pertain to counting the cost because it will cost us to follow Him.

Luke 14:28-30 (NKJV)

²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— ²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?

³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

We are to count the cost. We are to consider if we are able. We have a choice in the matter. But it isn't really a choice. The disciples left all behind to follow Jesus and all but John lost their life in persecution. While we may not be asked to do that... why we may not be asked to forsake all like they did... why we may not lose our lives to persecution... Jesus is looking for those who would be willing. Are you willing? It is obvious that most of us would say yes to that question... but would we mean it?

Most seem unwilling to forsake their Lady Gaga cd's, Eminem cd's, and TV shows like Family Guy that blaspheme Christ as they portray Him as a cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking pimp in one of their episodes. Yet we watch shows like that. We watch shows and movies with murder, sex, and cursing
and then go and bless the Lord in our church services. We listen to music that is all about sex, violence, guns, money, drugs and then go and bless the Lord is our churches. We rationalize this by saying things like " I am an adult I can handle it," or "it's only a movie, TV show, or song."

We are unwilling to part with ungodly friendships and relationships thinking just because Jesus ate with sinners its ok for us to surround ourselves with them too. Haven't you read or heard that...

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

³³ Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”^[

Jesus would also say some other things that always made me nervous about making sure I was willing. He would say that...

Luke 9:62 (NIV)

⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

and...

Luke 14:25-27 (NKJV)

²⁵ Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Some may wonder what bearing one's cross and following Jesus has to do with entertainment. Some may wonder why I write this stuff. I guess my point is that if we are not willing to even change our choices of entertainment which allow trash into our minds and stunt our growth as Christians... what are we willing to give up for the sake of the call??? If are not making the choice to listen to, and watch shows that honor Christ instead of blaspheme Him or praise the world instead of Him... is our walk pure? Or is it corrupted by what we allow our eyes and ears to feast on? Is it a big deal? Is it not?

Jesus always said "He who has ears to hear let him hear." I guess I am saying the same thing. But more importantly, he who has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him (or her), should listen to the Holy Spirit and make choices that will honor God and not mock Him. We should make choices that will grow our faith, allow Him to change us by them, and help us along the way. Even if they are tough choices about how we entertain ourselves and who we hang out with. If it is just music... just a TV show... just a movie... just a friendship... why can't we let go of it? Why is the honor of knowing Christ and trying to live a life that pleases Him not enough of a reason to leave the world and its things behind?

James 4:4 (NKJV)

⁴ Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

James had a lot of harsh words, but they were truth nonetheless. So we need to make sure we make wise choices. We need to make sure we are willing to put things in their proper place... and for some that may mean the trash. We need to make sure we consider everything that goes along with following Christ. Yes we are saved by grace through faith. Yes His work on the cross was finished. Yes eternal life awaits those who believe. But there will be those crying out "Lord, Lord" and yet they will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. I don't want to be one of them.

Count the cost... and then put that information into action by doing the things that will honor God with your life choices. Even in the little things.

"For the Sake of the Call" by Steven Curtis Chapman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sb4RrF9VxI

"Refiner's Fire" by Brian Doerksen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y8zP34AhuU

"Pleasing to You" by Jared Anderson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXHo4CPk9v8

"Overtaken" by Gateway Worship

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxnJFoXVBxY

"I Give Myself Away" by William McDowell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ofQmeao9I

Through Eyes Like Fire

2012-01-15T00:02:00.000-05:00

This conversation between Father and Son wasn't going so well as far as the Son was concerned. He could hear His Father’s words echo through His mind, “No not one.” As He looked out over the expanse of time He replayed that last piece of the conversation. He had asked if His Father would have to destroy them all if just fifty righteous could be found. The answer given was no, if fifty could be found He would spare them all.

“But what if just forty could be found,” He asked. “No for the sake of the forty I will spare them all,” was His Father’s reply. “But none are righteous, no not one,” His Father went on to say. “It grieves me that this is the way it has become, they all have turned away, not one does good. They are my creation and I love them dearly, but I am Holy and Just and must judge them according to their works.”

“Yes Father I know. You are Holy, Holy, Holy, and justice must be done, but I love them so.”

“I know that this hurts you my beloved, just as it does me. It pains me to my innermost being, but it must be done nonetheless.”

Through eyes like fire the Son scans through the ages. He sees those He loves with all His heart, mind, soul, and strength, and His heart is broken. “How has it come to this,” He wonders to Himself. “All the evidence of creation was placed before them and a longing for eternity was instilled in their heart, and yet they go their own way. How could it be that none do good?”

With one last attempt the Son looks at His Father with eyes full of compassion and says, “What if I go?”

The Father with a gleam in His eyes looks back and says, “Are you willing?”

“I am Father, but not my will but yours be done. Send me if you will.”

“As a man you will know full well what their existence is like. You will know hunger and pain, fatigue and despair, abandonment and betrayal. Those are the ways of man.”

“Yes Father I know and I am still willing. You said if just one could be found you would not destroy them all. Allow some, as many as who are willing to come to me and know me to be mine.”

“But Son I must still judge justly. For any to be saved you must take their place. You will have to taste death, and not just any death, but the death of the cross. You must die on a tree and become the curse so they can be set freed from it. Are you certain you are willing?”

“Yes I am. If it is your will, and if it will make you pleased, then punish me instead. If their debt could be paid by my death, then yes Father I will take their place.”

The Father looks at His Son with joy in His eyes. He knows what this means. He knows He will have to release the full burden of His wrath on His own Son for a race of people that will despise Him. But for the sake of the few who would believe, for the sake of those who would turn back to Him, He was willing.

“My Son in whom I am well pleased, you know that while you hang on that tree you and I will be separated. As you hold the weight of all their sin on your shoulders I will unleash the full measure of my anger. You will not know my presence at that moment. Are you still willing?”

Separation was something the Son has never known as He has always been with the Father. He looks again through the ages and sees those who He would come to know as friends. His live for them knows no bounds and He tells His Father, “Yes I am. I am still willing. I am willing to do whatever it takes.”

“Then so be it says the Father. Amen. Go my Son; I love you with an everlasting love.”

“Yes Father, let your will be done.”

What's the Difference???

2012-01-07T11:17:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 4:3-4 (NKJV)

³ For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. ⁴ In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.

What's the difference?

What's the difference between us who claim Christ and the rest of the world around us... the people around us?

Is there a difference? Should there be a difference?

(Before I begin let me point out that this comes from some self examination first and foremost and is in no way an attack on any one person. The goal is to get each person who reads this to also examine their own walk with the Lord.)

I was thinking about this topic the other day while in church. Within the past few weeks I have heard from the pulpit that it was ok for us to be different, that we should as Christians be different... we should be set apart unto God. First a few weeks ago from a guest preacher who is a missionary to Zambia, and then from my own Pastor who also added that it was ok to be weird... to seem weird... at least weird to the world. That is how we seem... at least I think we should... weird to the world. Yet when we take a good look at the church is that something we are seeing? Do we see a nation of believers set apart unto God??? Or do we see a nation of believers who live as if they are set apart from God?

Jesus Himself was an outcast in His own day... at least He was an outcast to the mainstream, the people around Him. Those who accepted Him knew who He was and what He was all about. Those who did not accused Him of being a drunkard, a sinner, and a man basically posessed and powered by Satan.

Matthew 11:19 (NIV1984)

¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”

Matthew 12:24 (NKJV)

²⁴ Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

The leaders of His day deemed Him an outcast and an outlaw. He was different. He is our example. But are we different? Are we "outcasts" in our world? Are we?

This is a hard topic to talk about because it is hard to be different. It is hard to know where to draw the line between fanaticism and a life that exemplifies the Christian faith as Christ intended. So how do we know what He intended? How do we know how to rightfully live a life that shows the world our faith in Christ without watering it down so the world barely notices a difference?

I think it would have been so much easier if Jesus would have lived in a recent time and had to deal with the world we deal with today. Immorality runs rampant through the streets. What is right is considered wrong. What is wrong is considered right. What is good is considered evil, and what is evil is considered good. I think I heard or read that somewhere before.

Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

We live in a world with people who love themselves and not God. Who seek to please themselves and not God. I think I read that somewhere too.

2 Timothy 3:1-4 (NKJV)

^"1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,"

Woe to those people. Yet don't Christians also do this? Do I? Do you? At times... I think so. But should this be... should we? I think not. I know not. Yet we do. So why... how. Why do we. How can we. Are we not supposed to radiate light? Are we not supposed to show Christ in us? Do we? Do I? I know that most people will say that this is impossible. We cannot always radiate Christ's love... can we? We cannot always live as Christ lived... can we? Is that something to strive for or something to dismiss as impossible? Do we seek first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness or do we settle for less because we as people are incapable?

Tough questions to asnwer but isn't this what we see in the church... how we live... how I live? But why? Why settle for less? Why suppose and assume that it can't be done? Why do we live with one foot in the world and one foot in heaven thinking that it is acceptable to do so? Why live anything less than a life wholly dedicated to God that includes what we listen to, what we watch (both movies and tv), what we say, how we dress, and so forth and so on? Why allow the world to corrupt our thoughts, lives, and actions? Why be transformed by the world when we should be being transformed by the Word? Why do we seek to fit in rather than stand out?

Why?

What should our standards be? Where do we set the bar?

Our standards should be His, and we don't set the bar but He does. It is up to us to live by them.

If we go a little further in 2 Timothy we get a warning from Paul...

2 Timothy 3:5 (NKJV)

⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Yet we don't turn away do we. It seems we turn into them instead of turning away from them.

Throughout Paul's letters he gives us a picture... an idea... of what we should be doing...

1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NKJV)

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Romans 13:12-14 (NKJV)

¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Ephesians 5:3-5 (NKJV)

³ But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; ⁴ neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. ⁵ For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Romans 6:1-3 (NKJV)

¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

I think I could write for days all of the exhortations of Paul, Peter, John, and James of how we should be living as Christians... but most of us who read the Word, go to a good church, and love the Lord already know these things. The question is why do we fail to see it so often amongst the church to actually live these things?

Shouldn't we be "Doers of the Word?" (James 1:22)

Shouldn't we be "Imitators of God?" (Ephesians 5:1)

Shouldn't we "Pick up our own cross and follow" the Lord? (Matthew 16:24)

Shouldn't we (me included)?

But let's be honest, when we look at the church as a whole... when we look at the body of believers as a whole... we don't really see this. We see a church corrupted by the world. Jesus said that He came not to bring peace but the sword (Matthew 10:34). He came to separate His followers from the world. One day when we all stand before Him, He will separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25). I tend to think this means a separation between the believers... those true to His Word, and those not. If we parallel what is spoken of in Matthew 25 and the Sheep/Goat judgment with what Jesus said in Matthew 7 we can see that there will many who think they are Christians who are not.

Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

These verses have always scared the daylights out of me. To me, for many to call Him Lord must believe He is Lord. Yet they may have known of Him, but never known Him. What a tragedy it would be to wind up being one of these who hear these words from Jesus... I never knew you... depart from me... how tragic.

There is a lot of harshness to this post. I have had many conversations over the past 4 years about what people watch, listen to, talk about, joke about, think about... etc., etc. But the question is when it comes to how you live your life... what's the difference? Are we claiming Christ and still living as our neighbor who knows nothing of Christ lives? Are we allowing the world to dictate to us how we live our lives rather than letting God dictate how we live? Is society and all it encompasses more powerful than God? Is culture, tradition, TV, more valuale to you when it comes to making a decision about how you live and what you do than the Word of God? I pray not.

My prayer and my hearts desire is to be one of the sheep at Jesus's right hand to whom He says... "well done good and faithful servant."

Strive to be different. Strive to be strange (as Peter put it). Strive to be weird as my Pastor put it. Strive to be set apart unto God offering your body (and life) as a living sacrifice. Strive...

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

Dare to live as an outcast just as He did. Living this way does not mean we never leave our houses... or that we never have anything to do with the world... but just beacuse we are in the world does not mean we have to be part of it.

Yes, I know it is difficult. I know how hard it is to change. I know how hard it is to give up the things we have grown accustomed to. I know how hard it is to say no to the world. I know all of this from experience and I still struggle at times. I can tell you that the first decision is the hardest... the first thing you change or give up for the sake of the cross. But all things are possible through Christ who gives us strength, and each decision after will get easier. This life may be full of small choices here and there that we must make in order to separate ourselves from a world gone mad. But doesn't our savior deserve for us to give all we have, all we can... to part with the things of old so we can take hold of the new? Doesn't His sacrifice for us deserve a sacrifice from us in return. Not because the sacrifice in itself makes us worthy... but because HE is WORTHY. He is worthy for us to give up all things to grasp hold of HIM.

Shall we let our comforts, the things we take pleasure in, our movies, our music, our lifestyle, and/or our wants, get in the way of our walk with Him?

If we are alienated by our families, colleagues, friends... should we allow our feelings get in the way of our choice to follow Christ?

Do we stand firm on the rock of Christ, alone if necessary, and say to the world... "Come what may I will not be moved"... or do we fall in line with the goats and with the nonbelievers, because we refuse to be separate? Are you willing to be different?

1 Peter 1:13-15 (NIV1984)

¹³ Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;"

May God bless you and keep you and show you His will for your life.

Willing... Love Is

2011-10-21T23:28:00.005-04:00

Wow... it has been a while since I have written anything. I started this one once already and have had no time to get it done until now. So much has changed in the past month and the best part of it is that I am now married. So... This one is dedicated to the love of my life, my best friend... my bride Rachael.

Rachael my SWEET... As our love has grown, my understanding of love has grown. What it really is... what it takes... and you have shown me. You have said on a few occasions that love is a choice... a choice that we must make even when the going gets rough. I agree. True love is willing to make that choice to love no matter the circumstances... and I am willing to love you as you ought to be loved. I know I have mentioned that I need to be inspired in order for me to write, and I just want you to know that I have spent the past 4 1/2 months being inspired... by you.

In our first marriage counseling session with our Pastor, he asked us a question. That question was, "what is love." At first I had a hard time answering the question. To me the meaning is complicated... the meaning is... well... meaningful. I had a hard time answering because the love I feel for Rachael, the love I now know is possible... is beyond what I knew before. I didn't really know how to describe it, and since it is so serious to me, I just didn't want to offer up an answer to it that was anything less than it should be. But as I thought all the more about what love is to me, and thought more about how I felt in my relationship, the meaning I was searching for became more clear. To me love is willing. That would be my answer. Love... true love... love as God intended it... is willing. If you look at the scriptures you see that this is how God enacts His love towards us. He is willing to love even when we are unlovable. He is willing to shower us with His love even though we don't deserve it.

Romans 5 (NIV)

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is love in action... love that is willing... it should be our example. So this is what has been on my mind ever since that day in the Pastor's office and I hope to explain further just what I mean be a "willing" love.

The way I see it is that we have had love modeled for us... a perfect love... true love... and yet we struggle immeasurably to follow the model. In our nature the love we have to give others is but just a small piece of what it should be as our desire to please self interrupts the flow of love to another. That is why when things in a relationship begin to get hard so many people look for the exit instead of deciding to stick it out... to make it work. And this kind of love isn't really love at all. In order for us to know how to really love someone you need to be loved. And if you are going to truly love somebody you will need to be truly loved by somebody. But the only one who knows how to truly love is God, and until we go to Him to be loved... and to be taught how to love... how we love will always be but a small portion of what it could be.

In my life, I have experienced the love of God... and it is through this love that I am free and able to love. I have received love... true love... and now I can give love... true love. Thanks be to God. This is the love I will now look to give back to God, and then extend to my wife Rachael. This is how God intended it to be, and this is how I want to live my life... loving God first, and my wife above all others. I am willing, and I am able, but not because/or in and of myself, but because of God. I can love Him because He first loved me. I can then extend that love because He shows me how to love.

1 John 4 (NIV)

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.

or in the NKJV

1 John 4 (NKJV)

¹⁹ We love Him because He first loved us.

And since He loves us we can love... what He has freely given us we are free to give away.

Matthew 10 (NLT)

⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

Notice how this verse says to give freely what we have received... so in other words... if you haven't received it you cannot give it. That is how God designed it... and it is just one of so many reasons of why we need Him. For me, my desire is to love my wife with all that I have to give, so the more I know of God the more I will know of love, and I can then love her as she deserves to be loved. I am willing.

Our example to love has been given to us... and it is an example I hope to learn to live by. When talking to His disciples Jesus once said that...

John 13:35 (NKJV)

³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

In writing to the Thessalonian church the Apostle Paul said...

1 Thessalonians 4:9 (NKJV)

⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

The Apostle Peter says that...

1 Peter 1 (NIV)

²² Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

How is it that we purify ourselves... by going to God to be purified, by obeying the truth... His truth... and loving one another. we must be willing to seek Him first, to receive His love, and allow Him to teach us how to love.

Rachael my love I am willing.

I am willing to learn more of God so I can learn more of love. In this I hope to be able to learn how to love you... truly love you... beyond how I love you now. You deserve to be loved in this way, and that is my hearts desire.

I am willing to be changed... changed and molded by God... molded and shaped into the man He has made me to be. In this I know that He will make me into the man who will love you as you ought to be loved, a princess\... a daughter of the Almighty.

I am willing to be corrected... as I know that many of my "ways" are not the ways of the Lord. I pray that He helps me correct the error of my ways so that I can be the type of man who doesn't need to be right... who doesn't seek his own way, but who seeks His way. In this I hope to become the type of leader that you will need me to be/want me to be.

I am willing to learn more of you... as I know that all that I do know is just the beginning. I want to know everything there is to know about you... whether "quirks" in your personality, or things you may see as "shortcomings"... to know every way I can make you smile, laugh, or blush... to know the things that make you tick whether good or bad... to know the desires and dreams of your heart and how they may change over the years... because in all of this I will know you better, for all of these things are a part of you. I want to know all of you. I am willing to go further and deeper into who you are, to know you in the most intimate and personal ways... to spend my life gathering information on who you are because you are that special to me.

I am willing to be humbled... as I know I am not perfect even though I try so hard to be. To be humbled by God as He teaches me my place, my role, and shows me the plan for my life... and to be humbled by you, my partner, my friend, my wife. You amaze me, and I have already learned so much from you... and I look forward to seeing how God is going to use you to teach me. The way you look at things, your insights, your wisdom, all of this will help make me a better man. To serve God and to love you I am willing to be humbled.

I am willing to admit when I am wrong.
I am willing to seek you first before I make any decisions.
I am willing to seek advice on anything and all things to make sure I am doing the right thing by you.
I am willing to learn what it means to love as God loves.
I am willing to learn how to live in that love and extend it first to you, and then to others.
I am willing to love you when the going gets hard, when I don't feel like it, and when you don't deserve it.
I am willing to make the choice to love no matter what.
I am willing... because God is willing... it is His desire for me to be the kind of man who treats you as you should be treated, so I will trust Him to teach me and make me that man.

In all of this I am willing... love is willing... and I love you with all I have to love you with... more than yesterday, but not as much as I will tomorrow.

This is my goal... the goal I will live my life by so I can love you as God intended...

Ephesians 5:25-33a (NIV)

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself,..."

I love you SWEET!!!

"When God Made You" by Newsong and Natalie Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIdnp0z0OCA

"If You Could See What I See" by Geoff Moore and The Distance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_InoBdOVGWM

"How to Fall" by Josh Wilson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvRlvpcKDVk

"God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7PvQCwhgHo

"You Belong To Me" by Michael W Smith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H4ubwENeeo

Why I Believe? (part 2... my choice)

2011-06-03T12:42:00.002-04:00

So part one of this two part blog was about me and part of my story... my life, and as we say in the church... my testimony. This part I hope to explain the logic behind my choice. I know that a lot of people see faith in a God you can't see as being illogical, but I believe differently. I will do my best not to use scripture early on in this post to back up my beliefs, but scripture will be a part of this as I get deeper into my explanation.

First I guess I should restate what I just said. I think belief in God is logical. Now I am a logical person. I look for reason, and look to understand why. If it isn't logical I have no part of it... I want no part of it. Now I know some who read this may say, "What’s so logical about God... about believing in a God you can't see?" I guess I would respond at first by asking what's so logical about thinking there is no God. Wouldn't that leave so many more unanswered questions like one that always got me... what are we doing here? To me, when you try to take God out of the equation you are left with a void of logic... a void of reason.

I guess that's why people who don't believe in God try to come up with so many ways to try to remove God from the story, from the equation, and from our belief system. They will tell you it's all just a fairy tale and that they are too smart to believe in fairy tales. They will tell you that only "unintelligent and weak" people believe in that "stuff." I can say for one that if you come to my church you will find the exact opposite of that. There are no "dummies" or "weaklings" in my church. To be honest, anyone who actually believes that those of us who believe in God are dumb and weak, show a real lack of intelligence on their part. All you need to do is a little research to find the long list of achievers... of brilliant men and women today and days gone by... that have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, to know that a statement like that is unequivocally untrue. But yet it still remains that people of faith are deemed foolish for having a faith in a God they never see.

I would like to try to challenge that idea.

I guess for me I can't open my eyes without seeing a creation. Sorry, but I refuse to believe this is all just one giant accident. I refuse to believe that a string of completely unguided events and random mutations have brought us to this point. To me that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. When I see children, especially my nephews... and when I see an outrageously beautiful sunrise or sunset... or when I see the mountains covered in winter's snow... I see beauty, and I see purpose, and I see the handiwork of God. To me that's what makes sense... it is logical to see the hand of a Creator behind all that I see, hear, smell, and touch. I can't possibly see nothingness, purposelessness, and one giant accident. Where is the reason in that line of thinking? Where is the logic?

I know that the argument goes a little something like this;

A Christian would say, " It is not possible for something to come from nothing."
An atheist would say, " Ok, so where did God come from?"

Good question... and one I don't have an answer to. But that really isn't something I need an answer to. What I need to do is accept that all that we see came from somewhere. That all I see has a reason behind it, a purpose behind it, and a maker behind it. When my eyes are opened to that truth, then seeking the God who made it all comes naturally. All I know is that what I have seen and experienced throughout my life point me in a certain direction.

Romans 1:19-20(NKJV)

19 "because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,.."

This passage if scripture is one that I did not know about before I started out my life of faith, but when I read it for the first time... it made absolute sense. All we really need to do is just sit back and take a look... eyes wide open... to see that the world we live in is no accident. It points to God... the Creator... and shows how awesome He is.

Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

After seeing just how true the verse from Romans 1 is, this Psalm becomes clear. To me this makes complete sense... it is logical to believe what it says. The odd thing it that my eyes were blind to the glory of God and to the beauty of His creation until after I placed my faith in Him. I think for many men, finding beauty is not easy. Seeing beauty anywhere but in the beauty of a woman is difficult for men. Since I am not a woman I really can't speak for them, even though I would think from experience, women have an easier time spotting beauty and appreciating it. Even so, I would have to guess that while beauty can be appreciated it may still not point to the glory of God... because it is taken for granted. I think we fail to see the purpose of it... the reason for it... which is to declare God's glory. That is until we have our eyes opened.

When I first really came to faith... my eyes were opened to the awe of God, and to all that He has made. I never had any appreciation for a sunrise or sunset, or for the colors of the tress in fall, or for the snowcapped mountains in winter... until I gave in to God. He opened my eyes, and now I can clearly see.

The bible tells us that we are spiritually blind, even more so that we are spiritually dead due to sin. But it also says that after you place your faith in Jesus Christ you are born again, and are no longer spiritually blind. That is what happened to me. Now I guess we get into the realm of the illogical for someone who doesn't believe, and all I have is my word and the word of the many Christians who have experienced the same thing. The question is what will you do about it?

I am about to get a little off track and go back a bit into my own experience... so heads up.

For me, I did a lot of searching. Like I said in the first part of this blog I had questions... lots of questions. I needed to know why, how, and I needed to find reason and purpose. I had, as almost everybody probably has, heard of all the other religions out there. Even though I was raised Catholic, I was free to search them all for the answers I sought after. But there was one that just couldn't be solved outside of Christianity, and that was, what about sin? How do I deal with the problem of sin? Most of, if not all religions acknowledge sin. I know that many try to say that there's no such thing as sin... but if not, why is it so widely recognized? All religions apart from Christianity come up short in trying to deal with this problem that plagues us all.

To break it down quickly, Buddha had no way to deal with sin but just believed you can transcend above it. The Hindu's believe sin is an illusion. Islam teaches that you can do good works to overcome your sin... which is appealing to many. There are even some sects of Christianity that tell you that you can earn your way to heaven. But how?

By doing good works?

How many good works will be required?

How many sins do I need to atone for?

I guess the biggest problem we face with this line of thinking is if we even recognize what sin is. Who determined what sin is? And if someone did determine what sin is, how can I know?

If lies are sins, imagine the multitude of good works you would need to do just to atone for those sins. That doesn't take into consideration all of the other sins we commit on a daily basis. The good thing is that we do have a guideline for sin. We have a guideline for knowing what sin is. The bad thing is that it is even worse than we thought. In the 10 Commandments we are told not to murder, and not to commit adultery. Yet as Jesus spoke on the mountain He went even further than the original commandment. Jesus said that if you hate someone without cause you are guilty of sin. Why? Because most murders are committed out of hate.

Hate is a slippery slope. Jesus would go on to say as in regard to the commandment about adultery that if we even lust after someone we are not married to, we are in sin. Now understand that lust is not looking at someone and admiring their beauty. Lust is when that one look turns into 2, 3 and 4, and now your mind is occupied with fantasies about that person, and you start to imagine ways about having an affair with that person. That is lust, and Jesus says it is equivalent to adultery. So now imagine how many sins you would have to atone for as you add these 2 to the lies you have told. On just these 3 alone we would be spending day and night trying to make up for all the sins we have committed.

Now if we take the rest of the commandments and think about them, we would be so bound by our sins as we try to make up for them with good works we would never know where we stood with God. We would be without hope of atoning for all we have done against others and against God. We would be without a way. So where there was no way, God made a way... and that way is through Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 (NIV)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

It is only through the sacrificial death of Jesus that we can be cleansed from sin... all of our sins.

Hebrews 9:26 (NIV)

"Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."

God made the way through Jesus for us to pass by putting all of our sins on His shoulders.

2 Corinthians 5:21(NKJV)

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

So what does it take to receive this gift... it takes faith. You have to believe.

John 3:16(NKJV)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

You have to confess your faith, and believe in your heart.

Romans 10:8-11(NKJV)

8 "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

By doing this God is justified in forgiving us and the penalty for sin is met... the penalty is a life, either our own, or the life of Jesus. So if we believe in Him and His death on our behalf, God is able to forgive us.

1 John 1:9 (NIV)

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

The bible is clear that we are saved by grace, through faith, and that there is no earning it by doing works or good deeds.

Ephesians 2:8-9(NKJV)

8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast."

The question is will you accept it? I did. That is the choice I made. I searched for answers and found them. I searched for purpose and reason and found them. I searched for truth and found it. And I searched for an answer for the sin I had, and I found it. There is no other way. God is gracious enough to let us make the choice for ourselves. He won't force it on us.

I am no fool. Yes I did have a foundation in Christianity. Yes I knew when the time came on whose name I needed to call. I saw the hand of God in the world He created... and I responded to it. Will you do the same? Or will you continue to deny the work of His hands? Will you believe what the world has to say over what God has to say? And how will you know what to choose to believe when the world offers so many different possibilities... all lies... all will lead you away from God and His truth. But it is still your choice to make.

I know that from all I went through in my life... all that I saw... all I experienced... it all led me right to God. My eyes are opened, and I can see much more clearly now. Oddly enough, before I came to faith, I thought I saw just fine. How wrong I was. Since then I have experienced more than I could say or write in a short post. God has answered prayers, sometimes in odd ways. God has shown Himself to me just as He said He would for anyone who seeks Him. And now I live by faith... faith in the One True God. I hope that if you too are questioning things the way I did that you will not leave Christ out of your search. Call on Him, ask Him to make Himself real to you... and if you are sincere, he will.

Whatever you do... don't buy what the world is selling before you exhaust every effort at getting to the truth. And the truth exists in Christ alone.

Why I Believe? (part 1... my story)

2011-05-27T18:15:00.010-04:00

To begin answering why, I will first explain why I believe. I will do this in two parts, the first of which will be about my own personal story. The second will get to the heart of why I placed my faith in Christ. I am not an apologist, but find joy in that aspect of the faith, and as Christian's we should all be able to defend the faith to the best of our ability... and as Peter put it, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have"(1 Peter 3:15 New International Version). So that is what I am going to try to do... give the reasons for the hope I have.

I know that there are people who know me from not too long ago that may be wondering about what's with all this Jesus stuff. I know that it wasn't too long ago that my life was way different than it is right now. The life I was living was pretty much like the lives of most other men my age. It involved drinking and the bar scene. My relationships, though only few, were sexual. The way I spoke, the words I used... the music I listened too, and the movies I watched... most would consider normal for a guy my age. I was just another ordinary guy trying to make it in the world, doing everything society told me I should be doing. The only thing is that none of it made me happy. Mind you there were many happy moments, great moments... time spent with friends, some who still are, and some who are not... moments with girlfriends that brought me joy... moments out doing the things many guys do thinking I was having fun the whole time... but those moments never added up to anything significant.

As I got older, significance was something I searched for... something I needed I guess you can say. I needed to, wanted to, know why I was here. I wanted something of substance... a life that meant something, that made a difference. I didn't want to be just another ordinary guy doing the things guys are "supposed" to do. But I didn't really know how to change.

Going back a few years I guess I found the answer to that question. I found meaning... I found substance... and I found purpose, and I found it all in the same place. I remember when I was 21 years old, stressed out way beyond what a person of that age should be, when the questions began to plague my mind. I had grown up Catholic... I was even an altar boy for two years... so I figured I should start going to church, and that, maybe I would find the answers to my questions there. My mom was going to a church that she really enjoyed and I figured that would be a good place to start. After going for a while and even after getting to a point where I believed in what I was hearing, the life I was living was too much for me to say no too. I had come to believe that it was a sinful lifestyle, but I thought it was fun and was unwilling to give it up. At least not at that time I would tell myself. So for a while I put God on the back burner as I continued living in the lifestyle I had chosen. I was engaged and thought I found the love of my life, and she made me happy, so why change it?

It turns out that this love would soon fade, the relationship would end, the pain I felt would endure for a while, but I would move on. After living my life my own way for the next ten years, from 21 years old until the age of 31, things never changed... I never changed. But the God who I put on the back burner didn't want to stay there, and over these years I would think about Him... think about where I should be, and what I should be doing. But still, I never did anything about it. It wasn't until after I turned 31... and after I had moved back home to my parents’ house... and after I had gone to the doctor who told me I should be dead... and after another relationship ended... and after I quit a job I could not stand... after all of this that I began to wonder yet again just what in the world I am doing here. What is the point of all this? Why are we here? Why does life suck so much... so often?

But before I get to that let me fill you in on some things. Way back when, while I was engaged... around the age of 19, my fiancé had told me that I stopped breathing while I slept. She had told me that I snored real bad, and that at some point I would stop breathing for a handful of seconds and then gasp for air. Unfortunately for her I would wake her up repeatedly. So after being told this I did a little research and found out that it was sleep apnea. What I didn't know was how bad it could be... or how bad mine was. It wasn't until Reggie White, the former football player and minister, died due to his sleep apnea that I really began to worry about my own. But still, I had no insurance, and no real worries that I would be next, so I never got it checked. It wasn't until the middle of 2007, now 31 years old, about 12 years after I was first told about it that I finally gave in and went to the doctor to have it checked. And it was a good thing too.

It was after undergoing a sleep study, which was incredibly annoying, that I sat in my doctor’s office to hear the results. She told me two things the first of which was that I was an anomaly. She told me that I had Severe Obstructed Sleep Apnea which was common to larger overweight men with large necks. I did not fit the profile as I was not overweight... but yet I had it, and it was bad. So bad in fact that the second thing she told me was that I should be dead... at least, that's what I heard. What she actually said was that my body did not take in enough oxygen to sustain life. My pulse ox level was 39%. Normally it should be between the upper 90's and 100. Mine was well below half of what it should be. I guess you could say that I should have died... probably many times over. She would go on to tell me that I stopped breathing once every minute, and that in the 6 plus hours that I slept I woke myself up 270 or so times. Until that point I had been wondering why I was always dead tired... even after sleeping 10-12 hours. Now I knew. But it didn't make sense. If I should be dead... why was I not? Why was I still here? And there's that question again.

So now here I am... 31 years old being told this by my doctor... about to be dumped in just a short while, and then subsequently quit the job I was working. To add to that, the reason I moved back home was so I could go to culinary school... but I was denied financing. So in a matter of months my whole world turned upside down. After quitting my job I had a lot of time on my hands... a lot of time to think things through. I thought about why. I thought about what my doctor told me. I thought about what a mess I had made of my life. And I thought about whether or not there was any redemption out there for someone like me. The answer was yes... yes there was redemption to be had.

You see, after all this time... after growing up Catholic and learning about God and about Jesus... and then years later as I began to question why (as it pertains to life)... I began to find my answer, and my redemption. While I grew up learning about God I never knew God. While I grew up learning about Jesus I never knew Jesus. I believed... I always believed... but I never knew what that meant. So as I thought more and more about what it was I really believed... and I thought more and more about my own life and all I have been through, the mess I made of it, and all the things my doctor told me... that I was pointed to Jesus. To me He was the only answer that made any sense.

Why was I here? To know Jesus... same reason you are here.

How was I still alive though I should be dead? Because of Jesus... He kept me even though I ignored Him.

What was my purpose? To know Jesus... and to tell others about Him.

When and where did He come to know me? Before He formed me in my mother's womb.

When and where could I come to know Him? Right then... that second... right where I stood.

Jesus once said that...

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20 New King James Version)

So needless to say... I opened the door. God through the prophet Jeremiah once told Israel these words... words which I believe He says to every single person...

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13 New King James Version)

So I guess this was the moment I would seek Him with all of my heart... and I found Him... and He found me.

I know that many will say I only chose Christ, I only believe what I believe, I only became a born again Christian because I grew up Catholic. But I know that is not true and I will touch on that in the next part of this post. I am grateful for the knowledge I received while in that church. I am also grateful that when I was 21 and searching I found a church that added to my knowledge. It was this foundation that I fell back on. All I had known and knew was the reason why I called on the name of Jesus... the name above all names... and I was saved just like the scriptures say...

Romans 10:13 (King James Version)

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

I think I finally came to the end of myself... and I realized that I was imperfect even though I so tried to be perfect. I knew I made a giant mess of my life. I knew there was no viable reason for why I was still alive. I hoped that there was some way to make it right... to be redeemed so to speak.

You see, it is when we find ourselves at the end of our ropes, and when we realize our best efforts will always come up short... that we can finally see clear enough to understand why. While I don't have all the answers and while it isn't easy living a life of faith in a world that is so against it... I found hope... I found purpose... I found meaning... I found substance... and I found redemption in Jesus Christ. And I know He alone is where any of this... all of this... can be found. Believe me, I tried otherwise. I tried to do it on my own. I tried to make my own way... but there is no other way...

John 14:6 (New King James Version)

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Jesus once told all those listening, just as He still tells us this very day...

Matthew 7:13-14 (New King James Version)

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

I was once on the broad path... unknowingly traveling on the way that leads to destruction. But now, thanks be to God I travel the narrow path... and though it is hard, it is the only way that leads to life... true life now, and in the life that comes next.

My life has seen many ups and downs... just like everyone else I suppose. There has been much heartache and pain, both physical and emotional. Everything I shared here is just a small fraction of all I have been through. Yet through it all, somehow someway it led me right to God... right to Jesus... right to the foot of His cross where I exchanged my heap of a life for His. I don't completely understand how, outside of His amazing love, for why this was even a possibility... but I will not question it. I will live my life eternally grateful for all that I have found in Jesus.

Maybe you have a similar story... or maybe you have similar questions. Maybe you are searchng for the same things I searched for... and found in Jesus. If you are, don't be afraid to seek for Him. Go back to the verse I put in here that says when you call on Him with your whole heart you will find Him. Just like I did. While pain will still come... heartache will still be felt... gray clouds will still dot the horizon... and storms will still rage in your life... you will be ok, because you will know Him. Joy, peace, happiness... purpose, meaning, and substance... can all be found in the same place, the same person, Jesus Christ.

So that's it for part 1. In part 2 I will try to explain further about my choice for faith in Christ. It is a choice that we must make in this life, because contrary to what many other faiths may have you believe, we only get one. One life to live, one life to choose. So call upon the name of the Lord, and you will never be sorry you did.

Victorious Up-Rising

2011-04-23T23:09:00.004-04:00

This post is going to be a continuation of two older posts; "Intercession," and "The Way of Calvary." The first two were my attempts to go deeper than just the words in trying to show a different side to those stories. With yesterday being Good Friday, and tomorrow being Resurrection Sunday, I would like to delve into the story of Jesus a little more. I hope I do it some justice, since it is the greatest story the world has ever known.

"If they only knew," Jesus thought to Himself. "It was a little over three years ago that John proclaimed, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29), if they only understood what he meant... what was to happen."

As He stood before the court and these thoughts flooded His mind, those around Him accused Him falsely. "If they only knew," he thought to Himself, "If they could only see that this is the way it had to be. If they could only cleearly see who it was who stood before them." But He was silent before His accusers, as a sheep before its shearers just as the prophet Isaiah wrote over 700 years before...

Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

More and more they shouted out their false claims, and Pilate stood before Him awating a reply.

Matthew 27:11-13 (New King James Version)

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?”

"If they only knew," Jesus thought to Himself, that this very day, this very moment was the fulfillment of Isaiah's words. "How can they be so blind," He thought, "for they know the scriptures... but this is the way it has to be. But if they only knew."

Pilate was unwilling to pass sentence on Jesus as he saw Him to be free of charge, but the crowd cried out all the more... for the blood of this man... the blood of the Lamb... if they only knew.

Luke 23:13-25 (New King James Version)

13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; 15 no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. 16 I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” 17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).18 And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder. 20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. 21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” 22 Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.” 23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. 25 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

And as Jesus stood there He thought to Himself, " Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion" (Psalm 22:12-13). And as He stood there quietly as men raged for His death He prayed to His Father in heaven, "Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help" (Psalm 22:11).

"If they only knew I have borne their griefs and carried their sorrows; Yet they esteem me stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. If they only knew I was wounded for their transgressions, and bruised for their iniquities; That the chastisement for their peace was upon me, And by my stripes they are healed" (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Now Jesus carries His own cross up the way of Calvary, for He knows it is the only way. Even as they mock Him, spit on Him, and curse Him, Jesus still feels love for them... compassion for them... for if they only knew. And as He reaches the top of the hill, the place of the skull, He knows very well what awaits Him... death, and death on a tree... to become the curse, so that many can be freed from it...

Psalm 22:16-18 (New King James Version)

16 "For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots."

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”(Luke 23:34).

Upon the cross Jesus looks down upon all those who accuse, and all those who mock...

39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing." (Matthew 27: 39-44)

As the hour approached and Jesus grew closer to death, with the full weight of man's sin upon Him, at about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27: 46). For the first time the Son was separated from the Father. For the first time Jesus could not feel His father's presence. For the first time as Jesus spoke to the Father there was no reply... no answer to His cry, no answer to His prayer. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:46).

But this was only the beginning. As the ground rumbled and the Earth grew dark, they pierced His side to make sure He was dead. Shortly thereafter Pilate allowed Joseph of Arimathea to take the body of Jesus "And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth" (Isaiah 53:9).

At this time the crowd of mockers was pleased, but the followers of Jesus were distraught. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, the long awaited redeemer and rescuer of Israel. Yet here and now He was dead and lying in a tomb, sealed by the Roman guard sent to make sure the body was not tampered with. If they only knew. If they had only heard what Jesus had said many times regarding His own death... that His death would not be the end. For God had said through the prophet Isaiah that, " I will punish the world for its evil,
the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. (Isaiah 53:9)" And they eagerly awaited that punishment... the punishment of the wolrd... but they didn't realize it would include them. But what Jesus did... they missed it. They did not understand.

All of them missed it. They missed the purpose of Jesus. They missed the reason for the mission, the reason for His coming... "that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.(2nd Corinthians 5:19)." The disciples couldn't see at that point just what it was that Jesus accomplished... they completely missed it... if they only knew... "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)."

The disciples as they hid in fear completely missed that even though Jesus was dead , " Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul,and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities."(Isaiah 53:10-11)

But they wouldn't miss it for long. For just as He said, He would rise again, and they would see... truly see... for the first time...

Luke 24:44-47 (New King James Version)

44 "Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

And as Jesus showed them the meaning behind everything they saw, and everything He went through, He said to Himself, "Now they finally know. This is the way it had to be." As they sat together and talked all the more, the disciples grew bolder and bolder as they began to understand everything they had heard and seen. Jesus had to die, and Jesus had to rise again. So He could then sit upon the throne. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

Revelation 1:18 (New King James Version)

18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

And His victory becomes our victory...

1 Corinthians 15:50-57 (New King James Version)

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “ O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The victory for those who believe...

1 John 5:4-5 (New King James Version)

4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

For though we are but sinners and the penalty for sin is death...

Romans 5:8 (New King James Version)

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:10 (New King James Version)

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

John 3:16-18 (New King James Version)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

So take heart believers, for He has risen; and it is He who sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes on our behalf; and it is He who spilt His blood so we could be cleansed; and it is He who will sit on the judgment seat; and it is He who calls you friend. Amen, to the glory of God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. And just as the disciples who sought after Him some 2000 years ago...

Mark 16:6 (New King James Version)

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

The Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world, has bridged the divide between us and God. It was His plan, the only way, to live and die and rise again... and because He did, because He overcame... so can we. Thanks be to God.

Romans 10:10 (New King James Version)

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (New King James Version)

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (New King James Version)

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

Praise the Lord, He has risen from the grave.

The Aftermath

2011-04-15T18:59:00.002-04:00

(part 2 0f 2, paired with "Big Circumstances")

This is something I have been wanting to write ever since I first heard Hillsong's "Aftermath." That word alone holds so many connotations... but paired with the music, the lyrics, the meaning of the song... it was inspiring.

There are so many things that happen to us throughout life, both good and bad. Every event, every choice made, every happening in our life changes us in one way or another. Sometimes the change is barely noticeable as if nothing happened at all. Yet there are also those moments that impact us and change us in ways we never thought possible.

Aftermath. This word has a few different meanings. Of all of the different meanings this one I found on dictionary.com is the one I have in mind for this blog.

aftermath (ˈɑːftəˌmɑːθ, -ˌmæθ)

1. signs or results of an event or occurrence considered collectively, esp of a catastrophe or disaster.

Synonyms of the word include outcome and result. That in essence is what I am going to try to explain or portray in this post. The reason I decided to pair this post with "Big Circumstances," is because it is while we find ourselves in the middle of our circumstances that we can grow stronger or weaker. It is in the middle of these circumstances that the choices we make will be shown in the aftermath. But before I get to us, our choices, and the aftermath that follows, I would like to talk about the choice that someone else made and the aftermath that followed.

In their song "Aftermath," a few lines are sung that get to the heart of this matter. The lines are beautiful and how I would like to begin talking about His choice... the choice Jesus made... so we could be free.

CHORUS 1

In a moment of glorious surrender
You were broken for all the world to see...

VERSE 2

...For You chose to take the sinner’s cross
As You placed Your crown on me.

That is some choice huh? In a moment... He surrendered. In a moment... He was broken. In a moment... He chose to take our cross... and place His crown on us. Remarkable. He didn't have to make those choices, but He did. As Paul puts it in Romans 5:8;

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

In this verse we can see our circumstance, God's choice, and the aftermath of that choice, all in one line. Our circumstance: we were yet sinners. God's choice: to demonstrate His love for us. The aftermath: Christ died for us. Going back to the song we see the choice that Jesus made, and in that choice, we can see the aftermath and how it pertains to us.

CHORUS 1

In a moment of glorious surrender
You were broken for all the world to see
Lifted out of the ashes
I am found in the aftermath

VERSE 2

Freedom found in Your scars
In Your grace my life redeemed
For You chose to take the sinner’s cross
As You placed Your crown on me

Because of His choice we are lifted out of the ashes... we are found int he aftermath... we find freedom in His scars... in His grace our life can be redeemed. The Aftermath. How sweet it is. There is a choice that we have to make also. Because of the immense price... because of the extravagant sacrifice... because it was God's Son who gave His life... we then have to believe. We need to make that choice.We need to respond to that amazing grace that found us lost, blind and dead in our sins...

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Going back to the Old Testament God placed a choice before the people of Israel, and in this choice God is very clear in the choice, and what the aftermath would be...

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live..."

God has given us the ability to make the choice for ourselves, and He also provides us with the outcome of the choice we make. He doesn't need to... yet He does. He doesn't need us... but He wants us.

John 3:17-18 (New King James Version)

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The choice is there... the outcomes of that choice is also there. The question is, how do we respond to His choice. What more should He need to do for us to believe? As far as I am concerned... absolutely nothing.
In that moment, though I did not see it with my own two eyes, He has still shown me all I need to see.

CHORUS 2

In that moment of glorious surrender
Was the moment You broke the chains in me
Lifted out of the ashes
I am found in the aftermath

And in that moment You opened up the heavens
To the broken the beggar and the thief
Lifted out of the wreckage
I find hope in the aftermath

When I look back on my life, and I look at all the choices I made, I can see how each one built upon the one before until I found myself at the foot of the cross... with one more choice to make. The aftermath of the choices I made, those I thought good and those I thought bad, all of them led me to Him.

It was in that moment that I found myself there... kneeling beneath the foot of the cross... it was then that He lifted me out of the wreckage, and then that I found hope in the aftermath.

Life up to the point was not easy. Life since that point has not been easy. The difference between the before and the after... hope.

You see, for me, to know Him... has changed me. The aftermath of coming to know Him who died upon that tree... has changed me. How can it not? How can we not be changed? While that change may come slow at times, while it may be hard for us to see, you will know in your heart if you are changed, when you realize all that He has done for thee.

In John chapter 6, as many of those who were following Jesus left due to what He was saying, Jesus then turned to the twelve and asked them a very profound question...

John 6:66-67 (New King James Version)

66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

Peter the boisterous one had an answer...

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

The reason I added this is because I think maybe the Lord is also asking many of us. One more choice we are being given. We can walk away, and I think He would let us if we so choose. The question is, to whom shall we go?

Who esle has done for us what He has done?
Who else bore our cross?
Who else took our shame?
Who else cleansed us from our sins?
Who else has the ability to take the mess we make of our lives, and redeem it in the aftermath?

No one... but Jesus. The aftermath of us meeting, knowing, loving Jesus... it has to change us. That is the aftermath. That is the result. So be changed.

And as the old hymn goes...

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus...

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

So as I finish this post I will end with the last chorus of the song... because it shows the heart we should all have... the grateful heart of one who has been redeemed.

CHORUS 3

Now all I have I count it all as loss
But to know You and to carry the cross
Knowing I’m found
In the light of the aftermath

Be blessed. Know who He is. Know that it is He alone who can redeem... and find yourself in the aftermath.

"Aftermath" by Hillsong United

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe5635HOzIc

Past, Present, Future

2011-03-27T14:57:00.010-04:00

So I am just getting home from a phenomenal church service, with an amazing word from the Pastor. What I heard today was not something I was expecting to hear, and it has inspired me to do some writing. Some writing about our past, present and future... the seasons of our life which God holds in the palm of His hand.

Our past... the days of old... the way we were... the season of who we were, but not who we will be. Why do we tend to hang onto our pasts as hard as we can for as long as we can, even though we know that the who, the what, the where, the when, and the how of our past was all wrong? Why are we unwilling at times to let go of something we knew was bad for us? How can we hold onto something that goes against God even after we have come to know Him? I guess the answer is because the old ways, the old people, the old places... are comfortable.

We as people enjoy our comfort. We want to be able to expect what will happen next, to have some kind of control over our own lives, and to have some sort of certainty. The question is... how can we think we can be certain about anything when we are actually in control of nothing? Why do we continue to long for the days of old when we know the God of tomorrow?

Why do we continue to cling to the past when we know that God has something so much better in store for us... if we would just be willing to let go... let go of that past? How can we allow ourselves to be fooled into thinking we were better off as we were, all the while knowing that while we were that way, we did nothing but complain and long for better days?

My Pastor today brought up the Israelites and how they traveled from Egypt to the promised land, all along the way experiencing the miracles of God, yet continually complained for the days of captivity in Egypt. As he spoke about all of this I remembered how when I first read it for myself I was so amazed at the whining, questioning, and ungratefulness of those people. (see Exodus 14:10-12, 15:22-25, 16:2-9, 17:1-3)

How dare they bicker in that way, complain in that way, test God in that way, all the while God's provision was so evident to them? Yet... don't we do the very same thing?

Can it be that they longed for yesterday, which meant captivity in Egypt, due to their fears of today?
Can it be that we long for yesterday due to our fear of today?
Can it be that our fears of not knowing lead us to not fully trusting in the Lord as we face something, a trial, a sickness, or a rough season, on this day?
I think so.

Our past is gone, yet we still remember. We remember the bad along with the good. We remember feeling as if we were in control, even if that point in our life was a gigantic mess... we were still in control. It was by our own choices that we made that mess... and that idea of control holds its appeal.

Our present... this day... this very moment... it's all we have. We seek comfort. We seek safety. We seek certainty. We desire to know what the next moment holds... and not knowing causes us to have fear. That fear in turn causes us to not trust in God's provision... just as the Israelites did. Yet what we tend to forget at times is that our past was our very own captivity. We were captives to sin... and captives to the wages of sin... death. What we forget to remember sometimes... is that we are now free.

Yet still we complain.
Yet still we fight for control.
Yet still we long for Egypt in our very own way.

Even as we watched the Lord pull us out of the miry clay... we bicker. Even as we plead with God to bring us to a better place... we angrily ask Him why He took us from what we knew, and where we were. That's where we were comfortable. There is nothing comfortable about not knowing what is right around the corner. If we could only see... right?

Well God does see. He sees the next moment, and more importantly He sees our last moment. He knows where we were, knows where we are, and knows where we will be going... so why fight Him on that? Why lose heart, lose faith, and lose our trust in Him when all we see is this moment, while God is the know-er of every moment? We can't control what will come... but we can control how we will react to it when it gets here. Have faith.

Our past is gone, our present is all we may have... so we tend to allow our present to keep us bound to our past... but why? Can it be because that even thought our past may have been bad, it may have hurt, it may have been unbearable at times... but still we made it through. We would very much rather face the known than the unknown... even if the known was utterly wrong, and utterly sinful.

Well God is asking for you to trust Him. God is asking you to be willing to let go of your past... of the comfort you find in it... of the security you may feel you had in it... and rest instead on His goodness and grace. God not only wants your future, He wants your present, and He wants your past. We can either hold onto it, trying to keep some form of control of our lives... or we can give it to the God who cares... and the God who really is in control.

We can allow Him to take us from our captivity, our past... into the wilderness, our present... and onward to our promised land, our future. You see, it is in the wilderness that God molds us, God shapes us, God breaks us... and builds us back up again. It is only after this that He will then bring us forward. All we need to do is trust Him through each season of our lives, knowing all along the way that He is our Father who loves us, and what He has in store is so amazingly better than anything we had.

We step one foot in front of the other, moving forward in faith and trust, towards the treasure that God has waiting for us on the other side of the wilderness. Be willing to let go of anything that hinders. Be willing to follow wherever He leads. Be willing to move... just move... forward.

Normally I would have scriptures running through this post, but for some reason I cannot copy and paste right now. I apologize for that. But I will include some music.

May the God of all peace, the God of all comfort, and the God of all grace lead you each step of the way.

"I Will Follow" Chris Tomlin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoU8zBQE6Q4

"Here Goes" Bebo Norman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfeHml4-FAc

Big Circumstances...

2011-03-16T15:01:00.005-04:00

... even bigger God. (part 1 of 2, to be paired with "The Aftermath")

For me, the proverbial storms have been raging. Circumstances have come about that have brought me to a low place... a place I don't like to be. The thief has come to steal, kill and destroy... and it seems that I have let him. Without putting up a fight my joy was the first thing to go. With no joy my hope was an easy target. From there all that was left was my faith... and by God's grace I held onto that... by a string... by the hem of His garment... my faith was stirred, rattled, and placed on edge, by I didn't let go. I couldn't. He wouldn't allow it... and I am grateful.

It is a slippery slope. It is so easy to get consumed by it all. Our circumstances, whether health related, finance related, heart (as in love) related, any of these, all of these, can pick us up and carry us away if we allow them too. In the midst of them our circumstances look so huge... so big... everything else can be hidden, overcome, drowned out, or fade away. But this is where faith comes in... it's where Jesus steps in... it's where we reach out for a hand to hold onto that we have forgotten is already holding onto us. And this hand won't slip. This hand won't let go... no matter how bad things may get.

Big Circumstances... even bigger God.

There is a phrase, a saying, that I have come to love, and it goes like this... "Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big your God is."

I could rewrite that and say... "Don't tell God how bad your circumstances are, tell those circumstances how good your God is."

But how do we tell anything to a storm? How do we tell our circumstances anything at all?

The answer to these questions seems so easy... and it is easy. Easy to say, but not so easy to live out. But the answer is that we live in faith. A fully trusting, absolutely believing, wholly depending faith that even though we may waver, we never give up. Trusting fully upon God. Believing absolutely in God. Depending wholly on a God who cares.

In the midst of the storm we trust fully upon God to keep us.
In the midst of the storm we believe absolutely that God is there with us.
In the midst of the storm we depend wholly on God to bring us to the other side.

I guess that is the hard part though isn't it. But if we know who our God is, should it be? Isn't this the same God who parted the Red Sea? Isn't this the same God who was found walking around in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Isn't our God the same God who shut the mouths of the lions to deliver Daniel?

Exodus 14:13

¹³ And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.

Exodus 14:21-22

²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. ²²ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry

Daniel 3:24-25 (New King James Version)

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
²⁵ “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Daniel 6:22 (New King James Version)

²² My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”

Imagine what the Israelites were thinking as they walked in between two walls of water... Egyptian army chasing behind... how bad does that storm sound, how bad are those circumstances? Yet God still brought them through. Even though they bickered and complained, or, even as their faith wavered, God still brought them through to the other side.

Again, imagine Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego... imagine as they were tied up and tossed into the fires of the furnace... a furnace burning so hot that some of the kings men died when they got close to it... imagine what they were thinking. The account says that they did not waver, they did not lose faith, they trusted that God would save them from the fires if He desired to. And He did. Not only did He save them, He was in the furnace with them.

And once again, imagine Daniel, imagine how he felt when he was sentenced. Yet in this instance even the King, Darius, prayed that God would deliver Daniel. Still though, being thrown into the den of lions, Daniel now had some serious circumstances to deal with. It doesn't mention what he did or how he felt, but we knew Daniel was of great faith. Still though you have to wonder if he wavered, if he doubted, if he was scared. In the end we know that God delivered him.

In the midst of the storm Daniel trusted fully upon God to keep him.
In the midst of the storm Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego believed absolutely that God was there with them.
In the midst of the storm the Israelites depended wholly on God to bring them to the other side.

Though the circumstances were huge, and the obstacles monumental, God was still there. Our circumstances may be huge, and our obstacles may be monumental, but God is there with us. One of the best stories we can use to illustrate this is found in Matthew...

Matthew 8:23-26 (New King James Version)

²³ Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴ And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. ²⁵ Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
²⁶ But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Jesus was with them... but He was sleeping. It may seem that way for us too. As our crisis rolls in and quickly becomes out of control we may feel like God is sleeping on the job. We may tend to focus on that even more than the fact that God is right there with us. As the waves crash in, He may be silent. As the clouds roll in and hide the sun, He may stand still. As the fires start and quickly turn ablaze, He may allow them to burn... for a while. But in all of it He will be with us. Through all of it He will be there. He promised to see us through it all to the other side... He just never promised that it would be easy.

The question is... will we trust Him, believe Him, and depend on Him?

There is another great example of trusting God and His word to us. Again we can find it in the Gospels...

Matthew 14:24-32 (New King James Version)

²⁴ But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
²⁵ Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
²⁸ And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

In this one passage we see fear, doubt, and circumstances overcome faith twice. It shows how easy it can be as we focus solely on what is happening to us, instead of who we believe in. Now these were the men who walked with Jesus, ate with Jesus, preached with Jesus, and got to see Him perform many miracles firsthand... and still they lost sight in the midst of a storm. Why would we think any less for ourselves?

By now I have come to grips with the fact that living a life of faith is not easy. Life is hard enough without the cross shaped target on the back of a believer. Non believers mock, satan tempts, storms still rage, the world is against, the road is narrow and it is hard... but in all of it God is with us.

It is in the trials that God builds character... He builds that character in us.
It is in the fires that God refines like gold... it is the believer that He refines like gold.
It is in the middle of the storms that God develops faith... our faith in Him.
It is in the circumstances that God nurtures trust... our trust in Him.
All of this produces a faith that perseveres, a faith that believes, a faith that trusts... and a faith that hopes, in all things, we hope.

As Paul put it...

Romans 5:2-4 (New King James Version)

² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

It isn't an easy journey, but it will also never be a lonely journey. He walks it with us.

Some music for you to enjoy...

Chris Tomlin -- "Our God"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXTh9qYGtTw

Bebo Norman -- "God of my Everything"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TfV6nOVCUk

Bebo Norman -- "We Fall Apart"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlR3Xoegq2I

The Afters -- "Light up the Sky"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LQH6UDi15s

Speak

2011-02-16T17:35:00.004-05:00

What is it that makes some of us afraid to speak? When we seek to speak the truth, why is it that so many of us have a hard time uttering the words... the words of life? I myself am included in the we I am speaking about. Jesus gave all of His followers a commission... a commission to spread the good news... the Gospel of Grace. Yet it seems that many of His followers are tongue tied, unwilling or unable to do the simple task that He has asked.

Why is that?

For me, I have had many a conversation where I claim the Moses complex...

Exodus 4:10 (New King James Version)

¹⁰ Then Moses said to the LORD, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

For the longest time I focused on those words of Moses, and used them as my very own excuse. To be honest, I still do. It is much easier for me to write than it is to speak. It is much easier when I can collect my thoughts and jot them down rather than ad lib on the spot. What I always tended to overlook are the words of the Lord that followed what Moses had to say.

Exodus 4:11-12 (New King James Version)

¹¹ So the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? ¹² Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

I love that. That's a promise from God Himself for all those who He asks to go and speak on His behalf... which is all of us who call ourselves Christians.

I know that many of us tend to shy away from this responsibility, waiting for someone else to do it. Maybe that is out of fear... fear of rejection... fear of persecution... fear of being made fun of. These fears are real and they are strong... strong enough to keep so many quiet. When it comes to preaching, there may be some who think that they need to be perfect in order to speak on God's behalf. Gotta walk the walk before we talk the talk... right? Wrong.

Where in the bible does God use any man who is perfect? Where in the bible does it say that the mouth pieces of the Lord are walking the walk the way it should be walked, therefore they can preach? The answer to both of these questions is... nowhere. Nowhere in the bible does it say this. Most of the time the men God picked were blatant sinners... and the rest of the time they were just men and women... men and women just like you and me. Some were strong men of God like Daniel... but still a man nonetheless.

Moses was a murderer, hiding in the wilderness.
David was an adulterer and a murderer, and yet He is a man after God's own heart.
Elijah ran and hid in a cave.
Gideon was hiding in a winepress.
Jonah tried to run from his calling only to be swallowed by a whale.
Solomon was a womanizer of sorts, and allowed those women to turn his heart from the Lord.
Peter denied Jesus 3 times.
Saul was a persecutor, jailer, torturer, and murderer of Christians... all before he became Paul the Apostle. Even while he preached he still spoke of sinning... of doing "the things I don't want to do...." (see Romans 7 15-25)
And we can go on and on. Yes at times it seems as those who

So why do we feel the need to walk a perfect walk before we start to talk the talk of the gospel?

Now don't get me wrong... it is counterproductive to talk the talk and be walking in contradiction to the talk... kwim? It can be quite hypocritical to do this. The problem I have with waiting for the moment where our talk lines up with our walk is that... that day may never come. What people need to see is grace... the grace of God being doled out upon His people... an imperfect people.

We make mistakes, we fall, we sin, we bow down to temptation... but by His GRACE we get back up again. That is the power of our faith. That is where those who don't know need to know. That our faith does not make us perfect angels who never mess up and no longer need to be forgiven. This is the definite truth that those who don't know need to know... we all fall short of the glory of the Lord... yet He loves us anyway, forgives us anyway, and uses us anyway.

We speak because the truth we hold is too amazing to keep to ourselves. This truth is the life changing, soul saving, absolute, beautiful truth of God. How can we possibly keep it to ourselves?

For one, I have struggled with walking the walk... with talking the talk... and being honest with myself. The Way, the Truth, and the Life came to this Earth in human form, died on a cross so I can be forgiven... but not for me to keep that to myself. God will use the imperfect like me... like you... like Moses... like David... like Paul... to tell the world of the amazing grace that sets the captives free.

The question is... am I willing? Are you willing?

The commission given to all Christians was not an option for us to take or reject... it was a command. It doesn't only take Pastors, Ministers, Priests, bible scholars, seminary graduates, or missionaries to spread the gospel... it also takes you and me. I don't need a congregation to preach the Word. I don't need a title to preach the Word. I don't need a degree to preach the Word. It can be to one willing to listen, or a hundred. It can be on a corner, in a store, on a campus, or the hardest place to preach... in the home.

Yes, if we are called to be elders in a church, preachers or Pastors who stand behind a pulpit, a leader within the church... the Apostle Paul does give us standards of what that person will look like (see 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus). In a position of authority over a flock that belongs to the Lord, you will need to be in right standing before the Lord. But for the rest of us... while these same standards should be our goal, we need to open our mouths to the lost and dying all around us.

I do believe that as followers of Christ we are called to be Holy... to be separate... to be different... set apart unto the Lord. We are to strive to live free from sin... but if we sin, do we think that precludes us from speaking the truth? No, I don't think that does. Yes, if someone is walking in sin and shows no willingness to repent, no willingness to be corrected, no willingness to obey... then that person should not speak of something they know nothing about. But for those of us who have accepted that the mercy of God is for us... that we would be lost without it... that we are saved by grace through faith, the free gift of God and not of works... we have a message to spread, and this is why...

2 Timothy 4:1-4 (New King James Version)

¹ I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

We need to be ready...

1 Peter 3:15 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁵ "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,..."

My point to all of this is not to tell people to start going out and preaching the gospel that they may not know that much about. But what you do know... grace, forgiveness, mercy, peace, joy... holiness, judgment, righteousness... God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit... these things need to be told to a dying world that lives without hope. The gospel of Christ is the gospel of hope. The good news of the good Shepherd needs to be shouted from the rooftops, preached in the homes, sung in the streets... the question is who will do it? Will you? Will I? God willing.

May we all find a boldness to speak the truth.

Bound... by Freedom

2011-01-10T10:03:00.009-05:00

(I am writing this after an hour long conversation with a young man who is searching for answers, searching for truth, and it is my prayer that he find it. My purpose in this is not to make people think I know it all, and that I have all the answers... but I know the One who does... and I am to point any and all who come seeking to Him. For any, for all, seeking to understand... may you find peace, guidance, and answers within these words.)

To put these 2 words in the same sentence... the same title... seems silly. Logically, it doesn't make a lot of sense. And yet this is what I believe is the truth. I will try to explain why in just a bit, but for now I wonder what you are thinking.

Religion in itself is usually chock full of rules... the old Do's and Don'ts that define each particular faith. In some cases there is no allowance for deviation from these rules, they must be followed to the T.

Judaism has 613 laws which must be known, learned, and lived out by those who follow that faith. It requires a lifetime of study and dedication to begin to know and learn all of these laws... but then to try and live them out requires all the more. Orthodox Jews have the Torah, The Mishnah, and the Talmud all guiding them in the law. For them it is all about living by the Law.

Islam requires it's followers to pray 5 times a day facing Mecca, all after going through a cleansing ritual. The Muslims also have a Law that guides them in their spiritual walk. This law is one that also must be followed to the letter with no deviation.

Hinduism at it's core believes that we are all divine, and that sin is an illusion. While there are many facets of this religion, many gods that are worshiped, or no gods that are worshiped, the guiding forces behind this faith are the ideas of reincarnation and karma. What goes around comes around... and in turn determines what you will be in the next life unless you can break the cycle and join Brahma in Moksha.

Buddhism is a religion based on self effort. Buddha actually was a man named Gautama, who after spending 40 days and nights under a tree, came to believe he found salvation, and from then on was known as Buddha, or the Enlightened one. Buddha came up with the 4 noble truths, and the eightfold path which he claimed would give it's followers a chance to escape the pain and suffering of reality. For the most part this religion is all about self effort and ridding oneself of sin, and finding your own way to enlightenment.

The reason why I am writing about these 4 main religions is to show the differences between them and Christianity. All 4 in one way or another are built upon rules, laws, and/or self effort. Those with the ability to follow whatever guidelines for these faiths will in the end find what they are looking for... supposedly.

So what makes Christianity any different?

Considering the churches, the denominations, the man made doctrines that have crept into the faith, and once again the idea of self effort and earning one's way to salvation... what is so different?

In many ways the Christian faith has been watered down, dismantled, and changed to fit the times. All along the way new ideas and thoughts, new traditions and doctrines have made their way into the faith. Denominational squabbles and differences have led to division within the body of believers we call Christians... and I believe, at it's core, the reason for this is control. We as a people want to be in control of our own destiny. We want to believe we play a bigger role in it than we actually do. That is why many of the other world religions appeal to people... you can earn it... if you are good enough.

But what is the truth about Christianity? What is the difference between the uncut, unchanged, unfiltered, unadulterated, bottom line truth to Christianity and all else out there that claims a path to God?

The answer... Freedom.

Freedom from laws... rules... regulations... decrees... do's and don'ts... and most importantly freedom from self effort.

Let's be honest with ourselves... who is good enough? What is good enough? Who determines what and who are good enough? Why is my effort any better than the next persons? How can there be more than one way, when they all contradict each other? What kind of truth is that?

The answer... it isn't truth. There can only be one. One truth. One way. Or else they are all wrong and there is no purpose to any of it.

Before I go on I need to say that within the Christian faith we are expected to be obedient. The difference is that we want to be obedient out of love and gratefulness, and not because we are trying to earn something we can't. There is still commandments to follow, a path to walk, a road to travel which is by no means an easy path to go. Jesus Himself said that...

Matthew 7:13-14 (New King James Version)

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

The difference here is that we can only travel on this path, take this walk of faith, and make it to the gates of heaven due to His effort... not our own. On our own we are lost. On our own we are blind. On our own we stand before the judge guilty as charged. There is but one way, and that is faith in Christ...

John 14:5-6 (New King James Version)

⁵ Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

As Christians... as followers of Christ... we are free. Unbound by the traditions and ways of man. Unbound by the idea that we have to try and earn our way into heaven. If that was so, none would go. But God desires that none should perish... though in the end many will, all it takes is a faith in Him and what He did for us to find life.

The reason why I titled this post Bound by Freedom is because as men and women we will make mistakes. As people we will rebel and disobey. As people we will fall... over and over again. We will lose our way, wander around in places we shouldn't... maybe even enjoy it for a while. We will doubt, question, wonder what if, and at times let the flames of faith within us die down... but by Grace... God comes... He comes to us, wherever we are... He reaches out His nail scarred hand and tells us we are free if we would just believe.

Free from condemnation(see Romans 8:1)
Free from trying to be good enough (see Romans 3:12)
Free from expectations.
Free from trying to please a God we could never please... that is, but by faith (see Hebrews 11:6)
Free from wondering what is to come of us when we take our last breath (see Hebrews 9:27, and John 14: 1-4)
Free from our past... our mistakes... all our disobedience... free (see Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 1:18, Colossians 2:13-15)

You see, what separates the Christian faith from all the rest is the simple truth that no matter what we do, no matter how good we try to be, no matter what path we try to take... a path that we hope will take us to the other side, no matter where we've been, what we've done... what we will do... it can never be good enough.

On our own we stand before a Perfect God in our imperfect state and offer Him our filthy rags(our good deeds-- see Isaiah 64:6)... and it will never be enough. On our own we can't do it...

So He did it for us.

Romans 5:8 (New King James Version)

⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The God who loves you, became the way for you, so you can be free from you, and one day stand before Him innocent and righteous.

You see, it is something we can never do on our own.

Who would ever know what was good enough... Who would ever know what was bad enough... Who would ever know what good things I can do to overcome the bad things I have done... and how many would I need to do to overcome all the bad that's been done?

The answer... no one could.

You could never be sure, never be certain, never be at peace trying to live a life like that. And our God desires for us to have peace.

Not in our own effort... but His.

Not by our goodness... but His.

Not in our own righteousness... but His.

Not by our own way... but His.

His way is through freedom. Freedom to follow. Freedom to make mistakes. Freedom to call upon His grace... and His grace is enough. Freedom to stop trying to be perfect... and the ability to rely on the One who was.

Grace is an amazing thing. Grace goes beyond mercy. And it is by this grace that you and I are saved. It is a gift... all you need to do is accept it... and believe.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (New King James Version)

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

In the end we have a choice to make. We can be bound by religion. We can be bound by laws and decrees. We can be bound by a lifelong attempt to be good enough...

or we can be Bound by Freedom.

A freedom that comes through the cross of Christ... through faith in that He was, is, and always will be... a faith that knows He came and died out of love, a perfect love... to make a way when there was no way... and that He rose again so that through His death we can have life.

And it is in this way that we can be Bound... by Freedom.

Newness

2011-01-04T18:36:00.000-05:00

As we start another new year, I am reminded of the opportunity we have in the Lord to lead a new life. To be removed from the old ways, changed, and led in the ways He has for us to go. If we truly desire to be new... to live new lives... a life pleasing to the Lord... all we have to do is realize that we already have that capability. Through Christ all things are possible, and all things shall be made new.

Revelation 21:5 (New King James Version)

⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

He makes all things new. I love that thought... those words... the meaning behind them. As you sit and read this part of scripture, and maybe as you long for things to be made new... for a new start, a new day... another chance... waiting for the darkness of the night to fade away so the light of dawn will begin to break... the question is, do you believe it?

I do.

And as I think about it, as I try to figure out why God would be willing to not only allow us to seek the newness that He offers once... but continually... I am baffled. Why would He? Why should He? The answer is simple... because He loves us and wants to live the fruit filled life that He has for us to live. A life of joy, peace, and happiness. How can we be sure... because He who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new... and His words are true and faithful. What He says, He will do. Where we were, is not where we were supposed to be... where we are, is not where we are going to be. None of that is good enough... God has so much more in store... and for us to get there will mean that many changes will take place along the way. As the old becomes new, we can be confident that the Lord will complete the work He started.

What a gift it is... this newness in Christ... how unworthy we are to receive it... how gracious He is to give it anyway.

To have the ability to step out of our past and into the new life He has for us. To have the ability to leave behind our yesterdays and grab hold of this day... and all that lies ahead. To not have to live under the burden of all our past failures... mistakes... regrets; and yet still be able to dream of all the good things the Lord has in store for us. To hope... to be new... what a gift.

As many times as it takes, He beckons us closer to Him... waiting for us to give Him just one more piece of the puzzle that is our heart, so we can truly be made new. He won't take it from us by force... but He waits patiently for us to give it all up. Odd though how hard we try to hold onto the old... the comfortable, not willing at times to let it go. If we could only get a taste of all that He has in store... just a glimpse of the new life that awaits.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (New King James Version)

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Behold... there's that word again... I like that word.
Websters dictionary defines behold like this--
1. to perceive through sight or apprehension; to see.
2. to gaze upon; observe.
Dictionary.com gives these words as synonyms for behold--
1. regard, view, watch, discern.

I think that for us, observing or seeing the changes in us... the newness in us... can be difficult. But, if we really look at from where we came... the things we've done... the life we led... and truly look at where we are now... we will be able to discern the changes... we will see the newness.

The more we are willing to let go of, the more the Lord will change into something new. There has to be that willingness on our part to give up old ways in order to walk in the new ways that the Lord has for us. I think that if we really believe that His ways are better, we should be jumping at the chance. To realize that the ability to come before Him in order to seek this new life is a gift... a privilege... and honor... which He has bestowed upon us, is a good place to start.

The truth that we all must come to know is that no matter what yesterday held for us, God is able to take that, and change that... to take the broken pieces of our lives, and give us back something better than we could ever imagine. Every day He gives us is an opportunity to refresh ourselves in His grace... and His joy... which is new every morning...

Psalm 30:5 (New King James Version)

⁵ For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.

His mercies are renewed every morning...

Lamentations 3:22-23 (New King James Version)

²² Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
²³ They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.

I guess the key is to be willing to let go of the old... our old thoughts... our old habits... our old way of life... and take hold of the new life God has for us through Jesus Christ...

Ephesians 4:22-24 (New International Version, ©2010)

²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

We have the ability to leave behind our old ways, to leave behind the ways of the world, to live a new life, a life that is pleasing to God, all because of Jesus and what He was willing to do. He was willing to leave behind His old life... a life of glory... He was willing to step out of heaven and into the human existence... so we can have life... true life... and life abundant. He died so we could live... so we can live a life free of all that hinders.

Luke 22:20 (New King James Version)

²⁰ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

The new life we are allowed to live is because of the new covenant which was sealed with His blood. How you respond to that is up to you. But make no mistake, in Christ you have the ability to walk in His ways... to live in the new life that He has for you to live. The harder you try to hold on to the old, the harder it will be for you to grab hold of the new. Makes sense... don't it?

Relentless

2010-12-20T18:49:00.010-05:00

To be relentless.
To stay the course.
To persevere.
To run the race.
To not just go through the motions... but to live it... breathe it... seek Him... be relentless in my pursuit of Him... that is my desire.

It is funny that this seems to be the way I started off this year... and this is the way I am ending the year. It seems I have come full circle, right back to the same place I was just over 11 months ago. I wonder how that can be... how that is... why this has happened... and I have an answer.

God is relentless.

He pursues us even when we don't realize it. He leaves behind the 99 to find the 1 who is lost... who has strayed... who has taken a detour... who has gotten off track... and He brings them back into the fold. Unwilling that one of His should be lost... He is relentless in His pursuit.

Luke 15:3-4 (New King James Version)

³ So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
⁴ “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

Yet in His pursuit He is not overbearing... never burdensome... not too much to handle... and willing to gently handle us. He is gracious towards us as we tend to wander away, allowing us to go our own way... but for a while. And in this time He allows the trials to come so He can refine us in the fires... but these are fires that do not burn... but restore. Through the tribulations He teaches. Through the storms He builds faith. Through the consequences of our own choices He grows character in each of us... giving us a testimony to share with those who may find themselves in the same storm we were just in.

There is always purpose to what He does... what He allows... how He works... and the way He ties it all together... for the good of those who belong to Him.

Romans 8:28 (New King James Version)

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

At times it seems to not make any sense. As we focus on the moment... God focuses on the lesson. As we see the trial... God sees the outcome. As we see failure, defeat, shame, or sorrow... God sees faith, victory, righteousness, and joy. As we see sins as crimson as blood... God cleanses us as white as snow.

If we could only get a glimpse of what He sees, how would that change the way we live?

Would we pursue Him more... or less?

Would we be more willing to wander away since we know He is full of grace? Or would we cling to Him... pursue Him... chase after Him relentlessly... as we understand more and more just what it is that He has done for us?

What are we willing to change... to let go of... to lay down at the foot of the cross of the one who laid down His life for us?

Nothing? Anything? Everything?

His relentlessness led Him to Calvary... the place where He allowed mere men to take His life... so that through His death... His death on the cross... and through His resurrection... His life can be found by us.

He purges us from all unrighteousness. He cleanses us from all sin. He blots out all of our transgressions. By His stripes we are healed.

Not because we deserve it... but because He is unwilling to lose us.

He forgives out of grace... He forgets out of mercy... He is relentless in His pursuit of us... He restores... He cleanses... He redeems... He heals... and he does it all out of His love for us.

Should we not also be relentless in our pursuit of Him... out of our love for Him?

And in turn forgive out of grace... forget out of mercy... and live a life of love out of the love He gave us?

I think so. Of course thinking so and doing so are 2 different things... but it is a step in the right direction. So be relentless in your pursuit of God. Run the race He has laid out before you...be willing to endure... to persevere... and strive for the prize of the upward call.

Philippians 3:13-14 (New King James Version)

¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹ 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, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Fix your eyes on the Lord... stay the course... walk the path... you can do it.

Be unwilling to yield... unwilling to lose ground... unwilling to let go of the hem of His robe.

Be relentless.

Philippians 4:13 (New King James Version)

¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

You Can... Make A Difference.

2010-12-16T18:41:00.003-05:00

You Can... Make A Difference.

The question is... will you?

Tis the season... isn't it... where we tend to go wild as we buy gifts for friends and family. Yet as we do (and I include myself in the we), there are those who go without a gift. As a matter of fact, they go without the basic things we all tend to take for granted. Like clean water... or a satisfying meal.

Can you imagine what your life would be like if you didn't have clean water to drink?

Do you realize that there is a worldwide water crisis going on right now?

Most likely the answer to that question is no... because that crisis doesn't even come close to hitting home. It doesn't affect us in any way shape or form, so we pay no mind to it.

Approximately 1.8 million children die each year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. Around 5,000 deaths a day.

Water-related diseases are the second biggest killer of children worldwide. Number one is acute respiratory infections, such as tuberculosis.

Worldwide, approximately 425 million children under 18 do not have safe water.

Sources: www.who.int, www.wateraid.org, www.unicef.org

As you can guess, I am writing this in regards to the needlessly dying children all across the globe. The statistics are mind numbing... especially when many of the deaths and sicknesses are avoidable.

It seems that eyes are closed to the realities of what so many children may face on a daily basis. We have probably all seen one of the infomercials where they show those horrible images of little children dying of hunger... of thirst... of preventable diseases.

I am not going to be one of those who uses the scriptures to beat you over the head and make you feel guilty for not acting on this information. I am just writing this to inform. Hopefully, with this information in hand... one of you... or many of you will be moved to act on behalf of a child somewhere out there in this cold hard world.

Hunger... how many times have you said the phrase... I am starving..? I know that is something I have said many times throughout my life, and the truth is I have absolutely no idea what it is like to be starving... to waste away for lack of food... to truly know what it means to be hungry. But there are millions of children who know this reality... millions.

More than 6 million children die from malnutrition each year.

Worldwide, 161 million preschool children suffer from chronic malnutrition.

More than 140 million or 25 percent of all children in developing countries are underweight and at risk from the long-term effects of malnourishment.

(Sources: www.wfp.org, www.unicef.org, www.who.int, www.un.org)

It is eye opening to actually see and read these statistics. Yet this is reality. It is a reality that can be changed... maybe not for all... but for some... for one... if you are willing to help.

More than 3 million children under age 5 die each year from diseases because of environment-related causes and conditions.

Each year, acute respiratory infections kill approximately 2 million children under age 5. Worldwide, 60 percent of acute respiratory infections are due to environmental conditions.

Diarrheal diseases take the lives of almost 2 million children each year. Eighty to 90 percent of these diseases are related to environmental conditions, specifically contaminated water and inadequate sanitation.

What if it was your child? Or your grandchild? Your little brother or sister? Your niece or nephew?

Wouldn't you hope upon hope that someone... anyone... would care enough to try to change your reality?

Wouldn't you want for your loved one to have a chance to just live?

I know I would. And not only are there hungry children, thirsty children, sick children, and neglected children all around this world that can be helped by an act of generosity; but there are also those who find themselves stolen from their families and sold as goods.

An estimated 1.2 million children — both boys and girls — are trafficked each year into exploitative work, including mining, factories, armed conflict or commercial sex work.

(Source: Compassion Int.)

The question is who will do something about it? Who is willing to change the reality of just one child... just 1... and give them a chance at life? Are you?

Thanks to the love and concern of some great reputable organizations like Compassion Int. or World Vision, we can have the opportunity to change the life of one child (or more). In all actuality it doesn't cost that much... a little more than a dollar a day to provide food, clean water, school supplies, clean clothes, shoes, medical attention... and on and on. Can you imagine that? Just a bit more than a dollar a day can give all of this to a child in desperate need.

So I am asking you, are you willing?

Yes, for those wondering, I do sponsor a child. Her name is Karla and she lives in Columbia. She will be 9 years old in March. I started sponsoring her in 2008 when she was just 6 years old. Even though she couldn't write when I started sponsoring her, from the moment I did she would have her mother write to me, and tell me that she thanked God for me and prayed for me. She has blessed my life in more ways than I have blessed hers. I don't say any of this as a means to boast about myself... but as evidence to show that just one of us could change the life of just one of these children in need.

So again I ask... are you willing?

This holiday season and beyond may you think about what was written here, pass it on to your friends, and reach out and change the life of a child in need.

Check out the websites of Compassion International, or World Vision, and see what you can do.

Open your eyes to the reality. Open your mind to the possibilities. And open your heart to a child who needs you.

May God bless you and keep you.

http://www.compassion.com/

http://www.worldvision.org/

An Exercise In Futility

2010-12-14T13:57:00.009-05:00

There is something I have come to believe... come to realize within these past few years. As I decided to begin to walk in faith... to live it... to give the Lord my all... my eyes have been opened to a lot of things. The term spiritually blind holds so much truth now that I can see more clearly. I often wonder how I could miss so much before... how I could live without this truth. It was an exercise in futility... that is for certain.

Walking in the world, living by it's ways, we are led to believe that happiness can be found. For a while it can... but it is surely soon to leave. Happiness is fleeting. But the world tells you to chase after it as if it is actually something you can obtain... but you can't. At least not actual lasting happiness.

We are also led to believe that we can find contentment and joy in this world. All you need to do is just buy this or that and you will be happily content with your life... for a moment. This all shows to be true as we see companies like Apple and their products come out every year... the new Iphone, Ipod, Iwhatever... better than the last, but not as good as the next one to come, and we are sold hook, line, and sinker every time. Because we think we will be happy. We think we will be content. We think that this one will bring us joy that will last.

But does it? No. And it won't... it can't. Stuff like that is only made to make you want more. Your contentment is soon fading, and your joy and happiness go by the wayside until you get your hands on what comes next.

And material things are not the end of it. We do the same things with the people in our lives. Friends come and go as we move on to people we have more in common with. The friends we once had fun with, hung out with, shared our lives with... gone... by choice. Worse yet is what we can do to that special someone... the one you claimed to love at one time. The one you wanted to spend your life with. The one in whom you were content, happy, and full of joy to be around. Even in those relationships we can grow bored... we can become unhappy... we can lose that love... and we are no longer content. We think that there is someone else out there who is better for us. We are not willing to work out our problems, and we give up and move on to the next one. Oddly enough, it will only be a matter of time before it happens all over again. We are not meant to find contentment in things or in people. We can fall in love... hopefully madly and deeply... and find happiness in another. We can find joy in that person.

The question is how do we keep it?

Trying to find happiness... or peace... or true lasting joy... trying to find any of these outside of in God, is an exercise in futility. There is a role in our lives that God and God alone is meant to play, and trying to place anyone else in that role will wind up with us both being disappointed. The bible is full of scripture which point to this exact fact... so if we desire true happiness, real joy, actual contentment, and perfect peace, there is only one place to find it.

Isaiah 26:3 (New King James Version) You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Psalm 4:8 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD,
make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 43:4 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

Hebrews 13:5 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Proverbs 19:23 (New International Version, ©2010)

²³ The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

I could probably list dozens of verses here and not even scratch the surface of all the bible has to say about happiness, peace, joy and contentment. The point I am trying to show goes back to the first verse I used...

Isaiah 26:3 (New King James Version) You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

God will keep us in perfect peace if our minds are stayed on Him... focused on Him... and if we trust in Him. We don't even have to try to find that peace if we remain focused on Him... it is a natural byproduct of being focused on Him. That is why Jesus said to seek God first above all else, and anything else will be added unto us...

Matthew 6:33 (New King James Version)

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

That is also why Jesus has told us to seek heavenly treasures and not earthly ones... for the earthly ones are sure to fade away...

Matthew 6:19-21 (New King James Version)

¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Where our hearts are, where our focus is, that is where our treasures will be. If you focus on the temporal... the material things of this world... the people of this world... thinking that you will find peace and joy, happiness and contentment amongst them... you will be wrong. If you focus on God, and focus on living within His will... seek Him first... and then all else will be added unto you. And it will be eternal, never fading, true peace, joy and happiness. Then you can be content.

It kind of all just flows together. I think David got it right when he wrote this Psalm...

Psalm 37:3-7 (New International Version, ©2010)

³ Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. ⁴ Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him

Our search for happiness does not need to be futile. Our search for peace does not need to be evading... as the joy it brings eludes us all along the way. It can be had, and it can be had right now in this life. He came to bring it with Him. He died so we can have it.

John 14:27 (New International Version, ©2010)

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

In the book of Luke this account was given of something that Zechariah had said regarding his son John the Baptizer, and about Jesus...

Luke 1:76-79 (New King James Version)

⁷⁶ “ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, ⁷⁷ To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸ Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; ⁷⁹ To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Who was it that John prepared the way for... Jesus. Who is the Dayspring from on high who came to give light to those who sit in darkness, and to guide our feet into the way of peace... it was Jesus... it IS Jesus. He came to set the captives free. Captives of a futile life... now freed to live in peace and joy. He came so that the blind can see...

Isaiah 42:6-7 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁶ “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, ⁷ to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

It is because He came... because He died... because He rose again... that we can live in peace. The peace He gave us which cannot be taken away.

Let Go

2010-12-10T12:48:00.007-05:00

Let go... and Let God.

This is a saying that I saw for the first time recently, and it got me thinking. This is something I am trying to understand... trying to live. But how is the question. What are we to let go of? And what are we to let God do?

The best answer I could come up with was... everything.
We are to let go of everything... and let God be everything.
Everything we have belongs to Him anyway... so it is not ours to hold onto.
So how do we let go? How do we let God?

Letting go... of something... of anything... can be a scary proposition for anyone. What we have we desperately want to hold onto.We feel more secure when we feel like we can control something... or anything. Whether it is letting go of someone you love, or letting go of the dreams you once held onto so tightly... actually letting go can bring pain and sorrow. I think that once we come to the realization that the people we love may one day leave... will ultimately one day leave... while it is difficult to bear, it becomes something we know we must do. And as time passes on and we grow older, the dreams we once had may start to fade into the reality that has become our life, and we learn to cope. New people will come into our lives and new dreams will crop up as we yearn for more in this life.

But there is one thing I believe that no matter what we do, or how hard we try, we can never really hold onto... we can never really have a grasp on... and that is control.

As I think all of us feel the need to be in control... of something... of anything... especially our own lives... when we find that we are not in control, that becomes hard for us to handle. And ultimately I think this is the only way to let go and let God. We turn over control of all we have, all we desire, all we can imagine... our love, our possessions, and our dreams... and let God be God over all of it.

And interestingly enough we also have to let go of our past, our failures, our hurts, our mistakes... and let God free us to live unchained by all that binds. Until we let go of our past, I think it will be impossible for us to let go of our present... and our future. To let go will require faith and trust that God will work out all things for the good of those who love Him... and He will, for His word says so.

Romans 8:28 (New International Version, ©2010)

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I think our desire for control goes hand in hand with the worries that this life brings. We don't want to get hurt by people so we try to control them. We don't want to get hurt by our circumstances so we try to control them. But trying to hold onto that control brings worry... worry of the inevitable... which is loss of control. The more I think about it the more crazy it seems. Oddly enough though, that is how it seems to work.

So we let go of worry, and we let go of control... and just let God be God. What do we change by worrying anyway?

Luke 12:25-26 (New International Version, ©2010)

²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

To be honest, there really isn't a whole lot we can change about this life. We can't change yesterday, we can't control what happens today though we may try, and we can't dictate what will happen tomorrow.

Matthew 6:34 (New International Version, ©2010)

³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This verse in Matthew actually has a command before it, one that should help us, could help us live without the fear and worries that we may have.

Matthew 6:33-34 (New International Version, ©2010)

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

For me this has been a real tough lesson to learn... a real hard aspect of this faith to walk in. I tend to worry quite a bit. I have just recently had a conversation with someone I have grown to truly care for, and I find myself worrying about her quite often. What does tomorrow hold for us is a question that fills my mind. And yet by worrying about it I don't change anything. This is something I need to let go of, and trust that God will work it out for the good. To say that is so much easier than doing it. To step out of the boat... to take it day by day... to let go of the control over the situation that I seek and just let it be... these are the things I need to learn. I am hoping that by writing this, that these words will seep into my mind and find a home, so that I can learn to just walk forward, taking one step at a time, trusting and knowing that God is there, and that He will work it out for the best.

To let go of my dreams and let Him be God over them.

To let go of my worries and let God take care of me.

To let go of my past and let God shape my future.

To let go of my life and let God lead where He wills.

To let go of everything... and let God be in control.

To let go... and let God.

These are all the lessons I am hoping to learn, for it is God who gives, and God who takes away.

Job 1:21 (New International Version, ©2010)

²¹ and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.”

May we all learn to let go, and let God. May we all be willing to give up the control that we never had to begin with. May we all be willing to give up our past... our today... and our future... and let God be God over all our days. His plans for us are better than our own, and by trying to take control over them, we may get in the way of them. So just... let go... for He is God.

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Be Changed

2010-11-30T13:40:00.002-05:00

Romans 12:1-2 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 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.

What does it mean to be a Christian? This is a question I have been pondering lately.
What does it mean?
What does it entail?
What is it all about?

This is actually a lesson I felt led to give to my students at church. I have yet to give it, but I plan on asking them this simple, and yet amazingly profound question. What does it mean to be a Christian?

At times I struggle as I try to write, wondering to myself who I think I am to try and tell anyone else about what it means to be a Christian... to live as a Christian. But I also feel obligated to God to use the gifts He has given me to honor Him. I hope that this succeeds in doing just that.

For many, being a Christian is nothing more than a religious affiliation... most likely something passed on by their parents. At times it may come to down to morals, and wanting to live a moral and good life... yet at the same time, there is no desire there to know Jesus... to love Jesus. I guess that for some it is good enough to feel like they have these morals, and to have this affiliation... this religion... but shouldn't Christianity be much more than that?

And if it is... what should it be... what does it mean...

To me, Christianity can be defined, and hopefully we can see that it remains more than beliefs... more than church... more than morals... more than living a good life... more than all we ever thought it was or could be.

To be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ. When Jesus first called the disciples, what is it that He said to them... follow me.

Matthew 4:19 (New King James Version)

¹⁹ Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Jesus later on went on to say...

Matthew 10:38 (New King James Version)

³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

and again...

Matthew 16:24 (New King James Version)

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

So what does it mean to follow Jesus? I believe that it is still a choice that we must make as this last verse says "if anyone desires to come after me...", so what will that choice entail?

Followers of Christ have a duty to be imitators of Christ...

Ephesians 5:1-2 (New King James Version)

¹ Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

And followers of Christ have a duty to be ambassadors for Christ...

2 Corinthians 5:20 (New King James Version)

²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Followers of Christ are to be set apart... different... holy unto God...

Acts 26:17-18 (New Living Translation)

¹⁷ And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

1 Peter 1:14-16 (New King James Version)

¹⁴ as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; ¹⁵ but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

We as followers of Christ, should be imitators of Him... ambassadors for Him... and be set apart unto Him... because we are now adopted children of God...

Romans 8:14-16 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

and...

⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. ⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

So what is the key to all of this, how do we as imperfect people do what the Lord is asking us to do... commanding us to do... ?

Be changed.

That is the key. We allow Him to change us, step by step, minute by minute, day by day. That is the only way, for we are not strong enough to do it on our own. It is only through Him that we can become like Him. It is only through Him that we can follow Him... heed His example... obey His commands... love Him as He loves us... and love others as He loves them.

It is ok to be different from everyone and anyone else. It is ok to stand up for what is right in God's eyes when the world says otherwise. He expects us to be the salt and the light in this world... and I have to ask... don't we owe that to Him? To obey... to shine for Him... to shout from the rooftops... to sing His praise... to spread the word.

At times as we travel the narrow road, it may seem as we travel it alone... and that is ok, for we are never alone... He is always with us.

At times when this life gets so hard and the pain so unbearable it may seem hard to love Him, hard to understand why... but we love Him because He first loved us, and His love never fails.

And as we change... as He changes us... all this may become more clear as the changes set in and we become stronger in our faith.

It is not about trying to be good enough. It is not about trying to earn His approval and good will. He has freely given it... it is ours to receive. And if we are willing to follow His example... if we are willing to humble ourselves before Him... if we are willing to be changed... He will change us. As He changes us we will be free to live the lives that He has for us to live... a life that is set apart unto Him.

As Christians we are so much more than followers of a religion. As Christians we are who He says we are... and He calls us friend... He calls us His sons and daughters... He calls us His beloved.

I know that He is challenging me right now to live what I am writing here... He has been, and at times I fall short.

But this is my desire... to be changed.

Romans 12:1-2 (New International Version, ©2010)

May God Almighty bless you and keep you.

My friend Justin, my brother in this faith, has started using this signature at the end of his emails and messages, and I liked it so much I think I have to borrow it from him...

May Yahweh guide you as He guides me, always opening doors to draw you closer to Him. Amen!

Some music for the road...
"My Desire" by Jeremy Camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiQaRn0k88w

"Who I Really Am" by Chris and Conrad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqS3xyWuhUw

"Want To Be Real" by Chris August

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3BdJ8-9MQE

"Send Me Out" by Fee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scp6DbXxdVo

"I Will Go" by Starfield

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg1_KXcrg-8

"Healing Begins" by Tenth Avenue North

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiIwpJcQ34Q&feature=related

Around the Bend

2010-11-21T15:22:00.003-05:00

Through the storms that rage ahead,
Up the road, around the bend;
With all the scars of bruises that once bled,
As doubts arise and uncertainties contend;
I will not give up but push forth instead,
Because I know my God awaits, just ahead around the bend.

Even as the fog rolls in and my vision becomes unclear,
And as my thoughts become cloudy as they succumb to fear;
I listen intently for the words I need to hear,
So I call on your name because I know you are near;
Your voice rolls like thunder and speaks to my soul,
It says "don't worry my child, I will never let you go."

And if I start to sink amidst the waves,
I will trust you Lord and these words you have said;
To never leave my side, and to be a place to hide,
These are the promises that you have made;
To be a shelter, a refuge through all life's harms,
My safety, my Savior, my rock in all life's storms.

So even if I am made to walk through the fire,
And even if the way is filled with much pain and sorrow;
I will walk the path you have laid out before me,
For you are my Shepherd, and where you lead I will follow.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. " (Psalm 23:4)

Through the storms that rage ahead,
Up the road, around the bend;
With all the scars of bruises that once bled,
As doubts arise and uncertainties contend;
I will not give up but push forth instead,
Because I know my God awaits me just ahead around the bend.

My Defender-- Chris McClarney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kAEvnAbfC0

Strong Tower-- Kutless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLYnN3rRC1Q

Be Still

2010-11-15T19:19:00.007-05:00

Funny thing where inspiration will come from. Oddly enough, something that was said in a movie has provided me with some insight which I thought I would share. While watching the new version of the Karate Kid with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, there was an exchange between the 2 characters that got me thinking.

There was a scene where a female kung fu artist was staring down a King Cobra snake. It seemed as if the woman mimicked the movements of the snake. As the snake moved and swayed, so did the woman. Dre (Jaden Smith) was impressed by this and wanted to know how she did it. Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) went on to tell Dre that it was not the woman who mimicked the snake, but the snake who mimicked the woman. This seemed to impress Dre even more and he wanted to know how he could do it too.

Anyway, it wound up going something like this where Mr. Han told Dre that you need to be still in order to achieve this act. Dre's character said something along the lines of... so I have to do nothing in order for the snake to copy me. Mr. Han went on to say that being still and doing nothing are two totally different things, and that you need to be completely focused. So this got me thinking.

One of my favorite songs is by a group named Rush Of Fools. The name of the song is "Peace Be Still", which is based off of Psalm 46:10.

Psalm 46:10 (New King James Version)

¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

I guess the reason I am writing this is that I too was under the impression that being still and doing nothing were the same thing. Makes sense. When I do nothing, I am still... at least that's what I think. Yet even when I am still, I am still doing something. Maybe my mind is whirling as I think about something. Maybe I am sitting still as I listen to music... possibly singing along. No matter what I breathe while I am still, or else I am not really writing this... lol... and have moved on to a much better place.

So getting back to my point, to be still before the Lord does not mean that you just do nothing before the Lord.

Yes, we know that God... is God. But when He asks us to be still before Him and know that... truly know that... what is He asking? How do we... be still?

So that is my question. That is my inspiration. That is what I will look to try and explain as I come to grips with what I think it means. Because it is not something that I understood until I saw that movie. I think that this is where faith and trust meet... before the throne... before God. Be Still... and Know. Those are not really phrases of question, but commands. But what does it mean to be still? Knowing seems to be the easy part... but if we can't be still before God, do we really know Him?

Being still is not an easy thing to do. In today's world people are always on the go, always doing something. In the busyness of life it seems we have lost touch with what really matters. To take time to "smell the roses"; to enjoy life for what it really is... which is a gift; to sit peacefully before God... and be still. To rest assured in His presence. To bask in His glory. To me, here in this instance, to be still before God requires that I truly know who He is.

Life at times can be rough... as rough as a wave tossed sea in the middle of a storm. Uncertainty rises just like the waves... and just as a wave breaks as it crashes into the shore, that wave can represent either 1 of 2 things in us. The wave that breaks can either be that uncertainty that arose with the storm... or it can be our faith. But if we heed the command to be still, and heed the command to know God... the stormy seas become placid beneath us. The problems that once seemed so huge become small in comparison to who our God is.

In the gospels, not once but twice do we find Jesus calming the raging seas, as the disciples feared they would die in the midst of the storm that raged. We may tend to feel that same way as the storms of this life rage, and as we forget that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Yet the more we know Him, the less we tend to forget who He is, and the easier it becomes to be still before Him.

To be still is to have complete trust and faith in who He is. To be still is to know that no matter what comes your way, He holds you in the palm of His hand. Whatever life may bring, through it all I can still sing, for I know that my God is King.

While I know verse 10 of Psalm 46, before today I never really bothered to understand the rest. I never took the time to understand where verse 10 comes from. As I looked again today at Psalm 46, I saw it with new eyes. You can't get to verse 10 without starting at verse 1. And starting at verse 1, we get a better understanding of who God is. Knowing who He is will allow us to be still before Him.

Psalm 46 (New King James Version)

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.

God is our refuge in the midst of the storm. God is our strength that allows us to stand against whatever comes our way. God is a very present help in trouble... our trouble... your trouble. These are things we need to know if we desire to just be still before Him.

Psalm 46 (New King James Version)

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
³ Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

⁴ There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
⁶ The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

⁸ Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.

¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

So this, after all my reflection and thought on the topic is what I came up with.

Being still is knowing.
Being still is knowing God.
Being still is knowing that no matter what, He will see us through.
Being still is faith in the midst of life's trials and storms.
Being still is trusting when all seems lost.
Being still is when you sit quietly in the boat as the storms rage and you have no fear... and knowing that you can be still because He is in the boat with you.

So when the life gets tough... don't get going... Be Still, and know that He is God.
Trust Him. Take refuge in Him. Know Him... and be still.

Peace Be Still --- Rush Of Fools

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwwXF3JT8lQ&feature=related

Desert Song --- Hillsong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QemZQKKJbRU

I Was There

2010-11-07T11:45:00.005-05:00

This morning in church we had our communion service. Normally I am moved greatly by the words spoken and the scripture verses that are read as we remember the Lords last meal. This time was just like all the others except there was something different... something more. As my Pastor read of the account in Mark, and as he spoke the words of how Jesus was mocked, beaten, chastised, and lead away to His death... those words became alive for me. I could see it. I could feel it. It was like I was there. So I want to write something here which I hope can make you feel the way I did, and hopefully you will see what I saw... and in the end, hopefully you will be moved all the more the next time you read or hear the words of the last moments of Christ.

As I heard the words spoken from the book of Mark it seemed for a moment that I was transported back in time. I stood in the middle of a raging throng of people as they all cried out for their form of justice... maybe you were there too. Tension filled the air so thick, it was hard to breath... but you could feel electricity as the mass of people crowded in together, all wanting to see what was going on. So I wonder if you can see it too? Were you there with me that day? Let's take a look...

At first I am unaware of just what was happening... but then I start to hear the chatter... the gossip... the venom that spewed from the mouths of men. Someone was here, and they were causing quite the ruckus, and I wanted to know why. I looked around and tried to process all that I saw. The self proclaimed men of God were here and they screamed out for blood. Most of the crowd seemed impartial outside of the excitement brewing that there may be blood running in the streets sometime soon... maybe you were amongst them. But whose blood I had to ask, and why?

In the corner surrounded by another angry throng of men stood a small group, and they looked as if they were gripped by fear. Some of those were women whose cheeks were streaked with tears. The rest were His followers and they loved Him dearly... were you there with them? Their cries for justice were quickly drowned out by the overwhelming cries for blood. Crucify Him they proclaimed... He is a blasphemer and deserving of death. The anger that came from the majority of the crowd was suffocating. How can it be that so many would hate one person this much?

At the head of the court stood a man who seemed uncertain as he looked out over the people. He asks the raging throng "what has this man done to deserve to die?" But the more he looked for reason the more reasonless the crowd became. Logic had no place here, as emotions ran wild... maybe you were there in the midst of all the mayhem. Did you hear it? Could you feel it?

As I look up at him, he looks down at me, and he asks "and what do you say to do?" At first I am taken aback... "who me?" I reply. "Who am I to make such a decision, I don't even know what this is all about." Now the crowd turns their attention to me and with anger in their eyes they scream out "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!" Their rage struck fear into the depth of my heart and I knew not what to do. Can I make a choice like this?

I look again at the man in charge, and without knowing why I say "Crucify Him." Standing to the mans left is the one for whom all this trouble has been made. To me He didn't seem like much, just a normal man, and I wondered all the more what He could have done. For a moment as I look up at Him our gazes meet, and to me it looks as if His heart has been broken. I have to wonder why there is so much hatred towards this one simple man.

The guards lead Him away, and for the first time I hear someone speak His name... "Jesus". Something inside of me stirs when I hear that name spoken... as if I knew it, as if I know Him. But I am uncertain why. I follow along and watch as some of the guards take a crown of thorns and place it on His head. The thorns pierce His brow, and blood gushes from the wounds. It seems He has already been beaten... beaten worse than any man deserves. Even though His body pours blood, that was not enough for this crowd of people. They wanted His death, and they were going to get it.

Now crowned in thorns, the guards place a robe on Him and mockingly kneel before Him as if He were their King. He speaks not a word as they taunt Him. All of a sudden one of the guards strike out with a quick blow to the head and the crown of thorns tears further into His head. The crowd moves in around Him and throws their own insults His way, and still, He is silent. Some of the brave, or maybe the foolish among the crowd close in on Him and kick Him and slap Him... and the guards do nothing. Many begin to spit on Him as He passes by, and insults like daggers stab the mans flesh. He looks up at me and has compassion in His eyes. But how? But why?

The guards lead Him to a cross... His cross... which He is now to carry. Though beaten and bloodied, with flesh torn from His body, He now takes the cross to His beaten back and begins the walk to Calvary. Along the way the mocking does not stop... it intensifies. Many in the crowd seem emboldened as they know this man is on His way to die. With none of the guards standing in their way, they spit, they kick, they slap and taunt all along the way. When He falls down and the cross slams into His back the crowd erupts in laughter.

I ask myself... "What have I done?"

Now the guards make a man from the crowd help carry the cross, though he resists at first he has no choice. Together they walk side by side with the weight of the cross upon them, and still I don't know why. Finally reaching the top of the hill the crowd comes to a rest as all have reached their destination. This is the place where the criminals are crucified, yet this man... this man was no criminal.

As they lay the man on top of the cross a guard looks at me and beckons me near. At first I shy away not wanting to approach, but he beckons again, so I move forward. As he holds the mans right hand in place he tells me to take the hammer and strike the nail in. I protest, but he threatens to have me crucified right next to this man. So I take the hammer, I look the dying man in the eye, and I shudder at what I see. I see love... love in the eyes of the man about to die... love in His eyes... for me. As my hand brings down the head of the hammer, a tear streams down my face. Somehow, someway, I know this man does not deserve this. But I hammer that nail into place, and then move to His left.

Now in place on the cross which I helped nail Him to, they raise Him up for all to see. The crowd goes wild and begins to cheer, mocking Jesus all the more... were you there? I wonder why can't they just let Him be. Knowing it is just a matter of time many begin to leave, but there are those that won't leave until they see this through... until He breathes His last. I begin to move closer and as I do I hear Him speak... "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." Now frozen in place at what I just heard, I begin to see clearly the man crucified before me. I look to my left and there His mother stands... weak kneed and teary eyed... wondering how we all could have let this happen. There were less of His followers here now than were in the court before... most of them were scared away... not wanting to join their leader upon their own cross. I wonder if I was once one of them, could that be how I knew Him? If so, why would I leave Him in His hour of need? I had so many questions as the guilt began to weigh on me.

As I stood there ashamed of myself at the foot of this dying mans cross He looks down at me and says... "I did this for you."

As I look up I fall to my knees and I ask "how, why", and plead... "no not for me."

"But I am the one who drove the nails home. I am the one who condemned you before Pilate. If I had only said to him to let you go maybe you wouldn't be here dying right now. Why? How could you do this for me?"

He looks at me with love in His eyes and says... "I knew you would be here today, I knew you would make the choice you made... and I forgive you. To die this day was not your choice but my own. I lay down my life for you, for them... for any who would believe... because I love you. But don't worry, for I have the power to lay down my life, and I have the power to take it up again. This moment is not the last... it is only the beginning. This is what I took for your sins to be forgiven... and I do this gladly so you can live with me in Heaven."

So I guess what I am hoping anyone who reads this will take from this is, that it is our sins that Jesus went to the cross and died for. It was so our sins can be forgiven that He chose this way. While it was you and me who nailed Him to that cross, it was His love for us that kept Him there.

I was there that day... and so were you. We watched as He was beaten, and we may have even thrown a few blows. We watched as He was mocked, and we may have joined in and hurled a few of our own. We stood at a distance, watching, laughing and never came to His aid. And it may have been you, or it may have been me who delivered the blow to the nail that pierced His holy hands. But yet, even though it was us for whom He died... our sin, our guilt... He chose to do it. Now if that doesn't make your head spin... check your pulse, there may be a hole in your heart that only He can fix. And He will do it gladly if only you will let Him.

The how and why I don't think any of us can really comprehend. But I know that my redeemer lives. The question is, do you? Do you know the depths to which He traveled so He can one day call you home?

As you read this I hope you felt as if you were there. When I heard again today the words of Jesus at the last supper... I had to really let it sink in that what He did, was done for me... and for you.

Matthew 26:26-30 (New King James Version)

²⁶ And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
²⁷ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ²⁹ But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
³⁰ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus-- Hillsong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wej1jHtiH-M

If Only You Could See

2010-11-02T17:02:00.009-04:00

When you stare deeply into the eyes of your own reflection, the face that looks back at you from the mirror in front of you, I ask you; what do you see?

Do you see pain and rejection, failure and deception, a life marked with grave mistakes made?
Or do you see grace and mercy, love and forgiveness, a life given out of love for your redemption?

I know at times you feel you can do nothing right as you stumble along this road called life. It is so easy to get lost... to wander aimlessly, uncertain of which way to go. The broad road traveled by many seems so inviting, and it beckons as you search... as you try to understand. You fear making another mistake as if that will be surely be your last, believing the lie that there is not enough grace to restore you yet again. So you take the easy road, the path with the least resistance... hoping that the pain you feel will be dulled by the quick fix that lies before you. Wishing with all you have that this choice will not come back to haunt you. But fearing so desperately that with one more wrong choice, one more slip and fall, that you will be left and will see me no more.

Is it because what you see before you is the disappointment you think I feel towards you?
Or is it because as you search the days of your life and relive all your past mistakes, you no longer think you deserve me? That you no longer deserve my love? My forgiveness?

Well let me tell you what I see.

I have been with you since the beginning, since your first breath.
With great joy I watched as the days past and you grew into adulthood.
I watched at a distance as you chose your own path, your own way in this world.
The pain you felt over the years as you went your own way has hurt me even more,
and I wished I could just comfort you, and that it was me whom you didn't ignore.
I saw the doubt start to creep in, and the moment when you no longer liked who you were.
If only you knew and believed in all that I saw.

When I see you I see beauty, I see strength, and I see love.
When I see you I see victory, I see faith, and I see one.
I see one... for whom I gave my life.
And I gave my life for my child... one of my beloved.

Your past is behind you and I see that no more; but what I can see is all that you have in store.
Tomorrow awaits you, a great victory for sure; if you would just believe that through me you have been restored.
The mistakes you made, and the error of your way, has been forgiven due to a love that no human words can portray.
So on this day I ask you if you will just choose to walk my way?

Maybe you've tried before and failed, and now you feel so undeserving... undeserving of the gift I have placed before you. But I assure you that my grace is enough... and my love is never failing. All I ask is that you accept it and believe my words to be true. All I have to offer you as proof is the life... the life I gave for you.

If you could only see what I see when I look down from above and gaze upon thee.
The joy that fills my heart, the gladness that fills me eyes,
and that happiness that fills my soul when I see you.

If only you could see that what I see, was enough for me to give my life for thee.

Through It All

2010-09-28T10:08:00.001-04:00

Life has had its way with this simple man.
I looked for a way, a path to walk the journey ahead,
But I lost my direction, only to wander about.
Without purpose, not knowing where to go, I continued to trudge along.
To be surrounded by so much agony, so much pain, was not the plan.
At the bottom of the deepest valley, I lifted up my head,
If only to be at the top of the mountain, to gain a better view.

As I walked along through the valley, fear all around me,
So much noise, so many distractions. How will I ever find the way to go?
Through the mist and the fog, a light shines bright, yet so far.
Through the roar of the noise, I hear a still small voice, yet it seems so distant.
I try to follow, only to stumble and fall, unable to get up, unable to see.
Eyes seem blinded, my mind so cluttered, and my ears unable to separate the sounds,
If only to be at the top of the mountain, to gain a better view.

I continue on, unsure of myself, unsure of it all. I can’t see how.
The road is so hard, the path so uneven; my footing slips, and again I fall.
Facedown in the mud, hands splayed out to my sides, I can’t go on.
Yet through it all, that still small voice becomes a great mighty shout;
“Get up, My child! Here, take My hand. Lean on Me, I will carry you.”
Through the pain, through the agony, a hand reaches down;
I grab hold and feel the scar. I'm pulled to my knees, then to my feet.
With just one touch, the noise dies down; the clutter, gone from my mind.
With just one word the fog is lifted; I can now see so clearly the One who stands before me.
He wraps His arms around me, pulls me so close that I can feel His heart beat.

I look into His face. He has tears streaking down His cheeks, and He says,
“I called and called for you, but you didn’t hear.
You ran away from Me, but I came running after.
I kept My distance until I couldn’t bear to watch you in pain any longer.
I walked with you every step of the way, even though you didn’t notice.
You tried to do it alone; now lean on me, and we will go together.
Here, take My hand. And don’t worry... I will never let go.”

So I grabbed hold of the pierced and scarred hand that He offered me.
I looked at this man, and something stirred inside me.
My heart began to beat faster as I realized who He was.
The tears began to flow as I realized all He has done for me.
I pulled my hand away and bowed low before Him.
Words became elusive; all I could muster, all I could utter was
“My Savior, and my God, why?”

He knelt low in front of me, lifted up my tear-streaked face,
Looked me in the eye, and said,
“Because I love you, My child. I love you with a never-ending love.
Before I formed you in the womb, before you took your first breath,
I loved you and longed for this day.
I knew you would choose the hard way, so I waited atop that mountain,
Knowing that you would pass through this valley.
My heart ached as I watched you stumble along.
I kept hoping you would glance up and see Me standing there waving to you.
Through the fog, through your pain, you were unable to see,
So I descended from the mountain to come and find you.”

I remembered at that moment all that I had done, all the mistakes.
I could see all the sins I had committed, all the pain I must have caused,
Yet I also remembered the light on top of the mountain, the one I had tried to reach.
I remembered the still small voice that I could barely make out.
I realized that I was never alone, that He was always there for me,
Amazed, I stood in awe at the One who stood before me, and I said,
“But Lord, You were there when I sinned against You.
You were there when I made all the wrong choices.
I must have hurt You; I must have disappointed You.
How come You never left me? How come You waited all this time?
How can You still love me with all that I have done?”

Again, He put one hand on my head; the other covered His heart,
Tears streaked down His cheeks, as well as mine, and He said,
“Through it all, every up, every down, I loved you.
Through it all, every bad choice, every good choice, I loved you.
Through it all, My love has never changed; you have always been Mine,
Through it all, through it all, I have never stopped loving you.”

“Lord,” I said, “please forgive me---I am so unworthy.
I am sorry if I caused You any pain. I am sorry for not heeding Your call.
I am sorry for all the things I have done.
I am so sorry You took my punishment.
I am so sorry You had to die in my place.”

“I forgive you. I have forgiven you. Your sins I see no more.
Please do not live in the past---yesterday is gone. Today has come.
I have great plans for you, great things in store.
You are with Me now, and that is all that matters to Me.
Just stay by My side; I will keep you safe.
It won’t always be easy, but I will always be there for you.
Just call My name, and I will be there.
Nothing can separate you from My love, nothing at all.
Through it all, I have loved you, and through it all, I will be with you.”

"Thank You, Lord. Thank you."
And I worshiped and praised this man I now know---
The Savior, the Lamb, the One who won’t let go.
His name, above all names, the Christ,
Jesus, God’s only Son.

Amen!

With Everything

2010-09-21T14:01:00.010-04:00

Everything.

With everything.

Do you worship with everything? Do I?

What does that look like? What does it mean to give everything? What does it mean to worship with everything?

Is He, the King of Kings, not worth everything we have to give?
Did He, the Lord of Lords, not give up everything for us?
Did He, the Son of God, not choose the nails?
Did He, Jesus our savior, not carry His cross... the cross that we should have carried?
How then do we respond to what He has done for us?

With everything. By giving Him our everything. Because He is worth it. Because He did give up everything for us. Because without Him I am nothing... we are nothing. Because without Him this life is void of meaning, for He is life. So how do we show our gratitude... with everything we have to give, in everything we face along the way, we worship with everything.

The apostle Paul tells us one way we can do this...

Romans 12:1 (New International Version)

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

He then goes a little further into instructing us on how to do that...

Romans 12:2-3 (New International Version)

²Do not conform any longer 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.

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

We get another example of how to live a life of worship in 1 Thessalonians...

1 Thessalonians 5:14-21 (New International Version)

¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

¹⁶Be joyful always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹Do not put out the Spirit's fire; ²⁰do not treat prophecies with contempt. ²¹Test everything. Hold on to the good.

In all of this, we live the life that is pleasing to God, that shows our gratefulness for all He has done for us. This is how we worship with everything, by doing as He has told us to do.

Jesus Himself gave us these ways to live a life of worship...

Mark 12:30-31 (New International Version)

³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' ³¹The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these."

Mark 12:33 (New International Version)

³³To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

John 13:34-35 (New International Version)

³⁴"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 14:15 (New International Version)

¹⁵"If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 14:21

²¹Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14:23

²³Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

You see, God does not want anything else from us. He doesn't need anything from us. But for those who are called by His name, for those who want to give Him everything; for those who are floored by His grace and amazed by His love... to give Him everything... this is how we do it. We have nothing else to give. We have nothing else to offer but our obedience, and our love. If we can give Him these 2 things, we will have given Him everything. Because in these 2 things, we will find the path for our life that He has chosen for us. And all else will fall into place.

Matthew 6:33 (New International Version)

³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

And that is more than we deserve, more than we can ever ask for... if we just seek Him first, not only will we be giving Him everything we have to give... He gives us everything He has to give. Which is more than our finite minds can ever comprehend, or imagine. And is just one more reason to live a life that worships, that praises, that obeys, and that loves Him... with everything that we have to give.

I leave you with just one song, the inspiration for me to write this, and one of the best songs I have ever heard...

"With Everything" by Hillsong

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=rSCE8uLuTJY&feature=related

Be blessed by His love. Be blown away by His mercy. Be amazed by His grace. Be willing to give Him all you have, and worship With Everything, praise Him With Everything, and love Him With Everything.

Signed, Sealed and Delivered

2010-08-24T12:40:00.005-04:00

(This will be a little long, considering I used more scripture in this post than any other blog I have written. And I know that I repeat myself with themes I have already spoken about, so just bear with me here. This is where I am at in my walk with the Lord, and this is what I am comfortable sharing. I only talk about things I have been through or are going through. So as long as I am in an area where I need things repeated to me before I grab hold of them, I will also wind up repeating myself here in this blog. But be blessed, and never lose sight of just how much you are loved.)

I know that at moments over the past couple of years I have questioned my faith. I have wondered if it was real as I continued to struggle with sin in my life. The times came when I thought that sins' hold on me was too strong, and that I was beyond help... beyond changing. And over time, these thoughts played at the edges of my mind... taunting me to give up. To be honest, at one time, I almost did. I almost traded the pearl of great price away for the worthless junk this world has to offer. At least I would have gotten to enjoy all of that junk now, right?

But the question is, would I really have enjoyed it?

Don't get me wrong, the bible even says that sin is pleasing... for a season, for a short time, or a passing moment. And that is just the thing, sin and all it's pleasure, is so fleeting... here now, gone in a second. It is so incredibly temporal... and that is what keeps us coming back for more and more. But even though we find ourselves at the foot of sin over and over, it never satisfies. Emptiness is sure to follow. Especially for those of the Lord who are struggling with sin... for us the shame, the guilt, the feelings of disappointment and failure are sure to follow. But we know where to turn. And praise the Lord He allows us to turn back to Him.

And that right there is the difference between the saved and the unsaved. We know where the truth is. We know who holds true joy, peace, and love in His hands. We know that we can turn to Him at any moment... at the moment where we finally had enough of the junk the world gives, and subsequently takes away. But our God, He is willing to give us all our heart desires. And what He has to give us is true, and pure, and won't be taken away.

John 14:27 (New International Version)

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Now I have found myself at the point I am talking about, and I can clearly say that the Lord has brought me through to the other side. And I am grateful He was unwilling that I should walk away from Him.

Part of the point I am trying to make is that even as followers of the Lord we can still sin, will still sin, and may even enjoy it for a moment. But after a recent talk with a new friend that the Lord has brought into my life, we have both come to understand that while you may enjoy the sin for a moment, you will not have peace in that moment. You will be in turmoil on the inside. Peace will be elusive. Maybe we will try to find someway around that, some way to make us feel more comfortable... but in the end, we will find ourselves broken before the Lord. And that is a good place to be.

Psalm 31:9-13 (New King James Version)

⁹ Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble;
My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my body!
¹⁰ For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
¹¹ I am a reproach among all my enemies,
But especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
Those who see me outside flee from me.
¹² I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
¹³ For I hear the slander of many;
Fear is on every side;
While they take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.

For me this was a good place to be, a place of brokenness before God. A place where I realized that I do have enemies... the world... the flesh... the devil... and the old man in me. But the good news is that being here at this place... at the foot of the cross... can and will bring us to further rely on the Lord and His strength.

Psalm 31:14-17 (New King James Version)

¹⁴ But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
¹⁶ Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
¹⁷ Do not let me be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon You;

The good news... the great news... is that out of our brokenness, out of our shame, out of our failures, out of our mistakes, through all of it... God works all things for the good of those who love Him.

Romans 8:28 (New International Version)

²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, have been called according to his purpose.

We, the adopted children of God, those who are called by His name... He shall bring us through to the other side. By His hand we have been delivered. By His wounds we are healed. Through His blood we are cleansed. And knowing Him, truly knowing Him, that comes with His peace, His joy, His grace and mercy in times of need, and His unfailing love.

We have been signed into the Lambs' book of Life.
We have been sealed with His Holy Spirit.
We have been delivered from the sin that had us bound.
All the chains that held us captive have been broken.
The stone set in front of our tomb has been rolled away.
We are free.

Signed, sealed, and delivered... praise the Lord.

Our sins have been blotted out. The sin that stained us has been washed clean. The Lamb of God bore our shame so we could stand before Him clean and pure. So now your name has been written in the Lambs' book of Life.

Revelation 21:27 (New International Version)

²⁷Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

You have been sealed with Gods Holy Spirit...

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (New King James Version)

²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, ²² who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

And it is Jesus who has delivered us from our sin. We are free from the condemnation that sin brings with it. Our iniquities are remembered no more, and we can stand before the throne of God cleansed, purified, and free. For whoever the Son sets free, is free indeed. And we have been set free.

John 8:36 (New King James Version)

³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Isaiah 44:22 (New King James Version)

²² I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions,
And like a cloud, your sins.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Micah 7:19 (New International Version)

¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

1 John 2:12 (New International Version)

¹²I write to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

Romans 4:6-8 (New International Version)

⁶David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
⁷"Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
⁸Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 (New International Version)

⁹Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,

In all of this, I know I can join Job in proclaiming that I know, yes I know... the My Redeemer lives. I am signed, sealed and delivered, and so are you.

Job 19:25-26 (New King James Version)

²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;

²⁶ And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,

I don't know why this is so hard to grasp, and so hard to hold onto... but that is my prayer. That myself and any who find themselves reading this learn how to hang onto this with all that they have. No matter what comes our way, no matter who comes against us, and no matter how many times we fall... Our God is Greater than all of it, and we are His.

I have found myself listening to this song repeatedly lately, so I thought I would share it with you. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and make His face to shine upon you.

"Our God" by Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA5IDnpGhc

"Healing Is In Your Hands" by Christy Nockels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p2yqWFlg60&feature=related

Patient Pursuit

2010-08-22T21:58:00.000-04:00

Over the last 34 months, I have often found myself marveling at how patient God is with us. I know that when I was baptized in January, I was asked to say something before they dunked me... and I said that I just wanted to thank God for His patience with me. It took me 31 years to come to my senses. He had given me 31 years worth of mornings... 31 years worth of days... 31 years worth of breath... before my eyes were opened to my need for Him. And I am eternally grateful for all of that. Especially when I consider what I was told by my doctor about how my life should basically be over. Yet here I sit, and here I type these words. And it is all due to His love and patience towards me.

And here I sit and wonder how many have had these same thoughts. Do we realize just how long He has waited for us to come to faith? How long He has waited for us to come to an end of ourselves? How long He has waited for us to be fed up with this life that the world has offered? And do we realize just how long and how patiently He has waited for us to just seek Him?

I think once we do come to understand this, we understand more about just how deep, how high, and how long His love is for us.

He doesn't have to wait for us. He doesn't have to sit and watch us make a mockery out of our lives. He doesn't have to sit and wait for us to come to the ends of our rope before we call out to Him. He doesn't have to give us one more day, one more chance, one more breath. But He does. Because out of the ashes He makes something beautiful. Out of the miry clay He molds us into the likeness of Christ. Even with all of the broken pieces of our lives, He is able to pick them up and put them back together again... even better than before.

When I ponder all of the wrong choices... as I think back on all the mistakes... as I wonder anew about how and why... why I am still here... He is my answer. For me, it was all the wrong choices, all of the mistakes, and all of the questions of why and how that led me to the cross of Christ. Out of all that has been bad in my life, all that went wrong... He made something good out of it. Even when I didn't even know it, and had no idea what would come of it... all of it led me to Him.

It all led me to Him, and it all shows just how patient He is with me. Long suffering is how David describes God to us, and to me, that is an understatement.

Psalm 86:15 (King James Version)

¹⁵But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

He is patient...

2 Peter 3:9 (New International Version)

⁹The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

He is slow to anger...

Joel 2:12-13 (New International Version)

¹² "Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."

¹³ Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

Our God is all of these things so that we... all of us... are afforded the opportunity to repent, to seek Him, and be forgiven.

So easily He could just pass judgment on us as we are, where we stand, this very moment. Yet He does not. He waits... patiently. He relents from doing harm as He gives us time to turn to Him. In great mercy and love He gives us more time than we deserve. And for that, I am so grateful. Where would we be without His patience?

Even more dumbfounding to me at times is how He continues to show this patience with those who are His. As the passage above from Joel says... "Even now, return to me". To return to Him must mean that we have walked away from Him. And yet still He shows His patience towards us, as He waits for His prodigal sons and daughters to return home to Him.

One of the most moving pieces of scripture to me is found in the story of the prodigal son. And it comes when we see the father running to the son as the father sees him far off. Though he waits for the son to return to him... as soon as he gets a glimpse of him in the distance, he runs to him. That is the image of God our Father as He runs towards us as we walk that long road back to Him. Yes He waits patiently for us to come to our senses. Yes He waits patiently for us to decide to return to Him. But as soon as He sees us coming back in His direction... He runs to us.

Can you even believe that? But this is the portrait that Jesus is painting for us as He tells us this story. God Himself runs to us, His children, even after we have gone our own way. Because His love for us never fails.

Luke 15:20 (New King James Version)

²⁰ “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

How can you not love that. How amazing is it to just think that. That is how much He loves us.

There is another story in Luke 15 that amazes me over and over again. It is the parable of the lost sheep, which again to me, shows His patience with us. It shows His love for us. And it shows that He is willing to lose not even one of us.

Luke 15:3-6 (New International Version)

³Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'

Not only does He come looking for us when He needs to, when we have wandered for too long a time away from Him... but when He finds us, He rejoices over us, and He carries us home.

So He is willing to wait patiently for us to realize our need for Him. He is willing to give us the time it takes for us to decide to call on His name. He is willing to sit by and allow us to make mistake after mistake... and then when we cry out to Him, He is willing to pick up the pieces of our shattered lives and make something beautiful out of the mess we hand Him. And that is not the end of His patience with us as He will even allow us to walk away if we wish to. And after we walk away from Him, when we realize just how stupid that decision was, He waits for us to return to Him. And when He sees us coming back in His direction... He runs to us. And if we tarry too long... He comes to find us, because He will not be without us for long.

Just take a moment to think about that. If that doesn't boggle your mind... what will. The God of the Universe wants to be with you so bad, He comes to find you and bring you home. How awesome is that?

So to leave you with a song. Be blessed.

"When God Ran" by Phillips, Craig and Dean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1O4eS9jxfM

Self Destruct

2010-08-08T17:07:00.001-04:00

Romans 8:1 (New King James Version)

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

(a little foreword)
That is a powerful verse... an encouraging verse... is it not?

Yet so many of us fail to live in this verse. We so easily condemn others, we so easily condemn ourselves. This post is not about judging others, but judging ourselves. It was inspired by a friend of mine as we talked about our struggles. This unfortunately is a struggle for both of us... probably for many of us. Whenever a mistake is made, a sin against someone else, against ourselves, or against God... we are so quick to condemn ourselves. But this should not be. If God does not condemn us, who are we to do that job for Him. Judgment belongs to the one who sits on the throne, and that is not us.

Sin... condemnation... those 2 go hand in hand don't they. Those who will stand before God on the day of judgment in their own sin will be condemned. Those who stand before God, who stand in the Son, shall stand justified before Him. Praise the Lord, He is the God of redemption.

Yet I know that I find myself condemning myself every time I mess up, slip up, fall down, and sin. I am so quick to beat myself up, and in turn I become of no use to the cause of Christ. If I am so caught up in judging myself, I will by no means be able to do the work that the Lord has for me to do.

Now I am not suggesting that we become numb to sin, numb to our mistakes, and numb to the areas we need to work on with the Lord's help. What I am suggesting is that we take it for what it is, realize our mistakes, sins, shortcomings, and acknowledge all of it... but that we don't condemn ourselves as being failures. It is ok to be upset about sin in our lives, and we should feel upset over it... but if God does not condemn us for it, how or why could we? Should we be sorrowful over our sin, yes we should... but we need to be sure it is the right kind of sorrow.

2 Corinthians 7:10-11 (New King James Version)

¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹ For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

To feel Godly sorrow over our faults, over our failings, over our sin... that is a natural byproduct of our love for Him. We don't want to keep making those same mistakes that we have been making. We don't want to let Him down. But what we fail to forget is that we have been cleansed. We have been justified before Him. We fail to remember that when God looks at us, He sees His Son, His Beloved. He knows all of our weaknesses, all of our shortcomings, all of our failures, and loves us anyway. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and the one who is doing the work within us... and it will be completed.

Our job is not to condemn ourselves and in turn make the cross of Christ void of it's power, but to follow His lead, and let Him do the work He has yet to do in us.

I know that for me, when I sin, I run from God. Like Adam in the garden, I try to hide my unworthy self from His presence. But that is just not possible... you can't hide from Him. Everywhere we go, He is there too.

Psalm 139:7-12 (New King James Version)

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
¹² Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

So there is no hiding from God, yet I still try. There are moments when I feel like such a failure and unworthy of Him, that I reject the thought of picking up His Word due to my own unworthiness. But who am I to decide for myself, against what He has decided for me?

He alone is the one who justifies.
He alone is the one who redeems.
He alone is the one who cleanses from all unrighteousness.
He alone has decided to love me, even though I may feel unlovable.
And it is He that has given His Son so I could be free, so I could be forgiven.

So who am I to look up and point at Him and tell Him that He made a mistake?

His Word says there is no condemnation for those in Christ, yet we condemn ourselves over and over again. Why is that? And how do we get passed that?

Romans 8:12-16 (New King James Version)

¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

How do we move past this... we live by the Spirit. We seek to live our lives by the Spirit and not the flesh, and if we make a mistake, give into temptation, and fall flat on our faces... We cry out, "Abba, Father... help me". We let Him pick us up, and dust us off... and we move on in Christ.

1 John 1:9 (New King James Version)

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

He is a faithful God... and for us, sometimes it takes time for us to realize that. Thoughts flood our minds that maybe, just maybe this is the last time. We fall again and think that God can no longer possibly love us. But those are lies. His love is unbreakable, unchangeable, unstoppable, all consuming, never failing, and ever lasting. That is who He is, and that is what He offers us.

Jeremiah 31:3 (New International Version)

³ The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

Psalm 103:17-18 (New International Version)

¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

In His love for us He asks us to just come back to Him, and talk to Him... to reason with Him, and He will cleanse us.

Isaiah 1:18 (New International Version)

¹⁸ "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

So when we sin, when we make a mistake, when we fail before Him... He invites us to just come back and be cleansed... Even now says the Lord... even now... after all you have done, His love for you has not changed.

Joel 2:12-13 (New International Version)

¹² "Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."

¹³ Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

We don't need to condemn ourselves. We don't need to try and hide from Him. We don't need to beat ourselves up, and nor do we think to need that we have pushed His love to the breaking point. His love abounds towards those who are called by His name. So live loved, and rest assured, and know that He is God and you are His. No matter how many times you fall flat on your face, He will be there to lift you up off that floor with a nail scarred hand and compassion in His eyes.

Mountains and Valleys

2010-08-06T11:13:00.008-04:00

The mountaintop experience, what can compare?

To feel the fullness of God's presence, to be surrounded by His glory, and engulfed by His love; what pure joy that is. To be able to experience all of this is a real blessing. To have access, free and open access to Him is incomparable. For just one moment to be with Him, what is that worth to you?

To stand on God's mountain brings peace and joy... but what happens when you leave that mountain? What happens when our time atop the mountain comes to an end and we have to head back down into the valley... back into the world? How do we cope? What happens the first time something comes up... the first storm arises? Do we forget?

Do we forget Him as we feel all alone? Do we forget His promises to us as the storms roll in, waves begin to crash and thunder starts to roll? Because we can be certain that the world around us will start to fall apart at one point or another, and when it does... do we forget?

What is the truth?

It is easy to say, easy to hear, and yet so hard to hold on to. But the truth is, we are never alone.

You are not alone. No matter how hard things get, how painful life becomes, how deep into the pit you go, you are not alone... for He is with you. That is His promise.

You are not alone. You are not forgotten. You are not forsaken. God is with you. To the depths of despair, to the bottom of the pit, as the pain and sorrow of this life begin to overwhelm you... God is with you. He never leaves us. So when we don't feel Him near, when He seems so far away, it is not Him who left us... but us who have forgotten Him and His promise to never leave us.

Even David, a man after God's own heart struggled with this... but in time, he always remembered.

Psalm 23:4 (New King James Version)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Even at our lowest moments, maybe even more so... our God is with us. Every step of the way, through all the ups and downs... He is with us.

As the world crashes down around us...
As the storms roll in above us...
As the Earth shakes beneath us...
As the pain brings us to our knees...
In the moments that seem hopeless...
Hope is alive, His name is Jesus... and He is with you, even til the end of the age...

Matthew 28:20 (New King James Version)

²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Never does He leave, never will He leave, never will we be forsaken by Him... that's His word, and His word is truth.

Hebrews 13:5 (New King James Version)

⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

You know, life can be so hard... and can so easily take it's toll on us... so easily break us down... so easily beat us up. As we trudge along trying to carry the weight of all our burdens, and still wade through life's storms, we forget that our God walks with us. He who is able wants to take your burdens away. He who is able wants to lead your straight through the storm... if only we would just fix our eyes upon Him. Not only will He lead us, but when we are unable to move... He will also carry us.

Whatever giant we face, He is with us.
Whatever battle we face, He fights with us... better yet, He fights for us.

Joshua 1:9 (New King James Version)

⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Deuteronomy 20:4 (New King James Version)

⁴ for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

So what do we need to do... remember. What do we need to do... believe. What do we need to do... trust Him. What do we need to do... obey. What do we need to do... follow as He leads.

That is our God. He shrinks away from no storm. He shies away from no enemy. He has never known a foe He could not defeat... and you belong to Him... so if He is for you, who can stand against you?

Romans 8:31 (New International Version)

³¹What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Can any man stand against our God? Can any storm rage and wash Him away? Can the sound of the most powerful thunder drown out His voice? No. He is bigger, stronger, louder, and above anything and everything that comes His way... that comes our way... and He is with us.

So the next time you find yourself walking through a valley, fear not, and remember. After the mountaintop experience is over, and when the noise of the world starts to pull you away... be still, and know that He is God... and He loves you.

One of my favorite verses in the entire bible is found in Isaiah 41... and this is one that brings me comfort. Though at times I find myself forgetting, or doubting... all I need to do is remember these words, and believe...

Isaiah 41:10 (New King James Version)

¹⁰ Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

May we all get to a point in our lives, and in our faith, where we never forget who our God is.

Walk In The Park

2010-07-13T14:02:00.008-04:00

It would be nice if life was nothing but sunshine and rainbows(without the rain). It would be nice if every obstacle in our path moved itself out of the way when we come on through. It would be really nice if sickness never came knocking at our doors, but went on down the block to the politicians home and knocked there... just kidding. It would be nice if this life was just fair... is that too much to ask?

But, this life will never be those things. Even for those in the faith, for those walking with the Lord... we will never see these things this side of heaven.

This walk ain't easy.

So why do so many expect it to be? It was never promised to us that this life would ever be easy... or pain free... or full of happiness, never seeing a bad day.

What was promised was His faithfulness to us; never will He leave or forsake us... ever.

Further more, we were promised His joy in the midst of our pain. We were promised His strength in our moments of weakness. We were promised His grace in our moments of compromise... of sin. We were promised His presence in our moments of despair. We were promised His uncompromising, uncomprehensible, unchanging, never failing love in our moments of need. We were promised free access to the throne of Grace and Mercy, through the door of the only begotten Son... whenever we needed to go before it.

And ultimately, we were promised a day when all these moments of heartbreak will be no more. Never again to hurt... physically or emotionally. Never again to shed a tear of agony, or know the sting of rejection. Never again to feel the loss of love, for He is love, and will always be with us.

But, until that day we must walk this walk, and seek Him and long for His coming. Even in the midst of our grief, our sorrow, our turmoil, our desperation, He is still the God of all grace... and His grace is sufficient. And nothing... nothing at all... can change that. No matter how big and powerful the storm is, or how big the waves are... Our God saves... and nothing, nothing at all can change that.

The question is, how much do we believe that?

How willing are we to seek Him above all even in our lowest moments?

For me, this has been one of my toughest challenges. To seek Him in a low moment, when I feel unworthy and unclean before Him. My natural reaction is to run away and hide, just as Adam and Eve did in the garden. Then after I run and hide, I will isolate myself and dig a hole in the corner hoping no one notices.

And all along, I have had it all backwards. At our lowest, we need to run to Him. At our highest, we need to run to Him. And at all moments in between, we need to run to Him. For His mercy and grace when we are in need. To praise and worship Him when all is right. And to just be near Him at every moment, no matter the circumstances. Good or bad, high or low, mountain top or valley below... our place is with Him.

Yet unless we keep walking with Him on the path He has laid out before us, these things we will never learn. It is so easy to get tripped up, and be led astray. It is so easy to fall, and lose our bearings... only to wind up lost and wandering around right back where we started. Luckily for us we belong to the Good Shepherd, and He won't let us wander long. He will come for us. He will search high and low until He finds us, and He will carry us back to where we belong. But a lesson will be learned, and most likely it will hurt in one way or another.

All in all, walking this walk, learning to submit and to obey, learning how to hear Him above all the noise... have been the hardest things I have ever tried to do in my entire life. It has not been easy. Far from it. At times I feel like I am on a roller coaster, one second on top of the world only to be flung through a loop and wind up back at the bottom again. But I am grateful for all of it, and it is so very worth it.

To know the peace of God. To know His love. To know His mercy. To know His joy. To know His presence. All these are priceless. There is nothing that compares. Nothing that can take away from it. And nothing that can keep us from it if we will only seek Him. Nothing can separate us from Him...

Romans 8:38-39 (New International Version)

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He will strengthen us in times of need... we have no need to fear...

Isaiah 41:10 (New King James Version)

¹⁰ Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

He will fight for us, He will fight with us, every step of the way...

Joshua 1:9 (New King James Version)

⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Deuteronomy 20:4 (New International Version)

⁴ For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

So whatever we face in this life, on this path, He is with us... always...

Matthew 28:20 (New International Version)

²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

So we continue on... heads high... steady pace... along the path He has given us, and no matter what we come across, or what storm comes rolling in, we stand strong... For He is with us. It may not be easy... and won't be a walk in the park, but it will be worth it.

I am adding a song to this post, I think it fits really well.

"That's What Faith Can Do" by Kutless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO6DXOsKOw4

The Way of Calvary

2010-07-04T22:11:00.002-04:00

"looking out over the expanse, the tears streaming faster and faster... Jesus with compassion in His eyes scans through the ages and just repeats over and over again... "But I love them." then He sees it... He can see the way... afraid yet to say it for He knows what it means... He knows it is the only way... "What if I go?"... Jesus says to His Father."--- (from Intercession)

I wanted to try to expand on this. Again, I will be taking some creative liberties in telling this story. But I do often dwell on all that He must have gone through, and what led Him to do it all for us. I know most days, I... take it all for granted. The cost for my life... my sin... was so great. The burden that He willingly took upon Himself, so I could be free. Free from the debt that had me bound and headed to hell. Yet here I am, forgiven and free... because Jesus went and died for me. It was the only way... the way of Calvary.

"What if I go?"... Jesus says to His Father. "What if I take their place?"

Gazing at His Son, the Father asks Him... "Are you saying what I think you are saying? You know my requirement for the forgiveness of sins... and it is death. Take a look out over the expanse of human history and see the burden you would be made to carry."

"Yes Father, I understand the ramifications of what I am saying... but I am unwilling to lose them. My love for them is so great... I can feel their pain this very moment. I can see the despair on their faces... the fear in their eyes... and feel the ache of their hearts." Turning now to look His Father in the eyes, Jesus says..."Send me Father to set them free."

"Son, the road you'll have to travel will be a lonely one. The pain you'll experience will be great... beyond words can say. But there is a way that my justice will be satisfied... the way of the cross... the way of Calvary. You will need to become the curse so they can be set free from it."

Jesus looks at His Father knowing what He means, yet still willing to go He says... "You mean the tree. I must be hung from a tree."

As He formed the vision out before Him, He could clearly see the path He would travel. Sitting now by His Father's side, together they look out over space and time and before them was the path... the Via Dolorosa. But before He would go this way, He would step down from the heavens and be born a man. Not as a King... but as a peasant. Not in a palace... but in a manger. Not amongst the nobles and wealthy... but amongst the shepherds and animals.

"You will be like one of them my Son. You will not live in wealth and luxury... but in poverty. You will learn to work with your hands and earn your own keep. You will experience sickness, fatigue, hunger, pain... unbearable pain, and you will know death. Those whom you come to know as friends, as family, they will die... and in time, so will you. But your death will be at the hands of men, men who will have no power over you except that which I give them. When the time is right, they will unleash all my fury... on you."

"Yes Father, I understand and I am willing."

"Before you commit so boldly, let me tell you what will happen." The loving Father pulls His Son close and begins to show Him... "At the due time you will begin your ministry. I will give you a short time to tell your story... to preach the good news. Understand that many will hate you. Many will plot out your demise.?

"But Father if you are sending me with this great news, why will they hate me? Why will they despise me?"

"My Son, my Beloved... the truth you will bring to them will go against much of what they will already have come to believe. Many eyes will be blind to the truth, and many ears will not know it when they hear it. Those who are willing to accept it will follow you, but those who don't will oppose you. In time, those who oppose you will hate you. That is their nature Son, that is what they will become. To such as these I am sending you, like a Lamb amongst the wolves."

"Well Father, if this is the only way... then so be it, for I know that you are always with me."

"Yes Son, I will be with you. As you are sent to the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights, to be tempted as they are tempted... I will be with you. As you go from place to place, city to city, people to people and preach the good news... I will be with you. You will have much work to do in a short amount of time... but I will be with you."

Looking at His Father Jesus asks... "Will you send any with me? Can I take any with me? Just a few... just 12 whom I can call friend. Will this be ok with you?"

"Yes my Son, but understand Son that while the few will come to follow you, and those whom you choose will stand with you for a time... that at your greatest time of need they will flee from you. You will be left alone... alone before the mockers... alone before the accusers... alone before the judgment seat... and alone at your conviction."

"Yes Father, but you will be with me. I can make it through all of that as long as you stand with me."

"Yes Son, I will be with you. Understand also Son that even though you will live a sinless life, you will die a sinners death. I will impart all their sins upon you. You will be beaten so they can be cleansed. You will be mocked and humiliated so their shame can be forgotten. You will nailed to the tree as you carry the weight of all their sin so they can be forgiven. Through your death they can receive life, and I will know of their sins no more. For those who choose to believe in your name Son, those will receive this gift. They will trade their unrighteousness for your righteousness... and they will trade their death for your life." With pain in His eyes the Father looks at His Son and says... "Yet my Son, my Beloved Son, when they hang you on that tree... when they nail you to that cross... at that moment when you carry the full weight of their sin... I will not be with you. For the first time you and I will be separated... you will be forsaken by me."

"But... but Father... how can I do this without you?"

"Son, you will have my strength... you will have my love... but you know that all who die on the tree are cursed. You know that I can have no part with sin. I won't be able to watch as they nail the spikes into your hands and feet... as they raise you up... and as you die an agonizing death. Your pain will be unbearable my Son, but mine will be greater yet. But no my Son, at that moment we will not be together. Sin will always be a barrier between them and me... and you will be one of them. I am sorry but this is the only way. "

Just the thought of not being near to His Father brought Him to His knees. As Jesus thought about all He has heard from the Father, He could see Himself in the garden... in Gethsemane... distraught over what was to come... not the physical death, for He did not fear death... nor the betrayal or abandonment by His friends, for He knew the weakness of men... but what He despaired over was the thought of being separated from His Father. He has never known a moment where His Father was not there. Never knew a moment where He could not feel His presence. Yet this is what He would face. The question that remains... is He still willing?

"Father, I have never known a moment of time without your presence. Father, if there is any way you can have this cup pass from me... but yet, not my will but yours be done. If you say this is the only way, then so be it. I am willing... for I love them so. This is my path Father, and I will go. I trust you... and know you will never let me down...

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. ¹⁰ For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. ¹¹ You will show me the path of life; (Psalm 16:9-11 New King James Version)

"And as you show me the path Father, I will also show them. They shall know that no one comes through the Father, but through me. As many as you give me, I will receive gladly. I will love them as my own and will tell them of your glory. Though many will not understand, the few who will are worth it for me. I will travel the path of Calvary and I go willingly. I know the road will be hard... and the path narrow... but I go and make a way for them so they can follow."

"My Son, I am well pleased. Through your death the barrier will be removed. As your body is broken, and your flesh is torn... so will the veil be torn... the division between them and me shall be no more. The door shall be opened... you will be the door through which they must pass. No the road won't be easy and yes narrow shall be the path... but you will lead them home. Just as a shepherd leads his flock, you shall be their shepherd... the Good Shepherd."

"Yes Father, and thank you for all you are about to do through me. I choose the nails Father... I choose to go. So that glory will be brought to your name... and so they can know you as I know you. I am ready Father... here I am, send me."

Father and Son steal one last glance at each other as they both know what lies ahead. The thought of which is almost unbearable for both, but knowing this is the only way... each gives it no more thought. It must be done, it must be this way. The world has never known a love like this, but in time... it will. With no more hesitation the plan is set in place.

"Are you ready my Son... my beloved?"

"Yes Father, I am ready. May you be glorified."

"And my Son, never forget that your death... is just the beginning."

John 19:1-36 (New King James Version)

¹ So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. ² And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. ³ Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.
⁴ Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

⁵ Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”
⁶ Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
⁸ Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, ⁹ and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
¹⁰ Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”
¹¹ Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
¹² From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”
¹³ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
¹⁵ But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
¹⁶ Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.

¹⁷ And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, ¹⁸ where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. ¹⁹ Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

²⁰ Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
²¹ Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”
²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. ²⁴ They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

“ They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Therefore the soldiers did these things.

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” ²⁹ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. ³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

³¹ Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. ³² Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. ³⁵ And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. ³⁶ For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”

Matthew 28:1-7 (New King James Version)

¹ Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. ² And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. ³ His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. ⁴ And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
⁵ But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷ And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

I just want to leave you with the words of a hymn... may we never forget the Way of Calvary.

"On The Cross of Calvary"

On the cross of Calvary,
Jesus died for you and me;
There He shed His precious blood,
That from sin we might be free.
O the cleansing stream does flow,
And it washes white as snow!
It was for me that Jesus died
On the cross of Calvary.

On Calvary! On Calvary!
It was for me that Jesus died
On the cross of Calvary.

O what wondrous, wondrous love
Brought me down at Jesus’ feet!
O such wondrous, dying love
Asks a sacrifice complete!
Here I give myself to Thee,
Soul and body, Thine to be;
It was for me Thy blood was shed
On the cross of Calvary.

Take me, Jesus, I am Thine,
Wholly Thine, forevermore;
Blessèd Jesus, Thou art mine,
Dwell within forevermore;
Cleanse, O cleanse my heart from sin,
Make and keep me pure within!
It was for this Thy blood was shed
On the cross of Calvary.

Clouds and darkness veiled the sky
When the Lord was crucified;
It is finished! was His cry
When He bowed His head and died.
With this cry from Calv’ry’s tree
All the world may now go free;
It was for this that Jesus died
On the cross of Calvary.

What Do You See?

2010-06-28T21:51:00.002-04:00

A simple question which can have a profound answer.

What do you see... when you see the cross?

On the Crosswalk forums, someone posted recently asking a question of "How often do you think about the cross?" It was probably a little over a year ago that I posed a similar question... "What does the cross mean to you?"

Between the 2 questions which are pretty similar overall... and within the various answers to this more recent question, there is one that sticks out to me. I received a similar answer when I posed my question and it basically goes like this... the cross is just an implement of death... or... a means to kill someone. While I understand the implications behind the answer, I disagree.

What I do agree with about this answer is that our faith does not end at the cross.

All in all it can be said that our faith begins at the cross... because from the foundation of the world, the cross was the destination for Jesus as He walked in the flesh. As soon as He stepped out of His heavenly existence and into our human existence, He was bound for the cross. And while that was not His end... nor was the tomb where His body was laid... it is at the cross where He lost His life... and it is at the cross where we can find ours.

There are many who would just like to focus on the empty tomb, for the empty tomb rings with endless hope. But we can't get to the empty tomb without first going the way of Calvary. There is simply no way around it. And Calvary leads to the cross. It is where Jesus cried out... "It is finished". It also is where Jesus was accursed by God on our behalf. If we go all the way back into Deuteronomy we see that anyone hung on a tree is cursed by God. And later on in Galatians Paul confirms this.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (New King James Version)

²² “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, ²³ his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.

Galatians 3:13 (New International Version)

¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

So the cross was the place that an innocent man... God's only begotten Son... willingly went, and in turn not only took our punishment... but was cursed by the Father so we could be forgiven. An innocent, blameless, perfect savior... cursed by His own Father. Imagine the pain of the Father knowing this was the only way. Imagine the agony of the Son as He bore the penalty of our sins. Can you do that and then still think that the cross is no more than wood and nails?

The cross is more than an instrument used in death... more than an instrument of torture... more than an instrument of humiliation... it is the instrument God used to punish His Son in our place. The cross is where we exchange our punishment for eternal life. The cross is the place God chose to nail our sins for all eternity.

Colossians 2:13-14 (New King James Version)

¹³ And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

The cross of Calvary stands as the place where God the Father reconciled us to Himself through the blood shed by His Son. Is is through Jesus' death that we can stand before the Father blameless. Once we all were His enemies, but He remedied that for us at the foot of the cross.

Colossians 1:19-22 (New International Version)

¹⁹For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²²But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

Paul was unwilling to preach the gospel without the cross... so why would I? How could I? And don't get me wrong, I am no schooled preacher who stands behind a pulpit... but as a follower of Christ, I too am called to preach the gospel... and so are you. Let us not forget the length our savior was willing to go by leaving out the way He went.

Like Paul, we too should boast in nothing but the cross of Christ.

Galatians 6:14 (New International Version)

¹⁴May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

I could go on and on, and site many verses regarding the cross and why it is so important for us as Christians. All in all, we are also called to carry our own crosses if we wish to follow Jesus. While I will never downplay the beautiful power of the empty tomb which screams of a resurrected Christ, I will also never forget that Jesus took to the cross so I wouldn't have to. There is life to be found in the cross of Christ, and there is power to be found in the cross of Christ... so let us not preach without it.

1 Corinthians 1:17 (New International Version)

¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

The cross... more than just 2 beams... more than just 3 nails... more than... love. The cross is where we see perfect love acted upon, by a God who is willing that none should perish. The cross is where God chose to send His Son, so that through His death we can receive life. As Jesus bled His last drop of blood upon that cross, we received forgiveness and redemption.

Let us never forget that.

So I always try to leave you with a few songs, and I won't fail to do so now. Enjoy them and be blessed. And I am reading an amazing book right now by one of my favorite authors, Max Lucado. The book is entitled "He Chose The Nails" and I highly recommend it to you.

The Wonderful Cross by Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sKcw9_PQYA

The Wonder Of The Cross by Vicky Beeching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-79joJJOdQs&feature=related

The Power Of The Cross by Stuart Townend

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwzt9jRUPNg&feature=related

Exalted

2010-06-25T19:57:00.014-04:00

Most of us whether we realize it or not, have placed something in the place that God alone should reside. Maybe it is someone... someone we look up to... someone we love... someone we idolize... or someone we fear. Or maybe it is something... our house... our car... our toys... our job... or our possessions. I think most often though, it is ourselves that we place on that pedestal. It is ourselves who occupy the territory of our lives that God and God alone should occupy.

Have you ever noticed that when we place someone other than God on that perch, that they always fall? Have you ever noticed that even when we place ourselves on that perch, that no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that it is ok for us to be there... that our lives wind up becoming a giant mess? Have you ever noticed that when you place material objects on that throne... that they are never good enough? We always need more. We always need a better car... a better house... a bigger boat... a bigger tv... more toys to play with... more toys that within a short amount of time will be obsolete in our own eyes. They will need to be replaced because they will no longer be good enough.

Have you ever noticed that?

I guess the reason is quite simple. It's the way we were made. We were created to be in communion with our creator. We were created to need fulfillment. We were created to find that fulfillment in God and God alone. Yet so often we don't look upon God for that fulfillment... we look to the world to fill that void. And the world just doesn't cut it. There is nothing in all creation that can take the place that is made for God. But that doesn't stop us from trying now does it?

Let's face it, some of us, most of us... well actually... all of us, at one point or another have desired to be King of the castle. We have desired to be in charge of our own lives... and our own destinies. To go our own way... to do our own thing.

Psalm 53:3 (New International Version)

³ Everyone has turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

I think what strikes me even more is the verse that precedes this one...

Psalm 53:2 (New International Version)

² God looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.

God is looking down from heaven to see if there are any who understand... and who seek God. Any. That makes me think. Am I seeking God... first above all? Like we are told to do. Am I loving God with all that I have? Am I placing Him first?

Matthew 6:33 (New International Version)

³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 22:36-37 (New International Version)

³⁶"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" ³⁷Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

Or am I seeking first my own Kingdom, my own desires, my own righteousness. Am I loving myself more than I love God. Am I giving Him second best, or worse yet... nothing at all. Have I exalted myself above Him? Have I placed myself on a throne... a throne on which I have no right to sit. Am I just like Satan in this regard?

Because when we do this, we are just like Lucifer, aka Satan, aka snake eyes, aka slime bucket, when we try to exalt ourselves above God.

I think that when Eve bought the lie that she would be just like God if she ate the apple, somehow, someway, that same lie has been whispered into our ear just as it was hers. And it makes us happy. For the most part, this is exactly what we want. To be the center of our universe. To be like God, and do as we please when we please. To be in total control of everything that happens in our own lives. But when we think this way, we are seriously fooling ourselves. Because we have no control. Yet that doesn't stop us from trying. And when we do try... Satan smiles as he thinks that he has us right where he wants us.

And he would... but for the blood of Jesus.

Thankfully, God is patient beyond our comprehension. Thankfully, God is merciful beyond our comprehension. Thankfully, God loves us beyond comprehension. Though all have turned from Him, though all have gone their own way... He waits for us to recognize our own blunder. Once we do, and once we run back to Him... He welcomes us with arms wide open.

The creation is made to be subservient to the creator. Until we come to this realization... and until we place God back into His rightful position within our lives... the fulfillment we seek will never come. We will always need more stuff... never being content.

For all He has done for us... for the honor He has bestowed upon us that allows us to know Him... for the way He made so we could be forgiven... for Him just being Him... Creator of all things... The Almighty... The Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega... for sending the Lamb to be slain... He is worthy to be exalted.

There is only one God... and He still sits on the throne. There is only one Savior... and He is worthy to be praised.

1 Corinthians 8:6 (New International Version)

⁶yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Maybe it's time we start truly giving Jesus the place He deserves... maybe it's time we recognize the place He has already been given...

Philippians 2:9 (New International Version)

" ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name..."

I know that in the end, I don't want to be found as a person described within these verses...

Romans 3:10-18 (New International Version)

¹⁰As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
¹¹there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
¹²All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."
¹³"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."
¹⁴"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
¹⁵"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶ruin and misery mark their ways,
¹⁷and the way of peace they do not know."
¹⁸"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

It is good for us that those of us who come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior... that because of Him, we do know the way of peace... for He is the way. Thanks be to God that through Jesus we can be found righteous.

I will leave you with one song... perfectly fit for this

Exalted-- by Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqX48FfQSBA

Where Hope Resides

2010-06-03T12:11:00.021-04:00

Life... at times, it can be ruthless. As we live each day, as the troubles come... we feel the full weight of life's stress. So often we get stuck in this moment as the world crashes in around us. Too often we let what comes our way beat us to the ground. I think the more we dwell on our past... the more we dwell on our present... the more we allow our circumstances to dictate where we go, and what we do... the more we let hope slip through our fingers... the worse off we will be... the further away from the Lord we will wind up. Hope is something we must always hold on to. Even when the road is at it's rockiest. Even when life seems to be having it's way with you... laughing in your face. Even when it seems the most unfair, we can still choose to live in hope.

Hope. What is hope?

Is it a feeling? Is it a longing? Is it a figment of your imagination? Is it real?

Can we really have a hope? A hope in something better. A hope in something more. A hope that one day this will all be done with... that one day this existence full of pain and sorrow, will become an existence of sheer joy. Is it really possible for us to have a hope like this? A hope that transcends the worst of what we go through in this life. A hope that keeps us pushing through no matter what as we wait upon what is to come. A hope that says... "No, this is not it. There is more to this life than just living. More than just what I can get". A hope that believes that there is something that will come after. A hope that knows that when we breathe our last in the temporal, we breathe our first in the eternal.

Can we really have a hope like this?

Yes, we can.

Romans 5:1-5 (New King James Version)

¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Hope can be had, because God has given it to us. We were given hope when we were given a savior to hope in.

Romans 15:11-12 (New King James Version)

¹¹ And again:

“ Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!”

¹² And again, Isaiah says:

“ There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

So in what shall we hope? This world? The many "things" of this world? Other people? Our job, our money, our friends, our family... anything at all?

There is a song titled "Hope is Rising" by Downhere, and it goes like this...

"I've lost all my earthly optimism,
That its all going to be alright,
That the good will win this fight.
Somewhere between youth and disappointments,
The dream became despair,
the love became a lie,
Just now, I've reached the end of my line,
Just now, I'm to tired to keep on trying,
Hope is rising, it's a sunrise, for the end
Hope is rising, and it's breathing for me again,
Hope is rising again."

These lyrics are pretty gloomy. But I know most of us, if not all of us have felt this way at one time or another. But there is good news.

Hope is not only rising... Hope has risen. And Hope has a name... that name is Jesus.

Our hope must be that no matter how bad yesterday was, or how bad today may be, that tomorrow holds a promise. A promise that says one day there will be no more pain. A promise that says one day there will be no more sorrow. A promise that says one day there will be no more despair... grief... or strife. A promise that says one day there will be no more what if's... but only what "is". And what "is" will be perfect. It will be heaven. It will be... because the Lord has promised it to us.

The question is, can you imagine it? Can you look past your present and see your future? Can you move past the hurt, and look forward to your hope? Can you move past the failures, and see the victory?

Can you?

That is a daunting question for us sometimes. As life takes it's toll, and the days come and go, what we see is where we are. But what we need to do, is envision ourselves where we will be. I believe this is why we are to store up treasures for ourselves in heaven... and not this world. For where our treasures are, our hope will also be there... our heart will also be there. If all I care about is what is happening right now in this life... this day, then my hope will die when this world takes it's vengeance on me. All of this will pass away. The more I have now, the more I will leave behind at the due time. But if I look past what this world can give me, and all it's temporal pleasures... and look forward to an eternal blessing, and eternal joy... then nothing can take that away from me. The only place to find that, is in Jesus Christ.

He is the author of Hope. He is the reason for Hope. He is where Hope resides.

Colossians 1:27 (New King James Version)

²⁷ To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

1 Timothy 1:1 (New King James Version)

¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,

Jesus is our reason for hope. He is our source of hope. He is Hope. And our faith relies on this hope. Without it, we are dead in our tracks. Without it we will never look past today... never forget yesterday... and never believe in tomorrow. But He has said it... one day we will be with Him. One day we will never again know pain, disappointment, sorrow, anger, despair, and no tears will be shed. One day, and that day may be soon. But until that day we are to look to Him, take our eyes off of ourselves, and move forward in this blessed hope. Until the time He calls us home, we have a purpose to fulfill in this life. But rest assured, and believe that one day your hope will be complete.

Revelation 21:3-5 (New International Version)

³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

⁵He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

I leave you with this blessing from Romans, and a song or two(or 6)

Romans 15:13 (New King James Version)

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hope Is Rising--by Downhere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLekZBBU5xc

There Will Be A Day-- by Jeremy Camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8gkDiTvloc

Arms That Hold The Universe-- by Fee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGCHecATSGs

Hope Now-- by Addison Road

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xboucW89gUU

God Hears-- by Newsong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5ZvrBmhHWw

In You-- Mercy Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-86VTOuZWQ

Strictly Defined

2010-05-14T17:16:00.014-04:00

What defines you?

Is it your past? Your future? Your mistakes? Your character flaws? Who you were? Who you want to be? Your dreams? Your job? Your family... or friends? Or your God?

Are you defined by your faith... or by the One in whom your faith is placed? There is a difference.

I have been thinking about this lately; well today actually. But this has been a topic I have come across and written about before. For those of you who have read my posts on the CW forums over the past 2 years, you may have read some of I've written regarding this (I think I even touched on some of this in my "Even Now" blog post). It is a key question in who we are as Christians. For us, our answer to this question may be what is holding us back in our walk with the Lord. If we don't know who we are, and why we are what we are... we may become stagnant in our faith. Unsure of which way to go. Uncertain of what we are to do.

So how do we know, how can we know who we are? How can we know what we are? We listen to Him as He tells us.

So many of us struggle with our identity. I know I have at times. Over and over again as the past is brought to the forefront, the feeling of failure looms. So quickly do we beat ourselves up. So quickly are we sure that we have failed. So certain are we that we can't truly be forgiven. So assured that God can't really want us, or love us. So quickly do we revert back to our old ways... because they were easy. The old ways were comfortable. Somehow if we fail to do this to ourselves, someone else will do it for us. Someone else will point out our shortcomings for us.

You can be sure that the enemy would like for you to dwell on your past. But your past... has passed on. Forgotten by a God who loves you. Your sins are forgiven by a God who loves you. All you were has nothing to do with who you are... in Him.

I am who I am... I am what I am... because of who He is and what He has done.

That is the simple unadulterated truth. Yet it can be so hard to remember, so hard to believe at times. A very simple statement that can be so hard to hold on to, elusive in moments of despair... or perceived failure. We see in the now, this moment... and we remember yesterday, our past. But we fail to see tomorrow, our future... and most of all, we fail to see Him. When we need to see Him most, all we see is our own reflection. That dull, cloudy reflection of who we were and where we came from. And that is not what He wants us to see.

What He wants you to see, is Him.
What He wants you to remember is not your past, but His.
What He wants you to think about is not what you have done, but what He has done for you.

What He wants you to dwell upon is not where you were, but where you are going.

It shouldn't be so difficult, but I know it can be. But I think the more we grow to know Him... truly know Him... the easier it will be. If we listen closely, He reminds us everyday. We, are His.

Not too long ago, my Mother and I were talking. She had been reading through Ehpesians. Now she has read and reread the bible over the past 30 or so years and knows it well. Yet this time there was something that stood out to her. Something she had read before, and known before, but that this time seemed new to her. It was the phrase "In Christ". The Apostle Paul uses this phrase throughout his letters. According to biblegateway.com, in the NKJV, Paul used it 87 times in his epistles. 87 different times. It seems this is something he really wanted us to understand.

So I guess the question would be, what does it mean to be "in Christ"?

Now don't get me wrong, again I will say that I am no scholar, no theologian, no minister. I am not schooled in the Word. Yet this one thing seems to stick out to me regarding this phrase, and as I recently went back through the Gospels, it sticks out even more to me now.

In Ephesians Paul tells us something that makes this a little easier to understand, if we add it to a few of the verses in the gospels.

Ephesians 1:6 (New King James Version)

⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Outside of when the word Beloved starts of a sentence, this is the only time it is capitalized along with Matthew 12:18. Why? Because the Beloved refers to a person in these 2 verses. That person is Jesus. Now in Matthew 12:18, Matthew is quoting Isaiah 42:1, yet He changes this phrase.

Matthew 12:17-18 (New King James Version)

¹⁷ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
¹⁸ “ Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 42:1 (New King James Version)

¹ “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

S0 Matthew made the connection... Jesus is the Beloved of the Father... God's Elect One, in whom His soul is well pleased. Those of us who believe in the life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, have been accepted in the Beloved. So we are now in Christ, God's elect. Fully restored to the Father. Completely redeemed through the blood of Christ. Forgiven and cleansed of all sins. Loved by the Father, just as the Father loves His Son.

Why? Because the work Jesus came to do, the work the Father gave Him to do... was done. It was finished on the cross. And it was accepted as punishment on our behalf by a Holy, and Righteous God. Not because we deserve it; or because we earned it; or because we are better than anyone else. But because of His grace, God the Father has accepted what Jesus did on behalf of us... because it pleased Him to do so. Because He loves us. Because even though His righteousness demands justice, in His love He is able to use the work of His Son to satisfy the debt of our sin.

Ephesians 1:5-9 (New King James Version)

⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

Notice that throughout this passage that it is God the Father and God the Son who do it all.

It was according to the pleasure of His(the Father) good will, to the Praise of His(the Father) grace, in which He(the Father) has made us accepted in the Beloved(Jesus). In Him (Jesus the Beloved) we have redemption through His(Jesus) blood, forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His(the Father) grace, which He(the Father) made to abound toward us, having made known the mystery of His(the Father) will, according to His(the Father) good pleasure which He purposed in Himself(the Father).

Why? Because it is not something we could have done for ourselves. It is in Him and only through Him that we can be accepted in Him. Make sense?

Now I am not saying that it doesn't matter what we do in our lives, or with our lives. We still have choices to make. We can believe and move forward, or I do believe that we can walk away. Either way, the past we are to learn from. If we believe, today we are to live for Him, for tomorrow(when we die) we will be with Him because we are in Him. That is not something that we can change, for if we live for Him... we love Him. If we love Him, this is the end result. Heaven awaits, and He has prepared a place for you.

You see, this is something that He did. And we can't change that. He(the Father) has accepted you because you believe in the name of the only begotten Son. Because God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him we can be saved. That's the Gospel. I didn't write it, but I believe it. The question that remains is... do you believe it?

If so... what defines you?

I will tell you plainly,

Jesus does.

Believe. Believe that you are accepted. Believe that you are forgiven. Believe that you are cleansed. Believe that He holds you in the palm of His hand, and He won't let you go. You are now His Beloved. Yesterday is gone. Today has come. Tomorrow awaits. And the King of Kings is waiting for you. Let Him tell you just how much you mean to Him... so much so that He died for you. Let Him tell you what you are... and trust that you are in Christ.

In Christ... we always move forward. So in the words of my Pastor, press on and press in. May God bless you and keep you.

I added a song this time, by Tenth Avenue North. There is 2 different videos regarding the same song. The first I wanted to share because I found that the lead singer is talking about what I am trying to say in this post. The second is a live recording of the song which is a little hard to hear the words, but I hope you like it nonetheless.

You Are More by Tenth Avenue North

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CO6ycaEY6A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk7K5DBspRo