2/6/2012
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: 1John 4:8 " Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
We live in a performance based culture where our acceptance and appreciation is often times directly tied to our performance. This is especially true in the marketplace, or the sports world, where today's hero can be quickly become tomorrow's goat based on our latest performance. If we win, whether in business, sports or even love for that matter, we find ourselves receiving accolades and our feeling of self worth can temporarily be lifted. On the other hand, when we make a mistake or lose a deal, we are under considerable pressure, both internally and externally, not to let it happen again. We are living in a time when people love to tear others down. It is almost like some people feel better about themselves when they are critical of others shortcomings or failures. We all seek love in our lives and want to be accepted and appreciated. We are all striving for validation in some form or another. I spent many years of my life waiting for my earthly father to validate me as a man and tell me that he loves me and is proud of me. That day has never yet come. But thankfully, God's love for us is not like that. God's love is in no way tied to, or dependent on, our performance. Likewise, it is not dependent on our character or our behavior. There is nothing we can ever do that is good enough to have God love us anymore and likewise there is nothing so bad that would cause Him to love us any less. Because God is Love, we don't have to live our lives on a spiritual roller coaster that resembles the rest of our life. Because as the verse above tells us God is Love, He is the very essence of what that means. It is essential to His being. In other words, the Lord does not ever cease to love us because in order to do so He would have to cease being Himself. The guilt that we put on ourselves over our sins and bad deeds which paralyze us and can cause us to miss out on the great things He has planned for us, never translate into the God of the universe loving us any less. Because no one can ever live up to the perfect standards of love and grace that come from the Lord, if God's love were dependent on on our performance or character, a sense of of uncertainty and unworthiness would also be prevalent deep in our souls. That's the game that the devil likes to play with us, to try and get us to feel unworthy or unlovable based on our performance. he tries to make us have a worldly perspective on love rather than a Godly perspective. When we try to live up to the world's ever changing performance standards, there is no grace in living that way. We are quickly overcome by legalism and bondage as we strive to live up to all of the false expectations. But God's love is perfect and has no attachment to worldly expectations. His affections are not based at all on our worthiness, but rather on His unchanging character. Because He never changes, we never have to worry about His love being conditional. The Bible tells us so. It shows us the characteristics of God's love throughout the stories and the way Christ interacted with various people while He lived on earth. A few of those characteristics of His perfect love would include: It is perfect. It is eternal. It is immeasurable. It is sacrificial. It is incomprehensible. It is unique. It is unconditional. It is unending. It is constant. It never changes. And most importantly, it is practical. He gave us a road map for applying His love in practical terms in our own lives with how he dealt with people like Peter and Zaccheus and the Adulteress in John 8. These are just a few of the examples found in the Bible that show how He is always willing to forgive, to teach, to inspire, to rebuke, to encourage, to humble and to melt our fears away in His love. His love is the tool Jesus used to change people's lives. He loved them when the world said they were unlovable like Bartimaeus. He loved them when the world wanted to stone them to death for their sins like the adulterous woman in John 8. He loved them when they had forsaken Him, like Peter to the little servant girl. He loved them all the way to the cross. God's perfect love lived out in the flesh through Jesus Christ should help us to deal more practically with our sins and flaws. If He forgives us, why can't we forgive ourselves. More importantly, why can't we forgive others more easily when they sin against us? When I learned to let go of the hurt and pain caused by the lack of validation from my earthly father, and learned to try and forgive him in a way that Jesus forgives me, from the deepest part of my soul, there was such freedom that overcame me. Freedom like I had never experienced before. True freedom lies in forgiveness. True freedom lies in the comprehension of how perfect God's love is towards us. I have found the greatest love of all in my life in God through Jesus Christ. I pray that I will continue to learn how to share that love with others. It is an ever changing process with me, dealing with all of my human, imperfect emotions. My love and ability to love is imperfect in every way. Thank God that His love is not like mine. Amen!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Never Enough
2/1/2012
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Genesis 1:28-29 " God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it;Rule over the fish and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Then God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."
The book of Genesis is both a book of great joy and hope and also one of great sadness and brokenness. We see both the miraculous powers of the Creator of the universe at work in His splendor and the sinful nature of man to let his prideful condition lead to his own demise. The fall of mankind that took place in the Garden of Eden plays out in the lives of us as individuals on almost a daily basis. Our human nature is such that we are never really satisfied with what we have and always leads us to want more. God had given Adam and Eve everything they could hope for. There was beauty, security, freedom and abundance all around them in the Garden at all times and at first they were content. Genesis 2:25 illustrates this for us " the man and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame." But it takes only a brief time until the free will that God gives to each of us humans leads them to disobey the one command that God had given to them. Their pride was the tool that the devil used to weaken them to the point of disobeying their God who had provided everything they needed for comfort and fellowship with Him. After they sinned and ate of the forbidden fruit, they were instantly overwhelmed with guilt. Where just a few passages ago they were fine with their nakedness because they were walking with the Lord, now in Genesis 3:7 their sinful action has left them feeling vulnerable " Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." The sinful episode of disobedience in the Garden has been a thorn in the side of man ever since and it clearly exposed our human nature to seek our own path, desiring more in our pleasures than in the comfort and security of God's promises. I have a very hard time realizing that true happiness only comes when I align myself with the will of God. I want to live as a person who pursues pleasure and puts no limits on my passions. That is the sinful nature of my flesh that is always in conflict with the Holy Spirit that lives within me and constantly reminds me that the path of fleshly pleasure will only lead to a road of destruction. Paul describes this on-going fierce battle that rages in all of mankind between our desire to gratify the flesh or live by the Spirit in Galatians 5:16-17," So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 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." I believe this is the epicenter of our struggle as humans. We do what we do not want to do because although our minds are willing, our bodies are weak when it comes to gratifying our flesh. I have failed at this in many different ways throughout my life, but I have finally learned the most valuable lesson; I am too weak on my own to avoid temptation. As a matter of fact, as a mentor of mine likes to say, I can avoid anything other than temptation. It is only through the Power of Christ living in me that I have any chance to defeat my fleshly desires. I simply can't do it on my own. The most distressing part of this is that this holds true even when things are great in my life and I seem to have everything I need for happiness. It helps me to find comfort that the Bible is full of stories like the fall in the Garden that illustrates I am not alone in my weakness. Moses and David were both murderer's and David was also an adulterer. These great men of God had impactful lives serving the Lord, yet even they were vulnerable to the powerful nature of sin. Why can't we ever just be content where we are? Why are we always striving for more? Like more stuff, more sex. more power or more money is ever going to make us happy. When will we ever realize that our lives are just a vapor. I am still weak and vulnerable anytime I am away from the word of God or like a lost sheep, I stray from the Good Shepherd. But I have come to realize that true happiness can only be found in obeying God's word to the best of my abilities, flawed as they are. Even King Solomon, " The wisest man that ever lived," according to 1 Kings 3:12, came to the same conclusion. He was blessed with wealth beyond imagination and was given the privilege of building God's temple, yet he could find no lasting contentment apart from obeying God. He devoted himself to studying and exploring all kinds of things. He sought worldly pleasures and satisfaction in his fleshly pursuits, but he quickly realized they were folly and without value as the contentment he was seeking evaded him through these pursuits. He tried to find contentment through personal achievement. He undertook many great projects, including the building of an extensive irrigation system to bring water to his groves of flourishing trees. In the end, he decided according to Ecclesiastes 2:11 " that yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." So if the richest man in the world, and the wisest man who ever lived found no real value in chasing after greater wealth, fleshly pleasure or personal achievement, why do we think it will ultimately be any different for us. All of these things can bring temporary satisfaction or prideful expression, be they don't lead to lasting contentment or eternal value. Jesus himself came to point this out for us, in that He came, not to be served, but rather as a servant of all. He could have amassed all power and wealth for His earthly consumption. But, He chose instead to focus on His eternal glory, the most humble man who ever lived. So what is the point of this life then? Where should we search for the place of contentment and of eternal value? What is our wisdom gained throughout our lifetime good for? The answer lies in the scriptures for as Paul says in Galatians 5:1 " It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." Freedom from ourselves and our sinful nature. Freedom from our desires for always wanting more and thinking that will leads us to contentment. Freedom from the longings of our flesh. And so, as Romans 5:2 states, " we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." For He alone can fill our hearts with lasting joy and lead our souls to a place of everlasting contentment. He alone is worthy of all our praise. Amen!
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Genesis 1:28-29 " God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it;Rule over the fish and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Then God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."
The book of Genesis is both a book of great joy and hope and also one of great sadness and brokenness. We see both the miraculous powers of the Creator of the universe at work in His splendor and the sinful nature of man to let his prideful condition lead to his own demise. The fall of mankind that took place in the Garden of Eden plays out in the lives of us as individuals on almost a daily basis. Our human nature is such that we are never really satisfied with what we have and always leads us to want more. God had given Adam and Eve everything they could hope for. There was beauty, security, freedom and abundance all around them in the Garden at all times and at first they were content. Genesis 2:25 illustrates this for us " the man and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame." But it takes only a brief time until the free will that God gives to each of us humans leads them to disobey the one command that God had given to them. Their pride was the tool that the devil used to weaken them to the point of disobeying their God who had provided everything they needed for comfort and fellowship with Him. After they sinned and ate of the forbidden fruit, they were instantly overwhelmed with guilt. Where just a few passages ago they were fine with their nakedness because they were walking with the Lord, now in Genesis 3:7 their sinful action has left them feeling vulnerable " Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." The sinful episode of disobedience in the Garden has been a thorn in the side of man ever since and it clearly exposed our human nature to seek our own path, desiring more in our pleasures than in the comfort and security of God's promises. I have a very hard time realizing that true happiness only comes when I align myself with the will of God. I want to live as a person who pursues pleasure and puts no limits on my passions. That is the sinful nature of my flesh that is always in conflict with the Holy Spirit that lives within me and constantly reminds me that the path of fleshly pleasure will only lead to a road of destruction. Paul describes this on-going fierce battle that rages in all of mankind between our desire to gratify the flesh or live by the Spirit in Galatians 5:16-17," So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 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." I believe this is the epicenter of our struggle as humans. We do what we do not want to do because although our minds are willing, our bodies are weak when it comes to gratifying our flesh. I have failed at this in many different ways throughout my life, but I have finally learned the most valuable lesson; I am too weak on my own to avoid temptation. As a matter of fact, as a mentor of mine likes to say, I can avoid anything other than temptation. It is only through the Power of Christ living in me that I have any chance to defeat my fleshly desires. I simply can't do it on my own. The most distressing part of this is that this holds true even when things are great in my life and I seem to have everything I need for happiness. It helps me to find comfort that the Bible is full of stories like the fall in the Garden that illustrates I am not alone in my weakness. Moses and David were both murderer's and David was also an adulterer. These great men of God had impactful lives serving the Lord, yet even they were vulnerable to the powerful nature of sin. Why can't we ever just be content where we are? Why are we always striving for more? Like more stuff, more sex. more power or more money is ever going to make us happy. When will we ever realize that our lives are just a vapor. I am still weak and vulnerable anytime I am away from the word of God or like a lost sheep, I stray from the Good Shepherd. But I have come to realize that true happiness can only be found in obeying God's word to the best of my abilities, flawed as they are. Even King Solomon, " The wisest man that ever lived," according to 1 Kings 3:12, came to the same conclusion. He was blessed with wealth beyond imagination and was given the privilege of building God's temple, yet he could find no lasting contentment apart from obeying God. He devoted himself to studying and exploring all kinds of things. He sought worldly pleasures and satisfaction in his fleshly pursuits, but he quickly realized they were folly and without value as the contentment he was seeking evaded him through these pursuits. He tried to find contentment through personal achievement. He undertook many great projects, including the building of an extensive irrigation system to bring water to his groves of flourishing trees. In the end, he decided according to Ecclesiastes 2:11 " that yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." So if the richest man in the world, and the wisest man who ever lived found no real value in chasing after greater wealth, fleshly pleasure or personal achievement, why do we think it will ultimately be any different for us. All of these things can bring temporary satisfaction or prideful expression, be they don't lead to lasting contentment or eternal value. Jesus himself came to point this out for us, in that He came, not to be served, but rather as a servant of all. He could have amassed all power and wealth for His earthly consumption. But, He chose instead to focus on His eternal glory, the most humble man who ever lived. So what is the point of this life then? Where should we search for the place of contentment and of eternal value? What is our wisdom gained throughout our lifetime good for? The answer lies in the scriptures for as Paul says in Galatians 5:1 " It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." Freedom from ourselves and our sinful nature. Freedom from our desires for always wanting more and thinking that will leads us to contentment. Freedom from the longings of our flesh. And so, as Romans 5:2 states, " we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." For He alone can fill our hearts with lasting joy and lead our souls to a place of everlasting contentment. He alone is worthy of all our praise. Amen!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Alignment of the Heart
1/26/2012
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: 1st Corinthians 13:13 " And now these three remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love."
If we could do only one thing to make us more like Jesus, what would it be? Would we heal the sick and hopeless? Would we teach others about the kingdom of heaven? Would we shoot down the Pharisees and their self-righteous attitude? Well, I believe that we all do have the chance to be more like Jesus in the way we live our lives. How? By aligning our heart to be more like the heart of Jesus, always putting love above all else. Why are we so quick to judge others when Jesus himself never judged others? In fact, He warned against the consequences of such actions in Matthew 7:1-2 " Do not judge others, 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." Jesus loved us so much that " while we were yet sinners, He died for us." He never let our sinful nature stop him from loving us. If there is one thing that I wish I did better in my life it would be to align my heart more like the heart of JESUS. I wish I wasn't always looking at my situations from such a selfish standpoint. I wish I was more loving towards those that despise me, like he taught on the sermon on the mount. I wish I wasn't so needy, fully capable of realizing that His love and grace were truly sufficient for me. I wish I didn't hold grudges like Jesus didn't. I wish I could look at every situation with my heart in a place of love before I spoke or acted. I fail a lot at this and it bothers me. For I have seen the peace and grace that does indeed fall upon me when I respond to various situations in my life in a manner that would make Jesus proud. Those are the times when I feel the best, the most liberated from the bondage of my own worldly instincts. We live in a world where an eye for an eye is the mantra for survival. Jesus taught that approach leaves everyone blind. He taught forgiveness while we seek retribution. I get mad when people don't agree with my beliefs. How stupid! I should pray for them and try harder to love them even more. I get upset at the political games that are taking place in our country and the pain that is being inflicted on the country I love by a few who have chosen to gratify themselves with the power they have been given, rather than to serve the ones who elected them. Who do I think I am? I should be more aligned with Christ in these thoughts and realize that as He did that we need to pray for our leaders. Besides this isn't our home anyway so why should I let it bother me so much. As Philippians 3:20 points out " but our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." Focusing on the character of Christ leads to a loving response and a grateful heart in all circumstances. I just wish I could always be aligned with him, and get myself and my emotions out of the way more often. That is my goal and I strive towards it, hoping each day to be a little bit more aligned with the heart of my Savior. Love is the greatest of all that will remain, now and for eternity. That He loved me enough to die for me on the cross for forgiveness of my sins is the greatest love I will ever know. His love is perfect in all ways and manners. Mine is not. I pray to be more aligned with His loving heart and to cherish each person He brings into my life the way He cherished me at Calvary. Amen.
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: 1st Corinthians 13:13 " And now these three remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love."
If we could do only one thing to make us more like Jesus, what would it be? Would we heal the sick and hopeless? Would we teach others about the kingdom of heaven? Would we shoot down the Pharisees and their self-righteous attitude? Well, I believe that we all do have the chance to be more like Jesus in the way we live our lives. How? By aligning our heart to be more like the heart of Jesus, always putting love above all else. Why are we so quick to judge others when Jesus himself never judged others? In fact, He warned against the consequences of such actions in Matthew 7:1-2 " Do not judge others, 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." Jesus loved us so much that " while we were yet sinners, He died for us." He never let our sinful nature stop him from loving us. If there is one thing that I wish I did better in my life it would be to align my heart more like the heart of JESUS. I wish I wasn't always looking at my situations from such a selfish standpoint. I wish I was more loving towards those that despise me, like he taught on the sermon on the mount. I wish I wasn't so needy, fully capable of realizing that His love and grace were truly sufficient for me. I wish I didn't hold grudges like Jesus didn't. I wish I could look at every situation with my heart in a place of love before I spoke or acted. I fail a lot at this and it bothers me. For I have seen the peace and grace that does indeed fall upon me when I respond to various situations in my life in a manner that would make Jesus proud. Those are the times when I feel the best, the most liberated from the bondage of my own worldly instincts. We live in a world where an eye for an eye is the mantra for survival. Jesus taught that approach leaves everyone blind. He taught forgiveness while we seek retribution. I get mad when people don't agree with my beliefs. How stupid! I should pray for them and try harder to love them even more. I get upset at the political games that are taking place in our country and the pain that is being inflicted on the country I love by a few who have chosen to gratify themselves with the power they have been given, rather than to serve the ones who elected them. Who do I think I am? I should be more aligned with Christ in these thoughts and realize that as He did that we need to pray for our leaders. Besides this isn't our home anyway so why should I let it bother me so much. As Philippians 3:20 points out " but our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." Focusing on the character of Christ leads to a loving response and a grateful heart in all circumstances. I just wish I could always be aligned with him, and get myself and my emotions out of the way more often. That is my goal and I strive towards it, hoping each day to be a little bit more aligned with the heart of my Savior. Love is the greatest of all that will remain, now and for eternity. That He loved me enough to die for me on the cross for forgiveness of my sins is the greatest love I will ever know. His love is perfect in all ways and manners. Mine is not. I pray to be more aligned with His loving heart and to cherish each person He brings into my life the way He cherished me at Calvary. Amen.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Our Weakness, His Strength
1/19/2012
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: " Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save."
We are all born with unique abilities. What comes naturally fore some, might be nearly impossible for others. Some people have a knack for selling, some for teaching, some for math and others for science. Some are athletically gifted, some are Spirit led. God gave us unique gifts because He had a specific goal in mind for each one of us when He created us in our mother's womb and He needs us to fulfill our role. Likewise, we also have weaknesses. Things that leave us vulnerable to destroying our lives if we are not able to recognize them and to reign them in. Many people have similar weaknesses, areas in our lives where we are easy pray for the evil one if we are not especially careful. Most, including myself, have struggled with one or more of these things at various times throughout our lives: Lust, insecurity, fear, greed, gossip, pride, dishonesty, substance abuse, ungratefulness, the list goes on and on. I have struggled with each of these areas at one time or another in my life. What truly matters though is our we willing to recognize our weaknesses, the areas where we are especially vulnerable at any given time, and to realize that we may not have the strength to deal with them on our own? Our personality flaws can be a powerful motivation for good or evil in our lives, depending on our response. A proclivity for sin can ruin your life or it can drive you to utter dependence on God. The fact that God is mighty to save us from our weaknesses, our sin, should be the joy we focus on when we realize that we are too weak to deal with certain things on our own. The Apostle Paul understood this so well that he had gotten to the point where he had learned to rejoice in his sufferings, for when he was weak, he knew that he must depend fully on God and that God alone was strong enough to pull him through any ordeal. In the Bible verse of the day above, the term mighty to save should give us great joy and comfort. We think of mighty in our world today in terms of brute strength and physical prowess. But in the original Hebrew text, the word for mighty is yasha, which indicates freeing, delivering, defending, preserving, rescuing, saving, victorious. In the grandest sense, yasha means that if we trust in the Lord, God will win. He wins the very lives of the people he sets out to rescue from harm. When we think of God in this way, we grow in our faith and get excited about what He can do for those who put their trust in Him. I have found many times in my life how weak I was to deal with certain sins in my life. My initial response was either one of pride, saying I could find or way to deal with it, or to try and downplay the significance of the very sin that was holding me in bondage. I have found that to be a recipe for disaster. Sin never sleeps and it's consequences always stay longer than we want them to stay, and always cost more than we want to pay. Make no mistake, sin can ruin your life. It can leave you broken, destitute and alone. Putting our faith in God's strength and Him alone can lead us to a new, better life free of those areas of our life that we are too weak to control. He alone is mighty to save. He will free us and deliver us from our temptations if we turn to Him with utter dependence. Praise be to God for His power is made great in our weakness.
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: " Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save."
We are all born with unique abilities. What comes naturally fore some, might be nearly impossible for others. Some people have a knack for selling, some for teaching, some for math and others for science. Some are athletically gifted, some are Spirit led. God gave us unique gifts because He had a specific goal in mind for each one of us when He created us in our mother's womb and He needs us to fulfill our role. Likewise, we also have weaknesses. Things that leave us vulnerable to destroying our lives if we are not able to recognize them and to reign them in. Many people have similar weaknesses, areas in our lives where we are easy pray for the evil one if we are not especially careful. Most, including myself, have struggled with one or more of these things at various times throughout our lives: Lust, insecurity, fear, greed, gossip, pride, dishonesty, substance abuse, ungratefulness, the list goes on and on. I have struggled with each of these areas at one time or another in my life. What truly matters though is our we willing to recognize our weaknesses, the areas where we are especially vulnerable at any given time, and to realize that we may not have the strength to deal with them on our own? Our personality flaws can be a powerful motivation for good or evil in our lives, depending on our response. A proclivity for sin can ruin your life or it can drive you to utter dependence on God. The fact that God is mighty to save us from our weaknesses, our sin, should be the joy we focus on when we realize that we are too weak to deal with certain things on our own. The Apostle Paul understood this so well that he had gotten to the point where he had learned to rejoice in his sufferings, for when he was weak, he knew that he must depend fully on God and that God alone was strong enough to pull him through any ordeal. In the Bible verse of the day above, the term mighty to save should give us great joy and comfort. We think of mighty in our world today in terms of brute strength and physical prowess. But in the original Hebrew text, the word for mighty is yasha, which indicates freeing, delivering, defending, preserving, rescuing, saving, victorious. In the grandest sense, yasha means that if we trust in the Lord, God will win. He wins the very lives of the people he sets out to rescue from harm. When we think of God in this way, we grow in our faith and get excited about what He can do for those who put their trust in Him. I have found many times in my life how weak I was to deal with certain sins in my life. My initial response was either one of pride, saying I could find or way to deal with it, or to try and downplay the significance of the very sin that was holding me in bondage. I have found that to be a recipe for disaster. Sin never sleeps and it's consequences always stay longer than we want them to stay, and always cost more than we want to pay. Make no mistake, sin can ruin your life. It can leave you broken, destitute and alone. Putting our faith in God's strength and Him alone can lead us to a new, better life free of those areas of our life that we are too weak to control. He alone is mighty to save. He will free us and deliver us from our temptations if we turn to Him with utter dependence. Praise be to God for His power is made great in our weakness.
Monday, January 9, 2012
God is in the resume building business
1/9/2012
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the day: Psalm 37:3-4 " Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."
God is in the resume building business. He is always using our past experiences to help prepare us for future opportunities. The Bible is full of such stories. God uses the failings and the successes of our lives to prepare us for what we need to achieve for His Kingdom work here on earth and in Heaven. 2nd Samuel 23:20-21 tells the story of a valiant warrior named Benaiah, who kills 2 of Moab's mightiest warriors, and then kills an Egyptian giant with his own spear and finally kills a lion in a pit with his bare hands. All of this was preparing him for the day when he would become head of King David's body guard regimen. David himself was being prepared to be a king when he learned to place all of his trust in the God who delivered him from the giant Goliath, giving him the courage to run to the battlefield with only a slingshot in his hand. Moses was a reluctant leader who had been prepared by God just at the right time to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Noah was prepared by God to withstand the ridicule and shame that came from his culture for building an Arc in the middle of the Desert. The stories go on and on. One thing remains the same. God sees the big picture when we often times cannot. He is preparing us throughout our lives to play a part in his picture show, and we need to trust in His plan, even when it seems scary and impossible to believe. Thankfully, God is as patient as we are stubborn, and He will wait for us to come around because He knows how important it is that each of us fulfill the divine role that He has in mind for us. I look at my own life and often wonder how my past experiences are preparing me for some future opportunities. I must admit that at many times I wonder where exactly I am headed in my life. I have many things that I would like to accomplish, and yet can already feel the reality of time constraints starting to pinch in on some of my dreams. I must stop myself at those moments and recalibrate the image, because my understanding is so infinitesimal compared to the size of His power and His purpose. Isaiah sums this up well in 55:8-9 when he says " for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." My job is to humbly admit that I have no real understanding of how the big picture is being worked out through all of my little life experiences. I must truly trust, by faith, that the God of the universe is going to be able to make it all come together at the perfect time for His glory. My fears can quickly get in the way of His plans if I don't catch myself and learn to continually seek Him and trust His plan for my life. When I get anxious, it is because I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE HAS IN MIND! But guess what, He doesn't owe me or anyone else an explanation. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. I truly believe that He uses the mystery of our individual journeys as His main tool to build a deeper faith within us. If He showed us the ending of the movie at the beginning, life would loose all its mystery and intrigue. I think that learning to embrace that uncertainty is one of the hardest, yet most important parts of our Christian walk. It is called faith! When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are granted eternal certainty of being with Him, but we are not granted situational or circumstantial certainty in any manner. We must learn to see His hand at work in all facets of our life and to trust that all things are being worked out for His good. A selfish attitude around our desire to be in control, leads to anxiousness and fear. A selfless attitude where we trust in our Savior for all provisions and keep our eyes on Him leads to a " peace of God that transcends all understanding" and helps us to cope with the storms of life. I struggle with having the desire to constantly live this way and the inability to do so. I still am a slave to the culture I live in and often feel like I am being torn in two by the desire to live for Christ, and the need to find acceptance in a culture that is 180 degrees opposed to His teaching. We live in a narcissistic world, where self-centeredness is rampant and where the kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. The battles that rage between spirit and flesh are alive and fierce. I pray that God has been building my resume for the times that are to come so that I may be prepared, and understand exactly what is needed. When courage is required,God needs His men to be the dependable ones. That fact has remained the same throughout the history of the Bible and God has always used their lives to prepare them for action. May my resume be ready at just the right time!
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the day: Psalm 37:3-4 " Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."
God is in the resume building business. He is always using our past experiences to help prepare us for future opportunities. The Bible is full of such stories. God uses the failings and the successes of our lives to prepare us for what we need to achieve for His Kingdom work here on earth and in Heaven. 2nd Samuel 23:20-21 tells the story of a valiant warrior named Benaiah, who kills 2 of Moab's mightiest warriors, and then kills an Egyptian giant with his own spear and finally kills a lion in a pit with his bare hands. All of this was preparing him for the day when he would become head of King David's body guard regimen. David himself was being prepared to be a king when he learned to place all of his trust in the God who delivered him from the giant Goliath, giving him the courage to run to the battlefield with only a slingshot in his hand. Moses was a reluctant leader who had been prepared by God just at the right time to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Noah was prepared by God to withstand the ridicule and shame that came from his culture for building an Arc in the middle of the Desert. The stories go on and on. One thing remains the same. God sees the big picture when we often times cannot. He is preparing us throughout our lives to play a part in his picture show, and we need to trust in His plan, even when it seems scary and impossible to believe. Thankfully, God is as patient as we are stubborn, and He will wait for us to come around because He knows how important it is that each of us fulfill the divine role that He has in mind for us. I look at my own life and often wonder how my past experiences are preparing me for some future opportunities. I must admit that at many times I wonder where exactly I am headed in my life. I have many things that I would like to accomplish, and yet can already feel the reality of time constraints starting to pinch in on some of my dreams. I must stop myself at those moments and recalibrate the image, because my understanding is so infinitesimal compared to the size of His power and His purpose. Isaiah sums this up well in 55:8-9 when he says " for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." My job is to humbly admit that I have no real understanding of how the big picture is being worked out through all of my little life experiences. I must truly trust, by faith, that the God of the universe is going to be able to make it all come together at the perfect time for His glory. My fears can quickly get in the way of His plans if I don't catch myself and learn to continually seek Him and trust His plan for my life. When I get anxious, it is because I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE HAS IN MIND! But guess what, He doesn't owe me or anyone else an explanation. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. I truly believe that He uses the mystery of our individual journeys as His main tool to build a deeper faith within us. If He showed us the ending of the movie at the beginning, life would loose all its mystery and intrigue. I think that learning to embrace that uncertainty is one of the hardest, yet most important parts of our Christian walk. It is called faith! When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are granted eternal certainty of being with Him, but we are not granted situational or circumstantial certainty in any manner. We must learn to see His hand at work in all facets of our life and to trust that all things are being worked out for His good. A selfish attitude around our desire to be in control, leads to anxiousness and fear. A selfless attitude where we trust in our Savior for all provisions and keep our eyes on Him leads to a " peace of God that transcends all understanding" and helps us to cope with the storms of life. I struggle with having the desire to constantly live this way and the inability to do so. I still am a slave to the culture I live in and often feel like I am being torn in two by the desire to live for Christ, and the need to find acceptance in a culture that is 180 degrees opposed to His teaching. We live in a narcissistic world, where self-centeredness is rampant and where the kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. The battles that rage between spirit and flesh are alive and fierce. I pray that God has been building my resume for the times that are to come so that I may be prepared, and understand exactly what is needed. When courage is required,God needs His men to be the dependable ones. That fact has remained the same throughout the history of the Bible and God has always used their lives to prepare them for action. May my resume be ready at just the right time!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
New Beginnings
1/03/2012
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the day: 2nd Corinthians 5:17 " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come."
When the calendar hits January 1st, it is a new beginning. Hope permeates the air as we look forward to a clean slate and a fresh chance to make the best of the talents that we have been given. The past year is soon forgotten, and we strive to make an impact given the new beginning we have been given. We hope to learn from what we did well last year and also from what we did not do so well. People set all kinds of goals and resolutions to seek to make improvements in their lives. I am in the process of starting a new consulting company and feel a tremendous amount of energy and focus around my new endeavor. But I realize that as Psalm 127:1 states " Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stand guard in vain." See I am limited in my power and am susceptible to the fears of my heart. But in God, when I put my trust in Him and lean not on my own understanding, my power is made infinitely more strong. As a matter of fact, as the Bible verse of the day above states, all things are made new in Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Him provides the ultimate new beginning. For me, all the pain and disappointment of past relationships and my own shortcomings were washed away when I first came to know and accept Jesus as my Savior. In my own weakness, I found new strength in Him. I am still amazed at how since that day I still feel like every day is a new beginning, as I get a new chance to glorify Him who is worthy of my praise. When my focus is on Christ, and I am humble and prayerful before Him, He guides my path and leads me to many new things. On my own I can have occasional good ideas, but with Him I can have God ideas. There is an unseen force that guides things all around me and helps me to see new opportunities. Where before I was blind, now I can truly see. I can see things as Providences, rather than as coincidences. I can see new opportunities, and positive results, where before I could only see challenges and my own fears to stifle them. Christ is the ultimate new beginning because in Him, everything is made new. Each and every day is a gift to be an effective steward with the gifts He has given us and with the opportunities he brings our way. What we do with those opportunities is our gift back to Him. May 2012 be a year of new beginnings, as we draw closer to our Lord and Savior on a daily basis and seek His ways. For He will surely make our path straight and His wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing we desire can compare with it. Those who seek His wisdom, will surely find it. May you seek it will all of your heart. Amen!
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the day: 2nd Corinthians 5:17 " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come."
When the calendar hits January 1st, it is a new beginning. Hope permeates the air as we look forward to a clean slate and a fresh chance to make the best of the talents that we have been given. The past year is soon forgotten, and we strive to make an impact given the new beginning we have been given. We hope to learn from what we did well last year and also from what we did not do so well. People set all kinds of goals and resolutions to seek to make improvements in their lives. I am in the process of starting a new consulting company and feel a tremendous amount of energy and focus around my new endeavor. But I realize that as Psalm 127:1 states " Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stand guard in vain." See I am limited in my power and am susceptible to the fears of my heart. But in God, when I put my trust in Him and lean not on my own understanding, my power is made infinitely more strong. As a matter of fact, as the Bible verse of the day above states, all things are made new in Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Him provides the ultimate new beginning. For me, all the pain and disappointment of past relationships and my own shortcomings were washed away when I first came to know and accept Jesus as my Savior. In my own weakness, I found new strength in Him. I am still amazed at how since that day I still feel like every day is a new beginning, as I get a new chance to glorify Him who is worthy of my praise. When my focus is on Christ, and I am humble and prayerful before Him, He guides my path and leads me to many new things. On my own I can have occasional good ideas, but with Him I can have God ideas. There is an unseen force that guides things all around me and helps me to see new opportunities. Where before I was blind, now I can truly see. I can see things as Providences, rather than as coincidences. I can see new opportunities, and positive results, where before I could only see challenges and my own fears to stifle them. Christ is the ultimate new beginning because in Him, everything is made new. Each and every day is a gift to be an effective steward with the gifts He has given us and with the opportunities he brings our way. What we do with those opportunities is our gift back to Him. May 2012 be a year of new beginnings, as we draw closer to our Lord and Savior on a daily basis and seek His ways. For He will surely make our path straight and His wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing we desire can compare with it. Those who seek His wisdom, will surely find it. May you seek it will all of your heart. Amen!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
The Greatest Gift Of All
12/24/2011
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: John 10:10 " For I came to give you life, and give it to you abundantly."
Christmas is an exciting time in a house with a 4 and 6 year old. Their excitement reaches a crescendo as the big night approaches when the gifts can finally be opened and the joy of their hearts can finally be fulfilled after a seemingly endless period of waiting. They have been counting down with their advent calendars, each day representing one step closer to the night of opening their gifts. But I have been focused on teaching them that the greatest gift that they will ever receive in their lives has already been given. It was given on Christmas because that is when God chose to send His Son into this dark world to establish a beach head for reconciling this world back to him for eternity. He sent His Son humbly into the world, born into the darkness in a manger, with a few cloths and some hay all that there was to keep him warm. The second He was born, the evil forces of darkness in this world were already trying to kill him, with the mind of King Herod already working to destroy anything that would challenge his earthly throne. When he heard that the baby King had been born in Bethlehem and that He was to become the King of the Jews , he instantly felt insecure and and threatened. The ultimate result were the first martyr's for Christ, when he ordered all boy babies who were born in Bethlehem and under the age of two to be killed. Welcome to the world Jesus, we've been waiting for you. But God had the perfect gift waiting for us, and His plan could not be thwarted, as reconciling the world back to Him had been the goal since the fall in the Garden of Eden. Sin had to be dealt with once and for all. Mankind would be the beneficiary of the greatest gift. It would be a gift that we could never deserve or earn. We weren't owed it by any means. We didn't have to receive it,we would never be forced to take it,but we could never loose it. It would never be taken back, like many of our earthly gifts that our kids don't either want or the sizes are wrong. Even though the price of the gift would be enormous, we wouldn't have to pay a dime to get it. The price for our sin would be paid in full and we would never even get a bill. Eternal life is the reward for all who will simply recognize who Christ is and what He did for us on the cross to get it. God is asking if you will receive the greatest gift of all this Christmas. It brings love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self control and humility in a way this world could never offer. The gift is waiting to be unwrapped by all who claim it. May this Christmas be the best ever as we truly embrace the reason for the season. Don't forget that the greatest gift has already been given, and no earthly gift can ever compare. 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 10:10 " For I came to give you life, and give it to you abundantly."
Christmas is an exciting time in a house with a 4 and 6 year old. Their excitement reaches a crescendo as the big night approaches when the gifts can finally be opened and the joy of their hearts can finally be fulfilled after a seemingly endless period of waiting. They have been counting down with their advent calendars, each day representing one step closer to the night of opening their gifts. But I have been focused on teaching them that the greatest gift that they will ever receive in their lives has already been given. It was given on Christmas because that is when God chose to send His Son into this dark world to establish a beach head for reconciling this world back to him for eternity. He sent His Son humbly into the world, born into the darkness in a manger, with a few cloths and some hay all that there was to keep him warm. The second He was born, the evil forces of darkness in this world were already trying to kill him, with the mind of King Herod already working to destroy anything that would challenge his earthly throne. When he heard that the baby King had been born in Bethlehem and that He was to become the King of the Jews , he instantly felt insecure and and threatened. The ultimate result were the first martyr's for Christ, when he ordered all boy babies who were born in Bethlehem and under the age of two to be killed. Welcome to the world Jesus, we've been waiting for you. But God had the perfect gift waiting for us, and His plan could not be thwarted, as reconciling the world back to Him had been the goal since the fall in the Garden of Eden. Sin had to be dealt with once and for all. Mankind would be the beneficiary of the greatest gift. It would be a gift that we could never deserve or earn. We weren't owed it by any means. We didn't have to receive it,we would never be forced to take it,but we could never loose it. It would never be taken back, like many of our earthly gifts that our kids don't either want or the sizes are wrong. Even though the price of the gift would be enormous, we wouldn't have to pay a dime to get it. The price for our sin would be paid in full and we would never even get a bill. Eternal life is the reward for all who will simply recognize who Christ is and what He did for us on the cross to get it. God is asking if you will receive the greatest gift of all this Christmas. It brings love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self control and humility in a way this world could never offer. The gift is waiting to be unwrapped by all who claim it. May this Christmas be the best ever as we truly embrace the reason for the season. Don't forget that the greatest gift has already been given, and no earthly gift can ever compare. Amen!
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