The God Report

Time Spent

2016-04-15T09:14:00.003-07:00

4-15-16

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Luke 10:41-42 "Martha, Martha the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed only one thing. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

The story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 is a fascinating illustration of how easily we get things out of order in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus was coming to visit Martha's home, quite an honor. Martha was probably stressed beyond belief trying to get everything prepared. What would she make for dinner for the King of Kings? She had to get her house in order, clean up and get herself dressed for the occasion. She was probably frantic with excitement and stressed to her max. Her sister Mary on the other hand was focused on simply being in the presence of the Lord as he entered the house. She had no agenda but to sit by the Lord's side and listen and learn from him. She was not distracted by anything or anyone, but she cast all her cares aside to simply be in his glorious presence. Martha was mad and said to Jesus Why don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me! (Luke10:40) Jesus's reply in Luke 10:41-42 must have stung. Martha, you are missing the whole point. While what you are doing is good, what Mary is doing is even better and will not be taken from her.

Martha was most likely distraught and thought to herself what are you talking about Jesus? I am over hearing preparing everything and my sister is not helping at all. She was missing the whole point. Spending time with Jesus was the most important thing Martha could have done, and Jesus pointed this out to her that Mary had chosen what was best. So this begs the question, am I more likely to be Martha or Mary in this story? If I am being honest, I am often distracted by doing things that I feel are good and necessary, but sometimes at the expense of doing what is truly needed, which is just spending time alone in the presence of my Lord and Savior and letting him speak to me and teach me.

Jesus is teaching all of us not to prioritize anything over spending time with him. It should be our first priority every day when we wake up and when we go to bed. But we get distracted so easily in this age of instantaneous dissemination of information. We are more apt to turn to our mobile device for an answer we seek than to spend time in the Lord's presence. In the Lord's presence we find things that no electronic device can give us. That is where we find grace, healing, strength, forgiveness, wisdom, patience, suffering, redemption and deep peace and contentment. So why don't we turn to Him more often? The virtuous circle that ensues when we seek and discipline ourselves to spend time in His presence should be the carrot that leads us to choosing Him over any other activity, as Mary did to the consternation of Martha.

What distractions do we allow to hinder our alone time with Jesus? Well for me, the list includes things such as sports, news, popularity, other's opinions, worries, money, distracted thoughts and feelings, impatience and lack of discipline. I am sure there are others, but that is a pretty good start right there. If you could sum these up in one word it would be distractions. But also in the culture we live in today, the word is busyness. The enemy uses busyness, in conjunction with our pride, to keep us from spending alone time with our Savior. The enemy fears the transformation that occurs in this intimate relationship where the power of the Holy Spirit can be unleashed to speak clearly into the minds and hearts of believers more than anything. Intimate prayer is something he has no answer for, so his goal is to deceive, distract and destroy us.Through our pride that what we, like Martha, are doing what is good. Through our busyness that we are distracted. Finally, through our lack of time spent learning wisdom from Jesus we are vulnerable enough to be destroyed. This is the subtle plan of a cunning and viscous enemy who whether we acknowledge it or not, seeks to destroy us.

So the anecdote for the enemy's plan is simply to have the discipline and courage to spend time in prayer and intimacy in Jesus's presence. That is where we are safest and where we feel the power of His Holy Spirit in our lives. Much like Mary, we must de-clutter and rid our mind of distractions. We must decompress, find space, create time and prioritize Him as our top priority. Temptation, greed, pride, self-importance, power, supremacy, covetousness will be used by the enemy to distract us. Our free time should he filled with him, not useless garbage on the internet, our trying to feel good about ourselves by having lots of likes on Facebook.

It takes discipline and time spent to get the huge benefits that come when we, like Mary, prioritize just spending alone time in His presence. He restores our souls, helps us see areas in our lives in need of repentance, which leads to greater freedom, let's his light and love shine through us, and gives us new perspective and strength to continue our journey's. So while what Martha was doing was good, what Mary was doing, was far better. The choice is ours to be more like Mary than Martha with every decision we make on how to spend out time. We can spend our time on tasks, like Martha, that seem important to us, or we can invest our time like Mary, at the Lord's feet, learning all wisdom that will guide our paths into eternity.

The Dangers of Covetousness

2016-04-04T12:10:00.001-07:00

4-4-16

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Deuteronomy 5:21 " You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land. his male or female servant, his Ox or Donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor

According to Webster's Dictionary, Covetous means greedy, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious, mean, having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions. Covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

I have found covetousness to be a very subtle and deceptive form of sin that the Devil uses to keep us in bondage. If not identified and repented of, it can lead to many problems. In my experiences, the real problem of covetousness is it is rooted in your heart as a means of expressing displeasure with your current situation or circumstances. It takes your focus off of being grateful for what you have and instead makes you anxious and tense worrying about what you don't have, or what you think you deserve. It is that subtle shift in mindset that can really leave you bitter or unappreciative. That in turn can make you very difficult to be around. I have been that person before and I know for a fact I wasn't any fun to be around when I was in that state of mind. It robs you of trusting in God and thanking him for what you do have and instead you put tension on yourself in focusing on what you lack or what other's have. It can take many forms: unhappiness with your appearance, the neighbor's house or car, the job you are in, the state of our political situation, our teacher or boss, your relationships etc.

Covetousness can lead to many problems if not dealt with swiftly through identification and repentance. If you really think you deserve something you don't have, you are prone to shortcuts, ill gotten gains, laziness, entitlement attitude and greed by focusing on what is lacking rather than praising God for what He has already provided you. It is the old saying of I was complaining about not having a new pair of shoes until I looked over and saw a person without any legs. When we compare our situation to someone else's using material possessions as a "scorecard" we are setting ourselves up for emotional disaster. We will never feel happy or content as there will always be someone else that has more "stuff."

The impatience we exhibit in wanting something for ourselves that we think we deserve now has many consequences associated with it. Getting out in front of God's timing or purpose can lead to many other unforeseen events which can create even bigger challenges for us. In our mind we create a scenario that I call the "if only" syndrome. "If I only had this or had that, then I would be happy, or content, or at peace or whatever." So we become ungrateful and anxious. In contrast, when we are grateful for what we do have, that leads to contentment which leads to peace. The former creates a negative feedback loop that usually leads to us being miserable, doubting God's goodness or ability to help us through a situation. The latter leads to a life of peace and contentment as we focus our attention on the gratitude for what we do have through God's great provision. When we are grateful and content, we are more likely to take bold action in relying not on our own abilities, but in recognizing the abilities we have been given by God in order to glorify Him. It is purely a matter of perspective.

So we can choose which path to follow. An ungrateful and anxious heart focused on all of our lacking's or a grateful heart full of contentment and joy that springs up out of an intimate relationship with the Lord. The time is now. The Kingdom of God is not off in the distant future, or buried in the past, but is right now! He has already given us all we need to be effective in whatever area of life He has called us to; namely, our strength which is found in Him! Satan will use covetousness to destroy our testimony and our lives. Our job is to use the strength found in Christ to keep that from happening.

Live Victoriously

2016-04-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verse of the Day: Romans 8:37-39 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither 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."

We are truly blessed to live in a time where so much information is available so quickly and where communication is possible from even the farthest remote parts of the earth to anywhere else we need to. But there is also great danger in that we can also become easily distracted by having such vast sums of information available. If we don't know how to decipher truth and where to look for it, we can become disoriented and unable to live truly effective lives.

As I travel around the world on business, I find that many people are being seriously distracted, deceived and ultimately destroyed from becoming who they were created to be in God by the lies that they are listening to on the internet, television or radio. The world is saying to be happy you need to be wealthy, you need to do whatever you want that makes you feel good, consequences be damned, that you deserve a life of material possessions and that you shouldn't have to work hard for it, it should be given to you because it is your right as a human being to be happy. All a series of lies that somehow has crept into a global mindset of what people are entitled to in 2016. In case you haven't noticed, there are many, many wealthy people who are completely miserable because they have bought into the lie that wealth equals happiness. No matter how many bedrooms your house has, you can only put your head down on one pillow at night and you can't trick your soul. Money will never allow you to forget about the things that are troubling you deep down in your soul. There is no such thing as getting something for free and feeling good about yourself in the long term. Like Luke 9:25 says, "what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world yet loose their own soul." Yet everyday, we live in a society that glorifies wealth regardless of the means in which it was obtained. Cheating, stealing and lying are a part of acceptable behavior if they lead to you getting what you feel you are owed. When the only thing that matters in this world is yourself and your pleasure, then the ends will always justify the means. Galatians 5:16-17 warns us of the battle that rages in everyone of us between feeding our Spirit or feeding our fleshly nature, which is designed to look and feel pleasurable but which ultimately leads to disaster. ^16 "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want."

Working for something that is a goal of yours feels tremendous when it is accomplished through hard work and diligence. But really what people are searching for is peace deep down in their soul. Peace that is real and not circumstantial. Peace that they have a hope and a future. Peace that is found in relationship to knowing that "nothing can separate from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord," as Romans 8:39 tells us. This peace is life altering as it allows us to shift our focus from one of fear to one of faith, freedom and fearlessness. We shift our focus from the worries of the here and now, to the promises of the there and then that will be ours for all of eternity, no matter the short term hurdles we may face on this earth. When this shift occurs, we can begin to live victorious lives where we become " more than just conquerors through Him who loved us," as Romans 8:37 promises. So what does a victorious life look like? I think that will depend on each of us individually and on the struggles and opportunities that we have been presented with. The only thing I can see for sure is that each of us will have unique challenges that will stretch our faith on earth, and each of us will have unique opportunities to step out in faith and to glorify Christ with our actions. We will need to take a first step of faith. I am convinced that life truly begins at the edge of our comfort zones. But when we do stretch ourselves for God, we can be sure that the God of all Creation will meet us there to help us accomplish what we intended to glorify Him. Ephesians 3:20 says we may not even believe what He can and will accomplish through those who are willing to step out in faith" now He who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

Below is what living victoriously may look like in my life. It is based on my own fears, experiences and dreams. What will it look like if your life? May God help you to find that contentment that no one can steal.

Live Victoriously

Remove all fears by focusing on the promises of Christ. Because the Tomb was empty, His promises were not!

Take massive action.

Be involved in greater purposes that create value, rather than extract value.

Faith, family, and then everything else.

Live above the fray ( above the noise ) and do be easily distracted.

Be selfless even when it is hard ( what you get makes a living, what you give makes a life )

Shine your light into an ever increasing darkened world.

People need to know the truth and where to go to find hope. Give it to them.

Start each day grateful and energized.

Walk on the beach and keep things in perspective. The Universe is a grand creation.

Be forgiving, not judgmental.

Enjoy the beauty all around me; don’t pay attention to the noise.

Be more patient, we have all of eternity.

See the miracles around you every day. When you change the way you look at things, then the things you look at begin to change.

Change your focus from what you can get, to what you can give.

What about today?

2016-03-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

March 24, 2016

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Hebrews 13:5 " Never will I leave you; never will I for forsake you."

We wake up everyday and we get to decide what we focus on and let into our realm of influence. If we look at Social Media to find out how people are feeling about us or to gain some sort of self esteem we re incredibly vulnerable to the fluctuations of human emotions and feelings, which are unstable and ever changing. If we turn on the television or click on news stories, we are likely to be bombarded with sensationalism and political viewpoints designed to influence us in one way or another. There are plenty of things that will distract us or create fearful responses. But if we open the Bible or sit idly in prayer with the God of all Creation, we are able to feel unconditional love, grace and peace which can get us through any trial. Psalm 46:10 instructs us " Be still and know that I am God. " In other words stop striving and start ceasing. Find true peace in the only place it exists, in God.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16 that " all Scripture is God-breathed ", which means it is not just ink on a page, it is breath on a page, and it is the truth of all generations, the history of the entire world, that will never change, be subject to emotional mood swings or political correctness, or the whims of today. It is very comforting to know that there is still one place that we get to choses to spend our time with that can offer us the hope that we all so desperately need in this broken and troubled world. The world is constantly in flux and changing, but God's word never does and never will.

God in Hebrews 13:8 " is the same yesterday, today and forever " and we need that assurance in our lives. It is the only eternal truth that is designed for eternity and everything else is a rudderless ship..We can be up today and down tomorrow, winning today and losing tomorrow. Our relationships can go from hot to cold with a single word or thought. Our portfolio's of investment can vanish in an instant, everywhere you turn there is corruption and greed at the highest levels. People are desperate for truth and steadiness in their life. A place where they won't be let down or taken for a wild ride. We need a firm foundation on which to build our lives. Luckily, Jesus is our answer. Matthew 7:24 encourages us " Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. "

We can have hope for today because Jesus is our rock. He can carry us through any trial and give us strength for today and hope for tomorrow. Luckily, we get to decide still what we focus on each day. The ever changing, unsettled, messiness of the world or the constant rock, consistent love, grace and forgiveness of Christ. Because He will never leave us or forsake us, we have strength to live victoriously for today, and solid hope for tomorrow. Lift your eyes off yourself and place them on the eternal promises of Jesus and you will find strength and joy for today. We spend so much time reliving the pains of the past or worrying about the troubles of the future, that many times we are without strength for today. That is because we allow ourselves to be distracted. The enemy tries to distract us to lose our witness and power of the difference God is making in our lives. We need to remain focused and disciplined on the promises found in the never changing word of God. Everything else is shifting sand. God's word is eternal and His love for us never wanes. Use the promises of tomorrow found in scripture, the hope of the resurrection and eternal life promised to all who are in Christ Jesus, to live victoriously for today. BECAUSE THE TOMB WAS EMPTY, HIS PROMISES ARE NOT. Let that give you strength to fight today.

Nothing Lasts

2015-01-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

1-9-15

Weather report from Heaven: Sunny and bright with lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verses of the day: Genesis 1:31 "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day."

Genesis 3:23-24 "So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ²⁴After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."

Nothing lasts! I mean nothing at all lasts. Look at how fast the whole story of God's prize creation changes from one of God being content with the human race He had created to one of such disgust with their disobedience in the Garden that He banishes them from ever entering it again. Two chapters later, the whole picture has changed and with it the fate of all of mankind. God's plan wasn't meant to include rebellion. He though given free choice, man would choose the contentment of knowing that they could have perfect peace and enjoy everything in creation except for one little tree. Imagine His surprise and disgust when Adam and Eve were more interested in the one thing they couldn't have, then all they did have. No wonder we all still struggle so much with greed and focusing on what we don't have instead of being content with what we do have. It is inherent in our human nature traced all the way back to the first human beings.

Well luckily God had a backup plan or else we would all be destined for eternal separation from Him. Through Christ and His eminent return, one day all believers will get to experienced the original plan that God had for us here on earth. Namely, to live without sin and evil and darkness in a world of blissful contentment surrounded by His unencumbered glory. When you look at that way, is it any wonder that nothing lasts if even the most idealistic living conditions ever know to man couldn't last but for a brief moment? It makes you appreciate even more God's unfathomable love for us in that He was still willing to pay the ultimate, unimaginable cost of having His son come to earth, suffer through the worst of all human suffering, ending in an excruciating crucifixion, just in order to give us a life line back to His Holy presence. In His righteousness He could not receive us in our sinful state, but loved us too much to leave us out of His "family." Christ;s death and resurrection that paid the penalty due us for our sinful rebellion, at its core restored our ability to be called Heirs of His Kingdom. Now that is true love, More than anything we can ever fully comprehend or imagine.

But given our current fragile situation on earth until the return of the Eternal King, is it really any wonder that nothing lasts? Relationships are falling apart left and right. It seems like marriage is a convenience rather than a commitment, where it is as easy as writing check to get out of something that is not working, rather than investing time to fix it. Friendships last as long as both parties are getting what they need from the other, but as soon as the equation tilts just a bit from equilibrium, then it is on to the next 'friend." Jobs come and go, companies get bought and sold, and employees get tossed around like dishrags trying to put their hope in what they do, only to find out what they have been doing doesn't exist anymore. Putting your "security" in a job, or a company, is not what it once was a generation ago. Then there was a two sided commitment on behalf of both the employer and employee. But those days are as a dead the Dinosaurs. Our health is good today and bad tomorrow. unexpected news can pop up at anytime and that can rock us to our core. People we love get sick. People we love die. It shakes us and causes us grief. It rattles our sense of stability, which is an illusion in itself.

Sports team win championships one year and are celebrated as heroes. The next year they fail to repeat and are vilified as goats. The media is so sensationalized, that it is constantly looking to tear down those who a short while earlier it was lifting up. Politicians rise to power on the hopes of being able to "fix" things, only to fall in a heap of corruption and abuse of power. Love affairs that start out steamy sometimes end in deceit or even murder. Mortal man is no match for the lust of the flesh. See David and Bathsheba. See anyone you know who has had an affair that has caused great heartache. We are all vulnerable. The evil one is crafty.1st Peter 5:8 points that out. Nothing has really changed there since Christ was on the earth, and it never will.

Nothing lasts. Period. Except for the promises of God that are fulfilled in His son Jesus Christ. "He is the same yesterday today and forever", as promised in Hebrews 13:8. His return is inevitable, as promised in Revelations 22:12-13 "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. He alone will restore us and make things the way they were meant to be in the beginning. He promises in Revelation 21:4 that "He 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.”

Until then, nothing will last. Anxiousness will be our constant companion as we desperately try to cling to things which themselves are slipping away. No wonder why we feel anxious. Everything is in motion and everyone is looking out for themselves. But the best news of all is even that won't last. Soon, Christ will return and make everything new. Everything newly created will be the way it should have been all along and that will last forever. Amen!

2015. Hooray or same old stuff, different year?

2015-01-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

1-5-15

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verse of the day: Genesis 50:20 "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

It is funny how we approach the New Year. Some people are so excited, they get themselves all in a tizzy about all the changes they are going to make in their life and the new commitments that they plan to keep in order to make themselves look better, feel better or act better. Others look at it and begin to dread almost immediately that the short pause they just experienced during the Holidays, which allowed them a brief respite to catch their breath and take a moment to look around them and get a glimpse of the big picture, is already in the rear view mirror and the rat race has begun all over again.

In the past, I have been on both sides of this coin. Now, I try to look at the New Year from a perspective of just trying to keep things in perspective. In other words, not to get too high or too low, but to use this period to draw closer to God, to restore my joy in all that He is and has done in my life, and to be open to His leading by spending more time in His word, and then praying and listening for His guidance. It did strike me today, that on January 5th as I drove my kids to school, and watched all of the rude and impatient drivers already in a foul mood, that our peace in this world can be very fleeting. In the U.S., if we are lucky, we may take one or two weeks off over the Holidays to be with family and generally relax and enjoy ourselves. In other parts of the world, it is more like a 3-4 week vacation period to cleanse the old and prepare for the new. Why are we so bad in this country at taken time off? Oh well, that is a what happens when we live in a society that has bought into the lie that we never have enough, or are only as good as our last triumph. The wheel has to keep spinning and we have to keep moving. The mask of busyness is full of deceit, but we don't want to pause long enough to ask ourselves the really tough questions, the ones that cause us introspection, so we just keep on running, like Hamsters on a wheel, until we can't run anymore.

As I opened up some of my emails from the last week and began to delve into my work, there was a point in my mind where I already felt "burned out" and it is only January 5th! The constant pace and activity and the need to type thousands of words a day to just keep up seems so silly. What happened to a simple phone call, wasn't that a lot easier in hindsight? Why is everyone too busy to talk, but not to type, which take much longer and causes more stress? Not to mention Carpal Tunnel and various other disorders such as a tight back and aching shoulders. It got me thinking, is the Internet really a tool that has made our lives easier and more productive, as promised, or just faster and ultimately more stressful. We seem like we have no time, even when we have been off for a few weeks and should be rested and raring to go. We were not meant to live life at a pace that leaves too little time for the things that really matter, at the expense of just keeping up with the Jones's.

So from a Biblical context, I was wondering if the Internet is being used by the evil one to destroy people or by God to draw people closer to Him. I think I found the answer in the scripture above. Not a full proof, 100% correct type of answer, but more of a theory. If people are tired or stressed, they are less likely to spend time in God's word or feel "good" enough to pray or be keen to listen. Score one for the enemy. However, at a certain point, if people feel like there is no peace in their life and they reach a point of great despair, that seems like a place where they might finally give God a shot, and thus may say from a vulnerable and weak position, " Lord help me! I can't take this anymore. I have seen and heard people's stories when God broke into their darkest moments, be it addictions or depression or what have you, and in an instant realized that the peace that God offers is the only true and lasting peace. Philippians 4:7 " The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. John 14:27 " My 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." Matthew 11:28 " Come to me, all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest."

It sure seems that Jesus realized that in this world we were going to be tired and need some help and He made it perfectly clear throughout the New Testament that He was that place of refuge. The harbor in the tempest that we all would long for at some point in our life. And that was well before the internet! I guess people were tired from running messages or work all over the place. So as we start 2015, my resolution is only to do my best to stay close to the only real and lasting source of peace in this crazy and fast paced world in which we live. I can guarantee this in 2015: Everyone will need something from you immediately. Everyone will demand things that are unrealistic. Everyone will put their needs before yours at some point this year. Our only hope is to find that perfect rest in the arms of our Savior, who will use us as examples of what true peace and contentment really looks like to a world in desperate need of rest, if we will only let Him. If I was already feeling stressed today on January 5th, what other choice do I have? Come Lord Jesus, Come! May we all find what Paul found in Philippians 4:11, in the midst of all the chaos that was swirling all around Him and is swirling all around us today, " I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

I want it now!

2014-09-25T15:03:00.003-07:00

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Matthew 7:13-14 " Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

To simply say we live in a culture that lives for instant gratification would be a huge understatement. You deserve it and if it makes you feel good , then go for it is the mantra of the day. Of course, there is never any mention of the consequences or of the destruction that can follow when we make short sighted decisions to gratify our sinful desires without considering the long term implications.

Lust, anger and greed are the primary drivers of our sinful impulses that need to be satiated and they are very strong influencers indeed. We see a beautiful woman walking down the street and we want to have her for our own. The great King David can certainly relate to that as he fell hook, line and sinker for his friend Uriah's wife Bathsheba while seeing her bath on the roof one day. Even though God had blessed David mightily, he still felt lacking on the inside, to the point where his lustful temptations prompted him to indulge his sexual desires without even stopping to consider the consequences, which as it turns out were quite severe. His impetuous decision would lead to a deeper trail of sins, including lying, deception and even murder of his friend Uriah in order to have the desires of his flesh fulfilled. One of the greatest consequences was the devastation he caused to his own family through his sinful behavior, which led to the death of the child he had conceived with Bathsheba. God cannot sit idly by while we bath in our sin and iniquity. He cannot be mocked, for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. David was deeply repentant when the prophet Nathan revealed the depths of his sins against God to him and it caused him great physical, spiritual and emotional trauma. David had realized a great truth: that for every action there is a reaction and his sin had led directly to his suffering and angst which plagued him for quite a long time.

David fell into the same lustful trap that plagues us all still today, a short term gratification that leads to long term consequences and great suffering. We are all vulnerable to the same fleshly forces that swept David away and caused him to lose sight of the "narrow" road in favor of the easy or pleasurable road. The evil one knows the strength of our fleshly desires as described in Galatians 5 as a battle that is always raging against our spiritual being to do the right thing and to follow God's directions. Sometimes we give into our fleshly temptations and we lose the battle, and the consequences leave us dazed. Unless we have repentant heart's like David, and turn to God alone for our forgiveness, we will continue to bring about great suffering into our lives as a result of our need to have it now.

Our society has bought into the temptation to take the easy road, rather than to persevere down the narrow road that is referred to in todays bible verse. It is the fear based tenant that advertisers use to pray on consumers, that the media uses to destroy lives with the message of do whatever you feel like, when you feel like it and to hell with the consequences. Lust is one strong example. Have sex with whomever you want, whenever you want, and don't worry about the risk of STD's or a baby conceived out of wedlock. But what about greed? We hear the messages about what money can buy you and say yes, we want it and we want it now! A $100,000 car or a $5,000,000 house we can't nearly afford, oh well, we deserve it and besides we will look really great in it and it will attract beautiful ladies to us. No mention or thought of the financial consequences that will lead us into bankruptcy. Live for the now and consequences be damned. Of course, you can but a house but not a home. Or you can buy sex, but not love. Or you can buy a title but not respect. Yet we never stop to ponder these truisms because we want to look good in the world's eyes and don't care as much of how we look in God's eyes. John 12;43 warns us of the faultiness in thinking this way. God should come first, always!

What about anger in our lives that things aren't going the way we thought they would or the way we think we deserve? We hear the messages that someone else is to blame and someone is going to have to pay for my unhappiness. Then we think, I will use deceit or distortion to get things back in order the way they should be, and if that doesn't work I will take it out on those around me with a bitter attitude and a hateful heart. No mention or thought of some internal soul searching or prayer time alone with the Creator of the Universe to ask for His direction, guidance and wisdom.

In a me first world, there is no time for introspection, only for consumption of pleasurable experiences. Instant Gratification rules. However, is it really any different today than it has always been? Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup in one of the most egregious acts of the bible in pointing out our weakness to fulfill short term desires at the expense of priceless, long term inheritances. Esau placed a higher value on a physical, short term satisfaction of having a bowl of soup to quench his appetite than on a life of peace and relationship with God as head of household that could have led to his eternal greatness.

This story of Esau and Jacob is just one of many in the bible that illustrates that throughout human history, we are all prone to give up greater future rewards for immediate gratifications. The adversary is well aware of this and is always tempting us to succumb to our desires of immediate gratification so he can deny us the better plan that God has in store for us. This is why it is so important to constantly be in prayer, as 1st Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing, to help us understand our weaknesses and to be prepared to ask Jesus to help us in our daily battles against our flesh. God reminds of us of this struggle and of our need for dependence upon him in order to have a chance in his fight in 1st Corinthians 10: 13 " No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." But here is the rub: We don't want to listen to God! We don't want to pray and ask for His strength and protection. We want to do what makes us feel good now! When the consequences come, we want to try and fix it on our own, which only leads to more sin and helplessness, but we don't want to feel like we need Him to fix our mess. Oh the futility of our thinking!

In many ways, when we do finally repent and come around to prayer and to seeking God's forgiveness, , discernment and wisdom for the messes we have created in our lives, like King David finally did, we then begin a new struggle of what and how to pray. We treat God like He is some kind of cosmic vending machine where we submit our requests into the machine and wait for his solutions to instantly pop back out. Even here, our impatience and desire for instant gratification can be astounding. CS Lewis says that someday we'll be far more grateful for our prayers that didn't get answered then for the ones that did. This is because our prayers are often misguided and lack alignment with God's eternal plan for our lives. We pray for comfort in the midst of our trials instead of character to be built up in us during them. We pray for an easy way out instead of the strength to make it through. We ask for God to quickly extricate us out of difficult circumstances instead of asking God what he wants to get out of those difficult circumstances. Sometimes though God not giving us what we think we need or want is actually Him protecting us from unintended consequences.

As Psalm 46:10 says, sometimes He just wants us to be still and acknowledge that He is God and He will be exulted on earth as He is in heaven. In this place, our best efforts are meaningless and our best recourse is total surrender. For His thoughts are so much greater than our thoughts and His ways are so much higher than our ways, Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, that we should rather just seek him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. It is in this posture alone that real healing and learning can take place. It takes a lot of wreckage to sometimes bring us staggering to our knees. But once there, the healing salve of God's love and forgiveness can begin to change us from the inside out, and help us to make better decisions in the future. We can begin to see the error of our ways and the righteousness of His.

Know one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care

2014-02-03T14:43:00.002-08:00

February 3, 2014

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day:John 15:5 " I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

One of the things that is universal in this world is people want to feel loved and appreciated. It takes time spent with someone to let them know that you truly care about them. It is one of those things in life that you can't fake. Caring means you must show up, no excuses. It is important for a father to show he cares by showing up for his kid's sporting events. It is important for employees to show up for work and for kids to show up for school. Showing up means that you are committed to a certain person, situation or task.

Likewise, if we want to get to know Jesus better in our lives, then we have to "show up" and spend time with him. How do we do that? We must read scripture on a daily basis; we must meditate on His word and we must spend time in prayer, inviting a dialogue of both speaking and listening. As we do this, we will begin to enjoy the fruits of our relationship with the One who gave it all for our benefit. We will be filled with His wisdom. Jesus will teach us more about who He is, so we will know more about who we are. As we continue to show up, He will teach us to act more and more like Him. So what did Jesus act like?

First and foremost, Jesus was love. He always showed people how much He cared, before He let them know how much He knew. He would always show pure love to those that the elite in society tended to look down upon and discard. Hs message was simple: All of you matter in my Kingdom! I don't discriminate against anyone. Jesus lived out that love in ways that no one could ever question His sincerity. Most importantly, the ones he chose to love on knew how much He cared. He touched Lepers, defended Adulterers, befriended Prostitutes, washed his Disciples feet, talked with Samaritans and partied with Tax Collectors.

Jesus didn't care about His reputation, he cared about love. Loving those who society said were unlovable. He could have just told everyone about all He knew, how He was present at the beginning of time and how He holds the entire world in the palm of His hand. Or, how He was sent by the Father to redeem the world from its sin as the one and only atoning sacrifice. He did indeed give insights into His perfect wisdom, but mostly it was to confound the wise of the day. He could have spent all his time telling parables to teach the Pharisees and Sadducees just how lost they truly were. Instead, He mostly modeled how much He cared by living it out in a unmistakeably genuine love.He used a road map of love and compassion to teach his followers about what truly mattered. Jesus came to earth and showed up for us, in a real and intimate way. Is it asking too much for us to show up for Him?

Lasting Contentment

2014-01-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

January 14, 2014

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Philippians 4:4 " Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice."

At the end of the day, I believe what we are all striving for is contentment. Contentment can come in many different forms but at its core it is a deep and unrelenting satisfaction with the way you are living your life. It can be shaken, but not stolen. Money cannot buy contentment. A bigger house, a new luxury car or a trip to Paris will eventually lose its luster. I know many people who are extremely wealthy and completely devoid of any contentment. On the other hand, I know people who are poor in the eyes of the world, but who have a deep and abiding contentment. I am pretty sure Mother Teresa of Calcutta had an overflowing contentment inside of her, even though she lived her life in conditions that most of us would find appalling. She was the epitome of what the world considers poor, yet she had a richness and contentment to her that most people would pay anything to achieve. Contentment is one of those elusive traits that when people have it, you can’t miss it. When someone is content you can see it in their eyes and almost feel it in their souls. They are living above the fray and their contentment is not circumstantial in the least. You could put anything into their lives or take anything out, and they would likely be exactly the same person, allowing of course for the natural aspects of human emotions to come into consideration. In other words, greater joy and greater suffering are still a part of dealing with events that happen to us during this lifetime on earth. However, their contentment will allow them to always keep a perspective about the things that happen to them. They control their reactions to the things that happen to them, rather being held hostage or controlled by them.

Where does contentment come from? How do we get it? That is the question that most people would love to know the formula to. It seems that people that live their lives as “givers” rather than “takers” have a good start to finding real contentment. The Bible says it is better to give than to receive and I think the notion of unselfishness is a very important aspect of contentment. Certainly when we are focused on helping others who are less fortunate than ourselves, in whatever endeavor we may find ourselves engaged with, we are aligning with the power of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ himself, who said he didn’t come to be served, but rather to serve. The Apostle Paul was pretty much the poster child for contentment, able to find a lasting peace even in the midst of his often dire circumstances. In the letter he wrote to the Philippians, he mentions in chapter 4 that “I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances.” Where did he get that deep contentment from? He goes on to say “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry. Whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” Who is the one that Paul is referring to that gives him strength? It is the Lord, Jesus Christ. Paul’s ability to stay focused on the promises of his eternal destiny, Heaven, allowed him to deal with anything that this world had to throw at him with a deep sense of contentment. Not many people have suffered as many apparent hardships as Paul did. He mentions some of them in 2^nd Corinthians 11 “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes, minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once pelted with stones, three times Shipwrecked.” The list goes on and on. Paul’s life seems like a never ending horror show that could best be named “What could possibly happen next?” Yet he was able to find a deep and unimaginable contentment.

Can we learn from Paul’s trials to help us find contentment in our own lives? I believe we most certainly can. Paul was not focused entirely on the here and now, but on the then and there called Heaven. He knew his destiny, he stayed incredibly focused on his calling and he let no one or no thing steal his inner joy. I imagine he had moments of serious depression and doubt, just like we all do. I imagine he was beyond lonely and tired in his daily struggles, just as we get. He was in physical pain and hungry often. That cannot feel good. He was in constant danger from a multitude of foes who wanted him out of the picture, which probably made it hard for him to ever rest or relax. Sometimes we are dealing with stressful things in our lives that rob us of our sleep and lead to a heavy fatigue. But here’s the thing that Paul did that is also available to all of us; He refused to focus for very long on his problems and instead focused on the solution of the salvation promised to him in Christ Jesus. When you serve a mighty God, your problems seem quite small. When you have no God, or nothing to bring lasting faith, hope and joy into your life, your problems will always be enormous and contentment will be elusive.

I am convinced that lasting happiness or contentment is impossible apart from God. When God is removed from your life, or from a society, the weightlessness and chaos that ensues is impossible for us to strive in. Look at the history of the Jewish people. When they were living faithfully to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, their land and their existence flourished and prospered. When they turned away from their God, in their own pride thinking that they new a better path, the pain they endured was astronomical. If everything that happens to us in our life is leading to the same dead end, than we are to be pitied more than any creatures that have ever lived on this earth. But I don’t believe that is the case for one second. God’s word tells us that is not the case and my own experiences have reinforced to me that there is indeed a point to all of the experiences we endure on this side of eternity. That is for each of us to learn in our own unique way and on our own unique path. By focusing on the Master and the Creator of our existence, contentment is possible and here’s why: Because God is love. He loves us. We are His children. He loved us before the earth was ever formed and He will continue to love us for all of eternity. It is this simple fact that can lead us to a place of deep and abiding contentment. Bad things happen to good people in this world. I don’t fully understand why. I know that we live in a fallen, sinful world that was corrupted in the Garden of Eden. You don’t believe that, just watch the nightly news any day of the week and ask yourself after almost any story, how could a person do that to another person? I also know that God had a redemption plan that is the greatest love story of all time to save His people from the death that our sin deserved in His righteous eyes. That plan was to send His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross for redemption of our sin debt, which we alone could never pay, so we could be reconciled back to Him for all of eternity. Talk about a great romance novel! The whole Bible is God’s love story for humanity playing out right before our very eyes to save us from our sinfulness and shame. Because He loved us so much that He would stop at nothing to save us and redeem us with an everlasting hope and joy, then yes, contentment is possible on this earth. You just have to know where to look. Keep looking up!

Ordinary People. Extraordinary Feats.

2013-12-30T16:54:00.000-08:00

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Joshua; 1:9 " Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

I was watching a movie with my young kids the other night called Ratatouille and even though I had seen the movie several times before, a certain line caught my attention.The little rat who was leading an aspiring chef's every move in the kitchen as he led him to a legendary status in the French culinary establishment was helping the young chef to overcome his fears and doubts that he had what it took to become a great chef. He told him " not everyone who wants will become a great chef, but a great chef can come from anyone." In other words, he shouldn't think that he couldn't become something he dreamed of being just because of his own fears and doubts. He should leave it up to others to decide if he was great or not and his job was to just try to do his best, and let the chips fall where they may. Although it wasn't stated this way, he was telling the young man to have faith and to trust in something greater than himself.

I started thinking of all of the times in my life where I have let self doubt or fear cripple my dreams before I even gave them a chance to come to fruition. The little voice that tells me that I don't have the pedigree or the background or the following to achieve something I desire has shipwrecked dreams before they have even taken root. That lack of confidence is capable of paralyzing even the most thoughtful of plans.

But the Bible is full of stories that should inspire me and you to try our best at whatever we endeavor to achieve and to leave the rest up to God. When we look at obstacles in our own strength and knowledge, it is easy to become fearful or discouraged. But when we look at things that stand in our way as obstacles that God can help us overcome, we are instantly aligned with a force in the universe that is so much greater than what we can imagine or understand. In our verse of the day, God is reminding Joshua to trust not in himself, and his capabilities or lack there of, but in God. God also has a still, small voice that says you can do it if you rely on me, through prayer, for strength and guidance. Philippians 4:13 reminds is that " we can do all things though Him who gives us strength." We see hurdles; God sees opportunities to glorify himself in our weakness. Isaiah 55: 8-9 reminds us that God ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts so much greater than our thoughts.

Can you imagine the complete shock and awe of Moses, David and Goliath, to name a few Bible heroes, when God let them know through various means and ways that they were to be vessels through which God would display his incredible strength and glory? Moses said to God, you must have the wrong man, I am a murderer and suffer from a speech impediment. How can you use me to lead your people out of slavery? David was the least likely of Jesse's sons to be chosen by Samuel as the one who was to be anointed King of Israel. So much so that he wasn't even included in the original bake-off. His brothers openly scoffed at him when he ran to the battle line to take on the giant Goliath. They told him to get them some food and to go back to the farm. They had known him only as their little shepherd brother, not as the man that God was going to use to crush Goliath and the Philistine's mighty army. Gideon was so shocked that the Angel of the Lord told him he was going to be the one who lead the destruction of the powerful Midianites that he needed a sign from the Lord himself. He then stood in disbelief as God whittled his army from 32,000 down to 300 and said to him now you are in a position to win. How? Gideon must have been stunned.

They, like you and I would, were thinking there must have been a mistake or they would be second guessing whether or not they were losing their minds. Certainly all of those around them could not grasp what was happening. They could do nothing else but doubt, mock and ridicule what God was doing in and through them. But all of these heroes of the Bible had a few common traits that they leaned on when being called by God, after they had gotten over their own disbelief. They surrendered to the will of God even though they didn't fully understand it. They were willing and available. They were humble and they ultimately saw the obstacles and battles not as their own, but as God's.

These stories should give us great hope. There is a Biblical road map and a process that we can follow to help us to overcome our own fears and doubts when tackling our own personal giants. We must surrender to His will, through prayer and time spent in His word. We must be willing to be used by God. We must be humble. We must not lean on our strength or understanding, but trust fully in His. We will not all be used in mighty ways to accomplish God's big purposes, but we can all be confident that God will be with us in and through our own personal struggles. God uses ordinary people like us to do extraordinary things so He can get all the glory. Ask Gideon. People will not understand it. We will not understand it. But He will accomplish His goals and do it in a way that makes the most people scratch their heads. Why did He do it that way? Why did He use that person? Someone whom I admire greatly told me the other day that the two words we will use the most in Heaven are " of course." Once we are able to have a greater vision of how God operates and how "He works everything out for good for those who love Him," as stated in Romans 8:28, we will then say of course that is why He did it that way. Of course that is why He used that person.

There are so many things that can enslave us in this world, be it addiction, abuse, abandonment, financial calamities or loneliness. There is only one thing that can set us free and that is to know and trust the love of the Lord and the plans He has for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you; plans to give you hope and a future." Our job is to trust Him even when all we can see are the valleys or the obstacles. It is then we learn to rely on Him alone and it is then we are in position to be used mightily by God to glorify Him. One day it will all make sense!

Too Blessed to Complain or a Life of Sour Hours

2013-11-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

11-11-13

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Psalm 42:1 " As the Deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, Oh God."

How we look at the things that happen to us is of much greater importance than what actually happens to us. We can have the best attitude even when going through trying times and it will help us greatly in dealing with our difficulties. Likewise, We can be blessed beyond words yet still mope around all of our days feeling like the world still owes us something. In either case, the choice is up to us. We get to control very little in this world, but the things we can control can make all the difference in how we live our lives. The single most important thing we can control is our attitude. Our attitudes definbe our destiny's.

The Bible is full of stories that exemplify the truth of how our attitudes can shape our ultimate destiny. If anyone ever had a reason to be bitter or angry, it was Joseph; Sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused of hitting on Potiphar's wife, imprisoned in the horrible Egyptian jails. Man, did Joseph have a reason to be mad at God. But rather than spend his time grousing about his lot, he continued to praise God and keep his focus on the loving nature of the God he knew would rescue him someday. He refused to let himself spend his hours feeling sour, but instead focused on the character of God to sustain him and give him hope. What a role model Joseph is for us when we are doubting ourselves or are bitter with the circumstance we find ourselves in. Like Joseph, we can also choose to focus on our blessings in God rather than on all the things that we feel betrayed about.

Imagine Jesus, on the night that He was going to be betrayed, still stopped and found time to give thanks and even break bread with his guys, some of which He knew were about to let him down beyond belief. Impetuous Peter and sly Judas were still given the same loving treatment as all the other Disciples even though Jesus was fully aware that in a short time, Peter would deny him and Judas would betray him. Jesus was so aware of His Father's plans and purposes that nothing could come between him and his mission on this earth. He wasn't about to let some human frailties come between Him and his last few hours on this earth. He overcame his fears by casting his eyes on the Lord and giving thanks for what He had done and was about to do to reconcile the world back to the Father through His death on the cross.

I don't think I can ever fully comprehend or approach that type of humility and faithfulness in my lifetime, but maybe I can stop and pause in my difficult times to focus on the things that I am aware of that I have been blessed with. The list is quite long, if only I would focus more on it; Freedom, health, a good job, a loving and beautiful family, a relationship that is ever growing with a loving God. Even the little things like a sunrise or sunset, the playfulness and loyalty of a dog, taking a risk and enjoying it, some good music and a nice glass of wine. I can choose to focus on these things or I can focus on all the things I which I had, but don't. That will only lead to a woe is me, this life is no good type of attitude. Who wants to be around that?

We attract people to us and likewise repel people from us based on out attitudes. We can witness for Christ most effectively when we are appreciative for what we have, or when we handle difficult seasons of our life with grace and dignity. People are always watching our behaviors and will want to know how we are able to deal with abundance or lack in the same manner and with the same consistency and joy. We will be able to then talk about how God is our compass, our rock and our redeemer and we are just focusing our eyes on Him.

Life isn't about having what you want, it is about wanting what you have. I can always choose how I respond to any situation in my life. Sometimes I get depressed and I make mistakes with how I respond to certain disappointments in my life. But through Christ, I am learning to enjoy the day's blessings for what they are, and trying to overlook the betrayals and my own shortcomings. I can look at anything that happens in my life and say I am too blessed to complain. I can carry the joy of my Lord and Savior deep in my heart for all to see, letting his light and love shine through me like an hour glass. Or I can spend my time bemoaning the sour hours of my perception of what the world owes me. In those instances, the list of things to complain about can also seem endless. The great thing about living this life is I alone get to choose how I view my life and the world, and so do you. Too BLESSED to complain or sour hours? The choice is mine. And yours.

Deeper. Always deeper.

2013-10-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

10-6-13

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verse of the day: Psalm 42:7 " Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

I have been going through one of the most intensive processes in my life of self examination and repentance in my walk with the Lord over the last few weeks and it has produced a myriad of emotions. I have asked the Lord, as King David did in Psalm 139:23-24, to "search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." God is always faithful and He has been revealing quite a lot to me during this period from some of the areas of my life that I haven't even been aware were in such desperate need of my repentance and His forgiveness. Some of the things He has revealed have been surprising, humbling, sad, joyful, liberating, energizing and hopeless.

The one truth that has constantly been present in my time with the Lord is the idea that there is always a deeper and more intimate relationship that the Lord our God seeks with us, His children. God is not jealous of us, but He is jealous for us and He desires that we spend more time in his presence so that we can begin to assume the character and traits of His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. He gives us a glimpse of this desire in 2nd Corinthians 3:18 which says, "and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

In order to be transformed by something or someone, we must first spend time with the thing or person that we wish to be transformed by. God wants us to spend time with Him alone so that He can reveal hidden truths to us. We are in bondage and He wants to set us free, but to be free from something we first must realize that there is a problem and truthfully admit that it exists. Alone time in the presence of the Lord is where God can do His surgical work on our hearts and souls. He can reveal deeper truths about His intentions, our understanding, or lack thereof, His level of forgiveness, our level of sinfulness. He can show us many things about how deep His love is, how He never stops pursuing us, how deep we need to forgive others as He has forgiven us. Spending time alone in His presence is like a getting a PHD in wisdom from the Creator of the Universe. He can quickly break into our kingdoms of selfishness and pride and reveal to us how far apart "His ways are from our ways and His thoughts are from our thoughts," as Isaiah 55:5:8-9 says.

I have been amazed at the subtle areas of my sinful pride that have been revealed during these alone times with Him. It is easy to spot anger, greed and lust, but my delusions of being in control of situations, which has led me to feel anxious as I am trying to accomplish things on my own strength or for others to validate me, rather than to bask in the Lord's glory and strength, has been revealing. Always deeper are His revelations, and always more humbling is the repentance required by me. But the deeper the humbling, the more freedom I find on the other side of that experience. We as Christians are required to repent on a regular basis. Not so God can humiliate us, but rather so the power of His grace can be seen and felt in our lives. James 4:6 says " God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

Our sin can destroy our lives and our testimony, but His grace, mercy and forgiveness can restore us. I feel like the deeper I get with the Lord, and the more vulnerable I am willing to be, the more His grace can wash over me and bring new energy into my being. He alone can take an area of my life that is dead, and create new fruit and beauty out of the barrenness, once it has been healed by His amazing grace. That makes me crave my time alone with the great Physician. The deep revelations give way to greater wisdom and healing. He always wants what is best for me. I just need to show up to the appointments, so the healing and restoration can take place. Being honest with myself and admitting how great my sin is and how desperate I am for Him is the great struggle. He responds with Deeper love, mercy and grace than I could ever imagine.I find myself stunned by the depth of His love, which is endless. He implores me to trust Him more and surrender more, so He can take me deeper into our relationship. His goal is simple, yet profound. Always deeper!

The Great Paradox: Forever Hungry, yet Forever Satisfied

2013-09-02T21:37:00.002-07:00

September 2, 2013

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verse of the day: Matthew 7:7 " Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

All of Christianity at it's core is paradoxical and that is part of the great mystery that God has prepared for us. The teachings of Jesus Christ from 2,000 years ago are still as relevant today as they were then and just as hard to comprehend, let alone to live out in the fallen world that we live in. We want to be satisfied, pleasured, catered to and taken care of on our terms and in our time. That is the truth. But the real Truth cries out for a different realty. Serve others first. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. The meek shall inherit the earth. We gain territory by yielding it. Love your neighbor as yourself. We can't do it by ourselves. Our power is made perfect in weakness. His grace is sufficient for us. Be still. Rest. Wait a second. What is the Bible telling us to do? Pretty much everything that is the polar opposite of what the world is telling us to do.
Anything so different leaves you hungry for more. There are times I simply crave more of what Jesus says, does and teaches us. There are also times where breakthroughs happen and it all makes sense, totally relevant to what my current struggles may look like and or just the right word at the right time. In those moments, the satisfaction meter is 100%. I can't feel any more content. Nothing in the world would add to the wisdom of eternity falling down upon my shoulders.

But those moments don't ever seem to last for as long as I wish they would, no does my humanity allow me to humbly live them out the way I wish I could; the way that Jesus mirrored for us. And that leaves me hungry for me. More answers, more finding. more wisdom, more growth. It never really ends does it? The more Jesus teaches us, the more wisdom we gain, the more we see how it brings peace into our lives and satisfaction that we are loved by the Creator of the world and His Son, the more we crave more! SATISFIED, YET HUNGRY FOR MORE! Sometimes we can even learn to rest and "let the peace that surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." ( Philippians 4:7) Oh if only the "next thing" would stay away for just a little longer, so the peace of resting in Jesus could last a little longer. You know, the next sales call, the next lost deal, the next piece of news of the world falling into utter chaos, the next anxious boss, or spouse, or unhappy child. The next beer or numbing agent of choice to cover our pain. The next thought from the past that still finds space in our attic to haunt us. The next regret.

The Bible verse of the day speaks to our need for interaction with Christ on a regular basis as necessary. Why? For our own sanity and peace! When we ask, He does answer. When we seek, we do find. When we knock, the door is opened. Not always in the way we expect. Not always in our timing. Not always as a cosmic vending machine, given us all we say or think we want. But always does He give us what we need! Sometimes we need patience. Sometimes we need pruning. Sometimes we need discipline or to trust Him more. Sometimes we need to be still. But always do we need prayer time with Him. He desires us to pray without ceasing ( Thessalonians 5:17 ) Why? Because He loves us and desires us to spend time alone with Him in His presence so He can teach us, guide us, love us. Why is that so hard for me sometimes. Do I crave alone time with myself? Yes, even though there are many times when I can't even stand being around myself. My spouse, my kids, my friends? Yes. Then why not even more so with the God of the Universe, My Creator and Redeemer? My Lord and Savior. My Eternal Father who knows what I need from Him before I even think it?

When I seek Him with all my heart, I will find Him. I always do. He never moves. I know His address. He is like 7-11, always open. In those moments when I get it and put all my distractions aside and seek the best this life has to offer, His wisdom, peace and love, I can find true satisfaction. Satisfaction so great it leaves me hungry for more. Forever Hungry, Forever Satisfied. The great paradox of Christianity. A puzzle, inside a riddle, wrapped in an enigma. I wouldn't want it any other way. Oh wait a minute. Yes I would. I would want it my way. Frank Sinatra sang about it. Pride is a tough beast to slay. God, help me to truly want it your way. That is where true freedom and peace lay. Surrender begins when we admit we don't have all the answers, or even know all the questions. But you do Jesus. Help us to surrender to your marvelous mystery. Today!

Lean into God

2013-06-09T13:16:00.002-07:00

June 9th, 2013

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Psalm 43:1 " Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine."

We live in a time and place where there is plenty of fear to go around. All one has to do is to open up a newspaper or turn on the news to get an instant feel for the how messed up our world is. The U.S.Government spying on their own citizenry and using the IRS to target people who disagree with their agenda is reminiscent of George Orwell's futuristic thriller 1984, but it is no longer the future, it is the present, and it is scary because it is happening right here in the U.S.A. There are wars and rumors of wars all over the Middle East. North Korea threatens the destruction of S. Korea, Japan and the U.S. on almost a regular basis now. Terrorists want to destroy the freedom that we enjoy as Americans, and they seem to be doing a good job at chipping away at our liberties in both subtle and overt ways.

We live in a broken world, that is desperate for the truth of what will make it all better and will help us deal with our fears. But the Truth is right before our eyes and our real internal freedom from all of our fears is right there alongside the Truth in Jesus Christ, who says in John 14:6 " I am the way, the truth and the life; No one can come to the Father except through me." The most important question we can ever ask ourselves in this lifetime is, do we believe Him? Do we believe that Jesus is who He said He was? Because if we believe Him, and we trust that in Him we have eternal life that can never be taken away from us, then that makes all of our other fears seem insignificant within the scope of that promise. Don't get me wrong, as humans we will struggle with fear because our nature is to want to control things and as we come to the stark realization there are so many things in this life that are beyond our control, our natural reaction is to become fearful. We can't control what is going on at our neighbors house, or in the guy's car next to us on the freeway or the rogue employee at the office who has had a bad fight with their spouse. But each of these people and situations has a chance to spill over directly into our lives and can have a tremendous effect on us and we can't stop it. A drunk driver next to us could suddenly swerve into our car and cause major damage or worse. A rogue employee can decide to take out their frustration by committing violence on innocent people and their is nothing we did to cause that, nor is there anything we can do to control that. Those types of thoughts about our ultimate lack of control can make us fearful.

But those are external events. What about our ability to control fear and remove anxiety from an internal perspective? Luckily, God has given us a road map of how we can lean into Him to find some real and everlasting internal peace amongst the chaos that is happening all around us. Prayer is the biggest tool that we have in our arsenal to alleviate our fears. As a matter of fact, God promises us that prayer can directly lead to peace. In Philippians 4:6-7 it says " Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Again, the question is do we believe it?

Another thing that we can do is to get our hearts right before the Lord. He promises to forgive us of our sins if we repent and turn to Him for forgiveness. For He alone can forgive our sins. We must realize that we are only as sick as our secrets. When we have nothing to hide, than we truly have nothing to fear. Often times, however, our initial reaction when we do something we are not proud of is to hide. We run away from God, rather than leaning into God to help us through the mess we have created. We try to justify our running away by saying things to ourselves like"what I did wasn't so bad compared to what this person does" or " no one got hurt as a result of what I did" or " I don't even think what I did was sinful," like somehow we get to play God and make judgements on what is sin and what isn't. But here is the real truth: We can't trick our souls! Our souls are the feedback mechanism God built into us to know when we do something wrong. Even little 1 year old babies have the ability to know when they do wrong. They usually let us know because they start to cry even before we have ever said anything about what they have done wrong! A dog slinks around the house when they know that they shouldn't have eaten the stuffing out of the chair. A drug addict even knows when they use that it is a bad choice, even though they may feel powerless to stop.

Even before I became a Christ follower, I knew right form wrong. I just didn't take time to stop and repent before God and ask for His forgiveness and guidance the next time the same situation occurred as I do now. Therefore I had never dealt with the root problem, my sin, and that caused me to be fearful because I was hiding something from God ( or thought I was, not realizing that He already knows everything I HAVE EVER DONE OR WILL DO. ) I was trying to run from Him, afraid He was like an angry traffic cop behind a billboard just waiting to cast judgement upon me. Guilty He would surely say! I didn't know if I was ready or able to handle His harsh response. Little did I know at the time that " there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," as Romans 8;1 tells us. In fact, I know now that He alone can remove that heavy load of guilt that I was carrying on my back from my life of unrepentant sin. Not only is there no condemnation, but there is actually freedom and peace in the place where guilt and fear once roamed. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says " Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavily burdened, and I WILL GIVE YOUR REST!" Rest not only for our bodies, but for our tired souls. Why would we ignore such a blessing?

God knew the desperation of our sinful guilt and resulting fear, and that it why after Jesus had died on the cross for forgiveness of our sins, He sent the Holy Spirit as an advocate for our lives to lead us in ways of real truth. He said in John 15:4-5 " Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. For I AM the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

How can we remain in Christ even though Jesus has left the physical earth for now? God sent the answer in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us in righteousness and in the way everlasting. We must pray to stay connected to God. We must read the Bible, the living word of God, to stay connected to God. We must fellowship with others to stay connected to God. We must love others, the way He has loved us, to stay connected to God. We must forgive others, including ourselves, as He has forgiven us. We must stop running and learn to lean into God when we make mistakes and fall in our sin. He is not surprised when we sin. In fact, I believe He is much more surprised when we don't! Repenting removes fear because it removes our desire to hide. It brings our weaknesses out into the open and it says, please God forgive me, for I am a weak and broken person and I am sorry. I want to lean into you and your strength, mercy and grace. God works well with humility. Humility aligns us with the Spirit of His Son, the most humble person to ever walk the face of this earth. He will work to restore our brokenness, heal our wounds and remove our fear. The question is, will we let Him?

Baby in a basket

2013-06-04T00:57:00.002-07:00

June 3, 2013

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

If I am perfectly honest, I say that I am a devoted follower of Christ and that I am "all in," but in many instances my actions tell a completely different story. Oh, I indeed want to follow Christ and seek him with all of my heart and soul, its just that I keep letting the world and all of its worries, get in the way. It is like I want to have all ten toes in the water with Christ, but I keep finding myself with like 7 toes trying to hang on to something in this world. I want to give myself credit for "doing it my way", as Frank Sinatra used to sing about so proudly. But why? My way never works out so well and the things of this world that I still find myself distracted by and drawn to only leave me empty, frustrated and angry. Why can't we all get along and love each other the way we're supposed to? Why does our Government act as if they are above the people, instead of for the people? Why does the media endlessly promote all the negative news at the expense of the hopeful things that could make people feel more positive. I tell myself I am over all this, it saps my strength and leaves me depleted and that the peace that I find in Christ is an obvious oasis where I should spend all of my time. Psalm 46:10 exhorts me "to be still and know that I am God" and I have felt this calmness and crave to bottle it up and keep it always by my side.

Yet when opportunities come up to serve his kingdom and to bless others, many times my own fears or lack of convictions keep my from doing the vary things I wish to do. I can fully relate to Paul in Romans 7: 15 when he says " I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do." My heart screams "yes", this is the opportunity I have been waiting for to align myself with the Lord's servant heart. I know that if I act on these feelings, the reward is a connection to a loving Savior that is pleased with my compassion and which leaves me feeling euphoric and meaningful, for I have felt this on many of those such occasions. But many times, my mind and my body are tired, lazy or fearful. Instead of seeing opportunity, I see inconvenience.

I want to so desperately be free from the shackles of conditional servitude, but many times I play that game with God that if I do this for you, then what are you going to do for me? Will I get instant payback and have the laundry list of perceived wants fulfilled? Like God is some cosmic deal maker in the sky, like a Monte Hall: should I take the box or the curtain? of course not, because God loves me too much to give me what I think I want. Instead, He always gives me what i need and in His perfect timing. One thing I have finally started to realize in my walk with our gracious Lord is we do not do deals with Him. His word promises us that we will be richly rewarded for our acts of loving others with kindness, forgiveness and patience, but that it is best to serve in secret. Matthew 6:3-4 says that " when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that all of your giving may be in secret. Then you Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." I struggle with this one mightily because of my pride that fuels my need for recognition. Hey, did anyone see what I did today for this orphan or that widow? How about a little r-e-s-p-e-c-t for going out of my way to help someone or to give some of my hard earned money to a charity which I don't even really know about. I could have done a lot more with my time or resources than that. Of course, in all honesty, that was the best thing I could have ever done with my time and resources and it also made me feel better than anything else I could have done.

That is the amazing thing about God; He never let's us down and His words are always true and always will be.It is just we struggle so much in our broken humanness with the paradoxes. It is better to give than receive? The last shall be first? If someone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles? The meek shall inherit the earth? What happened to an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth? What about I deserve to have all that I can get because of.... fill in the blank. I mean, these things are so counter intuitive to the way I have been raised in this world, it requires total surrender of 48 years of human experiences in order to comply and of course, no one ever fully has or will except for Jesus himself. But here is the rub: When we fully trust in God through Christ Jesus, He can take away all of the fears and doubts and actually make us see the great value in His ways, which he reminds us in Isaiah 55:9 are so much higher and greater than our ways. When we learn to trust the way that the Mother of Baby Moses did, when she placed her baby in a basket, and sent him floating down the Nile into unknown territory with all of her hope and dreams resting solely on the large shoulders of her God, then we are truly free at last.

There are things that happen to us in this world that we simply were not designed to handle. Luckily, God tells us we don't have to. He is big enough to handle them for us. The question is do we trust Him? I have come to the firm belief that we are all one giant, faithful decision away from seeing His glory manifest itself in our lives in a tangible way. I mean He is a present God and He cares deeply about all of the details of our lives. He loves the world and everything in it, which by inference means He loves us and cares about us. He is not distant; he is present, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, as we struggle to pay our bills or as we plant flowers in our garden or as we work in technology to help develop a new way of speeding up our lives.That is a discussion for another day. Why do we really think that if we speed up our lives, we will somehow blow right past all of our problems, when in reality we need the complete opposite? We need to repent and ruthlessly eliminate all hurry in our life and spend time alone in the presence of our King, so we can hear His still voice. He is pleading with us to trust him. Why is it so hard for us to let go of whatever is holding us back? Psalm 127: 1-2 says " Unless the LORD builds the house the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late toiling for food to eat- for he grants sleep to those He loves." I see the Lord pleading with me in this verse that I don't need to work harder or to stay up later toiling, I NEED TO PRAY MORE! I NEED TO TRUST MORE.

I occasionally get a good glimpse of my prideful condition that keeps me from given Him all the glory in my life and it both saddens and sickens me. it shows me a glimmer of my despair and it is uncomfortable at best. Pride is the biggest threat to our fruitful relationship with Christ because it cuts off the source of all good fruit, the Vine which is Him, and offers a cheap substitute which can never last, which is us, the branches. No wonder why Proverbs 16:18 warns us that "first pride, then the fall." We have heard it said that for every 100 people that can handle failure, only 1 can handle success and that is because of our prideful condition that longs to feed the flesh. The battle that rages between Flesh ( evil ) and the Spirit ( God ) is a fierce one that every person is constantly engaged in. Love, hope, peace, kindness, vs lust, anger, pride, greed. It is spelled out it Galatians 5 and it is a battle that we can handle on our own. Many times, we don't even realize that we are in it and certainly not until we become a Christ follower.

When Christ is at the center of all of our lives, he starves our need to feed the fleshly desires we crave. When we truly align with Christ's heart, we find that we are able to do things that would be unimaginable on our own. We are able to forgive those who have hurt us badly in the past, be it in love or finances or abuse or whatever the situation. Sometimes, we are even able to forgive ourselves for the messy areas of our lives and the destructive wakes we have left behind. For when we truly believe that Christ loves and forgives us, and that the love is so deep that He was willing to die for forgiveness of those sins, then we are free to live the lives that He intended for us all along. We can become the earthly vessels through which His grace, love and mercy can flow. We become stewards in all the gifts he has given us, freely able to let them pass through us to grow and bless His kingdom. We can't fully comprehend a love so deep in our human condition. But we can learn to trust it.

Enthusiasm in God

2012-11-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

11-19-12

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Isaiah 40:31 " But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not grow faint."

Sometimes life is hard. If we are not careful, we can easily loose our joy due to the hardships that this world offers that never seem to be in short supply. Our health is failing, our loved ones are on drugs, our boss is a jerk, there is not enough money in the bank, or if there is, not enough time to enjoy it. We are getting old more quickly they we would like. This seems to be especially poignant around major holidays such as Thanksgiving when we wonder where the last year has gone or how it went by so quickly. The years sure do seem to speed up as you grow older. If we focus on the media and the news of any given day, there are plenty of things that will depress us. This past Presidential election cycle was enough to make even the most patriotic of Americans feel embarrassed by the lowliness of the campaign process. Is that the best we can do, I kept asking myself as I viewed viscous attack ad, one after another? Apparently so. I guess all it takes to become President of the United States these days is to artfully and ruthlessly vilify your opponent without ever having to put forth an actual plan of your own.

So where do we turn when the weight of the world is stealing our joy and we cant seem to see over the mountains that stand before us? I believe the answer is found in the Bible verse of the day above. If we place our hope in the Lord, wait upon the Lord, we will renew our strength. As a matter of fact, we will find an amazing amount of energy and enthusiasm from aligning ourselves with the only One, through the energizing gift of the Holy Spirit, who can ever give us real strength and real peace. I learned while listening to a sermon the other day that the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek words En and Theos, which literally mean " In God." The more we align and spend time with God, the more energy we get. We actually feel like a gust of wind has lifted us up to soar like eagles and to run and not grow weary. I have found that we need to re-frame our problems from what is wrong with us, to what is right with God. Just that subjective change in mindset can truly set us free. They say a low view of God is the cause of 100 lesser evils, while a person with a high view of God is relived of 10,000 temporal problems. We cannot focus on God and help but feel our strength grow. Our fears can cripple us and leave us looking back on our lives and wondering why we hadn't tried more things or taken more chances. These regrets, called sins of omission, can stifle our happiness later in life. The price of our vitality is the sum of all our fears. God says in Matthew 11:28 "come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened and i will give you rest." He alone can give us the courage to go forward when we are out of strength. He alone can give us the enthusiasm for life deep in our soul when it seems all the world is caving in all around us.

As followers of Christ, it should be our birthright to be enthusiastic and to have a sense of destiny about life when we focus in on how great His love is for us. Where others see us a having a death wish, we really have a life wish. We want to take risks for the One who risked it all. As my Pastor said this weekend, all the other religions of the world focus on the word "do" as in what do you have to do to be saved? Wow, what a heavy burden to carry around with you, always wondering what else you have to do in order to be accepted by a judgmental God. Christianity focuses on the word "done" as in Christ has done it all for us. We are free from sin, from the guilt and shame that otherwise would have destroyed us if it were not taken care of us on the cross. Our sin tab reads PAID IN FULL. It is a hard concept in this world of go take what you want from the world, be your own boss, you deserve it, for us to get to a place where we can be energized in just knowing that there is nothing that is required from us other than accepting what already has been done for us by a merciful and loving God. When we really come to that place where we see how powerless we are to deal with our own sin, and yet we realize that we have a God who sent the Lamb of God in Jesus Christ to pay an atoning sacrifice for our collective sin, Christians should be the most energized people in the world. Not naively enthusiastic, recognizing that we all will experience seasons of sometimes tremendous pain in our earthly pilgrimage, but inherent enthusiasm welled up deep in our souls.

God loves insurmountable odds, and the Bible is full of the stories that prove this, just see David vs. Goliath or Gideon's army for a few reminders, because where we see obstacles, He sees opportunities. Opportunities to bring glory to His Kingdom by using saved sinners like us, the rag tag folks of God's Army, the weak to humble the strong of this world and to bring love to the hopeless. That is why only the weak can fight in His army. He needs to break us of all pride and then He can begin to restore us for His bigger plan and purpose for our lives. There should be tremendous enthusiasm in being a part of such a big plan. Jesus says throughout the scriptures that we must be like little children " For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." What are little children like? First off, they are totally dependent on others for their survival and contentment. Was that a big hint or what from our Lord? If you look at their personalities though, they tend to be eager, enthusiastic, playful, loving, trusting and not the least bit self conscious. They are alive and they are eager to experience life to its fullest. I believe God expects the same from His followers. There should be an enthusiastic expectancy to our lives as followers of Christ. I believe King David was a man, although certainly not immune to pain and heartache, who lived his life in an eager way that was dependent upon the Lord and full of enthusiasm for what he might do next. This is captured in one of his prayers in Psalm 5:3 " In the morning O Lord, you hear my voice. In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." For that and many other reasons King David was known as a man after God's own heart. May we have the courage to live enthusiastically in and for God ourselves. He deserves nothing less from us.

We are His beloved

2012-10-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

10-23-2012

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verse of the day: 1st John 4:19 " We love because He first loved us."

Can you imagine the state we would be in as humans, full of our guilt and sin, if God had told us that before He could love us, we needed to get ourselves cleaned up, straightened out and rid of all the junk in our lives that keeps us from closer fellowship with Him? He would be a very lonely God because there would be no one that He could love. But thankfully for us, God is merciful and desires above all else a close and intimate relationship with His people who populate the earth. In fact, he loves us so much that rather than making us do anything to be more loveable, he sent His only begotten Son in Jesus Christ to earth to take care of our sin problem and our unrighteousness right here on earth, so that we could be reconciled back to him and His love right in the place where we were. In other words, in our sinful nature. Romans 5:8 proves His immense love for us when it states that " But God demonstrates His own love for us for us in this; While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Wow, that is a powerful verse. It says to me that God so understood the depth of our sin problem and our inability to do anything about it, that He sent us a life line in Jesus Christ, to bear the burden of the world's sin on His own shoulders and paying our sin tab in full. The message is clear, we are powerless to deal with sin, except through the strength, grace and wisdom found in and through Jesus Christ. All other religions of the world are reaching out to God in their guilt, trying to earn their way out of their sinfulness by the good deeds they are doing in their own eyes, hoping to get that insurance policy in the sky to cover the wickedness of the hearts. But Isaiah 64:6 shows the ineptitude of that approach " All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all of our good deeds and righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." What we see as good works, God sees as filthy rags. They are literally nothing when viewed through His eyes. They are an affront to Him, They can never compare and measure up to His holiness, when He was willing to risk it all and take the sin of the fallen world and place it on his Son on the cross. So while the other religions of the world struggle to feel ok about their guilt, and themselves, through their fruitless efforts to please God, God reaches out to us in His Son and says here is your salvation, sent just for you, take and drink of Him, who alone can save you. He is available to all people, and only your foolish pride can keep you from accepting His redemption for your sinfulness. He alone can set you free, will you let Him? So, my natural response is, what should we do to respond to a love that is so great and so undeserving? Well, in the verse of the day, 1st John 4;19 he tells us what to do: Love others. Because He loved us first, we must love others and share with them the good news of the gospel. In fact, he warns us later in 1st John 4:20-21 how serious He is about us loving others when he says " If anyone says I love you, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." We are freed up to love others, even those who are unlovable, because deep down in the depth of our souls, we have been set free by the fact that He loved us first. The world needs to know this kind of love, for it is the only true love that exists in the world. Augustine said there are only two types of love: The love of God unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self unto the forgetfulness and denial of God. Which way are most of us living today? As selfish lovers of self, and it is literally starving the world of the ral love found only in God. As humans, our love is imperfect. It is jealous, anxious and often flawed. But God's love is perfect, holy and ever lasting. Human beings are prone to hurt one another. We tell each other mean, judgmental things, like that we no longer are in love with you. Things that cause pain and hurt and agony. God says just the opposite. In Hebrews 13:5 He says that no matter what you do or have done " I will never leave you or forsake you." There is another assurance we can bank on in Romans 8:1 ' Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." He has removed all of our sins as far as the East is from the West. Why would we not want what God is freely giving and what this world so desperately needs? Unconditional love, free from guilt and shame. Hebrews 2:3 says " How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?" The answer is we wont. Romans 14:11-12 assures us " That as surely as I live says the Lord, that every knee will bow before me and every tongue confess to God. So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." Why not freely accept the love of God found only in Jesus Christ." Now go and love one another so that people can see the love of God in you. Fathers love your children and your spouses and keep the place in your family that is of vital importance. Children love your parents for they are doing their best to help you deal with this darkened world. Love those who persecute you, for then you will be aligned with the selfless love of God. God cares about our heart alignment and wants us to reflect his gracious heart of forgiveness and humility. Humility onto love on the cross. Love so amazing. Love so amazing.

The Judge Without a Court

2012-10-08T16:42:00.003-07:00

10-8-2012

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Romans 2:1-4 " You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things. Now we know that God's judgement against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgement on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgement? Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you to repentance."

I am a man in dire need of repentance based on the verse above because I am guilty in my sin of judgement. I live my life in a way that is at odds with this teaching, even if by my power I try my best not to. And you see, that is where the problem lies. I cannot live the life I am called to live as a Christian, as a follower of a Christ, on my own terms and in my own power. My self-righteousness quickly gets in the way and condemns me of being guilty of judgement of others. Who am I, a mere man, to judge others and where does that lack of tolerance come from? I believe it comes from allowing the world in which I live to corrupt my thinking and from not being grounded deep enough in the true teachings and understanding of who Christ is and how he taught. He taught nothing but compassion and tolerance. In every person he saw a child of God who was worthy of His calling and time, and never did he judge someone based on their past behavior without throwing them a life line to a new life of hope in him. He understood fully our human weakness and our moral frailty. Brenning Manning, in the book Abbas's Child, points out the paradoxical challenge of Christ's life on earth to His followers by noting how He got involved with the " moral failures, the irreligious and and immoral people; so many dubious, obscure, abandoned, hopeless types, existing as an eradicable evil, on the fringes of ever society." My God, if Jesus Christ himself was so compassionate and patient towards those people in his time on this earth, turning towards them with gracious kindness so that they may still be "saved" up and until their last dying breath, who am I or is anyone else to cast our own judgement upon those same people when we don't even have a court in which to judge? Lord have mercy on me and forgive me of my sin! In today's world, the AIDS carriers, the drug addicts, the sexual predators, the dregs of society, would be the first ones that Jesus would probably reach out to because of their being ostracized in society. How hard of a message is that to hear with our human understandings and limitations? Impossible! According to Manning, "the Pharisee lurking within all of us shuns sinners, while Jesus turns toward them with gracious compassion." The only way we can ever get to the place where we can look at things through His eyes is to totally surrender to our way of thinking and to remove all pride from our lives that assumes that we have some moral authority over those whom have chosen to reject God. We are so quick as Christians to judge those that have chosen to live their life in a way that doesn't measure up to our own make believe standards. What a joke that is and an insult that must be to the Risen Lord. As a matter of fact, it is those same people who Christ may put in our path so that we can illustrate to them what true, non judgmental, love looks like. Romans 5:5 says " The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us." The challenge is do we use that love of God to the best of our abilities and in a way that would be pleasing to him? I am first to admit that I often fail in this area, as I am way to quick to cast dispersions on those who I deem as unholy. Just typing that makes me sick to my stomach when it becomes apparent that next to Jesus Christ, who reveals in His human life what it looks life to live a divine life, full of compassion, grace and mercy, just how guilty in my human ignorance I am. I fully realize that we as sinners our never able to even come close to approaching the life of God incarnate on this earth, but yet my utter lack of tolerance in some situations still startles me. I am reminded to run to the cross and repent when these episodes of judgement are revealed to me, so that I can live a radical life as one who is beloved by a God who forgives me of ALL of my sin through the blood of my savior Jesus Christ. Without that assurance, I would be truly dead in all my transgressions, with no hope for redemption or eternal life. God calls us to a life of forgiveness, which is counter cultural in a world that demands an eye for an eye at best, and a much more uneven retribution against those who have harmed us at worse. In the Lord's prayer, we ask God to "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." We have seemed to forget what He is really teaching us here, that He forgives us without limit, an unpayable debt ( The meaning of 70x 7 ) and expects us to have our hearts positioned in the same manner. Only a complete and radical trust in a Source greater than ourselves, and a total abandonment to our own flesh, can empower us to truly forgive the wounds inflicted upon us by others. May the Lord of all strength, power and glory give us the ability to do so. For there in lies true freedom, free of judgement and revenge, the truest Christian who can say they did their best to follow the example for which He died upon the cross, forgiveness of our sins. For even in His last breath, in Luke 23:34 Jesus turns to His accuser and says "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Fear Not

2012-07-17T21:06:00.003-07:00

7-17-2012

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verse of the Day: Psalm 23:4 " Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;If your rod and staff, they comfort me."

If we are truly walking with the Lord, spending time in the word and following His directions for our lives, we should be the most courageous souls on the face of the earth. We should be bold as Lions. We know that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain should the worst thing that could possibly happen to us, we die, actually happen for as Paul said in Philippians 1:21 ' for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." This should free us up to charge ahead in our pursuits of whatever the task at hand is that God is calling us to pursue. So why don't we? Why do I still struggle so much with my fears? I have been pondering this a lot lately because I do know that the most common phrase in the Bible is Fear Not and I truly believe it can be attainable to live this way, but yet I still struggle with totally surrendering all of my fears to the Lord. I find that whenever I try to take the wheel, and drive the car that is my life on my terms or with what I feel are my rights, the fears coming flying in and although it sounds easy to just say I will stop trying to be captain of my ship, I find it to be quite difficult at times. I guess as much as I try to control it and am aware of the pitfalls that accompany my quest for my will and my way to be done, my prideful human condition can still creep in and mess with God's perfect plans for my life. I am torn because I truly know that God's way is the best way, the path that leads to real freedom and true life. I have even occasionally been quite bold in the manifestations of my faith for His eternal purposes. But I don't seem to be able to sustain or maintain the energy that builds up when I am living for the one and only real Truth in this life. I get distracted so easily by so many trivial things, be it the latest political news, or the pending collapse of the Country I love from both moral as well as financial bankruptcy, or the pretty girl at the club who is somehow working out in an outfit that together doesn't even encompass a cocktail napkin's worth of material. Many blessings are currently overflowing in my life, and I am fully aware and fully grateful. I feel the Holy Spirit all around me, and His presence comforts me in my prayers and guides me in my walk. I feel close to the Lord when I am faithful, as He is always faithful. I want to do big things for the Lord at all times and yet sometimes I find it difficult to even take a step forward towards that courageous decision that needs to made on His behalf and where I am convinced that fearless living resides. Instead of being and living as a vessel for which and through which God can use me for what I was created for, I tend to think of me and my limitations, my past stumbles and my lack of confidence in so many areas of my life and I feel unable to do it. But then I remember the Bible is full of heroes who never felt worthy of the calling God put on their lives, but they learned how to fully surrender their will to God's will and their way to God's way. I think of David as a little shepherd boy or Moses as a stuttering murderer or Sarah as a barren 90 year old. Did they fully realize how God was preparing them for his huge glory when they were in the midst of it or were they just focused on getting their hearts right and being faithful in prayer so they would be ready when and if the Lord of the Universe called them into action? I pray that this is the process I am going through know and that soon it will be revealed to me how I can be used for His purposes. It is always the remnant that God calls on to save the city, and I firmly believe He is raising up an army of men and women right now who understand what is happening and will be prepared to answer the call. Psalm 23 lets us know that God will and has always provided everything that we need for our successful completion of our testing. In this one little Psalm, we see all of the various attributes that God provides for not only our survival but also for our success; He provides Rejuvenation ( he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul, verse 3 ), guidance ( He guides me in paths of righteousness, verse 3 ) protection ( I will fear no evil, for you are with me, verse 4 ) comfort ( your rod and your staff, they comfort me, verse 4 ) blessings ( you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, verse 5-6 ) and eternal relationship ( and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, verse 6 ). I pray for the wisdom, strength and courage to just get out of the way and let Him fearlessly lead me to the place of my destiny, for I am convinced that there is no greater discovery available to man thant seeing God as the Author of our destiny. Amen.

Freedom From Within

2012-07-06T15:46:00.001-07:00

7/6/2012

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: John 8:32 ' Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

We celebrated America's 236 Birthday this week as a sign of the freedom we enjoy as a nation. It took a lot of brave men and women to work together for the enduring cause of our freedom from the tyranny of oppressive rule. It took courage and strength and fearlessness to fight the battles that needed to be fought in order for us to secure this most treasured of earthly prizes- FREEDOM. But although we are still free as a group of individuals to pursue our desires, to pray and worship freely, to love and to cherish the beliefs that make us special as a nation, there are still many walking amongst us who are not free at all. They are walking in spiritual bondage to an evil, oppressive occupier of their minds, hearts and souls and in many cases they are not even aware of their plight. On the outside, they may even appear to be winning in the game of life. They may be living the American dream of fancy houses, nice cars and great careers. But if you were to ask many of these people to honestly state how they feel on the inside, many would express a far different story. They would say that they are fearful of losing of what they had worked so hard to acquire. They would talk of the anxiety and depression they feel. Basically, they would feel duped that all of the external things that they thought would bring them peace and comfort, has instead left them feeling like a captive deep in their souls.They are literally trapped in an internal prison. I know this feeling because I was living it for the first 38 years of my life. No matter how much worldly success we accumulate or how many possessions we acquire, we eventually must come to the stark conclusion that all true freedom must come from within. As the Bible verse of the day states above, once we recognize this truth, that Jesus is the only way to true and everlasting contentment, can we be set free internally. The truth of who Jesus is and what He came to do for us here on earth, is the beginning of our internal journey to find real truth and freedom. Once we recognize the fact that Jesus died on the cross for forgiveness of our sins, was resurrected on the third day to sit at the right hand of the father's throne, and left us the ability to connect with His truth through the power of the Holy Spirit, can we begin our march to true freedom deep in our souls. The amazing thing is there is no hard work required on our part, only the willingness to ask Him to come into our lives to help us with our pain and separation, to recognize who He is and what He has done for us, and to humbly repent of our sinful nature and He does all the rest! True freedom begins the moment we recognize how far we fall short of the mark He set, and recognize that without Christ, we would stand guilty in our sins before the God of the Universe on judgement day. Now, we are free in the knowledge that He alone has paid our sin bill in full and there is nothing left on the tab! If that is not freedom, I don't know what is. It doesn't mean it will be easy, or without pain, as we grow in our knowledge of who He is and who we are, and how great the chasm is that divides us, as Isaiah 55:9 reminds us, " As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." But it gives us great freedom to know that He has taken care of the chasm, and He understands that our sinful nature is a result of living in a fallen world into which we were all born, where sin and darkness reign until HE comes again to clean this whole mess up. Unless you grasp that thought, you will never be free and no amount of money or success can make you feel free inside. Like all freedom, our internal freedom came at a cost, and in this case it cost Christ everything. But love has no higher calling than this, that He was willing to lay down his life in a gruesome fashion so that we could live in true freedom, knowing that we are His for eternity. For He came to this earth to set the captives free, to remove the scales that were over our eyes so that we can see the truth clearly. After the drugs where off, the sex gets old, the gambling brings only pain where it once brought pleasure, we must finally admit that the sinful ways of this world lead only to entangle us in our pain. Jesus Christ is the way to true freedom. "He is the way, the truth and the life" as John 14:6 reminds us. All of our heart's desires and all we need for happiness and contentment, come from being assured of the rest and security that comes from the loving arms of our heavenly Father, by way of His faithful Son. True freedom never comes from external circumstance, but rather from internal contentment. When will we stop striving, looking for external things to fill the void that exists in our lives? True freedom comes from within. May that truth set you free. Amen.

Just Do It!

2012-06-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

6/20/2012

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the day: James 1:22 " But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (NKJV)

So many things that the Bible teaches us are so easy to say and hear, but so difficult to do. I failed miserably today at being a good neighbor to someone who really ticked me off. The guy showed up my door at 9 am to complain about my dog's " constant barking" which is a total fabrication. I instantly felt my blood pressure rising and my patience immediately wearing thin. I asked him how long he had lived behind us and he said a month and a half. Well in that time, there had been construction either at my house or my neighbor's house every morning without fail which has caused my dog some anxiety as she is just doing her job and barking at the strangers and strange sounds coming from her surroundings. She is a good dog and only does what her God given instincts have told her to do when she is afraid or feels threatened. But what about me? What's my excuse? Why did I react in such a worldly manner of attack mode and impatience rather than trying to have more compassion for the guy's request? Maybe because she is my dog, I am not as aware of the noise she can make when she is upset. But the bigger point is God teaches us through Jesus that being good neighbors is important and that means that we are to pray for those who may not know Him. I feel like my carnal instincts overwhelmed my Christian values this morning and that left me feeling so helpless to live out the word of God in my daily walk. I am convinced that I can live out biblical principles on my own power based on some intellectual enlightenment that I have obtained from reading and hearing the scriptures, rather than pursuing the total character transformation that God requires of those who are followers of His Son, in order to live it out. Why is it so hard to totally surrender? Why is it so hard to have the Christ centered nature become my second nature whenever I deal with the various tests and trials of this world? The power of the flesh over the Spirit is a constant battle that sometimes leaves me utterly fatigued and that is why I so desperately need to surrender all. Jesus has laid out for us that this path can be a struggle, that this path can lead to pain, but ultimately this is the only path that leads to all hope and glory. I get so distracted sometimes that I miss the Forrest through the trees. I had a great chance to witness to this stranger who unexpectedly showed up on my porch this morning to complain about my dog with a calmness and peace that can only come from knowing Jesus Christ. Instead, I showed him the rage and anger that came from him interrupting my life in a way that I didn't appreciate. I pray for the Lord's help in doing better next time. I pray that he will lead me to the peace that comes from surrender and out of the daily conflict of being still stuck in this world, while longing to touch others for His purposes while I am still here. Lord give me all your wisdom, glory and mercy. For as 2nd Corinthians 12:9 says " My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I am weak Lord to do your will the way I want to and the way you deserve. Please make me strong. Amen!

The Wounds of Glory

2012-06-14T12:40:00.003-07:00

6/14/2012

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Revelations 5:12-13 " In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! Then I heard every creature in Heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever."

In Revelation 5, the apostle John portrays Jesus as a wounded Lamb. Why should our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ appear before the assembled in his wounds in his glory? The answer is because His wounds are His Glory! They symbolize everything that gives us hope and gave Him glory! That He was able to overcome the temptations of the world, namely darkness, evil and the sinful nature of man, to remain Holy and thus receive all the glory, honor and power bestowed upon him by the heavenly Father for all of eternity. I love this image because it reminds me of His greatness and my weakness and sinfulness all at the same time. While He was able to overcome, often I succumb to the pleasures of my flesh. While He stood strong in the face of temptation, I often fall in my own weakness. While He deserves all of His eternal treasures, I must humbly seek His mercy upon my soul. The scriptures above reveal glimpses of the praise that will be non stop, day and night, for the King of Kings in the heavenly realms and which all believers will be a witness of. The whole of the worthiness of that praise to me is summed up in these scriptures from Romans 5:6 and 5:8 " You see, at just the right time, when we were all still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly and " But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I love that our faith didn't then and doesn't now require us to get it all together, or to figure it all out, or to pull ourselves up out the ditch we had fallen in to in order for our Savior to be willing to die for us, to relieve us all from the punishment that was rightfully due us for our rebellious nature towards God. In fact, he did just the opposite. He took our sin upon Him so that we could become righteous in His own eyes. So that our sin would be dealt with through the work on the cross and not alone before a God who could see our sins for himself and give us the just punishment we deserve. So the wounds He suffered on the Cross are His glory, but they are also ours. For without them, we wouldn't stand a chance and our sin would condemn us to a place of eternal separation from the place of glorious praise and honor to our Eternal King for those who believe. We should never bee ashamed of the gospel because he wasn't shamed on the cross to carry the weight, and to pay the unimaginable price, of our sin so that we could be reconciled back to the God who created us. As Romans 8:28 says, "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." Even when we were yet sinners, and at the perfect time, He was willing to die for you and for me. I would say He was busy working things out for the good of all of those who love him. I can never understand fully this eternal sacrifice in my human condition. But I can try to live my life in way that says thank you Lord Jesus, thank you, for what you did for me on the cross. Amen!

Tied together

2012-05-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

5/17/2012

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verse of the day: John 15:5 " I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Jesus says he is the Potter and we are the clay. He is the Vine and we are the branches. He is the Head and we are the body. He is the Groom and we are His bride. He is the Shepherd and we are the sheep. What do all of these things mean? They mean everything! They mean that we are inextricably tied together to our creator in a way that one without the other is worthless. What is a Shepherd without sheep? Unemployed! What is a Potter without clay? Dizzy! What is a Groom without His bride? Single! What is a Vine with branches? A stump! What is a Head without the body? Gruesome! We need Christ, and not a day goes by where I don't realize that more and more. But the fact that He needs us is an amazingly liberating thought when we stop to think about it. That is how important and valuable we are to Him. When our life seems mundane and the banality of it all begins to wear us down, we can always remember that the God of the Universe needs us to play a part in His grand creation. And not just any part, but the part that He has designed specifically for us. But I had never really stopped to think how significant all of this is until the other day when I heard a sermon on the radio discussing this very topic. We may never know until we are home with our Savior in heaven how a kind act, or a simple word of encouragement, helped to change a life, which in turn could change the world in way that only the Creator could work out. He paints on a canvass that is so much grander and infinite than what we are capable of understanding as humans, that this is the essence of our faith. We must come to the place of complete surrender and absolute trust, understanding that " as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts," as Isaiah 55:9 reminds us. We are sheep and sheep without a shepherd will wander right off a cliff and fall to their death in their stupidity and frailty. They will leave the green pastures and fresh grass to search for a better place, only to place themselves directly into peril in the desire to be their own master. A good Shepherd never rests as he is always caring for his flock and aware of the myriad of problems that can lead them to destruction. But likewise, this is what he loves to do. He exists to tend to His flock. Without His flock, the Shepherd has nothing to do and nothing to care for. What a blessing it is when you come to understand the symbiotic relationship that exists between God and man, how one without the other is incapable of functioning. God needs man to carry out his plan in this world, and man needs God to have a chance to carry out his plan in this world. Without Jesus as our Shepherd, we like sheep,would all go astray. Even with Jesus, we still battle our tendencies to want to do it our way, to put ourselves above our Shepherd, to try to work things out with our pride and efforts leading the way. But eventually we get tired and like all sheep, we come back to the place where we can find true rest, under the protective care of our Good Shepherd. Thank God He never leaves us or forsakes us. He needs us as much as we need him. Without clay, a Potter is just sitting idly, watching His wheel go round and round. A groom without His bride is desperate, alone and hurting. A vine without branches can not bear any fruit, for their is nothing on which for the fruit to blossom. A head without a body can give commands, but their is nothing with which to fulfill the orders. It hit me full force the other day as I was driving in my car. I am nothing without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for apart from Him I can do nothing. But it gives me great hope, that He needs me to carry out my purpose in His grand mosaic in the sky, whatever that may be. I may never know until I return Home for all of eternity what that purpose was, but I will be excited beyond my wildest dreams when he shares it with me and His glory is revealed. I can rest in that thought alone as I learn to fully surrender, through my fragile faith and His enormous grace, that he will complete the good works that He has begun in me for His glory for ever and ever, Amen.

The Nature of my Human Nature

2012-04-20T17:35:00.002-07:00

4/20/2012

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verse of the day: Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

My human nature keeps getting in the way of God's nature. I hate choices because they always reveal to me the sinful nature of my human nature. As my friend Pete McKenzie says, life comes down to fries or fruit. Man I know that fruit is what I need and what I should order, but there's something satisfying about ordering up those fries. It is like a treat to myself for having to be around myself. My walk as a Christian is designed to draw closer in relationship to Jesus Christ, to bear much fruit, and to be the embodiment of his love to a hurting world. But my human nature keeps telling me to try different things, to do it on my own,or worse the world's way. To go the way that I feel is best and that feels the best to my fleshly nature. There is never any fulfillment there, but I keep trying to do it my way. I can come up with all kinds of ways to be distracted, from senseless movies, to reading things that are inconsequential, to dallying in various activities. But there is no peace there. The only real peace comes from being in the word, walking with my Lord and Savior, and letting His wisdom indwell me. Fries or Fruit. Life always comes down to that. I know that the only lasting contentment and peace in this world comes out of my relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the Good Shepherd and wants truly what is best for me. He wants to protect me, to give me the desires of my heart and soul. My human nature is selfish though and diametrically opposed to relaxing and being still in the perfect love of Christ. I want action! I want to make things happen, to make a difference, to be the man. He is saying turn to me, for "blessed are those who hunger for righteousness, for they will be filled." I know He is right and yet I am saying to him, "I want that Lord, but can we do it on my term?" Of course, the answer is no. Not because He is some cosmic kill joy who wants to be a control freak in my life, but simply because my ways can never work as well as His ways. Even though I realize that, my human nature keeps getting in the way. His love should truly be all I need for contentment, and it is, if only I could find a way to just fully trust in it and be still in it. But my human nature keeps getting in the way. I have glimpses of perfect contentment in Him, when I am fully surrendered and His grace can envelope me. But these moments are fleeting , because at some level my human nature wants credit for my happiness. How stupid! What a fool I am. Why do I keep running back to the hazards of fries, when I know the benefits of fruit. I, like all of mankind, struggle with a rebellious spirit that says I am the master of my own domain. But why? I can see if someone hasn't had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, then they would have no benchmark with which to compare the futility of that mindset. But I have seen, felt and occasionally lived out the beauty and contentment that resides in that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I have no excuse. Fries or Fruit? I hate those types of questions. My soul knows it needs the fruit, but my human nature yearns for the fries. Thank God as believers that yet "while we still sinners, Christ died for us," as Romans 5:8 assures us. Without that assurance, our human nature would lead us, like dumb sheep, right to our own destruction. But the Good Shepherd understands our lack, and meets us in our greatest places of need. He comes to restore us back to health and to set us down in green pastures. He waits until we are sick of fries, and crave the fruit of a relationship spent in and with Him alone. I know that the reason for my life is best entrusted into His hands, for His guidance and care. But the nature of my human nature keeps getting in the way. I pray that one day I will allow His good and perfect nature to overwhelm my human nature and I will finally succumb to allowing myself the rest that my soul so desperately needs on a sustained basis. I know where to find it. It is right in front of me. I just need to get my human nature out of the way. Then every day I can confidently say, yes Lord, give me your fruit, I want the fruit of life that comes only from resting and abiding in you. Amen!

The Pain of Separation

2012-04-05T08:10:00.002-07:00

4/5/12

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verse of the day: Matthew 26:39 " My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

One extraordinary fact to me about the story of Jesus on His way to the cross is that He began to fully comprehend what He was being called to do by his Father in heaven. The painful knowledge that He would have to bear the terrible weight of the collective sin of mankind left him face down in the garden of Gethsemane. As Matthew 26: 38 says, " My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." He knew that this was going to be awful, and for a period of time He would be separated from the protection of His Father. The thought of that painful separation frightened him greatly, and the only way for Him to deal with it was intense prayer. But when He emerges from His time in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus has already won the battle. He has stared his greatest fear in the face, and fully surrendered to the will of his Father as Matthew 26:42 points out " My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." With that statement, he has claimed victory over the temptation of the devil, and to prepare for what He knows He has to do to fulfill the prophesies of scripture. The amazing preparation that reveals the character and commitment of Christ to please his Father has just taken place. History is about to be changed forever. God has offered us a plan for salvation and forgiveness of our sins in and through His Son, and His Son has committed to carrying out the excruciating steps that must take place in order to fulfill the plan. The biggest stumbling block that scared the wits out of Jesus was that He knew that it would require a period of separation from the Father, while the Father's will was indeed being done. If it scared Jesus that much to be separated for any amount of time from the will of His Father that He ended up fast down in the dirt, should it not also terrify us? Hasn't Jesus warned us here about how scary that can be when we are walking alone in this world without the protection of God in heaven? The decision to walk alone in our lives, will lead to enormously painful consequences. I spent the better part of the first 38 years of my life walking alone, separated from not only the will of God for my life, but even acknowledging His presence. The pain of that separation ultimately led me to being face down in the dirt also, unable to find any lasting peace or joy from my efforts. Worldly success, yes occasionally. But deep abiding peace? Never. I am still want to try to do things on my own, without first praying and seeking the guidance of the One who knows me best and always wants the best for me. But more and more I am learning to consider the pain that usually results from my willful decisions. So what can I do? Did Jesus not love me so much that He gave me a road map in the Garden of Gethsemane? I need to pray and pray and then pray some more. That way I will be walking in the protection and will of my Lord when I face this broken world on a daily basis. The battle will be won before it is even fought on a daily basis. Our ability to reject temptatation never comes from our strength, but always from His strength living in us. When we are separated from His strength, we have no shot. We are defenseless against the schemes of the adversary, who " prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" as 1st Peter 5:8 tells us. I mean, all we have to do is wake up and there is already someone who is trying to destroy us. That scares me to the core. But it also humbles me to realize that I must depend on the protection of God, or that separation will lead to my demise. If I willfully choose not to pray every day, or not to study His word each day, then I will leave myself open to attack. When the trials come, I need to prepared for victory as Jesus was being prepared at Gethsemane. As he was led to the fate that awaited Him, He had already claimed His victory. His character was not being built in the Garden, it was being revealed. How we deal with adversity in our lives doesn't build our character, it reveals it. Do we trust in God or not? Do we believe His word is true or not? Are we going to try our best to obey what He tells us to do or not? As I get older, I realize how little the knowledge I have or perceive to have is really worth. I also realize how great God's wisdom is and how valuable that it is for keeping me out of of ditches. I have come to realize that true wisdom is the ability to keep ourselves out of situations that require it. I have come to realize that the cost and the pain of being separated from the will of God is much higher than I want or need to pay. The eye of the Hurricane is in His word and in His love. All around me is chaos and fear, but in Him is peace and strength. Thank you Lord Jesus for given me a road map to deal with my brokenness and rebellious spirit. Thank you that you went first, and took the weight of my sin so that I wouldn't have to. I could have never stood up to it. For without you, I am nothing.