The Remedy

The Reflection

2011-05-24T18:59:00.001-07:00

Got to spend some more time engulfed in God's creation again today, and so once again He has inspired me (swimming in the Tampa bay). There is so much to say, but I think I will write on Chris August's song Starry Night.

"I'm giving my life to the only one who makes the Moon reflect the Sun." Wow, on basic level I know that is true. And then when I think of it in relation to His Word I can get so much more out of it.

Psalms 19:1

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.

Romans 1:19-20

19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Philippians 2:5-7

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Since the Heavens declare God's glory, and Christ, called the Son Of God, is in His very nature is God, then the Moon also reflects the the glory of the Son, who shines so much brighter than the sun. It just seems amazing to put that all together.

And another verse of the song says,

"I'm giving it all to the only Son, who gave me hope when I had none, so let the praises ring!"

"Who gave me hope when I had none", mmm, mmm, mmm. That speaks to me tonight! When the consequences of my selfish decisions hit me square in the face 3 years ago, all I could do was look up to Him from the hole I had created, and He gave me hope, it was only Him who gave me hope, nothing of this world, and He has changed my life in an unbelievable way.

You see He is giving me the chance to work with folks who have made the same selfish decisions, and their hope is low, I know because I have been there.

My prayer is that they, and you since you are reading this, will recognize when you look up at the sky, day or night, and see the Moon, Sun, Stars, and all that can be seen in His Heavens, the creator of these things loves you enough that when you trust in Him, the eternal consequence of your selfish decision was paid for in His suffering. He is our hope when we have none!

"Hallelujah, hallelujah, I believe!"

The Light

2011-03-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

I feel convicted carry the Light to the world, because I believe many people are running from Him, because of the shame we feel for our choices.

You see, we are all very capable of choosing to sin, and some will have more worldly consequences than others. And one of the immediate consequences of sin is shame. In the shame we experience, we tend to want to hide ourselves for fear of how those around us will treat us when they find out. When we hide ourselves in shame, we separate ourselves from the body of Christ, not Christ, you see He says He will never leave us or forsake us. But we separate ourselves from the body of Christ, the church, because many in the church live with an outward appearance of perfection, while inside they are just as messed up as the nonbeliever or the believer who is outwardly running from the Lord. We in the church need to live in the light and bear each others’ burdens, and in so doing draw the world back to or help them establish their walk with the Lord.

I want to be one who demonstrates my faith in the Lord by living in the light, so that those who are struggling in their walk, and those who are not believers, can see that being a Christian does not mean that there will never be a struggle, but that the Lord is bigger than our struggles, that He is not sitting on His throne looking for an opportunity to thump us when we make a mistake. He was tempted and overcame those temptations, and He understands our struggles. He loved us so much that He gave His life in the most painful way, so that He could have an eternal relationship with us, and when we believe and confess Him, nothing will ever be able to separate us from Him, ever. Not even our shame.

I believe when we believe the Lord is in control of our lives, and that He loves us in the midst of our junk, that we can have the peace He speaks of in Him alone, and not in some other activity or substance. Then, any shame we have experienced or are experiencing from the sins we have committed will fade. His death and resurrection have covered these.

SOME GOOD NEWS!

2010-12-23T21:45:00.001-08:00

Grace - the free and unmerited favor of God.

As I was listening to the third of three lectures on the Law and Grace, I had an amazing realization...this is not only the path to understanding the Gospel, it is the Gospel. I am studying in order to present Law and Grace during my mission trip, and it really just hit me - I am in the awesome place of getting to study for, to gain knowledge in, to soak up the Gospel. What a wonderful deal for me!

It has been my desire for a while to present the gospel as simply as possible. It seems as though we are always adding to it, and frankly making it difficult to understand. We are trying to make our gospel more like our own made up law, kinda like house rules, ya never know which rule book you have to follow. Well that isn't the gospel, I guess it could be called the gospel + , as stated in this course I am listening to, and that is not the Gospel at all.

God's intent for the one who obeyed the Law was to demonstrate love for God and for his neighbor, Christ says that Himself in Matthew 22:37-39

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

It was not about the letter of the law, but the heart behind it. Christ says that in Matthew 9:13

13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. ’

And the Law was meant for only a certain amount of time and for the nation of Israel, and that amount of time was until the Messiah came. That is why Christ says in Matthew 5:17

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

So, here is what I have gleaned in my studies.

From the beginning, people have received Grace through faith alone. This is Grace, not grace plus works.
The old testament is full of examples of God's Grace, and many of the examples can be found in Hebrews chapter 11.
The Law has been fulfilled by Christ.
and when we believe with our hearts, and confess with our mouths that He is Lord, we experience the grace He has provided for us by faith alone. There is nothing in addition to this simple fact. You have forgiveness for your sins, past, present and future. To put it another way, God sees the righteousness of Christ when He looks upon those who have put their faith in His Son, and that is why we now have an eternal relationship with Him, and why we can be in His presence.

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Simply, gracefully, amazing! That is why it is called Good News, and that is the Gospel!

Heavenly Daddy

2010-12-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

I'm studying the amazing grace of my Lord. I believe I had a basic understanding, as one saved by grace, but I am learning so much more about the depths of the Father's love in providing this Grace. But, let me say, don't take my word for it, research it for you own.

I find myself in my soul crying out to Him, "Thank You Heavenly Daddy!" as if I am finally seeing Him as a loving Dad, Daddy, Father who has an amazing love for me. Not a father who is distant and waiting behind the clouds, observing my screw ups, so that when they reach a certain level He can reach down and thump me.

You see, He put the thumping on Jesus, so that I wouldn't have to endure it. Thank you Daddy Jesus for loving me, and enduring it for me. Oh man, it brought tears to my eyes as I wrote that.

You see, I remember hearing the statement "Daddy Jesus" in a prayer from my sister-in-law, Melissa, when she was leading a group of children, a few years ago. I believe she had, has an understanding of the amazing love our Heavenly Daddy has for us. I believe she is also a great representation of this love for so many people who come in contact with her.

I thank Him daily for placing people in my life that help me in my walk, who share there knowledge of Him with me and others, so that we can better grasp that He...Is... LOVE! And that is what He wants us to do, love Him and share that love with others!

His/Our Righteousness

2010-12-14T07:48:00.000-08:00

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

"Jesus' sacrifice was God's judgement on sin once and for all, done in order to reconcile the world to God."

I just read this this morning in the book, Good and Beautiful God by James Smith, and thought it was a great passage in the bible, and then a great description of the purpose and meaning of the wrath of God that was pored out on Christ.

God's love and wrath, as seen on the cross, are well defined earlier in the book in this way...

"PASSION VURSES PATHOS

Love is...a desire for the well being of another, so much so that personal sacrifice would not get in the way.

Wrath - the wrath of Yahweh is portrayed somewhat differently from human anger in the Hebrew bible. In some respects this is essentially the difference between passion and pathos. Passion can be explained as an emotional explosion and loss of self-control. Pathos on the other hand is an act formed with care and intention the result of determination and decision."

So, we can see the Love shown on the cross, and the pathos (wrath) that was required to be pored out on Christ, with the determined result and decision being to reconcile us to God. It was not an uncontrolled wrath, as we see in people of this world, but a pathos.

His plan to reconcile us back to Him was completed on the cross. No more wrath for those who believe.

The Light

2010-12-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

Just went down and gave the Lord some of my time.

It's funny how immature I feel in my prayer life, but I know He hears me and He knows my heart. I also know I need to and want to give Him more if my day, Christ is an amazing example of spending time with the Father.

As I was sitting on the end of the pier, sun shining, wind blowing, and so much other beauty to see, I was amazed. He created all this and created me and He loves me. It is my desire that others know that He loves them too.

Yesterday, I had a wonderful conversation with a man, and we were talking about our children. He described the process of adoption and how it was initially difficult, because he is in a same sex relationship. He then went on to talk about a friend, she is a believer, and though there is so much more to this story, one portion of it struck my soul.

He described a time when, for whatever reason, she had said she loved him. His question to her was, how can you love me, if you are a Christian and I'm gay?

First, her response was beautiful, "there is nowhere that Jesus tells me to hate anyone." But the question speaks to a problem.

In his life he had obviously been on the malicious end of some statements made by believers. So, my question is, where was the demonstration of the love of the Lord in the terrible words this man has endured. Why would he desire be like anyone who would demonstrate such a lack of love in their heart.

There is a pretty powerful statement in scripture,

John 3:16
For God So Loved the World

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world, again, the world...not...loved the self righteous people who do everything perfect with never a mistake.

Romans 5:8
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

So God loves us all. Sinners and saints. He sent His son for us all, sinners and saints. By the way, before being a saint, one would have to be a sinner, right? We are to be the light of Christ to the world, not darkness to those who don't believe.

So to this man and others like him, I want to say, God loves you and sent His son for you, too!

Read about Him and His love for the you in the Bible. It is a beautiful manuscript about the One Who is Love. When you seek Him, you will find Him.

And my prayer is that the Lord would place followers of Christ in you path, who demonstrate His love for you.

IN A NUTSHELL

2010-02-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

I’ve been reading a lot of books lately, and they are having an amazing affect on my faith, so I thought I would sit down and write down a summary of what I’ve read and what I believe. I am just writing what is on my heart and therefore I am not going to place specific references in this writing to direct quotes from scripture, but ask me if you want to, and I’ll get them to you. So….here it goes…

God has always been and will always be. I have a hard time wrapping my finite brain around an infinite God, especially the infinite past, though I’m not sure why it seems a little easier to grasp infinite future, anyway…in His infinite past He has always been complete and in perfect relationship with Himself, meaning, the Father Son and Holy Ghost. I didn’t want to put commas in between those names, because they are all one Somewhere in that distant infinite past He wrote a book, and this book was written before creation, but I’ll get to creation in a moment. This book has the names of every believer who was to ever be. Now, what I find amazingly cool about this book is that, not only did He write the names of those who would believe in Him, but also before the believers ever were, He knew their paths as well. And yet, once again, before He made creation, He had a redemptive plan that He would be put into motion, because although He does not make us do things, He knew the things we would do, and therefore He knew He had to rescue us, so that we would have an everlasting relationship with Him. So, though He doesn’t need us, He desires to be with us. I hope you’re still with me here!

So, I don’t know the exact sequence of every event, Genesis give us a pretty broad view of them, but I do know that He spoke and there it was; all of the matter in creation. What’s the matter you ask…well I mean all the stuff that never was before, all the stuff that stuff is made of, that your physics teacher taught you about, or in the case of my wife, that the teacher didn’t teach, but her dad taught her and several other friends…anyway…back to creation!!! And from the beginning of creation, the time as we know it began. With light and matter, there is time, and without it there wasn’t, time that is. This realization helped me to finally put my little brain around the statements I have always heard about God stepping in to time to be with us. It helps me understand His name, the great “I AM,” because before creation as we know it, He was and He is and He is to come (no comma thing again, because really its all the same thing with God:) ) When He says “I AM,” He is. I love it! It helped me with a riddle I have recently heard, but didn’t understand: INTO ISN’T WASN’T WAS. So, everything He created was good, and when He had created man, He said that it was very good. And why do I think He said it was all very good after creating man and woman? Because we were created in His image, and when He looked out and saw His image among the things of His creation, what other conclusion could he have come to? I heard a preacher ask this question once, “Do you know why the mountains and the trees are so beautiful to us?” and the answer is “because God said they were good.” Really there is no other reason!

And now we get to the reason the redemptive plan had to be put into action. The man of creation wanted to be like the creator…Adam and Eve, I’ll call them, since that is what God called them…felt like they might be missing something, lets just call that “sin.” These ideas came after having one “simple” conversation with the great deceiver. That’s it. I suppose I could just end this portion of my summary with that statement, but then that would mean I could do something else with my time, and frankly, I feel like this is what I am supposed to be doing write now, so…it may seem ludicrous at face value to think of the creation thinking they could equal the Creator, but I think it is a recurring battle in my heart in different ways as I live out my life. Like somehow I have a better plan for my life than He does, but anyway… let’s get back to their problems, Adam and Eve that is! So they eat this fruit they knew they shouldn’t and all Hell broke loose. Well, not really, it just probably seemed like it to them, because they lost there ability during this lifetime, to walk in the garden with their creator. And of course, sin entered the world through this one man, and it has been an issue ever since.

Now at some point this sin that entered the world through one man became so rampant that God almost ended His creation with a flood, but He kept a certain amount of His creation alive on Noah’s Ark. And the cool thing is He promised all living creatures, not just Noah, that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood, and He sealed His promise with a rainbow. Isn’t that cool? Every time I see a rainbow, God sees it, and I remember and He remembers the promise He made on that very day just after the flood! I don’t think He ever forgets, but I think He was speaking on our level, which once again I find amazing, that the Creator of the universe, talks to me at my level, anyway…At some point He chose a man named Abram, later God changed it to Abraham, and told this man his offspring would be greater than the stars in the Heavens, and they would be an example and a blessing to the nations. And this man was old, so he had to have a lot of faith in that promise. And sure enough it happened, through many years this people grew. And though they struggled with the blessing the other nations part, because they starting thinking they were special, God had a redemptive plan that would certainly come through the offspring of Abraham, so the promise would be fulfilled. Mind you, they were and are great, not because of anything they had done to deserve to be chosen, but they are great because they are chosen by God. And God gave them Ten Commandments to follow and then what is known as the Law. With these documents, they became aware of their sin, but it also provided a way of atonement for their sins. And the way was through blood. The problem, I know there is a better word, but I can’t think of one right now, so, the problem was that a sacrifice could be made for past sins, but as soon as the one providing the sacrifice left the temple, they most likely sinned again, and if they are like me, they sinned pretty quickly, and then what did they have to do? Purchase another sacrifice, which would consume a lot of time and money. So the sacrifice was for past, but not for future sin. So once again, God had His redemptive plan determined back before it mattered…get it… matter, before it…anyway…He knew that this Law would only be fulfilled through Him.

After reading through the historical portion of the Old Testament, we get to read some of the prophetic books. And in these books, there is a description of our Messiah as a Conquering King, but also as a Suffering Servant. In one of the last books in the Old Testament, God says “when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” So to the amazement and to the disbelief of many, He came first as the Suffering Servant. There are very graphic details of the way He would suffer and shed blood, remember, blood is required to atone for our sins, and in the end He shed His and gave His life for us. What is really amazing is that there is are historical documents other than the Bible that write that Jesus did exist and that He was crucified. There is even historical data that says the tomb is empty. Well, it was empty because He raised himself up from the dead! He said He would! He was called Emmanuel, which means God with us, and through faith we can believe that He is who He says He is and was and is to come. And if we just believe all that He says about Himself, and confess it, and repent of our sins, He is faithful and true to His promise that we will have, actually do have, an eternal relationship with Him. And that all our sins, past, present and future are forgiven. That once we believe in Him, we don’t get forgiveness, we have it. It’s called grace, and the amazing thing is that it is free; we don’t have to earn it. He earned it for us on the cross. As a matter of fact, I must emphasize this, we can’t earn it, it is not to be earned, it is by faith alone that He brings us into an eternal relationship with Him. It is the perfect gift from the Father of Life!

Some have a hard time with the redemptive plan, why one way and then another, which sounds a whole lot like they think they would have had a better plan, but let’s keep it simple. God is good. And really that is enough, but we can view the old way as the arrow pointing to the new way. The law was a way for us to see that we cannot provide a good enough sacrifice for our sin, but God had to provide the perfect sacrifice, Himself, in order to have the relationship He always desired with His creation, which is you and me. What an amazing story of Love. So I can now understand why another description for Him is, God is Love.

And so at another time of His choosing, He will return as the conquering King, as it is written in the Old and New Testament. Sin, sorrow, and death will be no more for those who have accepted His gift. And though many don’t want to believe it, those who have chosen to not accept His gift, who have chosen to not have a relationship with Him, will get the desires of their heart, which is eternal separation from Him. And the description and name of that place is not pleasant at all. It is described as a place of unquenchable fire and torment, a place created for the great deceiver and his followers. And since it is a place separated from God, who is Good, there will be no good there, forever and ever, which by the way, is a long time to be without anything good! The name of the place is Hell, and it is as real as Heaven. Christ speaks about it, and therefore it is real, whether we choose to believe it or not. But for those who have chosen to accept the gift, those written in the book I talked about above, the name of the book is the Lamb’s Book of Life, well, we are goin to a wedding party. You see, Jesus Christ is the bride’s groom, and we the believers are the bride. Now I don’t know much about the party, but I know it’s gonna be pretty cool. Can you imagine? You can’t! God says His thoughts are above our thoughts, so we can’t even imagine what it will be like, and that is just the beginning. We have eternity to get to be more familiar with Him, and I think that is way better than fire and torment. And remember, when I said God gave Abram, Abraham, a new name earlier in this thing I am writing, well actually its written in Genesis first, I just paraphrased it above, well, God apparently likes to do that, because He also says we will get a new name. We are a new creation, when we trust in Him! How cool is that. I like my name now, because it is the name of my earthly Dad, and I love Him, I love my Mom too, but I don’t have her name, so I wasn’t gonna write about her here…anyway…but I know my new one, name that is, will be way better than my current one!

So, the Bible is an awesome story about God, and yes there are many wonderful stories about people, and we can see great examples of how to live our lives, and how not to live them, but the Bible is the Gospel from cover to cover. It is as complete a story as God feels we need to have in order to be more like Him, and in order to give us an understanding of who He is and who we are in Him. What is even greater than the reading the Bible, is that we will someday behold His glory and words will not describe Him. We will have eternity to get to know who our one true Father is!

So, I recommend getting to know Him, and if you don’t know Him, let me know and I’ll talk to you about Him. I recommend the book of John in the New Testament if you just want to start reading. He is good and I thank Him for His grace!

Thoughts on Daily Reading

2010-01-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

Luke 8:1-3 “Soon afterwards he (Christ) went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.”

What I find interesting about this passage, beyond Christ’s proclamations, is that Herod’s household manager was one of the women following and providing for Him.

Luke 8:21 “But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

“Hear” and “do” are the key words here for me this morning. The first is passive, I suppose, because one can sit and hear, but the second word requires direct action, it looks to me to be a call to action. I don’t tend to sit on the couch and “do.”

Luke 8:25 “He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled.”

Christ is speaking to his disciples after He calms the storm. And I have to say that there are times I find myself in that same spot regarding my savior, afraid and marveled at the same time.

Luke 8:33 “Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.”

Just an indicator to me that demons have the ability to influence things of this world, but have no authority over my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and if you trust in Him, you are not of this world!

And finally, Hebrews 11 is an amazing chapter to me. One day several weeks ago I had two men who have influenced my life speak of it. One a humble man who is equipping others to spread the gospel in there own cultures, and another, by way of video, who has had many victories in his life and who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. It is a chapter about faith, and those who have been recognized for their faith in many victories, and those who had been “sawn in two,” though all had been commended for their faith.

No Goats Allowed

2009-12-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

Roses to roses,
Bees to bees,
Love your neighbor
As you love me.

I read this poem out loud in my dream this morning and then I woke up. I couldn’t help but start thinking of the passage where Jesus is talking about those who helped Him. I had to search for it, because I didn’t have it committed to memory, but here it is:

Mathew 25:31-40

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

So I have been doin’ some praying this morning and searching my heart about this passage and poem this morning. How much do I serve my neighbor in all the ways listed in the passage, and how much do I love myself more than I love my neighbors?

Well, ummm, looks like I’ve got some work to do!!!

So this morning, I pray for all believers, that we would do what we are called to do.

Would you pray for me in that regard, too?

The ARMOR

2009-10-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

When I flew a combat sortie (flight), my crewmembers and I prepared for battle by putting on a helmet, some body armor, and then we strapped on a big helicopter with armor plating and big guns. But when we were away from a perceived threat, we dressed down to a level associated with the threat level at whatever location we might land.

Paul tells the Ephesians about the importance of putting on the full armor of God:

Eph 6:11-17

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm
against the schemes of the devil.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

I don’t believe the threat level ever decreases when I am up against the “spiritual forces of wickedness of the heavenly places.” I may have periods where I am “feeling” pretty good and safe, but it is those times that I need the full armor of God. The “perceived” threat of the spiritual enemy may be low, but make no mistake, the threat is always there, and we should always be wearing God’s Armor!

The LOVE

2009-09-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

I sure don't understand people saying they think it is icky to say they are "in love" with the Lord. Have we reduced the word "Love" and "in love" so much that it is a bad thing to be in Love with Love?

1 John 4:16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

How could I not be in love with the One who said in John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends," and then did just that. He called me friend, wow!!!!

Semantics, maybe, but I don't understand how its OK to say I am in love with my wife, but not in love with Love, with the One Who gave His life for me, Whose Words uphold creation, Who is the Creator of all things, love being one of those all things!

DEFINITIONS

2009-09-04T07:16:00.001-07:00

Today, I had the opportunity to meet with a group of men and discuss God’s Provision and His Sovereignty. I am so thankful for this group and the effect it has on my faith already, and I know it will only deepen as we progress in our time together.

The kicker for me today was a discussion of blessings. I don’t know that I always associate blessings with “rewards” of material matters, but I know that it is easier for me to associate blessings with things that can be grasped.

Today it has been redefined in my heart. A blessing is something, anything, on so many levels that brings me closer to my Lord! Can a rough time be a blessing? Yep, if it brings me closer to the Lord. Can a wonderful time be a blessing? Absolutely, if it brings me closer to the Lord!

I am blessed to be in this group of guys that are seeking the Lord. I am blessed when I see God’s glory in the stars He created. It blesses me to read a story of the joy a Mom receives from hearing her baby laugh, while he is sleeping. I know she loves that boy, and God gave her that attribute. I am blessed that the trials and consequences in my life as a result of my poor decisions took me to a spiritual low that allowed me call upon my Heavenly Father! The coolest thing is that He was/is always there!

Our lives are full of blessings; we just need to recognize them!

THE ROCK!

2009-08-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read the Bible and been amazed to see something you have never seen before?

It happened again to me last night, and it has to do with Jesus in the Old Testament! I have often heard discussion of the Old Testament being filled with stories about Christ. I just recently reread the book of Luke and something stuck out to me like never before. Christ is speaking to his disciples after His resurrection and Luke 24: 27 says, “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” This is cool, but not the big one motivating me to write today!

Last night was such an amazing revelation to me that I found it hard to sleep. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, Paul is giving a reference to the period after the nation of Israel was allowed to leave Egypt and he says, “For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; AND THE ROCK WAS CHRIST.”

And the Rock was Christ! Isn’t that amazing, a direct reference to Old Testament scripture! I went through about a seven year period where I struggled with the Trinity; often times saying I couldn’t find any specific evidence. Well, my testimony is an indicator of a hardened heart and scaled over eyes to go with it. I am now amazed to find how full the scriptures are with reference to the Trinity. Deuteronomy 32:3-4 says, “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; Ascribe greatness to our God! THE ROCK! His way is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.” So “the Rock” is also a reference to God. Simply, wonderfully amazing!

I am not as well versed in the Bible as I will be, but if you are new to really putting your heart into the scripture, I want to recommend that you get an exhaustive concordance to help you find references. I remembered the story about the Israelites, but found the Deuteronomy reference by looking up “rock” in my concordance!

God is good, and I thank Him for what He is doing in my heart!

The Irony

2009-08-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

So I was reading Luke 22:1 and something occurred to me that never had before, concerning the Passover celebration and the irony of Christ's death.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread, also known as the Passover (Exodus 12:14 and Luke 22:1) is a 7 day remembrance of the Lord protecting Israel from the destroyer, who would take the lives of the firstborn throughout Egypt. This plague was the final one the Lord would use to get His people out of Egypt, so they could worship Him as He required.

Fast forward to Luke 22:1, where Christ is directing His disciples to go and prepare the Passover meal. So Christ, God's only begotten Son (John 3:16), the Firstborn of many (Romans 8:29), also the Firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15), will now give His life as the perfect sacrifice during this period of celebration of the night that God showed great mercy on the firstborn of Israel.

So to summarize…Our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13) brought plagues on the Egyptians, but mercy on the firstborn of the Israelites so that He could have the proper relationship with His children in the place of His choosing (the promised land). He would later come in human form as Christ Jesus (the Firstborn of all creation) to die for His children (any who would believe in Him), and His death would occurr during the celebration of His mercy on the firstborn of Israel. This was so that He could have the relationship He desired with us, in the location of His choosing...our hearts!!!!

Ironic that the Firstborn of all creation would give His life during this specific celebration is not a strong enough word...but LOVE is!!!

Thank You, Lord!!!

The Inevitable

2009-08-08T05:24:00.000-07:00

It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come…

Over that last few months, I have been humbled by the opportunity to speak with folks who are struggling in there marriage. An amazing time in my life, considering the stumbling blocks I have experienced in my marriage and the victory the Lord has given Michelle and me over our past. I am truly, and only the Lord knows a better word, amazed and in awe of the way He has turned my marriage around. James 4:8 says “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” One of the most significant ways to draw near to God is through His Word, the written Word, the Bible.

As I talked about in my last post, I once again recognize a common thread among those who chose to dissolve their marriage. And let me just say, I am aware that at any given moment, I am capable and will hold on tight at times to that common thread. That thread that I see is…..not keeping my heart in God’s word. I know in the depths of my sin, I was purposely choosing to not read the bible, as I knew I would be convicted. I knew the overwhelming power in the Word of my God, and yet I chose to not read it, because I wanted to wallow with the pigs. For whatever reason, I thought it felt better to root around in the mud, than to live in the glory of my Creator.

He has also given us a community of believers to help us through our struggles. This morning I was reading His Word, and I saw a perfect example of the community helping us in our struggles. It is during the time when Moses had lead Israel out of Egypt and they were in the desert about to battle Amalek.

EXODUS 17:11-12 “So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set.

So the chosen leader of Israel needed help for victory. Folks, we can’t do this alone. Who are your Aaron and Hur? It is the community of believers that you belong to! It is the Word of God! It is His Holy Spirit! He has provided all of these for us to crawl over, around, through the stumbling blocks that are inevitably coming our way!

I’m not speaking negative about those stumbling blocks, our Creator and Savior, is quoted in Luke 17:1 He said to his disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come:” Amazingly, He provides the way to victory around those blocks.

I have to stay in His word, because He says to, and he says to because He loves me, and He knows the paths I will take when I don’t.

An Ox to Grind

2009-07-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

Today I was at Recovery at the Village and Michelle, my love, is in Chicago. It was a day for testimony, and the gentleman speaking spoke of how his sin was a result of a deceptive heart, but that the Lord is into changing hearts!

I was amazed to recognize the common thread woven through folks, myself being one of them, who suffer the consequences of repetitive sin. There is such personal disgrace one goes through in dealing with their choices, whatever the flavor of the sin, when it is unconfessed and hidden through a “double” life. I somehow believed enduring years of shame in order to hide my “addiction” was a better alternative to seeking help through a community of believers, the church. We as believers need to make others aware of our struggles, and share our burdens as the Lord intended His church to do. Galatians 6:2-3 says “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Am I helping or hindering a brother by “appearing” to be the “good” believer?

I am amazed at how the Lord has softened my heart towards the sinner, because I now recognize the undeserving grace that He has shown me. We as the church need to have a passion for those who choose to continue down the path of separation from their loving God in hopes of satisfying their desires with creation, instead of being fulfilled by the Creator.

It has been going on since the dawn of creation, the desire to sin. Even Psalm 106:20-21 says “Thus they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God their Savior.”

Is it that I forget my God my Savior, or that I choose to do something that does not bring glory to Him. Sin is a choice, and I need to recognize it as that. Am I going to choose to give up my glory in exchange for an image of an ox – moooo – seems extremely jacked up when I think of it in those terms!!!

My Faith

2009-07-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

Last night I read a blog of a friend who I consider a great mentor to a great many people and to me. It had to do with Faith and works, and it’s been on my mind a lot, though I choose today to only write about the Faith part.

It all started last week when I was playing softball, and after I hit the ball I started to sprint, yes I said started, and then it felt like my right calf had been hit harder than I had hit the ball! So after several days of recovery, I finally made an appointment with the Doc to have it checked out.

I began to wonder, what if I had the faith to pray and my leg would be healed, but 1Cor 12:7-9 says “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit.” And in verse 11 “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” It is so easy for me to doubt my faith when I pray for healing, and it doesn’t happen before my eyes. Healing is a gift of the Spirit given to whom He sees fit. I need not question my faith, just because I don’t have this or that gift according to MY will.

There is one item of Faith, though, that I know to have eternal consequence. And that is “do I believe that Christ is the Messiah” no matter what my situation. Whether I am walking with or without a limp, whether my sick leave is used up and I run out of savings, whether I ever get to fly again for a living for whatever reason, do I believe that the God of the universe sent His Son to die on the cross so that I could have a personal relationship with Him now and for eternity. And the answer is…absolutely, positively, YESSSSSSSSSS!

I believe the scriptures are the living Word of God: that Christ prayed for me as John 17:20 in the NLT says “I am praying not only for these disciples, but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony.” That is you and me He’s praying for and I am amazed by it! And in John 20:29 Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” That is you and me too, praise the Lord! Christ said I am blessed!!!! My faith is in Him!!

So no matter what the circumstance, who is your faith in?

The Ladder

2009-07-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

I woke the other morning with the thoughts of my past addictions; otherwise known as sins (Wonderful Counselor – Ab Abercrombie) I had grown accustomed to committing in order to satisfy my kingdom of self (Paul Trip). My heart grew so accustomed to them that it felt as if they were needs, though I am aware now of the condition of my spiritual heart driving those kinds of thoughts. SIDE NOTE I understand that after a time chemical addictions can turn in to physical needs and painful recoveries in order to come off of them, but thank God, I am only addressing mine, and my addictions hadn’t reached that level (alcohol), and lust of the flesh 1Jn 2:16.

It occurred to me that there is a path that the Lord desires for me to follow and Prov 4:25-27 says “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left: Turn your foot from evil.” On that path He desires for us, I will display the Fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22, but on the path I chose away from His will, I display the deeds of the flesh, Gal 5:17.

In my minds eye, I see this as a ladder I am climbing while striving to be more like Christ. And on that climb, He will provide the things I need in order to be successful, as measured by Him, much different than worldly success. On each rung He provides the food I need, the air I breathe, and the heartbeat to keep this body going, and Godly counsel through His Word. But the problem is, there are things of the world that caught my eye, and at first they appeared to be close in and easy to grasp, but as the addiction deepened they got further and further away from the ladder, and I had to reach out so far to grab them, to satisfy my sinful nature, that eventually the Lord allowed me to fall off the ladder in my attempts to grab those objects that would never satisfy my sinful nature. And after the fall, I am able to see more clearly that He does provide all my needs and that keeping my eyes straight ahead and on Him is a better path, His path, not mine.

He knows my steps

2009-07-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Or as today would have it, He knows my swim. I was swimming out in the bay by my hotel and was amazed at God's creation, and it occurred to me that God knew I would take this swim today and see His glory in His creation. He knew I would see that hermit crab, which looks so tiny in that shell, and yet appears to be ten times bigger when it comes out. He knew I would see the little sting ray that made me nervous, thoughts of the Crocodile Hunter! And so many other fish that I am amazed to see in the “wild.” To know that God created those things for a purpose, and wonder, in awe, what that purpose might be! That He spoke the hermit crab into being, that He made the sting ray with His words. That He knew I would see them today, before I was born! Simply Amazing!

And then my mind went to deeper thoughts, no really, deeper thoughts, Ha! I felt more comfortable in the shallow water, like I had some kind of control over my safety as long as I didn’t get to deep. Christ is the Living Water, and I think about how often I want to stay in the shallow end, like I might have a little control over things in my life. Just think the vastness of the ocean if you just get out a little deeper, and can see all it has to offer. So why not do that with the Living Water! I need to get deeper to submerse myself in His Love, and trust that He will, and does protect me when I just have the faith to have a deeper relationship with Him.

Not all my thoughts for the day, but enough for my first attempt at a blog!