The PLunGE

His Beauty

2012-05-05T22:39:00.002-04:00

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers.

--Song of Solomon 5:13

The flowery month is here! March winds and April showers have done their work, and the earth is all adorned in beauty. Come, my soul, and put on your holiday attire; go forth to gather garlands of heavenly thoughts. You know where to go, for you know well the “bed of spices.” You have often smelled the perfume of “sweet flowers.” You will go at once to your Well Beloved and find all loveliness and all joy in Him.

That cheek—once so rudely smitten with a rod, often wet with tears of sympathy and then defiled with spit—that cheek, as it smiles with mercy, is a fragrant aroma to my heart. You did not hide Your face from shame and spit, O Lord Jesus; therefore, I will find my dearest delight in praising You. Those cheeks were furrowed by the plow of grief and crimsoned with red lines of blood from Your thorn-crowned temples. Such marks of limitless love cannot but charm my soul far more than great quantities of perfume.

If I may not see the whole of His face, I would behold His cheeks, for the least glimpse of Him is exceedingly refreshing to my spiritual sense and yields a variety of delights. In Jesus I find not only fragrance, but a “a bed of spices”; not one flower, but all manner of “sweet flowers.” He is to me my Rose and My Lily, my heart’s comfort and my healing balm. When He is with me, it is May all year round. My soul goes forth to wash its happy face in the morning dew of His grace and to comfort itself with the singing of the birds of His promises.

Precious Lord Jesus, let me truly know the blessedness that dwells in abiding, unbroken fellowship with You. I am a poor worthless one, whose cheek You have deigned to kiss! Oh, let me kiss You in return with the kisses of my lips.

--Charles Spurgeon

Jesus, move me to action. I have been changed by Your love; Your beautiful love. Send me out in that love. Break my heart Jesus, break my heart for the very people who turn against You. Break my heart over my sin, and continue to heal my past, and pour Your grace out on me daily. I NEED YOU.

Cry of Truth

2012-04-26T21:37:00.000-04:00

For all of those in need of prayer:

I need to tell you this!

You need to be praying!

PRAY!!!!

That's how these situations are conquered.

Through prayer! Your prayers and the prayers of others!

So stay in a spirit of prayer.

Do not let go of God; do not stop praying.

The accusations of the enemy are not valid in God's ears because you are covered with the blood of Christ.

There is no condemnation through Christ.

We are not conformed to this world,

but we are transformed by the renewal of our mind

taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ.

You have been given authority over All the power of the enemy.

We have crucified our flesh with Christ

and God has given us a new life.

No accusation against you can stand

and I pray that no foothold will be gained by the enemy because of his work against you right now.

In Jesus name I tear down any stronghold of the enemy!

God is before you and behind you

and He has chosen YOU to fight,

you mighty man or woman of valor.

Stand firm in the power of Jesus Christ.

God is with you.

You fight in the power of Jesus name;

therefore, nothing can stand against you!

We fight in the Power of God!

with the Armor of God!

In the Spirit of God!

God has put us on the high ground.

He has placed us high upon a rock

to see all the movements of the enemy.

In fact,

not only are the enemy's movement's

and plans revealed to us through God's word,

but we know the outcome!

WE FIGHT FROM VICTORY,

WE HAVE THE HIGH GROUND,

AND WE FIGHT AGAINST A CRIPPLED ENEMY!!!!!!!

I pray the cleansing blood of Jesus

over your mind and your thoughts

and more than anything

I pray that YOU WOULD PRAY!

I love you and I want you to pray

whether or not you should be doing something else right now.

JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What You Are Meant For

2012-04-19T21:22:00.002-04:00

What if you could have Jesus the way Peter and John had him? The way Mary andy Lazarus did?

You get to.

You are meant to have this Jesus,

more than you have each new day,

more than you have your next breath.

For heaven's sake--

he is your next day, your next breath.

You are meant to share life with him--

not just glimpse now and then at church,

not just a rare sighting.

And you are meant to life his life.

The purpose of his life, death, and resurrection

was to ransom you from your sin,

deliver you from the clutches of evil,

restore you to God--

so that his personality and his life could heal

and fill your personality, your humility, and your life.

This is the reason he came.

Beautiful Outlaw, 161, 162

May I Remind You...

2012-04-15T19:30:00.000-04:00

We are in a war.

Did you forget?

Did it slip your mind?

Or has the wartime mentality been convinced out of you?

I could post about what we are fighting for, or who we are fighting against, or some of the strategies of war that we should be using, but the truth is, I have already posted about all of those things in some form or another.

This is a wake up call.

A siren.

We are at war, and you can be sure that the forces opposing you know it.

So while you may not know you're living on a battlefield, the enemy knows it full well and they are constantly preparing their forces to take you down.

Actually, the truth is:

If you don't have a wartime mindset, the enemy has already taken you down.

Makes sense right?

How can you stand against him if you don't think there's any fighting going on?

Get back in the fight.

Please.

Stand in the power of Jesus Christ the Wounded Warrior, and the Commander in Chief.

And FIGHT

Fight for you life, and the lives of those you love.

Your family needs you to fight.

Your friends need you to fight.

The body of Christ needs you to fight.

If you can't see this in the Bible, you may not be reading the Bible...

Look again...

The Lord is a man of war;
the Lord is his name. (Ex 15)

Almost every single book of the Bible is filled with warnings, stories, and descriptions of...

a world at war.

We live on Battlefield Earth.

Either your in, or you've been taken down.

Your choice

2 Huge Battles (J)

2012-04-12T19:14:00.001-04:00

Joy...

"Wait...what?"

Is that what just popped into your head?

Or something like it?

It might have been something like:

"What does joy have to do with God? My joy comes from _________."

(Insert dancing, music, video games, a relationship, friends, adrenaline, beauty, etc...)

Maybe more likely, others may have thought:

"Joy? No, you must have me confused with someone who makes their living backpacking through Europe; someone with free time, or with an exciting life. I'm just looking for ways to find relief from the monotony and the stress that is my life."

Sound familiar?

Consider this:
You are sitting. Yes, just sitting. In an airport... You are waiting for your second of three flights for the day. You are super excited, and you still have much of the joy and excitement that you woke up with this morning. BUT, your second flight has been delayed... and delayed... and delayed...
You now realize how close you will be cutting it trying to make your third and final flight.
Where's your joy right now?

So you finally get on the plane. Wow.
And then...
You miss the third flight...
Where's your joy now?

There are 2 huge battles going on in this world. Battles that effect every single person, whether you know it or not...

The battles are for Joy and Surrender.

These names may seem vague, so I'll explain:

The battle of Joy, is really more like a campaign of the enemy against our joy.

When was the last time you experienced joy?

Not so common, is it?

"So there was much joy in that city." Acts 8:8

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;" Psalm 66:1

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:11

"And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Acts 13:52

"Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice." Psalm 51:8

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4

"But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." 1 Peter 4:13

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

We were meant to have Joy.

...We were meant to have Joy...

2 Huge Battles (S)

2012-03-22T17:08:00.001-04:00

"Just Do It"

Sound familiar?

How about these:

"Have it your way"

"Obey your thirst"

"Impossible is Nothing"

"I am what I am"

The list goes on...

These are just the few that come from big name companies, but there is one that may define the American Christian situation with more potency than the rest:

"You can do it. We can help."

We are convinced that we are the masters of this world.
The masters of our environment,
of our schedules,
our futures,
and ourselves.

What if that's not the case?
What if we are living a lie?
And
What if that lie is destroying us..
as individuals,
as families,
as companies,
as a country,
and as the human race.

There are 2 huge battles going on in this world. Battles that affect every single person, whether you know it or not...

The battles are for Joy and Surrender.

These names may seem vague, so I'll explain:

The battle of joy, is really more like a campaign of the enemy against our joy.
When was the last time you experienced joy?
Not so common, is it?

The Battle of surrender is a little different.
In this situation, we are already convinced that we should surrender to no one.
Surrender means weakness, right?
Case and point.
The battle of surrender is real, and it's either fight or die.

See the point is, we are not in control.
No matter how much we try to be, we will be disappointed time and time again.
Doesn't this sound familiar?
Haven't you been trying to muscle through on your own strength?
To control your schedule?
To control the reactions of the people around you?
I sure have, and I still do.
And I fall flat on my face every time.

Here's what it comes down to:

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
(Matthew 19:26)

We can try to be the masters of our environment
our schedules
our families and friends
and ourselves,
but is that the best choice?

Jesus, I am yours. I am nothing without you. I am a mess when I try to be the master of myself. I surrender to you Jesus. Take my life in your hands. Mold me and change me. Use me and teach me. I surrender my schedule to you. I surrender my family to you. I surrender my day to you. I can't do this alone. I can't do this with just a little help. I surrender totally to you, because with man this day is impossible, but with you all things are possible! I love you Jesus; you are beautiful.

Being Filled (#6)

2012-03-01T22:16:00.001-05:00

Finally.
We have gone through identifying the foul spirit,
rebuking it in the power and authority that we have been given in Jesus,
searching for agreements and destroying them in that same power.
Now,
the best part is that we can ask God to fill us!
Like I said last time (wow that was a long time ago), God wants to heal us!
He wants us to have joy!

Can you just stop reading and accept that for a second?
God wants you to experience JOY!

"This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

So what do we ask God to fill us with?
Some things, I believe, we should ask for in every situation:

Joy
Healing

After these two you can become more specific.
If you're being attacked by pride it would be natural for you to ask to be filled with humility.
I always like to add a verse if I can as well. Here's an example for humility:

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand
of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you."
1 Peter 5:6 (ESV)

If not humility, then asking to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit is another great direction:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control."
Galatians 5:22+23 (ESV)

I am careful not to omit this part of the process.
Jesus tells us the following story:

"'When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, "I will return to my house from which I came." And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first.'"
Matthew 12:43-45

Did you notice that the house was left empty?
That is exactly why asking to be filled is ESSENTIAL.
Without this, we leave ourselves empty.
Clean, but still empty.

Again, this process is also about healing. I need this experience of God healing all of the torn flesh that has been left behind as a result of the attack; like the aftermath of a lion with a hunger for blood.

Father, come into this situation. Fill me with your love that I may give it out and heal the wounds that I have incurred during this battle. My joy comes from You. Renew my joy, speak your joy over me. Wash me with your blood, Jesus, and sing your promises over me. I surrender my life to you.

Sow What You Weep

2012-02-26T12:24:00.000-05:00

Here's a short video by my good friend Chenzy Graziano.

His dream is to change lives through film, and he's off to a wonderful start.

Please show your support for Chenz by liking this post or sending Chenz comments and encouragement.

Someone to Look Up to

2012-02-09T21:39:00.001-05:00

This is J-J. Pastor Ron and his wife Linda (founders of Oasis Ministries) take in children to give them home and feed them. They do not adopt, because the process is very corrupt. Instead, they take the children in and give them guidelines that they must live by. As long as they live by these guidelines, they have a safe home filled with compassion. J-J is Ron and Linda's "grandson" - the son of one of the teenage girls that live with them.

Everyone needs a role model; especially little kids.

I bet you can still remember that person from when you were little.

You wanted to be like that person didn't you?

You wanted their clothes, their accent, their standing with others...

For some, that person was an actor, or artist, and others looked to their older sibling, or a wise relative or friend of the family.

Some regret looking up to that person, and others are still following to this day.

J.J. here has the awesome advantage of a role model who cares about others rather than themselves.

Is there any other reason why people would sacrifice their life and resources to care for people that are unrelated?

And i bet there's someone looking up to you right now...

You may not even know it...

So,

Are you the role model that people will regret looking up to later on in life, or are you the person that cares about others, before he thinks of himself?

The choice is yours.

A big thanks goes out to Ashley Steffens for providing these beautiful pictures!

To read more about her upcoming adventure in Hawaii go to www.focused-on-faith.com.

Or to acquire her service of photographical awesomeness, or donate to her mission, go to http://www.wix.com/ashleysteffens/captured

Looking Deeper (#5)

2012-02-07T20:52:00.002-05:00

Ok. We are beginning to see an attack as it's happening, we are getting better at naming and rebuking the specific medium of attack (anger, depression, lust, etc...).

Now it's time to explore the possibility that the situation has a deeper root than simply a coincidental attack. (One of these deeper possibilities involves being attacked because you are praying for someone else, this will be discussed later).

The root, the deeper problem is called an agreement.
Many Bible readers will find the word "stronghold" to be more familiar, but i have chosen "agreement" to portray a more specific meaning.
Agreements are literally statements, confessions, or...agreements that we have made in the past (recent, or distant) that have a strong effect on our present situation.
And, they can have a devastating long term effect if they are left in action.

Here are some examples:
"God can never love me."
"I can do this if I just push through."
"I will always eat too much."
"I will never get better."
"Well, I guess I won't be getting any sleep."
"I need to do this on my own."

Do you hear your own voice in any of this?
Just think for a second.
What are the agreements that you have made that may be guiding your life even in this very moment...

And can you see effects of these agreements?
Listen

Someone might have abandoned you when you were young, or even yesterday. Maybe there was a time when life felt completely hopeless and you felt abandoned by God.
In those moments, you might have made an agreement.
Maybe the agreement you made is that you weren't good enough for that person to stick around.
Maybe the agreement is that God abandoned you.

Do you see how much hurt, how much damage this can cause?

The result of those agreements might be that you can't trust the people closest to you. It's not that you don't want to; you just can't.

Or even worse, you can't hear God's voice because of the rift that has been created by that agreement.

These are powerful, and not to be taken lightly.

Please Listen!!

You, yes You are going through something like this right now.
You feel as if there is an unstoppable force working against you.
A wall of emotion and years of habit.

Not only that, but there are people who want to help you, and you even want help. But you're so scared to stop -- to step on the brakes and take a look under the hood.
You have tried this before and been hit with a wall of fear, anger, and tears.
It almost seems better just to be unaware of the damage, doesn't it?
As long as we don't have to go through the emotions of dealing with it, maybe we are better off.

No. Please see my heart in this. Please stop and look under the hood.
This is God's will. He wants to bring healing.

He wants to heal you!

Father, reveal and destroy any agreements I have made in the past concerning this situation. Jesus, I am scared to deal with this. Open me up to your healing. I welcome you into this situation. I surrender myself to you. I surrender my hurt to you.

Stop now. Search, listen, pray...

Kids Being Kids

2012-02-02T21:46:00.000-05:00

These 2 beautiful girls are from a preschool in the Rainforest Bush.

The preschool was started in Belize by Oasis Ministries.

Families are most commonly seen riding on mopeds--4 or 5 people to 1 moped! The family drops each child off one by one at their respective schools, and then head off to their daily tasks. The market is one highly trafficked area in the daily routine. Because families do not have the ability to preserve the freshness of their food, a daily trip is made to the market.

To read more about her upcoming adventure in Hawaii go to www.focused-on-faith.com.

Or to acquire her photographical awesomeness, or donate to her mission, go to http://www.wix.com/ashleysteffens/captured

Counter-Attack (#4)

2012-02-01T13:09:00.004-05:00

After asking God to begin the process of clearing my vision, I identify and pray against (or rebuke) the thief (spirit) i.e. loneliness, bitterness, lust, distraction, etc...

There is significance in the naming process:
it is nearly impossible to fight an unidentified enemy.

You might be asking: "How do I do That?"

I'm glad you asked...

Scripture says that we will know them by their fruit.

Therefore, identify the result of the attack, and you have found a name for your thief.

Now I understand the whole concept of "rebuking" has been out of style in Christian circles for quite some time now, but that does not by any means justify this lack.
For a Biblical example, we need look no further than Jesus Christ. We see him rebuking many times throughout the gospels including:

Matthew 17:18 ESV

And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.

Luke 4:35 ESV

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

Luke 4:39 ESV

And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

Mark 4:39 ESV

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Luke 4:41 ESV

And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Mark 8:33 ESV

But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Notice all of the situations that Jesus is seen rebuking. American Christians may categorize rebuking to "those weird exorcist people," but we deviate from Jesus' example.
Jesus is seen fighting against sickness, chaotic weather, Peter's selfishness, and other more physical situations.
I think it's time we re-thought our philosophy one this area of being Christ-like.

God, give us clarity and confidence in the power of Jesus' name.

Why has the twenty-first century church in America (and other Western powers) shied away from this part of walking with and believing in Jesus? I will put this up for consideration: If the most powerful man in the world prayerfully attacked the forces coming against Him, why don't we?

Do we think we are more powerful than Jesus?
More protected than the only Son of God?
Stronger than the King of Kings?
Or more full of grace than the Prince of Peace?

We sure act like it sometimes...

Are you stronger than Jesus?
(I don't believe it)

Are you nothing without Him and need His strength?--Act like it.
(Surrender)

What do you think?

What do your actions communicate?

set-2-core-esv | Fighter Verses

2012-01-26T07:22:00.001-05:00

set-2-core-esv | Fighter Verses

The Christian in Christian Relationships

Jonathan Parnell | Jan 23, 2012

Romans 15:1–2,

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

We live in a connected world. The once hyper-individualistic flavor of Western culture has conceded to the value of social networks. Friends are assets and the more you have, the better chances you have for success (as some explain).

This is not entirely untrue. Everyone can vouch that relationships are full of giving and receiving. And oftentimes this brings us joy — the good and healthy kind. But what if we shifted our perception of relationships a little? What if we abandoned the ebb and flow feel that seems so natural? What if we intentionally looked through a different lens? What if it was the lens of Romans 15:1–2?

Hearing the Imperative

Then relationships become mission. There is a holy intentionality. That’s what Paul says here. “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” The imperative is to please them, to accommodate them, to make their welfare of higher interest than our own.

To please our neighbor is to serve them. Undoubtedly, this will be for our own joy — no one is really served when it’s done in stiff reluctance. But it being for our joy doesn’t mean it’s always comfortable. Pleasing our neighbor will take sacrifice. It’s not always easy — it’s not “to please ourselves.” We’re giving something up for something better and that better is the building up of our brother or sister.

Christian Relationships

This sacrificial building up of one another is what makes Christian friendship, well, Christian. It’s Christian in the adjective: sacrificial. And it’s Christian in the verb: building up.

The relationship goes beyond the latest scores (though it may involve that), or the newest app (though that may be a part, too), or the best book we’ve read (another good one). The mission is to build them up. This is what the verb’s about. It’s about their conformity to Jesus. This is the goal. Our little place in their life is to serve the goal to which God has elected them, Jesus has died, and the Spirit is working.

And for the adjective, sacrificial building up is Christian in its manner. The foundation to our serving, our sacrificial edifying of others, is rooted in the example of Jesus. He didn’t give prevalence to his own comfort when he prayed in the Garden. It wasn’t easy when he bore our sins and suffered the wrath we deserved. Yet even in the midst of the pain there was a joy set before him. It wasn’t easy, but it was glorious. And when we walk in that example, it works the same way. It shocks the world for the glory of God.

Let each of us, then, please our neighbor for their good — count them more significant than ourselves, and their needs more pertinent than our own; to build them up — play the God-ordained role of a means of grace in their lives, investing in their transformation into the likeness of Jesus.

Reflection

1. Think about someone you can sacrificially build up today, for his or her good.

2. Consider those who have sacrificially built you up. Give God thanks!

Post your stories here about building up and living sacrificially! or Email me @tunkfd@optonline.net

The Situation (#3)

2012-01-24T19:28:00.000-05:00

Now we have a situation:

There is beauty.

And there is a distorter;

A perverter, and thief.

Here are the steps to regaining our vision--our recognition of beauty:

First, I ask God to begin clearing my vision.

Notice I used the word "begin".

This may be the first thing to do, but it is very much a process.

As fog gradually thins in the rising sun, God begins to reveal more and more beauty as this process goes on.

Father, open my eyes to see your beauty. Restore my vision.

Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped

When God speaks of blindness, He is not only referring to the physical condition.

John 9:1 As [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.

Our life stories--each and every one of them--have something in common with this man: We are born in blindness, and we are helpless to change that fact. It is only by the work of Jesus that we can have sight.

John 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see...

One more reason why we know that Jesus (especially) was not simply speaking on a physical level when He spoke of blindness: The Religious leaders.

Matthew 23:24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

When it came to blindness, the religious leaders were Jesus' main target. These are the people who think they can see, but they cannot.
Sound familiar?

Ok, maybe you don't want to admit it, but I have been in that place many times before.

The religous leaders (just like each one of us) were not able to see without the work of Jesus in their lives.

We can do nothing apart from God.
He is the only one who can reconcile these opposing forces.
He is the only one who can restore our vision.
Without Him, we will never know true beauty...

Rest, God’s Mercy Is Towards Us | Fighter Verses

2012-01-20T19:31:00.000-05:00

Rest, God’s Mercy Is Towards Us | Fighter Verses

Matt Crutchmer | Mon, Dec 26, 2011

Psalm 23:5–6,

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

One of the most striking elements of Frodo and Sam’s long quest in J. R. R. Tolkien’s classicThe Lord of the Rings is the detail and length with which the author reports their mundane activities. Tolkien repeatedly tells the reader about Frodo’s sleeping, his resting, and their eating all along the way from the Shire to Mordor. For such an epic story of the battle between good and evil, these continuous little bits of Frodo and Sam’s life seem at first to tell us more about the author’s love of minutæ than they add anything to “the story.”

At second glance, however, Tolkien is doing something profoundly biblical with his characters. Frodo and Sam exhibit distinctly Christian virtues in their travels and are contrasted against the sleepless, restless, self-manufacturing activities of the Enemy. The hobbits are often shown as sleeping or resting despite the danger that surrounds them, much like David in v. 2: “He makes me lie down in green pastures. . .”

When they eat a meal — which especially matters to hobbits! — they do so while encompassed by hunting orcs, while on a precipice above Minas Morgul, while in the barren wasteland of Gorgoroth avoiding the searching eye of Sauron. Frodo and Sam don’t do what we all naturally would do in the presence of our enemies: either flee or fight. No, they are assured enough of their quest and the superintending power that they eat meals when on the edge of destruction. Like David, like Frodo and Sam, and like our Lord Christ who ate the Passover meal in the midst of his enemies in Jerusalem, we too are to eat and drink and sleep everyday despite being surrounded by our great enemies: sin, Satan, and Death.

It is easy to feel unsettled by this “ought.” We ask: how can I feel that same confidence, that same lack of despair that these heroes felt? I have no reason not to despair of the enemies in my life when they are so many and so strong. More like Frodo than the mighty King David, our weakness is similar to the hobbit’s small stature. Thankfully, God through David gives us a solid ground to stand on in v. 6: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

“Mercy” here is no mere emotion or self-generated attitude. “Mercy” is translated from the Hebrew original hesed, the term used principally for God’s covenant faithfulness to keep his promises to his people. It is this “mercy” that rightly describes God’s unshakable promise to Abraham and this “mercy” is even an essential part of the being of God himself (Exodus 34:6).

What shape does God’s goodness and mercy take toward us?

It comes to us in the shape of promise-keeping covenant faithfulness: the person and work of God’s own Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who walks along with his sheep and provides for them, who guards them, and who lays down his life for them (John 10:11; Jeremiah 23:3–6). All God’s promises to us are Yes! and Amen! in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20), and his covenant of peace will not be shaken (Isaiah 54:10). In Christ alone by faith alone we will dwell in the house of the LORD forever, because Christ is the house of the LORD (Revelation 21:22; John 4).

So rest, Christian, and relish the small, mundane parts of life despite the presence of your enemies because in Christ God Almighty’s covenant promise to save you from those enemies can never depart from you.

The Thief (#2)

2012-01-17T07:18:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, there is a beauty stealer.

He is called the father of lies.

Fortunately, this theif and his cohorts have never been powerful enough to actually rob beauty from anything.

Instead they must resort to perverting beauty:

love turned to lust, passion to bigotry and hatred, a beloved child into a lonely soul, cascading waterfalls into sewer drains and mountains into smokestacks.

All this is done through the eye of the beholder,

by distorting our vision.

I feel compelled to add what God spoke to me one day while reading Genesis Chapter 3:

God showed me that one of the first things Satan will do is question God's word and/or his promises. The only way to know that this is taking place is to know God's word, and His voice.
Father, teach me your word. Immerse me in it.

A second method of the Thief is to make exagerations. In the garden he exaggerates the issue to include all of the fruit. Today, he says that Christianity takes all of the fun out of life, takes away all of the freedom. Can't we see where this is going? This is again a case where I need to know God's word, but it means even more here to know His voice; His personal words to me (and you).
Father, teach me to hear your voice, to record your words and never let them depart from me.

The final method given in Genesis 3 is that Satan distorts the character of God. Satan portrays God as a liar, and selfish (things that He may be currently thought of as well). For this, I do need His written word and His personal word, but most important here are my personal experiences with Him.
Experiences are a large part of any relationship and that applies to God too.
Father, I lean on you knowing that you have never failed me, or left me, and that you love me and have shown your love for me.

Beauty and Life (#1)

2012-01-08T09:33:00.002-05:00

This is what I was made for

The slightly rolling hills nudging up against the tree line, the picturesque pond framing the muscular bodies of horses, and the pristine blue sky dropping down to the mountain tops in the distance.

This is life:

Beauty

Not all of life, but realizing and appreciating beauty is necessary to truly live.

How can we even begin to enjoy life without recognizing beauty?

How can we love another person dearly without beauty?

And how can we love anyone at all without recognizing the beauty of Christ in them, the beauty that God has sculpted into their very essence?

We Can't

Beauty is at the very core of life and therefore life cannot be truly lived without this recognition.

God open my eyes to Your beauty; and the beauty You have created. Christ, show me the beauty that You have placed in every human heart.

Reflections on "Walking with God" (2)

2011-11-30T07:01:00.001-05:00

Walking with God

Prelude,

Does God Still Speak?

(excerpt) I was talking on the phone yesterday with a young woman who was interviewing me for an article of some sort. She asked what this book was about, and I tried to explain it in this way: "This is a sort of tutorial on how to walk with God. And how to hear His voice." I told her several stories. There was a long pause, that pregnant sort of pause that tells me I've just hit upon a great need and a great doubt. Finally, she asked, "What do you say to people who say, 'God isn't that intimate with us?'" I had a hunch -- it was something in the tone of her voice -- that she hadn't experienced the Christian life in the ways I was describing. Maybe because she'd never been told this is available, maybe it's as simple as the fact that no one had ever shown her how.

Is God really that intimate with us? That's a good place to begin. (end excerpt)

Is intimacy with God real? According to Psalm 139, God knows us intimately. But is there more to it? Are we meant to have intimacy with Him?

Psalm 73 seems more than clear on the subject: "I am continually with You; You hold my right hand...For behold, those who are far from You shall perish...But for me it is good to be near God..."

Intimacy with God is the purpose of our lives. Jesus says that eternal life is to know God. A loving relationship must involve communication. Without it, there is no evidence of love. What kind of friend can a person possibly be if he or she never speaks to the other...ever? Or what kind of father could one possibly be if he remains silent towards his own children?

The answer to both of these questions is neither a good friend nor father.

But God is our Father, and Jesus calls us His friends.

God speaks to us.

God speaks to us through the Bible, but how many people see this as His only words?

The problem with this is that the Bible itself disagrees with that assumption (remember the power of assumptions?)

The Bible is filled with stories of God speaking to His people. Yet still many would say that "it is different now," and that "God doesn't work that way anymore."

Are we reading the Bible as a book of exceptions?!

Or are we reading it for what the Bible itself claims to be: a book of examples.

God speaks to His people . The Bible is filled (from the greats like David all the way down to the "little" people like Hagar) with examples of what Walking with God looks like; NOT exceptions.

"But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hears his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father...And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice."

Jesus offers intimacy.

To whom?

Anyone.

What does that involve?

Hearing His Voice.

We were made for intimacy with God,

He wants intimacy with us.

Reflections on "Walking with God"

2011-11-28T21:28:00.001-05:00

Walking with God

Prelude,

The Power of Assumptions

(excerpt) "I ran into an old acquaintance at the bookstore today. Actually, i was nearly out the door when he called my name, so i turned back in to say hello and chat for a few moments. He seemed...not well. Half the man he used to be. I wondered why. I expected him to say that he had suffered some major loss. A loved one, i feared. Or maybe it was a prolonged illness. Not that he was visibly deteriorating as some do in the late stages of cancer. But there was something about his countenance, a loss of some essential part of himself. You know the look. Many people have it, actually. It's a confused and disheartened look. As we talked, it became clear that he had simply been eroded by a number of confusing years strung together by disappointment.

As i left the store, i found myself thinking, He held such promise. What happened?

It has to do with assumptions."

--John Eldredge

Am I the one with that confused and disheartened look? Has the stress and confusion of the past 3 weeks taken such a toll? I believe it has. I look back at the last 3 weeks and see wreckage. And, although I’d like to ignore it, it really does have to do with assumptions. Or maybe its just 1 assumption…

Maybe it has just been the 1 assumption that A+B=C; that because I love God, He will bless whatever my choices are. And here lies the shortcoming: I have forgotten that there is a whole lot more to my relationship with God than just trying to be a good person.

Father, I want to know Your voice and Follow YOU.

(John 10:1-4, 9-10)

Tinnitus of the Heart

2011-11-19T13:30:00.000-05:00

TCSPZDT7FAUD
"Wow, what is Tinnitus?"

Its funny you should ask...

Tinnitus is that wonderful ringing in your ears that seems only to last long enough to annoy you thoroughly.

The catch here is that although tinnitus may be a physical condition, we are also experiencing a parallel disease spiritually; and it may be the most deadly weapon of all.

We have been blown off course by a slight breeze that hides a strong current under the surface.

What we are dealing with is a disease of distraction.

This disease has two parts. The first is the slight breeze; the ringing in the ears if you will.

This is the part that catches our attention.

The ringing may translate into slight frustration or moodiness. Maybe you just seem more tired than normal, or your not getting as much done as you planned on getting done.

Overall, the ringing translates into a simple inconvenience of some sort--something that can be handled.

The interesting thing about the physical tinnitus is that it is usually the result of another event, an event which destroys cells in your ears.

The destruction is caused by excessive noise. This loud noise overloads the hearing mechanism, resulting in death.

The funny thing about this death is that it's permanent, and we have to take these symptoms of frustration, etc... seriously.

Our heart is crying out for change.

The cause of this death of our hearts is distraction. We are distracted from God's plan by the most harmless things, or at least seemingly harmless.

I set aside yesterday as a day of rest, only to find that by the end of the day i felt just as worn out as i had all week. The reason for this was that i was giving into the "harmless" distraction of clean television (to be exact, the animated series wolverine and the x-men)

Now, nothing seemed amiss while I was watching tv, in fact i was enjoying being able to sit and relax.

BUT (and there's always a 'but' to these situations) the feeling of relaxing was so momentary and quickly fleeting that this process began to distort my vision.

We begin to remove true relaxation and fellowship with God, and replace it with distraction.

Now, don't exclude yourself too soon. This distraction doesn't have too be tv (although it probably is for you if you think about it) and it doesn't even have to be media related! A distraction is simply something that gives you a false sense of fulfillment, and more importantly hinders you from glorifying God.

I know that in my distracted state, I cannot bring myself to even do homework, let alone be able to connect with God enough to write this blog.

This disease rears its ugly head most often in times of high pressure, or when attempting to relax after times of high pressure.

As this process continues to subtly wreak havoc, we eventually find ourselves lost and confused with only the faint memory of the spiritual life we used to have, and not clue how to return to what once was.

This is the answer: we have been thrown off course by distraction, and the way back is to eliminate those distractions.

So maybe its time to ask yourself some hard questions:

What is the biggest distraction in your life right now?

How far have you been pushed off of your course, your pursuit of Christ?

What is keeping you from deeper intimacy with God?

It is time for action.

Start to destroy the harbingers of death in your life, and you will find life again.

Welcome God in. He stands at the door and knocks, and your distractions are barricading that door more and more as you let them rule over your.

Ask the people closest to you to be honest about the things they see in your life that are taking you away from God, and ask them to let you know when you show signs that your ears are ringing (i.e. moodiness, tiredness, etc...)

Examine your attitude at the beginning, middle, and end of each day to see if you've been blown off course.

I'm in.

Are you?

The Battle before the Battle (uh...really?) Pt.1

2011-11-05T18:39:00.000-04:00

We step back into Po's adventure right where we left off: Po looks up from his rocket propelled chair only to find out that he has been chosen to become the Dragon Warrior.

Po is amazing and excited by the fame that he steps into, but doesn't realize the implications of this massive calling.

After Po is paraded through the show grounds, he is brought to the training grounds and thrust into intensive training. By training i really mean something in-between comic relief and torture. Po is subjected to extremely dangerous exercises without the skill or experience to handle any one of them.

Then to top it all off, he confidence is blasted by over heard conversations and direct confrontations with one message:

You don't belong here.

Don't we all go through times like this?
Times when we have just stepped into something so unbearably exciting, and then the world does everything it can to steal our excitement, and the enemy does everything he can to lets us know we're in the wrong place.

Peter writes: "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."

Peter precedes this remark, telling us that trials are for the testing of our faith.

Just as Po's faith is being tested,
so is ours.

Unfortunately, just as many of us have experienced, Po's enthusiasm is significantly diminished by the end of the first day.

I've experience this more than once.

I've heard that haunting voice saying:
"you don't belong here"
"you can't handle this"

And i have believed those words too many times.

The battle for our future is raging as i write. It is more serious than any war that humans have fought, and it is more constant than anything else in this world.

Are you prepared for the battle?

Destiny and.... Noodles?

2011-10-30T20:06:00.000-04:00

I know. I know what your saying right now.

"Really VJ? You really chose Kung-fu Panda as your first movie to look into for deeper meaning?"

Yea...

I went there...

If that doesn't quench your curiosity than keep reading and stay tuned for more exploration into
Kung-Fu Panda.

We are first introduced to Po in an extravagant dream of his. A dream filled with kung-fu, and feats of greatness.

He wants to be a great kung-fu master. He longs for greatness, almost as if he is destined for it, but ,of course, reality sets in as Po wakes up from his dream. Po wakes up to a life that is centered around his job and controlled by pleasing his "father" who is (also his boss) clearly not his true father.

He has spent his entire life being fed the lie that he is already living out his destiny in his mediocre, unhappy, passionless noodle-making existence. He is told that any dream outside of this mediocrity is foolish.

Stop

Can we see ourselves in this yet?

Can we step back for a minute and put this tale in perspective?

I know that i can see myself just a few years ago buying into the same lie that Po bought into: that i was destined for mediocrity. That i could spend my whole life consumed by the day to day business of work and living in America and i would never have reason to do anything more significant than that.

Are you living consumed in the day to day? Are you (as Colossians 3 say) shuffling along with your head down, only focusing on the things that pertain to you?

Have your dreams been crushed and shattered by the wrecking crew to disappointment, or the tsunami of fear?

Have your passion and your dream become simply a passing memory?

Are they only something from your youth? Something you matured out of?

You have been fed the lie of the enemy.
The lie that you are not made for anything greater than where you are right now,
that your not going anywhere in life.

Have you been buying into that lie?

Has the lie become a reality?

Only you can decide

Coming soon: More behind the Movie (MbM)

2011-10-21T11:08:00.000-04:00

Is there ever a reason to watch a movie more than once?

I never really thought so.

Then I began to observe the feelings that other people expressed when they returned to re-watch a movie. Some would do so simply because of the group of people they were enjoying it with, while others just loved it; whether they were by themselves or with friends. I noticed more and more people had these specific movies that they could watch 100 times and not get tired of. It is this occurrence that I want to dwell on, study, and experience together with you.

Now that i think about it, one of my favorites is Braveheart. I feel like the movie is telling a part of my story that has already happened, and a part that will happen.

How about you? Do you feel this way about your favorites?

Is there a united reason for people like me?

I believe so.

I believe that the movies we will never get tired of, whether new or old, are that way because they in some way touch our hearts. Whether it is our dreams, passions, imaginations, or our past, something about the movie deeply relates to our lives.

That is why I believe that these movies have significance that is worth exploring and experiencing again and again through a new lens.

So, coming soon i will begin publishing my deeper journey through some more popular movies in which we can see the human story.

Comment here or on Facebook with your favorite movie and maybe i will take a deeper journey through those as well.
Or
Send me your own deeper journey through one of your favorite movies and i will publish it on
The PlunGE!

Please send your deeper journey to tunkfd@optonline.net

Thank you for your contributions!

Heart Cry

2011-10-18T09:51:00.001-04:00

God, these are the thing my heart longs for:

(hear my cry)

To know you more everyday and never fall back into only knowing about you;

To be broken over injustice of any kind and over any kind of sin in my life;

To be joined in a community of believers who are fully (heart and soul, as David's armor bearer) committed to each other, and to be a part of leading that community;

To be joined in relationship with my future wife in a way that most fully acts out the love of Christ for His people;

To be used greatly in the radical life change of others around the world;

To impact the world and unite the body to do the same;

To be humble above all else in service and in everything I do;

To lead a family who's only objective is bringing God glory by whatever means necessary;

To live a life that draws the questioner closer, not pushing the back into darkness;

To create a home environment that is welcoming although maybe not pretty,

and

To give--no, not just give--to EXPLODE with extravagant SACRIFICE for family, community, neighborhood, church, the lost, and the kingdom all for God's glory:

To give of myself as God constantly and eternally gives of Himself.

Hear my cry, Have your glory.

More to Life (cont.)

2011-06-23T11:14:00.000-04:00

So we have searched and searched. We are constantly looking for it. But what is it? That indescribable it that leaves a hole, no a desire

for more

A desire that we have tried again and again to quench. Into that hole we have poured money, never to be satisfied, just left with one feeling.

More

Some may think that this desire for more means more of what they are doing already. Others turn elsewhere. From money they turn to power, or to love, and the death trap has closed its grip.

As much as we do not want to hear these words,

we are living in death.

We have been imprisoned by these things. These things to which we keep turning to save us from our desire, our instinct that there is more to life. These things into which we keep giving and giving without receiving in return. To our detriment, we have been imprisoned not just in chains,

but in darkness

A darkness so blinding that there is no reason to assume that we are in chains. A prison so deeply hidden and entrenched that the very though of our restraints breaths of lunacy. But the definition of lunacy only stems from the status quo.

Darkness Creates Deception.

Darkness IS Deception.

A deception so powerful, that we have been utterly swept away from our original search for…

something more

That something that will fulfill our desire for more out of life.

And that something…

that something that has been missing all of your life. Evading your pursuit at every turn. That something that you are grasping for in the passion of true love, the pride of accomplishment, the leisure of a big wallet, and the bottom of a glass. That single something that you have turned up ever rock in search of.

That something is LIFE.

True life.

All thirst for it.

Few find it.

Through it, everything else is made whole.

Made new...

This is where the healing begins