9/30/2011
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Philippians 4:11-13 " I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
Wow. This is a truly amazing attitude expressed by Paul in the Bible verse of the day, considering all that Paul went through while spreading the gospel message. To summarize just a few of his hardships, Paul was almost stoned to death, many times beaten, flogged, imprisoned, shipwrecked, starved, sleepless and almost always weary and yet he was content? What kind of guy was this? I believe that Paul had an experience with the Risen Lord on the Damascus Road that was so transformational, so awe-inspiring, that he literally stopped focusing at all on his own life and his personal struggles and instead was laser focused on the reunion that he knew would take place with Jesus in His eternal home. Paul got a glimpse of things in heaven that literally floored him and changed his whole perspective. 1st Corinthians 2:9 says " Eye hath not seen. nor ear heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." Paul had an experience that proved to him the glory that awaited him. He literally got to see a glimpse of heaven and it forever changed him. From that point forward Paul never complained about his circumstances but rather kept focused on the prize that was his to claim at then end of his race. He shared a bit of what was driving him forward despite all his sufferings in Romans 8:38-39 when he says " For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." So the question for us is how do we find contentment? I know many people that are suffering greatly in their lives right now. They would tell you they have little contentment. They are dealing with divorce, addictions, financial hardships, loneliness, unemployment, lack of purpose and many other ailments. Some are so angry at things in this world over which they have no control, such as the political situation or global climate change,that they are literally imprisoned by their anger. Some people have lots of money, but no happiness or contentment. I also know others who have little in the way of material things but have an abundance of contentment. So what is the answer? I believe our focus becomes our reality. If we focus on all the things that we perceive to be wrong in our life, we can't find contentment. It doesn't matter how much we have, we will always have something wrong. On the other hand, if we focus on all that we have been given in Christ Jesus, namely forgiveness of all of our sins and eternal life in His glorious kingdom, then we can find contentment, like Paul ,in even the worst circumstances. Truthfully, most of us could not survive the type of hardships that Paul endured. We are not strong enough physically or spiritually. Most of us also do not got a chance to see the Risen Lord or a glimpse of the '3rd Heaven' in our lifetimes either. Human nature does not allow us to comprehend just how great heaven will be. We are somewhat limited in our beliefs and understandings by our experiences in these bodies that we now live in. But someday the true beauty will be revealed and all of our fears will be removed and we will know what true contentment feels like. No more wanting, no more comparing, no more complaining, no more judging, but just resting in the peace of our Lord. Proverbs 14:30 says " A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." We can't have contentment and envy at the same time. Our focus becomes our reality. Find contentment in the promises of the Lord, and not in the false promises of this world. When we think of what hardships Paul endured, and yet he was still able to find contentment, the only plausible answer is his contentment was found in Christ. Some 2,000 years later, I feel the answer is still the the same. Though I wonder off the path many times and am vulnerable to my own sinful nature, which includes all of those things that bring discontentment, I find peace when I get before my King and rest. There is no condemnation in Christ, only contentment. I am learning to go there more and more. Someday, I will never leave.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
What's your view of God?
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the Day: Isaiah 55:8-9 " For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
What is your view of God? No single answer in your life will define your actions more than the answer to that question. Why? Because it is a matter of perspective that will shape how you respond to any situation that happens in your life. In a nutshell, if you have a high view of God, then your problems will seem very small. If you have a low view of God than your problems will seem very large. In fact we tend to want to shrink God down to the size of our largest problem. But it has been said that a low view of God is the cause of 100 lesser evils, while a high view of God relieves us of 10,000 temporal problems. If you believe in the promises of the Bible that He loves you unconditionally and He is always working things out to your benefit, then your won't fear the trials in your life. You will rather learn to view them as growth opportunities that provide us with the ability to draw closer to God in our trust and faith in His ability to work out any problems in our life for our benefit. On the other hand, if you believe God is impersonal and out of touch or reach, and has many other things to worry about than your own personal issues, then you will most likely go through life very fearful, because your view of God is so small. As we grow in our faith, the bigger our view of God should get, and the less fearful we should become. When we codify those beliefs in our hearts and souls we can begin the process of unlearning some of our fears, by trusting more in Him and less on our own abilities to fix our problems. Most of our problems in life are not circumstantial, they are perceptual. Our problems seem really big, because we make God out to be really small. Maybe it's time for us to stop creating God in our image and let Him create us in His. Well, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to the chasm that exists between us and God. It is unfathomable for us to realize just how big that gap is. We are restricted by time and space limitations, while God is not. He can be multiple places simultaneously, working out billions of things for His glory. He is the ultimate multi-tasker. We have found galaxies that exist 12.8 billion light years away from earth. That represents probably only the beginning decimal point of how much greater His ways are than our ways and how much higher His thoughts are than our thoughts. But all of that is meaningless if He isn't there for us on a personal level, able to relate to and have relationship with us individually. Praise God that the veil was torn and the walls came crumbling down by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which opened the way for us to directly be connected to the living God through the Holy Spirit. Now the personal relationship we crave with God was made accessible by the grace of God through faith in His Son. God can be intimately involved with all His children now through that sacrifice, and I have personally shared in that love and grace. As I have sought Him, I have found Him. I have learned that God is not great because nothing is to big for Him, but rather God is great because nothing is too small for Him. This is not only illustrated throughout Jesus's ministry on the earth, when His first act of power was to turn the molecular structure of water into wine at a wedding so the party could continue, but also in my personal life when he has removed me from many situations that were crushing my spirit and constricting my growth. Whether learning how to forgive more easily, love more openly, or trust more completely, I can feel His transforming hands all over my life. While I am and always will be a work in progress on this side of the grave, I hate to imagine where I would be without His love in my life. That personal relationship is filled with conversation, wisdom, guidance, power and strength. I have come to depend on Him and His strength more and more as I realize my own limitations. Humility is a childlike characteristic that we should all strive for, realizing that we, like little children, are dependent on another being for our very existence. For that is the beginning of true and liberating wisdom.
Bible verse of the Day: Isaiah 55:8-9 " For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
What is your view of God? No single answer in your life will define your actions more than the answer to that question. Why? Because it is a matter of perspective that will shape how you respond to any situation that happens in your life. In a nutshell, if you have a high view of God, then your problems will seem very small. If you have a low view of God than your problems will seem very large. In fact we tend to want to shrink God down to the size of our largest problem. But it has been said that a low view of God is the cause of 100 lesser evils, while a high view of God relieves us of 10,000 temporal problems. If you believe in the promises of the Bible that He loves you unconditionally and He is always working things out to your benefit, then your won't fear the trials in your life. You will rather learn to view them as growth opportunities that provide us with the ability to draw closer to God in our trust and faith in His ability to work out any problems in our life for our benefit. On the other hand, if you believe God is impersonal and out of touch or reach, and has many other things to worry about than your own personal issues, then you will most likely go through life very fearful, because your view of God is so small. As we grow in our faith, the bigger our view of God should get, and the less fearful we should become. When we codify those beliefs in our hearts and souls we can begin the process of unlearning some of our fears, by trusting more in Him and less on our own abilities to fix our problems. Most of our problems in life are not circumstantial, they are perceptual. Our problems seem really big, because we make God out to be really small. Maybe it's time for us to stop creating God in our image and let Him create us in His. Well, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to the chasm that exists between us and God. It is unfathomable for us to realize just how big that gap is. We are restricted by time and space limitations, while God is not. He can be multiple places simultaneously, working out billions of things for His glory. He is the ultimate multi-tasker. We have found galaxies that exist 12.8 billion light years away from earth. That represents probably only the beginning decimal point of how much greater His ways are than our ways and how much higher His thoughts are than our thoughts. But all of that is meaningless if He isn't there for us on a personal level, able to relate to and have relationship with us individually. Praise God that the veil was torn and the walls came crumbling down by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which opened the way for us to directly be connected to the living God through the Holy Spirit. Now the personal relationship we crave with God was made accessible by the grace of God through faith in His Son. God can be intimately involved with all His children now through that sacrifice, and I have personally shared in that love and grace. As I have sought Him, I have found Him. I have learned that God is not great because nothing is to big for Him, but rather God is great because nothing is too small for Him. This is not only illustrated throughout Jesus's ministry on the earth, when His first act of power was to turn the molecular structure of water into wine at a wedding so the party could continue, but also in my personal life when he has removed me from many situations that were crushing my spirit and constricting my growth. Whether learning how to forgive more easily, love more openly, or trust more completely, I can feel His transforming hands all over my life. While I am and always will be a work in progress on this side of the grave, I hate to imagine where I would be without His love in my life. That personal relationship is filled with conversation, wisdom, guidance, power and strength. I have come to depend on Him and His strength more and more as I realize my own limitations. Humility is a childlike characteristic that we should all strive for, realizing that we, like little children, are dependent on another being for our very existence. For that is the beginning of true and liberating wisdom.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Fear: The Dream Killer
9/28/2011
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Psalm 34:4 " I sought the Lord and He answered me; he delivered me from all of my fears.
Let's face it, we all live with fear. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they can barely function. Fear literally overwhelms their life and keeps them from being able to reach for the dreams that they have deep in their hearts. What do people tend to fear the most? The list is long and different for each one of us. We certainly have lots to be afraid of in this broken world. Crime, illness, loss of possessions, unemployment, betrayal, addictions, and a world that seems to be coming undone on a daily basis are just a few of things that we could be fearful of. According to research, the #1 thing that people fear is public speaking, followed closely by the fear of death. I always found this strange as I would have thought for sure that the fear of death would be #1 and by a wide margin. After thinking and reading about this for along time, what this means to me is that at their core, what people fear most are failure, embarrassment or rejection, and this is manifested in the fear of public speaking. They feel like they will be vulnerable to failure if they get up in front of a group of people and make a fool of themselves. This is something that I can relate to as I have done it many times. But what I have found over time has actually helped me overcome my fear of public speaking. The cure for the fear of failure is failure. The cure for the fear of rejection is rejection. The cure for the fear of embarrassment is being embarrassed. I believe that what happens during these learning processes of overcoming our fears is that we build up an immunity of sorts, a tolerance, when we find out the things that we fear the most actually happen and we are still here. What's the old saying? What doesn't kill us make us stronger. I think that is a practical way to think about overcoming our fears. It takes courage to risk something or to leave ourselves open to criticism, but that is how we grow in our lives. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to control our fears from preventing us from doing what needs to be done. Athletes are still nervous or fearful before big sporting events, but the best have learned to channel their nerves into a positive energy rather than a debilitating one. I remember reading about Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player that ever lived, and he said that getting cut from his high school basketball team is what drove him to overcome his fear of failure. He never wanted to fail again in basketball so he worked extremely hard to make sure this never happened again. He took a negative event and used it as a motivating factor in his life. We can do the same things. It is really a matter of what we focus on. If we focus on ourselves, and our limitations, we become fearful. If we focus on our goals, we become motivated. If we focus on Jesus, we gain both confidence and strength. 2nd Corinthians 4:4-5 says " such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." In the bible, Jesus promises many things for those who accept Him for who He is, the Son of God, that should help us reduce the fear of death. To most people the thought of death is painful and scary. But to the believers, death is simply a transition from life on earth to a better life with our Savior in His eternal home. In 1 John 5:11 God promises us eternal life through His Son " And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." Jesus also promises that He will be with us in heaven in John14:2-3 " In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back to take you to be with me that you may also be where I am." Our heavenly bodies will be free of the pain and sickness that we experience here on earth and having seen the glories He has provided for us, we will joyfully and continually exalt Him day and night. Without the promises of the Lord, death is the most terrifying thing imaginable. Our soul will spend eternity somewhere, of that we are sure. Heaven and Hell are real places.The consequences of our decision regarding who God is and what He sent His Son to do for us, to reconcile us of all of our sins, is THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION OF OUR LIVES. God promises a glorious eternal home for those who trust and confide in His Son. On the other hand, He promises eternal darkness and separation to those whose prideful condition keeps them from accepting His grace offering. I feel no fear around death because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that as it says in John 14:6 Jesus is the " way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him." It took me until I accepted Christ as my savior for that fear of death to go away and to be replaced by a more peaceful and serene viewpoint on the transition that takes place with our souls at that moment. There is no way I COULD HAVE REACHED THAT CONCLUSION ON MY OWN. It was but for the grace of God that He led me there. I pray for the other souls who have not yet reached this conclusion. The stakes couldn't be higher and the fear must be unbearable. To think of spending eternity in darkness, with all questions and no answers and no communication capabilities to the outside world is frightening, but that is what God says awaits those who reject His Son. I pray for their fears to be released through knowing Christ so that they can be free to chase those dreams buried deep in their hearts. That is where transcendent peace truly lies.
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Psalm 34:4 " I sought the Lord and He answered me; he delivered me from all of my fears.
Let's face it, we all live with fear. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they can barely function. Fear literally overwhelms their life and keeps them from being able to reach for the dreams that they have deep in their hearts. What do people tend to fear the most? The list is long and different for each one of us. We certainly have lots to be afraid of in this broken world. Crime, illness, loss of possessions, unemployment, betrayal, addictions, and a world that seems to be coming undone on a daily basis are just a few of things that we could be fearful of. According to research, the #1 thing that people fear is public speaking, followed closely by the fear of death. I always found this strange as I would have thought for sure that the fear of death would be #1 and by a wide margin. After thinking and reading about this for along time, what this means to me is that at their core, what people fear most are failure, embarrassment or rejection, and this is manifested in the fear of public speaking. They feel like they will be vulnerable to failure if they get up in front of a group of people and make a fool of themselves. This is something that I can relate to as I have done it many times. But what I have found over time has actually helped me overcome my fear of public speaking. The cure for the fear of failure is failure. The cure for the fear of rejection is rejection. The cure for the fear of embarrassment is being embarrassed. I believe that what happens during these learning processes of overcoming our fears is that we build up an immunity of sorts, a tolerance, when we find out the things that we fear the most actually happen and we are still here. What's the old saying? What doesn't kill us make us stronger. I think that is a practical way to think about overcoming our fears. It takes courage to risk something or to leave ourselves open to criticism, but that is how we grow in our lives. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to control our fears from preventing us from doing what needs to be done. Athletes are still nervous or fearful before big sporting events, but the best have learned to channel their nerves into a positive energy rather than a debilitating one. I remember reading about Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player that ever lived, and he said that getting cut from his high school basketball team is what drove him to overcome his fear of failure. He never wanted to fail again in basketball so he worked extremely hard to make sure this never happened again. He took a negative event and used it as a motivating factor in his life. We can do the same things. It is really a matter of what we focus on. If we focus on ourselves, and our limitations, we become fearful. If we focus on our goals, we become motivated. If we focus on Jesus, we gain both confidence and strength. 2nd Corinthians 4:4-5 says " such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." In the bible, Jesus promises many things for those who accept Him for who He is, the Son of God, that should help us reduce the fear of death. To most people the thought of death is painful and scary. But to the believers, death is simply a transition from life on earth to a better life with our Savior in His eternal home. In 1 John 5:11 God promises us eternal life through His Son " And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." Jesus also promises that He will be with us in heaven in John14:2-3 " In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back to take you to be with me that you may also be where I am." Our heavenly bodies will be free of the pain and sickness that we experience here on earth and having seen the glories He has provided for us, we will joyfully and continually exalt Him day and night. Without the promises of the Lord, death is the most terrifying thing imaginable. Our soul will spend eternity somewhere, of that we are sure. Heaven and Hell are real places.The consequences of our decision regarding who God is and what He sent His Son to do for us, to reconcile us of all of our sins, is THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION OF OUR LIVES. God promises a glorious eternal home for those who trust and confide in His Son. On the other hand, He promises eternal darkness and separation to those whose prideful condition keeps them from accepting His grace offering. I feel no fear around death because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that as it says in John 14:6 Jesus is the " way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him." It took me until I accepted Christ as my savior for that fear of death to go away and to be replaced by a more peaceful and serene viewpoint on the transition that takes place with our souls at that moment. There is no way I COULD HAVE REACHED THAT CONCLUSION ON MY OWN. It was but for the grace of God that He led me there. I pray for the other souls who have not yet reached this conclusion. The stakes couldn't be higher and the fear must be unbearable. To think of spending eternity in darkness, with all questions and no answers and no communication capabilities to the outside world is frightening, but that is what God says awaits those who reject His Son. I pray for their fears to be released through knowing Christ so that they can be free to chase those dreams buried deep in their hearts. That is where transcendent peace truly lies.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
First Sit, Then Serve
9/27/2011
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: psalm 46:10 " Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the Nations. I will be exalted in the earth."
I have suffered greatly in my life by having an incredible way of putting the proverbial cart before the horse. I can try to force an outcome through my own impatience that can get me outside of the will of God. When this happens, I am left tired and weak from my own misguided efforts. Likewise, I believe many of us also get burnt out along our path by making the mistake of prioritizing service for Jesus above just spending time with Jesus. Make no mistake, there is a time and a place for effectively serving our King to grow His earthly kingdom. But the order of things matters greatly in this universe. We benefit greatly when he first spend time with Him before being sent out. Being still in His presence and just trusting in His wisdom for our lives can help us feel renewed, refreshed and refocused for the plan that He has for our lives. This order of things helps us to get in alignment with Him, and that leads to a more fruitful pursuit of whatever it is we are being called to do. It is hard to be effective at anything if we are tired and lack a sense of purpose and conviction. However, when we are energized by the stream of life, an unremitting stream of water for our souls found only in Jesus Christ, then we are purposeful and highly effective. The most important thing we can do as Christians is to spend time alone with our savior, in prayer and conversation. I crave these times of peace in this hectic world, when I can let go of all of the busyness around me and in me, and just find rest in His presence. Even if it is for just a few minutes, I find this time alone with Him is invaluable in my day. I find that when I seek Him, I find Him, and He usually has the perfect answer for whatever is weighing on my heart, soul or mind. All I have to do is be still before Him and be present in my intentions, and He will guide my path, sending me out reinvigorated for the challenges ahead.
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: psalm 46:10 " Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the Nations. I will be exalted in the earth."
I have suffered greatly in my life by having an incredible way of putting the proverbial cart before the horse. I can try to force an outcome through my own impatience that can get me outside of the will of God. When this happens, I am left tired and weak from my own misguided efforts. Likewise, I believe many of us also get burnt out along our path by making the mistake of prioritizing service for Jesus above just spending time with Jesus. Make no mistake, there is a time and a place for effectively serving our King to grow His earthly kingdom. But the order of things matters greatly in this universe. We benefit greatly when he first spend time with Him before being sent out. Being still in His presence and just trusting in His wisdom for our lives can help us feel renewed, refreshed and refocused for the plan that He has for our lives. This order of things helps us to get in alignment with Him, and that leads to a more fruitful pursuit of whatever it is we are being called to do. It is hard to be effective at anything if we are tired and lack a sense of purpose and conviction. However, when we are energized by the stream of life, an unremitting stream of water for our souls found only in Jesus Christ, then we are purposeful and highly effective. The most important thing we can do as Christians is to spend time alone with our savior, in prayer and conversation. I crave these times of peace in this hectic world, when I can let go of all of the busyness around me and in me, and just find rest in His presence. Even if it is for just a few minutes, I find this time alone with Him is invaluable in my day. I find that when I seek Him, I find Him, and He usually has the perfect answer for whatever is weighing on my heart, soul or mind. All I have to do is be still before Him and be present in my intentions, and He will guide my path, sending me out reinvigorated for the challenges ahead.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The Unseen Battle: Spirit vs. Flesh
9/26/2011
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the day: Galatians 5:17 " For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."
In order to win a battle, you must first recognize who the opposition is and what you are up against. In the book of Galatians, the Bible is very clear that every man is in a raging battle that is vying for their souls. The forces are always raging against each other and they are diametrically opposed. The consequences are eternal, so this is the most important battle in our lives. It will decide where we will spend eternity. We must realize that we cannot win this battle on our own. The forces that are trying to destroy us are too strong. It takes an understanding that we must lean on the Holy Spirit to guide us and to lead us in this battle, or we will get rolled like dice. We must first understand the characteristics of the two sides in the battle, so we can navigate our way through the battle. We must reject the false promises of the adversary and rejoice in the promises of the Spirit. Galatians points out the characteristics of the sinful nature when we live to please our flesh: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissension, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. The Apostle Paul warns us that those who live according to the fleshly traits will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit living in us produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. The world we live in promotes the false ideals of living to please our flesh. We should do what we want to do, when we want to do it, and with whom we want to do it with. Consequences be damned. But the fruits of the Spirit reflect who Jesus Christ is, living within us. It is our light shining out to the rest of the world from deep with in us. We do not want to live any longer for the gratification of our flesh, but for the fruit of the Spirit. We want to live differently than the rest of the world. But how do we accomplish this? This is the hardest thing for me to live out in my life. I struggle so much with wanting to gratify my flesh. I have a hard time resiting temptation. I struggle with my sinful nature just like most people do. I fail often in being as loving as I need to be, as patient as I should be and under as much self control as is called for. But I am human, so I fail when I try to fight this fight on my own. I am just not strong enough and lack the willpower necessary to take on the adversary 24/7. But as I have grown in my Christian walk and have continued to trust God more and fill my life up with Him and poured myself out, I have found that He can win this fight for me. On my own, I have no chance, but with Him all things are possible. As it says in 2 Corinthians 12:10 " for when I am weak, then I am strong." I believe that the unseen, spiritual fight for our soul's is so fierce that unless we have a willingness to let go of our lives and trust them over to the Lord, we stand little chance of gaining ultimate victory. Paul realized this truth when he wrote to the Galatians in Galatians 2:20 " I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." One of the hardest things for me to admit to myself in my prideful condition, was that I wasn't up to winning this fight on my own. As a matter of fact, I had to admit to myself that apart from Christ I can do nothing but sin. That is the truth that I must deal with the rest of my life. I will loose some battles along the way, but with Christ I will win the war. When I fall, I will re-engage, knowing my strength comes not from me but from my Savior who loves me.
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the day: Galatians 5:17 " For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."
In order to win a battle, you must first recognize who the opposition is and what you are up against. In the book of Galatians, the Bible is very clear that every man is in a raging battle that is vying for their souls. The forces are always raging against each other and they are diametrically opposed. The consequences are eternal, so this is the most important battle in our lives. It will decide where we will spend eternity. We must realize that we cannot win this battle on our own. The forces that are trying to destroy us are too strong. It takes an understanding that we must lean on the Holy Spirit to guide us and to lead us in this battle, or we will get rolled like dice. We must first understand the characteristics of the two sides in the battle, so we can navigate our way through the battle. We must reject the false promises of the adversary and rejoice in the promises of the Spirit. Galatians points out the characteristics of the sinful nature when we live to please our flesh: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissension, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. The Apostle Paul warns us that those who live according to the fleshly traits will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit living in us produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. The world we live in promotes the false ideals of living to please our flesh. We should do what we want to do, when we want to do it, and with whom we want to do it with. Consequences be damned. But the fruits of the Spirit reflect who Jesus Christ is, living within us. It is our light shining out to the rest of the world from deep with in us. We do not want to live any longer for the gratification of our flesh, but for the fruit of the Spirit. We want to live differently than the rest of the world. But how do we accomplish this? This is the hardest thing for me to live out in my life. I struggle so much with wanting to gratify my flesh. I have a hard time resiting temptation. I struggle with my sinful nature just like most people do. I fail often in being as loving as I need to be, as patient as I should be and under as much self control as is called for. But I am human, so I fail when I try to fight this fight on my own. I am just not strong enough and lack the willpower necessary to take on the adversary 24/7. But as I have grown in my Christian walk and have continued to trust God more and fill my life up with Him and poured myself out, I have found that He can win this fight for me. On my own, I have no chance, but with Him all things are possible. As it says in 2 Corinthians 12:10 " for when I am weak, then I am strong." I believe that the unseen, spiritual fight for our soul's is so fierce that unless we have a willingness to let go of our lives and trust them over to the Lord, we stand little chance of gaining ultimate victory. Paul realized this truth when he wrote to the Galatians in Galatians 2:20 " I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." One of the hardest things for me to admit to myself in my prideful condition, was that I wasn't up to winning this fight on my own. As a matter of fact, I had to admit to myself that apart from Christ I can do nothing but sin. That is the truth that I must deal with the rest of my life. I will loose some battles along the way, but with Christ I will win the war. When I fall, I will re-engage, knowing my strength comes not from me but from my Savior who loves me.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Forgiveness vs. Unforgiveness
9/23/2011
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the day: Matthew 18:21-22 " Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, " I tell you, not seven times, but seventy- seven times."
We live in a very vindictive world, where people want revenge against those they feel have done them wrong. I saw the other day that ABC will air a new television show beginning this fall called "Someone Has To Pay." That pretty much sums up the way we tend to respond to most of the situations in our lives when we feel cheated out of something that should have been ours. It could be that someone else got credit for the effort you put into a work project. It could be a promotion that came to a co-worker when you were clearly more deserving. It could be someone getting ahead because of deceitful actions. It could be a sense of abandonment from a spouse or parent. Whatever the trigger is, there are times in our lives when we feel sheer anger and we want revenge. But the bible teaches the other side of vengeance and anger when dealing with slights. In the bible verse of the day, Jesus is telling Peter that we must forgive those who sin against us an infinite amount of times. I believe the point of this teaching is that because all of our sins have been forgiven in and through Christ, we must also forgive those people who have sinned against us in the same manner. The issue is really our heart. Do we have a forgiving heart, because we who have been forgiven much should also be able to forgive much. If we don't forgive others, the lack of forgiveness can cause us much more harm than the sinful act itself. Unresolved anger leads us out of fellowship with the Holy Spirit and into a whole slew of sinful responses. Not only that, but Jesus warns us many times that unresolved anger can fester in our bodies and lead to physical and emotionally sickness. We will be distracted and depleted in trying to seek our revenge. In the movie the Love Guru, with Mike Myers, he plays an Eastern Love Guru who uses the comedic line, "an eye for and eye leaves everybody blind." But there is so much truth in that statement. Jesus spent much of his time teaching about this subject in the Sermon on the Mount, " You have heard it was said Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I tell you do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well." Some of Jesus's most challenging teachings took place in the Sermon on the Mount. He was getting at issues that were inherently flawed in our human nature. Our need for revenge and to get even make us suffer all the more. Instead, our hearts need to be softened and our focus needs to be on him. God will make all things right in the end, it is not for us to worry about, for He is the ultimate scorekeeper. Matthew 7:1-3 warns us against judging others " Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" So we really need to let go of our unforgiveness for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is when we put ourselves in position of judge, jury and executioner, in reality we are calling in friendly fire on our own position. God will judge, we should forgive. I recently became aware of the unforgiveness that had resided in my heart for over 30 years regarding my relationship with my father. I thought I had forgiven him long ago, but the Lord showed me the difference between forgiveness in the mind and true forgiveness in the heart. This revelation freed me up from the pain I was still carrying inside and gave me a chance to see what true forgiveness looks like. Although on this side of heaven we will never be able to fully grasp just how much we have been forgiven in Christ, feeling what that looks like in my own heart led to an emotional freedom that I had been seeking, with out fully knowing it or how to fix it. It was a very cathartic experience and helped me begin to understand the depth of my own sin in relationship to judgement and the need to truly forgive. Let go and let God finally made sense. I actually felt it in my physical body. Jesus taught so much about forgiveness because He realized how much pain it can cause us if we don't forgive. It was out of love that he spent so much time focusing on this subject. If we stop a moment to think about our worldly views on forgiveness vs. His teachings, we will see the giant chasm that exists between the two. I found that like everything He taught, the tougher the subject matter, the greater the impact if we get it right. True freedom and wisdom comes from following His path and not our own. Let go and let God. There is an abundance of freedom in that!
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the day: Matthew 18:21-22 " Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, " I tell you, not seven times, but seventy- seven times."
We live in a very vindictive world, where people want revenge against those they feel have done them wrong. I saw the other day that ABC will air a new television show beginning this fall called "Someone Has To Pay." That pretty much sums up the way we tend to respond to most of the situations in our lives when we feel cheated out of something that should have been ours. It could be that someone else got credit for the effort you put into a work project. It could be a promotion that came to a co-worker when you were clearly more deserving. It could be someone getting ahead because of deceitful actions. It could be a sense of abandonment from a spouse or parent. Whatever the trigger is, there are times in our lives when we feel sheer anger and we want revenge. But the bible teaches the other side of vengeance and anger when dealing with slights. In the bible verse of the day, Jesus is telling Peter that we must forgive those who sin against us an infinite amount of times. I believe the point of this teaching is that because all of our sins have been forgiven in and through Christ, we must also forgive those people who have sinned against us in the same manner. The issue is really our heart. Do we have a forgiving heart, because we who have been forgiven much should also be able to forgive much. If we don't forgive others, the lack of forgiveness can cause us much more harm than the sinful act itself. Unresolved anger leads us out of fellowship with the Holy Spirit and into a whole slew of sinful responses. Not only that, but Jesus warns us many times that unresolved anger can fester in our bodies and lead to physical and emotionally sickness. We will be distracted and depleted in trying to seek our revenge. In the movie the Love Guru, with Mike Myers, he plays an Eastern Love Guru who uses the comedic line, "an eye for and eye leaves everybody blind." But there is so much truth in that statement. Jesus spent much of his time teaching about this subject in the Sermon on the Mount, " You have heard it was said Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I tell you do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well." Some of Jesus's most challenging teachings took place in the Sermon on the Mount. He was getting at issues that were inherently flawed in our human nature. Our need for revenge and to get even make us suffer all the more. Instead, our hearts need to be softened and our focus needs to be on him. God will make all things right in the end, it is not for us to worry about, for He is the ultimate scorekeeper. Matthew 7:1-3 warns us against judging others " Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" So we really need to let go of our unforgiveness for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is when we put ourselves in position of judge, jury and executioner, in reality we are calling in friendly fire on our own position. God will judge, we should forgive. I recently became aware of the unforgiveness that had resided in my heart for over 30 years regarding my relationship with my father. I thought I had forgiven him long ago, but the Lord showed me the difference between forgiveness in the mind and true forgiveness in the heart. This revelation freed me up from the pain I was still carrying inside and gave me a chance to see what true forgiveness looks like. Although on this side of heaven we will never be able to fully grasp just how much we have been forgiven in Christ, feeling what that looks like in my own heart led to an emotional freedom that I had been seeking, with out fully knowing it or how to fix it. It was a very cathartic experience and helped me begin to understand the depth of my own sin in relationship to judgement and the need to truly forgive. Let go and let God finally made sense. I actually felt it in my physical body. Jesus taught so much about forgiveness because He realized how much pain it can cause us if we don't forgive. It was out of love that he spent so much time focusing on this subject. If we stop a moment to think about our worldly views on forgiveness vs. His teachings, we will see the giant chasm that exists between the two. I found that like everything He taught, the tougher the subject matter, the greater the impact if we get it right. True freedom and wisdom comes from following His path and not our own. Let go and let God. There is an abundance of freedom in that!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Hide in Plain Sight
9/22/2011
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Genesis 3:8 " Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden."
Human nature is to try and hide from our sinful ways. In the garden, after Adam and Eve had sinned and eaten the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their immediate response was to try and hide out from God. "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sowed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." Genesis 3:7 Well, not much has changed in the last 2,000 years. We are still trying our best to hide our sin from God, but it is impossible. Deep in our souls we know this to be true. When we try to hide our sin, we are only deceiving ourselves and ultimately we make our situation much worse. When we try to just throw a little dirt over it and cover it up and leave it by the side of the road, our sin never gets resolved inside of us. It can fester in our souls for years and do unmeasurable harm to our lives and the plans that God has for them. How much better would it be if we would just bring it before a loving and merciful God and repent of it. That way we could be unencumbered and He could start the cathartic work in our souls of dealing with the root problem of that sin. It can be painful and uncomfortable to be naked in our sin before the Lord, but the alternative of trying to hide out from Him who knows it all already is so much worse. I have found that after I let my sin be examined alone in His presence, He does show me the root cause and helps to give me a road map to hopefully do better in the future. I often find the most valuable hidden gems of His beauty and wisdom during these painful self-examination periods. He does truly want what is best for us, but He cannot bless certain areas of our lives where sin is still present. I have recently been going through some of these painful self-examination periods alone with God and He has revealed some subtle sins that I did not know even existed in my heart and soul, or was unwilling to acknowledge. Self Righteousness, lack of patience, pride, stubbornness and laziness were just a few of the things that he revealed to me around certain areas of my life. I was wondering why I wasn't getting blessed in certain areas of my life, and He showed me what was keeping that from happening. Some things I guess are just to painful for us to admit. But I found that as a result of this process I was able to see the areas in my life that needed help in cleaning up and also what the root causes were. He revealed much to me about my true nature and also what would be required going forward. In a nutshell, if I wasn't fully trusting in Him and Him alone, then He couldn't bless me. The self pride and stubbornness had literally put a wedge between us that were hindering my prayers. When I came to realize this, I felt relieved that I had been shown the answers I had been seeking all along. I had tried to pretend that sin wasn't a problem in my life. I tried to just bury it deep in my soul and with all types of justifications. And truth be told, I wasn't even aware of some of the things that He revealed to me. But although it was a painful process to be so vulnerable, it also was one that reinforced just how much He loves me and each one of His children. We can try to hide in plain sight, or we can go to the source of all life, put our sins before Him, and let the healing process begin. I felt like a giant millstone had been removed from my body and was literally amazed at how light headed I felt when we completed our alone time together. I came to know that this was an ongoing process that would require many more experiences just like this one, alone and vulnerable with my God. But now, rather than being scared, I felt excited for Him to reveal all the places in my life where He needs me to clean it up and cleanse it out, so He can fill me up with His blessings and love. Feeling that love cascade into my heart and fill up those voids after I had repented was the most peaceful feeling I have ever experienced. I only wish I could keep that feeling 24/7, which only exists when you are one on one with your God, no distractions, no other thoughts. Just total abandonment of your will and absolute trust in His.
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Genesis 3:8 " Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden."
Human nature is to try and hide from our sinful ways. In the garden, after Adam and Eve had sinned and eaten the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their immediate response was to try and hide out from God. "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sowed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." Genesis 3:7 Well, not much has changed in the last 2,000 years. We are still trying our best to hide our sin from God, but it is impossible. Deep in our souls we know this to be true. When we try to hide our sin, we are only deceiving ourselves and ultimately we make our situation much worse. When we try to just throw a little dirt over it and cover it up and leave it by the side of the road, our sin never gets resolved inside of us. It can fester in our souls for years and do unmeasurable harm to our lives and the plans that God has for them. How much better would it be if we would just bring it before a loving and merciful God and repent of it. That way we could be unencumbered and He could start the cathartic work in our souls of dealing with the root problem of that sin. It can be painful and uncomfortable to be naked in our sin before the Lord, but the alternative of trying to hide out from Him who knows it all already is so much worse. I have found that after I let my sin be examined alone in His presence, He does show me the root cause and helps to give me a road map to hopefully do better in the future. I often find the most valuable hidden gems of His beauty and wisdom during these painful self-examination periods. He does truly want what is best for us, but He cannot bless certain areas of our lives where sin is still present. I have recently been going through some of these painful self-examination periods alone with God and He has revealed some subtle sins that I did not know even existed in my heart and soul, or was unwilling to acknowledge. Self Righteousness, lack of patience, pride, stubbornness and laziness were just a few of the things that he revealed to me around certain areas of my life. I was wondering why I wasn't getting blessed in certain areas of my life, and He showed me what was keeping that from happening. Some things I guess are just to painful for us to admit. But I found that as a result of this process I was able to see the areas in my life that needed help in cleaning up and also what the root causes were. He revealed much to me about my true nature and also what would be required going forward. In a nutshell, if I wasn't fully trusting in Him and Him alone, then He couldn't bless me. The self pride and stubbornness had literally put a wedge between us that were hindering my prayers. When I came to realize this, I felt relieved that I had been shown the answers I had been seeking all along. I had tried to pretend that sin wasn't a problem in my life. I tried to just bury it deep in my soul and with all types of justifications. And truth be told, I wasn't even aware of some of the things that He revealed to me. But although it was a painful process to be so vulnerable, it also was one that reinforced just how much He loves me and each one of His children. We can try to hide in plain sight, or we can go to the source of all life, put our sins before Him, and let the healing process begin. I felt like a giant millstone had been removed from my body and was literally amazed at how light headed I felt when we completed our alone time together. I came to know that this was an ongoing process that would require many more experiences just like this one, alone and vulnerable with my God. But now, rather than being scared, I felt excited for Him to reveal all the places in my life where He needs me to clean it up and cleanse it out, so He can fill me up with His blessings and love. Feeling that love cascade into my heart and fill up those voids after I had repented was the most peaceful feeling I have ever experienced. I only wish I could keep that feeling 24/7, which only exists when you are one on one with your God, no distractions, no other thoughts. Just total abandonment of your will and absolute trust in His.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)