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.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Freedom From Within
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Just Do It!
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)
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Wounds of Glory
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!
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!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Tied together
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.
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.
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Nature of my Human Nature
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!
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!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The Pain of Separation
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.
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.
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