Where There Are No Palm Trees

Victory Garden - 7/29/2010

2010-07-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

Romans 1:19-20, "...since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

When my wife and I first bought our house, there was a large, mostly empty garden spot in the front yard with three large yuccas and two small dahlias. My grandfather had always grown rose bushes, and I thought it would be nice to replace the yuccas with some roses. As soon as spring was approaching, Costco offered some nice varieties, so I was quick to snatch them up.

I live in a place with short summers and long, cloudy winters. I was stir-crazy for sunshine and for spring, so I started planning everything else that I'd grow. I went to a few "big box" stores and started shopping for bulbs. I was so stunned by the variety! Not the variety that the stores offered, but the variety of designs and colors my God created!

I've always loved God's creation - I loved to camp as a kid and get close to nature, and was so infatuated with animals that my childhood dream was to work in a pet shop (mission accomplished!). But, as I read about different types of plants for our front garden and learned how they grow, I couldn't help but be in awe of our God and His creativity, His attention to detail and variety.

Incidentally, after typing that last line, I was curious about the account in Genesis where God created the plants. I decided to search for it, figuring it was probably in Chapter 1, and unexpectedly typed verse 12 afterward; here is the verse that came up: "The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good."

"And God saw that it was good." What an understatement! Anything He declares to be good is so much more by our paltry standards.

So, to display what God saw as good, I started to select flowers for the front of our house with a specific purpose in mind: to show everybody what my God has created. Gardening became an act of worship for me, and almost an obsession during that first, long winter in our house. I know there must have been people who raised an eyebrow at a 30-something man growing roses and

flowers like a retired grandmother, but I don't care! I love what my God has made and I wanted to put it on display for all to see.

So now, I've got this garden out front with dramatic shapes, bold colors, and stop-you-in-your tracks fragrances. I like the verse above because I see evidence of a loving Creator who poured Himself into the basic framework of nature, creating the most subtle yet dramatic backdrop for the human experience. We are surrounded by evidence of His character and His very nature. I'm reminded

now of the lyrics to the song "Here Is Our King" by David Crowder:

"And what was said to the rose to make it unfold
was said to me here in my chest,
so be quiet now, and rest"

We can rest in the knowledge of who our God is, as seen by the work of His hand. I wrote earlier about a verse in 1 Kings that describes how God revealed Himself physically. The scripture above in Romans says God revealed the invisible qualities of His divine nature by what has been made. Here in 1 Kings, when he made Himself visible, He did so with the arrival of a quiet whisper. Not a thunderstorm. Not an earthquake. Not a tusnami/meteor shower/volcanic eruption combo. A quiet whisper.

That quality is evident in the delicate details of His creation. The plants He made are like the quiet whisper where God Himself can be found - you have to be still and take notice. He will not demand your attention in loud, showy displays. But if you look closely at His creation, He commands it. This is His character as seen in His creation.

Often we wait for God to interrupt our thoughts and daily lives with His next order or command. We continue along with our plans, waiting in quiet desperation for God to grab us and steer us along, to change our direction and do the work for us. But,

"His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made." That is not how He operates in our lives. Like the beauty He's created, God is always there for us. His power and ability constantly surround us, we have only to slow down and take notice. Let creation remind you of His quiet whisper. If you think He's gone or far away, you're wrong. He's right there, waiting for us to be quiet now, listen ... and rest in Him.

The garden I planted was my attempt to show this - the invisible qualities of God's eternal power and divine nature. I sometimes think of it as my "Victory Garden." That was a term used during the world wars for private vegetable gardens, designed to make families more self-sufficient, leaving more food for soldiers at war.

However, we are reminded numerous times in the scriptures that victory belongs to the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 15:54 and 57, Paul writes, "'Death has been swallowed up in victory'" (quoting Isaiah), and "...thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." If God's creation displays His divine nature, then it can show us the victory of Christ as well. He swallowed death ... just as His creation demonstrates life arising from death. At the end of the growing season (a sad time for me), death comes to all the stunning colors and shapes in the garden. But in the spring ... Victory! Oh, the drama of gardening!!!!!

Christ conquered death, and victoriously rose to life from a corpse. In the spring, life comes again to the garden. Beneath

the decay of last year's flowers comes the tender shoots, bright leaves, and new flower buds. We are reminded again of God's eternal power and divine nature. We are confronted by His unchangeable constancy. We see victory over death!

Let God's creation remind you that His power is eternal and His nature divine. He is as approachable as an unfurling rosebud releasing its fragrance, and more beautiful than the burning colors of tropical blooms. Here is our King, remember His Victory!

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?” Job 12: 7-9

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Timeless Temple Treasures - 7/16/2010

2010-07-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

I have heard this verse many times before, but only recently did I allow it to sink in. Try to picture it if you can. Everything Jesus said will stand eternally. When there are no more countries, no more earth, no more heaven, only eternity with the Holy One, the words of Christ will still remain. They will outlast any building, any investment, any vehicle, any mountain.

It's interesting to think that in 60,000 years, we will still be with our Lord, and the words He spoke on Earth 2,000 years ago - that we can read right now in the Bible - will remain. Kind of makes me want to pay closer attention!

With that in mind, I read the story of the poor widow in Luke:

Luke 21:1-4, "As He looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'I tell you the truth,' He said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'"

This account of a poor widow will be part of eternity, these words will never be erased or forgotten. I know of a poor widow, I included a picture of her. Haregewoin Teferra. She is Ethiopian, and a remarkable woman. You can read more about her here. She lived in one of the poorest countries on Earth, with the average income ranking 213 out of 227 countries. People in Haiti and Afghanistan make more than Ethiopians. The United States ranked 11th on the list.

Average annual income for an American: $46,400

Average annual income for an Ethiopian: $900

This woman was poor, but like the poor widow Jesus saw in the temple, she put everything she had into God's treasury. She gave her life to God's children, orphaned by AIDS and starvation. About 400 children over the years. The little money she did make went toward housing and feeding the kids brought to her by aid workers who had nowhere else to bring these innocent victims of circumstance. I know some Americans who don't want to have a third or fourth child because they think they can't afford it...

Looking back from eternity, we will be able to say that we were alive at the same time as this woman. I can't imagine meeting somebody like her and comparing what she was able to accomplish with my own use of what God gave me. The fact that I'm American and she's Ethiopian won't really matter that much. We were on the same planet at the same time, given the same chance to serve with our resources. Imagine what any of the poor widows who gave everything they had to God's treasury would say to us if we talked about it in heaven!

"Oh, you were an American? Wow, you were R-I-C-H! Didn't you people make like $46,400 on average in 2009? What did you do with all that money?"

"Well, I bought a nice home."

"I bet! How many kids lived there, like 1000?"

"Uh, no ... just a couple."

"Oh. Well probably a whole village of widows then!"

"Um .. no. We did have a dog though. He needed lots of toys and food and affection and room to run around."

"The dog lived inside your very nice home? Where did the orphans live?"

"Uh ... outside."

"Hm. So, did you use all of your money to feed those kids outside then? I bet they at least ate a lot of food thanks to you!"

"Well ... actually, no. I wish now that was true, but really ... I ate very, very well. In fact, I didn't even make my own food most of the time. I would go places and pay other people to make it and then serve it to me."
"So you gave the rest to the Lord, then? Did you place that wealth in the treasury so God's workers could use it?"

"Not really. I mean, I gave ten percent of it to God because I had to."

"Do you remember the story of the woman in the temple? Of course you do. The words of the Lord are everlasting. Are you aware that you are just like the rich people who gave out of their wealth? I made less than $900 that same year. Pretty much all of it went toward rice for the kids I kept from starving to death on the street. In fact, you can see some of them over there..."

Even with a poor attempt at an eternal perspective, it should be obvious that the poorest of the poor in this country still have more than the average person in a country like Ethiopia, where one poor widow was still able to give enough to literally save hundreds of lives.

So what are we to do then with the wealth we have been blessed with?

More.

Always more.

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow' - when you now have it with you." - Proverbs 2:27-28

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We Are Adopting! - 7/16/2010

2010-07-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

We have been pursuing adoption since the beginning of the year, and are nearly done with the paperwork! We have submitted an application to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to bring an orphan from another country into the United States. When we receive the confirmation form (the I-171H), our Dossier will be complete! This was a long process, and all that will remain is to have the whole thing notarized in the state capitol and mail it to Ethiopia with a referral for the child we've applied for.

This is not a cheap process, but we have been blessed to be able to provide for the costs to bring our next child home. However, during the process a new regulation was approved. We now have to travel to Ethiopia twice - before you only went once to bring your child home. We weren't prepared for that added expense. So, we are accepting any donations to meet our goal for the extra plane tickets. If you feel led to contribute, just use the "chip-in" widget in the top left of the blog. Thank you to those of you who have already contributed, every little bit helps!

In the meantime, please pray that His will be done in this process and that we would be sensitive to His leading in choosing the child He has in mind for our family. Thank you!

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Greatest Returns - 6/26/2010

2010-06-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11, "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?"

My wife and I are in the process of adopting an orphan from Ethiopia. It goes without saying that this process is not cheap, but it is worthwhile. I know people question this decision and wonder why anybody would spend so much to bring home someone else's child. To be honest, I have wondered the same thing. I've always wanted to adopt, but once I felt called to begin the process, the sticker shock was enough to cause me to honestly question if the price and paperwork were worth it.

Then came the big questions. "If I don't spend the money on this child, who will?" "If I save this money for myself and my family, what will it bring us? More money? More things? Then what? What will those benefit us in the big picture?"

I think this is what Solomon meant when he wrote, "This too is meaningless." I could invest the money I would put toward international adoption and earn more money, but it will never be enough. I would always want more. Maybe one day I would be wealthy by the world's standards, but as Solomon who was rich beyond imagination wrote, I wouldn't be satisfied. And, this world is temporary. In the end, all the fanciness and shiny things will pass away, and the only thing that will remain is God and the people He created.

People are the only investments that will truly last. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:18, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

"But, Nathan, what about your children and their future? You should leave them as much money as possible!"

If I've done my job as a father, I will have been responsible with my money while serving God, and taught my kids to do the same, not worrying about finances while keeping in mind this lesson.

After writing the first big check for this adoption, I really questioned the cost, especially considering our agency is not-for-profit, and still expensive. So, I pictured my own retirement years and the two possible scenarios that I could attain: one centered around living for myself - building wealth and ending up with a very small family, or alone, but surrounded by very nice things. But as Solomon wrote in the verse above, "...what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?" The second option is to live for God, serve others, and maybe have a smaller home, fewer luxuries, but surrounded by lives God touched through my obedience.

So thinking about adoption and money with terms used for investment, which of these holds the greater return? My money, performing in a strong market, could grow by 7-10% each year, so when I retire it could yield a return that would impress even the most serious investor, but when my life ends so does my ability to feast my eyes on all I had gained. Or, I could invest in human lives. The money I put toward adoption could deliver a person from a short, tragic life and literally restore generations of God's people, established on a foundation of love.

Do the math. Which of these two investments has the greatest return?

In my twilight years, is it better to be surrounded by things, or people?

That's not to say we can't have nice things or big houses. It is when we allow things to take the focus off of God or hinder us from serving Him that we begin to have problems. Some may argue that it's their money, they worked hard for it, they can spend it however they want. But for thousands of years we've had the words of Moses that warn, "You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth..."

How are you thanking Him for that ability? How are you using the ability He's given you to serve Him? Will you leave a legacy of selfish living, or one of serving the Lord our God? "you cannot serve both God and Mammon" ... so ... "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

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The Foundation of Courage - 4/11/2010

2010-04-11T12:24:00.001-07:00

1 Samuel 47-48, "... it is not by the sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's

... As the Philistine moved closer to attack Him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him."

This familiar anecdote describes the encounter between David and Goliath - a giant of a man who kept the entire Israelite army in fear for five days with his challenge to Saul's army. Only one man had to defeat Goliath and the whole Philistine army would become servants to the Israelites, but failing to do so meant the Israelites would become servants themselves. Nobody accepted his challenge.

Until David. David wasn't a soldier. His brothers were, and were counted among the trained warriors who knew Goliath could defeat them, and refused to act. Their younger sibling David was a shepherd. The soldiers of Saul's army put their faith in their ability, and failed. David put his faith in another Shepherd's ability, our God, and defeated the source of fear for an entire army, with a single stone and a sling.

Even as this giant of a man covered in armor with large weapons rose up to attack David, he didn't fear. In fact it says here "David ran quickly toward the battle line." I love that line because David didn't doubt or ponder or second-guess God's ability or willingness to deliver. He simply ran forward knowing God would come through - because He had before! "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine... " (v.36-37). I have been struck before by this idea that David had practice using God's strength instead of his own, with the lion and the bear as "trial runs" for his meeting with Goliath.

But, what I find fascinating now is how offended David was when Goliath challenged the "living God." In verse 26, when David first assessed the situation, he asked, "...Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" The significance of referring to Goliath as "uncircumcised" is to emphasize that Goliath did not believe in nor serve the Lord, yet challenged our "living God" while he worshiped mute gods made from the hands of men. How often do we feel offended when people challenge God? Perhaps most of us haven't become desensitized to assaults on our Lord's loving character, but if we are to rely on God to stand up for us, why don't we stand up for Him more often? Why don't we defend His love and His power and His ability to those who challenge our "living God?"

David did. "[He] said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with the sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."

There are two things I love about this account. 1.) David was offended to his core that anyone would slander the most important person in his life - our living God - and he acted on it! 2.) David had a close enough relationship with our God that he could rush into battle with a giant without flinching, knowing this God of ours well enough that he could trust Him to follow through during any challenge that presents itself.

Two lessons I truly hope I can take to heart.

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Source of Peace - 3/28/2010

2010-03-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Psalm 85:8-9, "I will listen to God the Lord. He has ordered peace for those who worship Him. Don't let them go back to foolishness. God will soon save those who respect Him, and His glory will be seen in our land" (NCV).

We have a lot of things to listen to in our culture; it's almost impossible to shut out the noise. We have the obvious distractions like the television, movies, radio, and the internet. We also have teachers and professors, coworkers, friends, and family members all contributing to what we hear and agree with. What do you listen to? How do you sift through the mountains of conflicting opinions, well-meaning and sometimes misguided advice?

"I will listen to God the Lord." We may not be able to control what we hear. But we have total control over who we listen to. I like how firm and direct this statement is. Almost as if to say, "I will measure everything I hear based on the one constant truth to have withstood the test of time: God the Lord."

The benefit of that decision is that "He has ordered peace for those who worship Him." This is such an incredible statement! What has God ordered that has not come true? By His very words everything we know came into existence. Worship him and experience His peace - the peace that is often referred to as "the peace that passes all understanding."

I think this is one aspect of Christianity that a non-believer cannot fully grasp. They don't realize that the peace God offers is real and makes absolutely no sense and cannot be attributed to "mind over matter." When faced with uncertainty, you feel this peace. When you face conflict, you feel this peace. When you lose a loved one, you feel this peace. It is the vivid awareness that all things are in His hands, and regardless of our circumstances, "we know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him." If you worship Him!

That's the catch, if there is one - you have to worship Him. Because it's easy to "go back to foolishness," as the verse states. Or as Solomon put it, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." Many people erroneously believe that once you are saved, you are no longer tempted and have somehow risen above all human imperfections - even though we are still imperfect. As long as we are in the flesh, we will have temptations! But according to scripture, He makes all things new! Upon salvation, our spirits are new and bound for His presence. When we receive our heavenly bodies, our inward spirit and outward body will finally be matched in pefection.

So while we are here, we can rest on the last line of this verse, "God will soon save those who respect Him, and His glory will be seen in our land." If you respect Him, it will be obvious in your life, by your actions. If this describes you, when will He save you? SOON! And through your respect for Him and how obviously you are quickly saved from trouble, He will be glorified. His glory will be seen in our land because of your respect for Him! That is amazing to me.

Lord Jesus, may your glory be seen in my life, that you may receive full credit for the awesome works you've completed in my life. Amen.

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La Palmera - 3/16/2010

2010-03-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

Psalm 92:12-15, "But good people will grow like palm trees; they will be tall like the cedars of Lebanon. Like trees planted in the temple of the Lord, they will grow strong in the courtyards of our God. When they are old, they will still produce fruit; they will be healthy and fresh. They will say that the Lord is good. He is my Rock, and there is no wrong in Him."

This verse inspired me this morning. It may have been the image of the palm tree, which obviously I love. It may have been the idea of producing fruit in old age - Melissa and I had just recently discussed how retirement can either be lazy and self-indulgent, or an opportunity to serve God without any hindrances. Either way, I thought about how each verse can apply to my life:

12: "We will grow like palm trees."

How do palm trees grow? Fast and strong! Have you ever seen a palm sapling? I don't know that I have - they don't stay small for long. I remember in Belize, driving by a section of jungle while the pastor's wife explained to us that just four years prior, that jungle had been a corn field. They stopped farming it, and instantly the jungle reclaimed that land. There were tall palms there - the trunks weren't very thick, but they were imposing. Many palms can also survive hurricane-force winds. They can bend without breaking. Who wouldn't want to live this way? To quickly grow and thrive, while simultaneously surviving the worst life can throw at you. How can we arrive in this place in our lives?

13: "...they will grow strong in the courtyards of our God."

We grow in God's presence! That's how we can arrive at the place in our lives where we thrive like the palm tree. We become the strong, beautiful fixture on the horizon by His wisdom and guidance.

14: "When they are old, they will still produce fruit."

This is my goal, to be old and still serving God and furthering His kingdom. I like this verse because the word "still" is in there, implying fruit is produced in youth, but for those who are like the palm tree, it will continue into old age.

15: "They will say that the Lord is good. He is my Rock, there is no wrong in Him."

We will praise God! We will share what He has done. We will tell the world that He is good. He loves us - all of us! This verse is also prophetic. It claims they will say that "He is my Rock." Jesus told the parable of the two houses - one built on sand, the other built on rock. After the storms, only the house built on rock remained standing. For this reason, we do say that "He is my Rock," as the psalmist wrote, and there is no wrong in Him! His ways are sometimes mysterious, and always perfect. His decisions are always the BEST choices! He can be your Rock too! Thank you Lord!

Lord, help me to become like the palm tree described in this Psalm.

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Gentle Wind - 2/16/2010

2010-02-16T05:30:00.000-08:00

Elijah was the last prophet of God in his day - all the others had been killed. When he heard that King Ahab's wife Jezebel was planning to kill him, he fled to the desert. There, God asked Elijah to stand in front of Him on the mountain, and He would pass in front of Elijah. Moses had to ask God for this honor. Here, God freely offered it to Elijah. Before God passed by though, His power first passed in front of him:

1 Kings 19:11-13, "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

God passed in a quiet, gentle sound. A whisper. I love that! The God of all creation could have passed in any display of power He wanted, and His very power did precede Him, but he was not in those displays. To represent His very presence, He chose a quiet, gentle sound. How many times have we sought to hear God, looking for earthquakes and fires and awe-inspiring signs, when we should be listening for a gentle whisper?

God is not one who delights in showy displays of His ability, but one who delights in His children. As a Father, He made Himself approachable in gentleness. After displaying what He can do, He finished by showing what He's like before asking Elijah why he was in the desert.

He did not want to put on a "Hey-look-what-I-can-do-and-you-can't" fireworks show. He wanted to have a conversation with his child. It struck me that God did not comfort Elijah in this moment. If I were the last living servant of God and people were trying to kill me, I might be seeking a kind word or two. Instead, God directed Elijah immediately to his next task. God's presence was comfort enough! God's demonstration of His ability was comfort enough. Elijah had all he needed to be obedient to God, and so much more.

So do we. After Jesus' sacrifice, He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit - God's presence is always with us. And we have before us a testimony of all God has done. We don't need an earthquake or a fire, we have the Bible, the testimony of believers, and His very creation all around us. We, like Elijah, should be able to stand firm in the middle of our trials and simply receive direction from God; simply listen to that gentle whisper in our heart that would guide us toward the next way we can serve Him.

Thank you, Lord, that yours is the way of peace and gentleness, knowing you have the power to move ... yet instead I am moved.

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Plans - 2/13/2010

2010-02-13T22:09:00.000-08:00

2 Corinthians 2:10, "If you forgive someone, I also forgive him. ... I did this so that Satan would not win anything from us, because we know very well what Satan's plans are."

Do we know very well what Satan's plans are, as Paul writes here? He seems pretty clear here that Satan not only exists, but has plans to win something from us. So, what might Satan want to win from us?

I think the more important question actually is not to ask what Satan wants, but what does God want? I heard a convincing argument once that the very nature of Satan and all evil in general is quite simply the opposite of God's nature. What God has declared to be good, Satan purposefully lies about; arguing that the opposite of what is good should not only be acceptable, but normal. Jesus said, "...when [Satan] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44).

So, what does God want then? I think getting to know God and His nature - learning to value what He values - will make it clear. Following God is not about following His rules, it is about developing a relationship with Him. Everything else will follow that. This can help us see what Satan wants to win from us.

In this particular scripture, Paul is talking specifically about forgiveness. It seems from this verse that refusing to forgive is specifically how Satan can win something from us. We do in fact know what his plans are! He plans to use unforgiving hearts to turn us against each other - husband against wife, father against son, friend and brother against each other. This will take the focus off of God and put it on each other, and on hate - the opposite of God since He is love. That's what makes it evil. This must be why it is written, "...do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4:26-27).

If we have been so freely forgiven for all the ways we've offended God, how then can we refuse the same forgiveness to others? Remember the parable of the master who refused to forgive his servant after receiving forgiveness himself!

But what about revenge! What about all the crap that goes on unpunished? I remember a pastor asking the question once, "What if your refusal to forgive others replaces the punishment God has in store? What if, according to His law, that person is already being punished by your grudges?" Perhaps that is what is meant by Paul's words, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is Mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord'" (Romans 12:19).

I often think of the quote I share with my students when we study Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, "Forgiveness is for the forgiver, not the forgiven." When you wake up mad at someone, do they share in those emotions? Of course not! They continue living their lives while you suffer in bitterness, the focus taken off of God, and possibly His vengeance postponed or replaced. They do not share in your suffering. So, you forgive them as the only way to release their control in your life, thereby putting the focus back on God, and leaving Him to deal with them as He sees fit since "it is His to avenge." Justice belongs to Christ Jesus - so we must regularly give it back to Him. This can only be done through the regular forgiveness of those who do anything against us - thereby circumventing Satan's plans to win from us all we have gained through Christ.

Thank you Jesus for offering us a relationship with you that allows us to learn about who you are and what you value. Thank you for being good, for being loving, and for your forgiveness.

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The Twelve - 2/4/2010

2010-02-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

Mark 3:14, "He appointed twelve - desig-nating them apostles - that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach."

Perhaps choosing twelve apostles, or messengers, was necessary - but why twelve of them? What is the significance of choosing a dozen? Why not three or seven or twenty-five?

I think maybe Christ linked Himself with the very foundations of the Old Testament by choosing twelve apostles, in this way affirming once more that He is the son of God; that it was His story laid out and prepared for throughout the generations of Israel's family.

Originally God established the nation of Israel through twelve men. Israel was the name of a man who had twelve sons. These were the great-grandsons of Abraham, with whom God made His covenant and whose descendants God promised would outnumber the stars. All Jews for centuries traced their lineage back to one of these twelve men, using their names to identify the tribes to which they belonged.

This literally was God's family - which is why we sometimes refer to the Israelites as God's "chosen people." This is the family to whom God delivered His word, and He promised to send His son, the Messiah, through this same family. The world would know God and be saved by this family - because it is the one into which Jesus was born. Salvation then was offered to everybody "...because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." - Romans 1:16.

Christ came to save all men, not just the family or nation of Jews to whom He originally preached, if they just believe His message. So, Jesus chose twelve more men. These men were sent out into the world to preach the good news which, like a fire spreading across a dry wheat field, covered generations and continents, eventually spanning the globe. Those who hear and accept the good news that started with these apostles are then grafted into the family that God made - the same family that started with those twelve other men so long ago. This is why it is sometimes explained that Gentiles are "adopted" into the family of God, like in Ephesians 1:5, "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will..."

So, what is the one and greatest link between the Old Testament and the New Testament? As a Christian, I believe it to be Jesus Christ. The Old Testament establishes God's covenant and relationship with man, prophesying and preparing the way for Jesus Christ to fulfill the law and embody (literally) God's plan to save man from sin and eternal separation from Him. Much of the Old Testament involves preparing the very family into which God's son would be born - the Israelites.

Twelve men and their descendants set the stage for the arrival of the Messiah. Twelve more men carried the news of the Messiah’s arrival into the rest of the world and are the reason we know today of what Jesus accomplished.

In the book of Revelation, John explains how these 24 men will be honored, since it is by them that God's presence and knowledge spread to all of mankind, making the members of God's family innumerable. Revelation 21:12-14 describes part of the “New Jerusalem,” stating that,

"It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and the names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel ... And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

Surely, if these men are to be memorialized in the city of heaven for all eternity, we shouldn't take lightly how God used them for His glory. By the family of the twelve sons of Israel, the world is able to enter into God's presence - the "gates" to the city as described in Revelation. And once in God's presence, we stand firm on the Truth preached by the twelve apostles - the "foundation stones" of God's eternal Holy City.

Thank you, Jesus, for your plan and your grace, that we might all be saved and come to spend the rest of our days with You.

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Bread of Life - 2/2/2010

2010-02-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Exodus 25:30, "You shall set the Bread of Presence on the table before me at all times."

Often I don't take the time to think about and try to understand the symbolism God uses. Typically, I will read a passage, take it at face value, and carry on. The other day I was reading Exodus as part of the one year reading plan I'm following and almost did just that.

These first books in the Bible are often passed up because the weighty lists of rules and specific commands about worship can be a dry read. This might be true, but I've also found much of it to reveal the very character of God and what He values.

In this section of Exodus, God instructs Moses on how to prepare the Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting, which served as the house of God before the temple was built. This is where Moses would talk to God and receive the instruction and information he used to write what is now the first five books of the Bible.

This is also where the Ark of the Covenant (or Ark of the Testimony) was kept. Inside, the ten commandments and a jar of manna. On top, a special lid described by some translations as the "Mercy Seat," where God would be spiritually and audibly present to speak to Moses and deliver His word.

Exodus 25:22, "There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment of the sons of Israel."

God was present here, but not bodily, since His pure holiness would cause sinful man to literally drop dead before Him if we were to gaze upon His face in such a sinful state, "But He said, 'You cannot see my face, for no man can see Me and live!" - Exodus 33:20.

Instead, God ordered the symbolic bread, the "Bread of Presence," to be on the table before the Ark at all times. This would represent the physical presence of God - His body. Flash-forward now to the life of Christ; the very spirit of God wrapped in flesh that we may know Him now and receive His mercy.

Before Jesus was crucified, He celebrated the symbolic Passover meal with His disciples. In Luke 22:19, it states, "And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'"

The body of God Himself had been represented by bread for centuries. Now, here at the Passover supper, Christ affirmed two things: that He is God (by saying this is "my body"), and that He would die for us (He broke the bread). The "bread of presence" was now in our presence, and its purpose is now made clear - to be broken for us that we may be reconciled with God the Father.

Suddenly the tedious list of rules God delivered to Moses seem more meaningful and purposeful, when at first they seemed excessive and arbitrary. The symbolism used in the Tabernacle seems less abstract - God's body was demonstrated by bread that would be broken for us, and at that time He would then dwell within us. This is symbolized by our eating of the bread during communion (which fulfills the command to "do this in remembrance of me"). The temple which replaced the Tabernacle is no more, and our hearts serve as the current Temple of God; the dwelling He has chosen now that Christ's sacrifice has redeemed us and allowed us to be in God's presence once more!

Thank you, God, for weaving a story so complex, so meaningful even across centuries that it could only have come from your vision of the big picture!

________________________________________________________________________

Proof - 1/31/2010

2010-01-31T22:36:00.000-08:00

1 Timothy 2:3-7, "...God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and know the truth. There is one God and one way human beings can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus, who is Himself human. He gave himself as a payment to free all people. He is proof that came at the right time."

"Proof that came at the right time," like the old song says, "He's an on-time God!" Our modern world has been completely shaped by Jesus Christ; knowledge of Him has spread to every continent. If He came any earlier in history, His teachings may have been lost to antiquity. Any later, and they may not have spread as far and as fast as they did. Since He came at that time and place in history, His life and teachings were able to be recorded and then carried with those who recorded it as they spread across the globe, sharing the message of His love and salvation.

"The proof that comes on time."

So, what did He prove? That the prophets were right! That God didn't fail. God didn't forget about us in our lost state. That God is forgiving. That God's love knows no limits, that his love and forgiveness applies to all people. It says here that God our Savior wants all people to be saved and know the Truth, to know Christ.

He also proved God's word to be true and reliable. Isaiah 52 and 53, for example, described "God's suffering servant" 800 years before Jesus was born and suffered on the cross. This chapter is a prophecy that specifically describes what Christ accomplished on the cross for a sinful world that He loved enough to die for.

Christ was the proof that God loved us so much that, "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God the father sacrificed His son so that every one of us might be saved and can eternally enter back into a relationship with Him - our very reason for having ever been created. He didn't give up on us!

There are many who reject that truth. Yet, Christ wants all to be saved. But in the end there will be some, who "...will die, because they refused to love the truth. (If they loved the truth, they would be saved.)" - 2 Thessalonians 2:10b.

So, we are commanded to help these people, and ourselves. In Titus 1, 2:1-8, we are instructed in this way:

"...tell every one what to do to follow the true teaching. Teach older men to be self-controlled, serious, wise, strong in faith, in love, and in patience. In the same way, teach older women to be holy in their behavior, not speaking against others or enslaved to too much wine, but teaching what is good. Then they can teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be wise and pure, to be good workers at home, to be kind, and to yield to their husbands. Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us. In the same way, encourage young men to be wise. In every way be an example of doing good deeds. When you teach, do it with honesty and seriousness. Speak the truth so you cannot be criticized, then those who are against you will be ashamed because there is nothing bad to say about us."

Certainly, this will prove that the Truth of Christ has its foundation in love, having the power to change hearts and bring us back into relationship with God. Amen!

Abba, Father - 8/29/09

2009-08-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

Psalm 127:1, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it" (NASB).

I love the way God uses His word to speak to me! I understand why it is called "the living word," since a verse you've read before that didn't really apply can suddenly come alive - jumping off the page to speak to your current situation.

That's what this scripture above did for me. It began with my studying Hebrew. I think the Hebrew script is beautiful, and to satisfy curiosity I have been studying it during Corban's naps. The day I finished learning all the consonants, I turned to that day's reading in the Bible which began with Psalm 119 - an acrostic poem based on the Hebrew alphabet! Originally, each verse began with one Hebrew letter. I might have considered that a coincidence, but then I clicked through a couple pages online, and suddenly was looking at my first name written in Hebrew! One of only two names on the page. I think these two "coincidences" were God's way of encouraging me to continue studying the language.

So far, I learned that the Hebrew characters began as pictures that evolved into an alphabet over time. To infer deeper meaning in the words, some people have substituted the modern letters with the original pictograms, using the meaning of those ancient pictures to get a deeper understanding of that word. For example, "El," the root word for "God," (אֵל) can be traced back to a picture of an ox and a staff, the two images together meaning "Strong Leader." Likewise, the picture-word for "father," or "abba," (אָבּ) is an ox and a house, meaning "Strength of the House."

So with this in mind, I turned to today's reading in the Bible, Psalm 127:1. It states, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." Abba. Father. Strength of the House. Who is the strength of the house? God, our Father, is the Strength of the House. He is the one who must build it; He is the one who must be the foundation for my family. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-27, "

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" (NIV).

I can let Jesus Christ and His teachings be the foundation for my house, and it will endure life's storms. Or, I can try to do it on my own and watch it all "fall with a great crash" when those storms come along. I am a father now, I am Abba. I am supposed to be the strength of the house. But, without a foundation built by my God, my "Strong Leader," my efforts to establish a safe home to raise and guide my family are in vain. I must rely on God's strength, not my own, to provide for my family.

If a father is to be the strength of his family, then surely the enemy will recognize that threat and attack it first. As a father then, it is important to take extra care to anticipate attacks in areas where I am weak (i.e., temptations). How many families in our country live in a house without a father, without abba? Clearly these attacks have been successful in our culture, given the number of students I have without a father in the home. Fortunately for fatherless homes, our Heavenly Father can be our Abba.

He can be the strength of any house.

________________________________________________________________________

Son Shine - 8/13/09

2009-08-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

Psalm 84:1-2, 10, "How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; ... Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere..." (NIV).

Psalm 86:10, "You alone are God" (NIV)

Yesterday Melissa and I were talking about where to go on vacation at the end of the month. She's concerned that I didn't really get a summer break, having spent all my time with our newborn son. I love her. I didn't mind that, but I'll take a getaway! We kicked around a few ideas: the Oregon coast, Suncadia, and San Diego.

Ah, San Diego - my favorite U.S. city on the mainland. That night with San Diego on the mind, I read Psalm 84. This Psalm inspired the popular song by Third Day, "Better Is One Day." On any other evening, coming across this Psalm may not have seemed significant. But this evening, while dreaming of the warm sands of La Jolla and Pacific Beach, I'm reminded of my mother by the Psalm I read. She and I made dozens of trips to San Diego to visit her doctor before she passed away there. This song by Third Day was always one of her favorites. The coincidence between reading this Psalm and its connection to the destination I had in mind struck me. But then, with God, there really aren't many coincidences.

I kept reading the Psalms while listening to some music. My current favorite song by Hillsong United, "Till I See You," began to play as I read Psalm 86. The very second I began reading the line of verse 10, "You alone are God," those exact words played in my headphones.

Two notable parallels in one night's reading leads me to believe there is more than mere coincidence at play here. This is how God so often speaks to me or gives me encouragement, or words of confirmation.

So, I should probably try to figure out what He's trying to tell me ... though I think I can just take it all at face value. It's true that I may be exasperated by the region in which I live and I may pine for the sunshine and warm water of California. I may want to take that walk down memory lane in San Diego; to stand in the sun and laugh with the shadows. But, all this is temporary.

Because Better Is One Day in His Courts than a thousand days in California, Belize, Hawaii, or any other sunny place I dream of returning to. My mother knows for certain that better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere. And, why should I chase after the sun, when I already have the son? This may be what God is trying to make clear to me. It doesn't matter where I am, this world is temporary. True, permanent happiness can only be found in the Lord God Almighty.

You alone are God. "And that my soul knows very well," to quote another Hillsong.

All I need is Jesus. I may want more, but "all of Him is more than enough for all of me."

So, I can dream of standing in sun, or I can dream of standing in awe of the Son. That's why I like this song that played so much, because as it says, until I see my heavenly Father face to face, I can just stand as a child in awe of Him. So here are the lyrics to that song, may you be blessed by them!

"Till I See You"
by Hillsong United

The greatest love that anyone could ever know
That overcame the cross and grave to find my soul
And 'til I see You face to face and grace amazing
takes me home
I'll trust in You

With all I am I'll live to see Your kingdome come
And in my heart I pray You'd let Your will be done
And 'til I see You face to face and grace amazing
takes me home
I'll trust in You

I will live to love You
I will live to bring You praise
I will live a child in awe of You

You are the voice that called the universe to be
You are the whisper in my heart that speaks to me
And 'til I see you face to face and grace amazing
takes me home
I'll trust in You

You alone are God of all
You alone are worthy Lord
and with all I am my soul will bless Your name

________________________________________________________________________

Show Them The Way - 8/9/09

2009-08-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

Psalm 78:5-7, "We will not keep them from our children; we will tell those who come later about the praises of the Lord. We will tell about His power and the miracles He has done ... He commanded our ancestors to teach their children ... so they would all trust God and would not forget what He had done but would obey His commands."

I'm seeing a theme here in the scriptures God is speaking to my heart this week. Today again, God focused my attention on the command to teach our children. Well, I am a teacher ... mission accomplished, God!

Except of course for the content I teach. It says in verse 4 that I am to tell of His power and the miracles He has done. This can't really be done overtly in my position as a teacher if I'm to keep my job.

But, this is a good reminder in general. I believe God is trying to re-focus my purpose in working with the youth group and preparing me for my greatest responsibility as a father. It seems it didn't sink in the first time...so God brought it up again tonight.

So I am to tell them of His power, glory, and miracles. Why? The answer may seem obvious, but I like how the book of Romans answers that question. Verse 10:14, "But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in Him; and before they can believe in Him, they must hear about Him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them, and before someone can go and tell them that person must be sent."

So, I have been sent. I'm here, working for Jesus. If any of these kids want to ask the Lord for help, or if I want to ensure they spread the Good News to the next generation, I must open my mouth. I must tell them of His power and the miracles He's done, from delivering Israel from Egypt to changing the hearts of people I love. Verse 17 ties in nicely with this idea, "So faith comes from hearing the Good News, and people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ."

I wasn't born with my faith, someone told me about Him. And as my wife pointed out, God doesn't have grand kids. You don't inherit your parents faith, but must develop a relationship with Him on your own. It helps to listen to what people have to say about the true Jesus Christ of the Bible, let them tell you of His power - not what the hate-filled "sandwich board Christian" says on the street corner.

It's worth the effort seeking Him and learning about his power, miracles, and love! In Romans 10:11 it says, "Anyone who believes in Him will never be disappointed."

I love that!

John 14:6, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Sharing What Is Good - 8/6/09

2009-08-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 16:17, "Good people stay away from evil. By watching what they do, they protect their lives" (NASB).

Psalm 73:28, "But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of your works" (NASB).

Psalm 71:18, "I will tell the children about your power; I will tell those who live after me about your might" (NIV)

Today I read Proverbs 16 again, focusing on the verse that stuck out to me yesterday. I've been thinking all day about the concept of "good people," as stated in Proverbs 16 above. I'm reminded of the man who called Jesus "good teacher," to whom he replied that nobody is good. How can I be good, as mentioned in Proverbs 16, if I am not God?

The Lord answered me this evening with the 73rd Psalm. "The nearness of God is my good. I have made the Lord my refuge, that I may tell of your works." This issue may have seemed insignificant to so many people, but it was something I needed to work out for myself. God saw this in my heart and answered my question for me. He is so great! I love how He speaks to me through his word.

Drawing near to God, and making him my refuge, leaves only one more aspect of this Psalm to live out; I must tell of His works. This theme rose briefly in yesterday's devotion in Proverbs 23, to speak what is right. So then, what will I tell of, exactly, and to whom?

Perhaps that's why Psalm 71 also spoke to me during this past day in the Psalms. "I will tell the children about your power; I will tell those who live after me about your might." I feel in my heart when reading this verse that the high school kids Melissa and I host at our house every week are the children I will share God's power with - along with my son and his generation. I will tell them all about Your power.

I pray that my words and a life lived for Jesus will tell those who live after me about his might.

Wisdom Gained - 8/5/09

2009-08-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 15:31, "If you listen to correction to improve your life, you will live among the wise."

Proverbs 16:17, "Good people stay away from evil. By watching what they do, they protect their lives."

Proverbs 19:20, "Listen to advice and accept correction, and in the end you will be wise."

Proverbs 23:15-16, "My child, if you are wise, then I will be happy. I will be so pleased if you speak what is right."

As I read through Proverbs, these verses really spoke to my heart. I wrote each one down in turn, without much attention paid to the other verses I picked. I just felt like God was speaking to me through these words but wasn't sure what He was saying. After I'd finished, I read them in the order I had written them down.

My God is also my Father, and I've often looked to Him for guidance, example, and fatherly advice.

Reading these verses in this order was a pretty direct admonition and reminder from God to live rightly and speak what is right. We are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God, as the scripture says. Here, however, my heavenly Father offers me correction, with the added benefit of wisdom. I can accept correction and live among the wise, and in so doing I can protect my life - simply by watching what I do. I can be a "good" son by staying away from evil - as the second scripture says.

The third verse then emphasizes what the first one said - but adding that "in the end" I will be wise, indicating that wisdom is a process gained over time. So then, I am to patiently and consistently listen to advice and accept correction. Easier said than done, but my goal nevertheless.

But ultimately, and this is the verse I loved the most, God said to me through the fourth verse that I will make him happy by gaining that wisdom earned through accepting God's advice and correction. The idea that my small, seemingly insignificant actions can make the Creator of the universe happy leaves me dumbfounded. What's more, it says He will be SO pleased if I speak what is right!

Who wouldn't want to please the Lord God Almighty?

What It Means To Be "Saved" - 4/26/09

2009-04-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

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 higher than your thoughts.'"

Many people don't understand when Christians say they've "been saved" or that they "need a Savior." Saved from what? It's not like we're drowning...

They fail to understand the condition of the human soul. They don't see us as God does, since our thoughts and ways are so different from His. We have difficulty understanding holiness and perfection - two of God's greatest qualities.

It used to be that our imperfection prevented us from having a relationship with God. The sin we carried with us must be atoned for through a lengthy, almost impossible process. That's where the book of Leviticus comes in. We could not even approach the King or the tabernacle if we were unclean, lest we be struck dead. We had to ritually cleanse ourselves of the sin so hideous to one so holy and follow His commands to remain pure or we could not enter into the presence of our God in the temple. The biggest requirement for cleansing our condition was blood sacrifice, since shedding sinless blood removes sin for reasons I cannot as a human understand; but His ways are higher than mine...
Since no human was found to be sinless, we had to use animals, who do not sin.

Flash forward to the book of Revelation, which is an account of all of history from the beginning to the end that is to come. In chapter 5 John wept because, looking at the whole of mankind, not one was found worthy to carry out God's will. They looked at mankind from the beginning of history to the end to find just one worthy to save us all; someone with sinless blood that could be shed to save everyone and allow us to enter into His presence again. Not one was found. There was great weeping and sorrow. Then suddenly, rejoicing - something had changed; there was one who was worthy! Jesus bled, died, and overcame the grave, shedding his sinless blood for us all. As God, He couldn't die, but entering the world through flesh gave Him the body and blood to offer up for us all, while His spirit within was still God. Carrying the strength and power of His divine nature was necessary to withstand the temptations of the sinful flesh he acquired, giving him the strength to remain sinless and pure. The sacrifice of His body and the shedding of that blood is what allowed for the cleansing of all sin.

That's why we say, "washed in the blood of the Lamb." Jesus is called the Lamb of God in reference to all the animal sacrifices made to purify men so they could enter into God's presence while on earth. He is greater than a lamb though, so His is the only sacrifice ever needed. That's why we say, "worthy is the Lamb." More astonishing still, is that he did so WILLINGLY. He had compassion on us all, and allowed His sinless blood to be shed so that we might be cleansed and able to enter into the presence of the Father once again.

So, there came a new way. That's when Christianity arose from Judaism. God is unchanging - His laws and requirements as they're found in the Old Testament didn't go away, but we don't have to follow them anymore. Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 that He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. God did not change His law, but He allowed for us to follow the one who fulfilled it, and by following Him we follow the law.

Where before we could not even stand in God's presence because our hearts are so full of sin, God has now chosen those same hearts as His temple. The tabernacle or the temple in Jerusalem once served as God's house, separating Him from us. So powerful was the blood of Christ that it was able to wash our sins away, allowing for His Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

What blows my mind is that God's sacrifice keeps new sins from "staining" our soul. That's what it means to live under grace, not the law. That's the basis of the song "Amazing Grace." His grace allows for our mistakes, knowing that it is our sinful flesh that causes us to sin now and not our sinful soul, since God "makes all things new." If we accept and acknowledge His sacrifice and invite Him into our hearts, our souls receive the benefit of His sacrifice though we are still trapped in sinful flesh. When we die, we shed our sin permanently and can live in the very presence of God Almighty. No form of sin, whether it be flesh or deeds, will ever again separate that relationship.

That's why we need a savior. We can't see the sin that's destroyed our souls because our ways are not as high as His ways - but we can see the results. We can see that our relationship with God needs to be fixed.

That's why we say, "Jesus saves." That's why in Christianity, blood is so important, and being washed by the blood of the Lamb means we are forever forgiven of all sin.

We were incapable of saving ourselves. It's almost as if the old law - that was designed to cleanse us - was made so impossibly complicated just to show how far we had fallen from holiness. It served to show that we weren't really capable of completing what was necessary to make us clean in God's sight. The list of sins is long - and committing any one sin can make us impure again, requiring ritual cleansing for our soul.

Thank God, Jesus cleansed our souls for us. We have only to accept the gift of salvation from Jesus, which is so strong that eternal separation from God is instantly replaced with eternal communion with our Creator. Praise the Lord!

"Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown you now with many crowns
you reign victorious!"

Legal Action - 11/24/2008

2008-11-24T16:25:00.000-08:00

Romans 7:1-4, "... a person is subject to the law only so long as he is alive. For example, a married woman is by law bound to her husband while he lives; but if the husband dies, she is released from the marriage bond. ... So too, my friends, through the body of Christ you died to the law and were set free to give yourselves to another, to Him who rose from the dead so that we may bear fruit for God."

After reading Romans chapter 7 today, I opened the devotional book by John Piper called The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why He Came To Die. The section I opened to began with Romans 7:4, the scripture above that I had just finished reading. Sometimes when God speaks to me through a scripture, the exact same verses will come up elsewhere as confirmation. I love when he does that!

As a Christian, I am not under the law anymore but under grace. Jesus died for us while we were still sinners, and when we sin again, God is not waiting there to strike us with a lightning bolt and destroy us for our sin because we broke the law. This is something I struggle with from time to time. He may discipline us, like any good Father, but we are washed clean in His sight by his sinless blood shed on our behalf, so He doesn't need to strike us down. His amazing grace covers our sin - we are only to turn away from it and follow Him.

That's hard. Since I've been made aware of the law, I have guilt when I sin. Sometimes this guilt is a stumbling block that keeps me from approaching Him. It's almost as if I want to be chastised before coming back into the presence of God. I want a consequence that tells me I've paid for my sin and am now clean enough to come back to God. That ain't gonna happen.

God already paid the price; the consequence was his suffering and death on the cross. He had to do be the one to do it - we can never be cleansed by our own works. He did this for us while we were still sinners as the scripture states. He didn't wait for us to clean up, to "get good enough" before we were worthy of His presence. He just paid our debt and waits for us with open arms - THAT'S amazing grace.

For a Christ follower then, we are commanded how to live, but we will surely continue making mistakes. If I sin, I know that it is wrong, against the very desires of my own spirit, as Paul explained in Romans 7:14-25, and I have guilt. I know what I've done violates God's law that he delivered to us. Earlier in Romans 7:7 it says, "... Yet had it not been for the law I should never have become acquainted with sin. For example, I should never have known what it was to covet, if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'" So when I do stumble, my mistakes often become something I dwell upon, knowing that God said it was wrong and required cleansing before we could enter into presence once again - just as the rituals of the Old Testament indicated. However, this is no longer the case - we've been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, poured out for us. The laws for atonement in the Old Testament - the laws that revealed to us God's nature - no longer apply.

I think this is why so many critics point to the contradictions of the Bible as an excuse to throw out the whole text. I've found that many look at the law of Moses in the Old Testament (sacrifice, rituals, etc.), and compare it to the message of Jesus Christ in the New Testament to say that the Bible contradicts itself.

Well, of course it does!

The law given by God was one meant to make us holy in his sight, to cleanse us before approaching the tabernacle of His presence. Perhaps in this way God has shown us how far we've fallen from what it means to be holy, as God is holy. But as the scripture above from Romans states, we are freed from the law by death. It further clarifies that through the death of Jesus Christ, we are released from the same law. His sinless blood shed for us was the last sacrifice needed to cleanse us of our sins, and by that death we are freed from the law. It is written that in this way, Christ fulfilled the law. It was not thrown out - God does not change. He still required atonement for sin, but Christ's sinless blood was enough to do so for all mankind if they would only freely accept that gift.

How comforting! How refreshing to know that because our flesh is sinful, we will still make mistakes, but the death of Jesus Christ allows us to be clean in His sight, so that we may enter into His presence and worship the risen Lord! Even more comforting to know that after death, when my sinful flesh is put away for eternity, I will be left with only the transformed spirit washed clean by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Behold, he makes all things new!

Thank you Jesus for your amazing grace; a grace that allows us to enter into your presence in whatever state we're in. Thank you for accepting us as we are, and loving us enough to give your very life for our salvation when we've done nothing to deserve it.

Puzzling Questions - 10/17/08

2008-10-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

Colossians 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."

Who decides what is right and wrong?

What is the meaning of life?

How do we arrive at Truth?

These are some of the many questions we discussed last night while studying the Truth Project – where we compare the secular worldview with a Biblical worldview.

We saw an excerpt from a debate by Will Provine, a proponent of Naturalism and Evolution. It was fascinating to hear his point of view, as he explained the implication of these viewpoints that are commonly taught and held by the world. He agrees with them.

In short, he said that if we are all products of the natural environment, there is no ethical basis for what is right and what is wrong since there is not a single force governing the universe. Additionally, he said that since we came from nothing and upon death will return to nothing, there is no meaning to life. Consequently, since this is the only life we have, he argued that we must construct meaning and decide for ourselves what is right and wrong before we die and return to nothingness.

Wow.

I don’t think he realizes the extent to which his implications define ethics, according to evolutionary theory and Naturalism. If there is no basis for ethical behavior – since we, like the animals, rose up from the primordial ooze, then we can do whatever we want. It’s natural. We’re just following our natural desires; we don’t have to adjust our behavior or beliefs or be told that what we’re doing is wrong. If it feels good, do it - because if it's natural it can't be wrong. We can act like baboons, since humans are just one more type of animal; one more variation in the evolutionary development of species.

So, if we are not living by God’s law but by man’s philosophies and traditions, why was Hitler such a bad person? He did not break the laws of Germany at the time – he was the one who made them. And if we are to believe in evolutionary theory – survival of the fittest – “might makes right,” then the strength of the Nazi army against civilians was completely acceptable. It was just one more stage in the evolution of the human species. Like baboons sometimes do, Hitler was killing off the weaker rivals for territory and dominance, working to make sure the next generation had more Germans in it than the other groups – basic evolutionary principles.

But, few people will argue that what Hitler did was acceptable. If they believe in evolution, why?

So, who does decide what is right and wrong? You are a hypocrite to say , “What’s right for you may not be right for me,” but turn around and say that Hitler was a monster. If you truly believe that ethics and truth are relative – that what’s true for you doesn’t have to be true for me, and what’s right for me doesn’t have to be what’s right for you, then you also have to support Hitler’s actions. Because although it might not be right for you and his claims may not be true for you, they were for him. And our society says that this relativistic viewpoint is how to be politically correct. In fact basing your life on relativism is how you can define what is true for yourself - just like Will Provine said we should do.

If that type of philosophy can support the actions of the Nazi party, then I would put it into the category of “hollow and deceptive philosophies” like the scripture above states.

There has to be a single Truth and ethical standard by which all humans are held accountable. If that's the case, then it’s okay to tell another human that they’re wrong. But we must be respectful in doing so, as the scripture states. 2 Timothy 2:24-26, “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

I feel like Evolutionists and Naturalism have taken a piece of God’s Truth, some concrete facts found in His creation, and built a lie off the small bit that they’ve seen. I had an image last night of a jigsaw puzzle. God’s creation is incredibly vast – like a 1,000,000,000⁵⁰piece jigsaw puzzle. If you’ve ever put a puzzle together, what’s the first thing you do? Do you start by looking at the bits and trying to figure out what the big picture is? Of course not! You look at the box and then look for evidence of those shapes and colors in the pieces. The same is true with creation. Evolutionists are well meaning, but backward. They’ve looked at the colors and shapes of individual jigsaw puzzle pieces and then created big picture based on that.

As Christians then, we are to gently instruct others in the Truth - and Jesus Christ as the source of all Truth as well as what is right and wrong. Most importantly, we are to be a light unto the world – to live by example to show others that what we believe is really what we know to be true.

Don't Be Caught With Your Pants Down - 10/12/08

2008-10-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 6:14, "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist..."

Our church recently started the popular "Truth Project" created by Focus on the Family. It consists of a dozen, hour-long lessons on DVD to be shown by trained small group leaders in their homes, one lesson each week. Sunday morning messages apply and expand these topics further.

This came about because of the Barna group, which routinely polled non-church members to see where they stood on issues of morality, ethics, and the like. They finally decided to poll only church members, and found that the church's worldview and values were almost identical to that of the world's - even though they professed to live according to the teachings of the Bible and Jesus Christ.

That led to the Truth Project, which seeks to reveal the lies of the world by which Christians have subconsciously been deceived and help them to develop a life that looks different from the world while reflecting the grace and love of Jesus Christ. Before we can do this, we must know what the truth is and in which areas we've been deceived.

We see in the verse above that Truth is part of God's armor - it is important to Him that we can understand the truth and apply it in our lives; to prevent ourselves from being deceived and taken captive by the lies of the world.

If find it interesting that in the description of God's armor, Truth is compared to a belt. It is not the helmet or the shield or the sword, but the belt. Why is that?

What happens when you don't wear a belt? Unless your pants are too tight, they fall down. So as Christians, it would seem that the Barna pollsters have caught us with our pants down. We have not done a very good job keeping God's truth active in our lives. If we had, our lives would look very different from the world's. Instead, divorces in the church happen at the same rate as outside of the church, and Christians rationalize the validity of the evolutionary theory - just to name a couple examples.

A verse from the first lesson that really stood out for me is found in Colossians 2:2-4, "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments."

It would seem that we' have been deceived by many fine-sounding arguments. But I like that this verse points to Christ as the source of all wisdom and knowledge. If we humbly and regularly seek Jesus Christ, then we can be sure to find the belt of Truth by which the rest of our armor is held together so the enemy's deceitful ways can be exposed and resisted.

Thank you, Jesus, for systematically exposing the lies on which so many of us have based our lives, and thank you for guiding us into your Truth. I pray by your precious name Jesus that those who participate in this project will revolutionize the Church for your glory and to further your kingdom. Amen.

Paralells in Selfless Living - 6/26,2008

2008-06-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 10:31-33, "...if you eat, or drink, or if you do anything, do it all for the glory of God. Never do anything that might hurt others - Jews, Greeks, or God's church. I am not trying to do what is good for me but what is good for most people so they can be saved."

The other day I read this section in 1 Corinthians that talks first about living for Christ and submitting to His authority - living in a way that honors Him and does not hurt others. Later, it continues with the relationship between husbands and wives; about authority under God and how they're dependent on one another and how they both come from God.

Today I wanted to read in Ephesians, and the same pattern emerged. It paralleled exactly the themes I read on Tuesday. The first scripture that caught my eye was Ephesians 5:15, "So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise, but live wisely. Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times." I thought this was an interesting connection to the command I read in 1 Corinthians: do everything for the Glory of God and do nothing to hurt others. Then I read on into verses 21-27, "Yield to each other because you respect Christ. Wives, yield to your husbands, as you do the Lord ... Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.."

So basically in two days I read two sections of scripture that spoke on the same two topics: living responsibly and marital relationships. Coincidence? I think not. I believe God was talking to me in this way, reminding me that I am under His authority and to live in a way that honors Him. This applies to all relationships, and calls for me to put the needs of others before my own. It is a command for selfless living. This is how all Christians are supposed to live, and many I know do live in this way.

It frustrates me, though, that the irresponsible minority who claim one thing but live another have come to represent Christians as a whole in our society. It makes it very difficult to convince non-Christians that we really do try to live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the son of God who allowed Himself to be killed to atone for our sins, enabling Him to bless us with everlasting life without breaking the law of His Father that called for the punishment of sin. He took on that punishment for us as the only one worthy to do so. He was given all authority in Heaven and Earth for being obedient in that task. By His authority and because of His great love, He has forgiven us of everything we've ever done or thought that offended God - cleansing us in His sight and making us worthy of spending eternity in His presence, though we do not deserve it. We need only accept His gift of love and atonement, though we haven't earned it or deserve it. That's His Amazing Grace.

It is because of that selfless sacrifice that I am called to live in a way that would honor the One who gave of Himself so freely for the salvation of the world. If I represent Him - and as a Christian I do - then it is my duty to live in a way that does not hurt others. It is my duty to do what is good for others, and not myself. It is my duty to live wisely, always thinking of the future and of how my actions affect those around me. It is my duty to yield to my wife and love her as much as Christ loved the church - which means being willing to give my very life for her. And, it is my duty to share with others the love and grace of our God, who loved the world so much that He freely gave his only Son so that we may believe in Him and have everlasting life.

It seems like a great challenge, but Jesus Christ promised that it is easier than the burdens of the world. He told us that his yoke is easy, and the burden light. He said that the road is narrow that leads to Him - we must live purposefully and specifically to honor Him, and we will be rewarded greatly for it. I already see the blessings of my Father in my life, from a changed heart to a life of abundance. I can't imagine what the eternal blessings will be like, then. So what's stopping you? Because the scripture tells us He died for us while we were still sinners. He didn't wait for us to clean up our act before loving us enough to die for us, so we shouldn't try to do so before accepting that gift. Don't let guilt or shame or feelings of unworthiness stop you from accepting the gift he offers to you just as you are...

Thank you, Jesus, for your love and grace...

He Loves Me This Much - 4/26/08

2008-04-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 6:18, "I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

God led me awhile ago to blog about this topic during my devotions, but I fled from it like Jonah running from the fish-slapping people of Nineveh, as we saw in the Veggie Tales movie. I didn't really want to risk offending my earthly father, so I ignored it entirely; I pretended like God didn't remind me of what He's done in my life. How silly. Lucky for me, He's not really one to let us ignore things ...

Today with a thirst for God's word and His presence, I sat down with my Bible and some music to seek His face. The first song, "Marvelous Light" by Charlie Hall started playing. The line, "I once was fatherless..." started playing as I turned the page in 2 Corinthians and read the line "I will be your Father..."

This was the very subject I avoided a couple weeks ago so I wouldn't risk offending my earthly dad.

The fact is, this is my testimony. I didn't grow up with a father around, and God filled that role for me when I was very young. He has done great things for me and in me; He has made me who I am and given me the life I enjoy today. He has been my God, my Father, my Friend, my Teacher. What right do I have to rob my God of His glory?

I was weak for shamefully putting anything before God, whether it be my own fear or another person's feelings. If the early Christians worried about offending people with their message of hope, the church would never have spread to the rest of the world.

God has promised that He will be our Father, in more places than just this one scripture. Our earthly fathers are temporary. And as humans, we're all broken and flawed. What can our earthly father provide that God cannot? Absolutely nothing ... and God gives us so much more. Beginning with his sacrifice on our behalf; his unconditional love and forgiveness. He also offers us a relationship.

He wants to be the One we go to, our confidant, friend, father, guide. He freely gives His love, and at times that love manifests in discipline - like any caring father. But ultimately He is the only constant in our lives, the only one whose love will not fade or change. He is the only part of our lives that will never change from now through eternity. Who wouldn't want that?

When God first brought this blog to mind, I was reminded of a music video that was played years ago at a men's conference in Seattle that I went to. Unfortunately, it is a country song. There's nothing really wrong with that, it's just not the music I choose to listen to. However, the message is moving and summarizes exactly how much our heavenly Father loves us. Here it is for your viewing pleasure, "I Love You This Much" by Jimmy Wayne:

Thank you, Father, for your love and guidance. I apologize for my disobedience. I love you, you are my Father and my friend and have paid the greatest price for me.

"For God So Loved..." - 2/21/08

2008-02-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

1 John 4:16, "God is love."

God is love, but what does that mean in a culture where the word "love" has been so trivialized? We say we love our spouses and children and God himself, but we also love coffee, watching TV, basking in the sun, and playing Guitar Hero. That is not God.

So let us ask, what does the Bible say that love is? It's so cool! Look at the classic wedding scripture about love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-13, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

So then, if God is love, then the two words should be interchangeable when the word "love" is used properly. Look what this scripture says about who God is when you do that:

God is patient
God is kind
God does not envy
God does not boast
God is not proud - Pride is a sin and God is sinless
God is not rude
God is not self-seeking - He has sought us since the beginning, even to the point of death!
God is not easily angered - His word says He is slow to anger and quick to forgive
God keeps no record of wrongs - our sin is cast as far from Him as the east is from the west when we become Christians.
God does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth - He is kind and has our best intentions at heart even when we feel like He's forgotten us.
God always protects - we've been saved from our sin and eternity away from Him!
God always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres - He didn't give up thousands of years ago when we chose our own path ... He continued hoping that we'd come back to Him and persevered to the point of His own suffering and death, trusting that we'd accept His gift of forgiveness!
God never fails. I love that.
These three remain: faith, hope, and God. But the greatest of these is God. Of course! You can't have faith or hope without God! How cool!

And there is one last scripture that I think is great when looking at God as love itself. Romans 13:9-10, "The commandments, 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

Therefore God is the fulfillment of the law! Do you know what that means? "The Law" refers to the "Law of Moses;" the commandments that God gave to His people through Moses and the subsequent laws in the Old Testament that were required for us to cleanse ourselves to be acceptable to a perfect and holy God. But when Christ died in our place - when He shed His sinless blood to atone for our sins - then He became the fulfillment of the law. That's when Christianity split from Judaism since those who practice Judaism still follow the Old Law.

That's also why people who do not understand the Bible but still choose to criticize it point out inconsistencies between the Old and New testaments. That's because they've correctly noted that there are two systems in place there. It says plainly in the New Testament though that we are no longer under the law, but under grace. We don't have to atone for our own sins anymore, God did it for us 2000 years ago!

God is the fulfillment of the law that we were incapable of carrying out. We have now to only live as Christ did - to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus Christ loved us so much in fact that He gave his life for us. God the Father loved us SO much that He gave His own son so that His holy law would be fulfilled and we could be in His presence once again. "For God so loved the world ..." His love is unfathomable to us because we can't wrap our little brains around who God is, but we know that God is love.

Lucky for us, love never fails. God never fails...

The Reaction - 1/8/2008

2008-01-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

I posted earlier about feeling led to give a copy of Max Lucado's Traveling Light to a coworker, even though I would risk the offense of proselytizing in a secular work environment.

I did it anyway, and boy am I glad I did. God was so clearly trying to speak to and comfort this woman through this book! How many times have I let Him down by not following through with a request? How many people haven't been touched by His love because I resisted being His hands and feet? I shudder to think about it...

As I went to check my mailbox today, the woman to whom I had given the book shouted, "Stop! I want to talk to you." My first reaction was to think that this could just as easily be very good as it could be very bad. She got up and walked toward me, beginning to thank me for the gift and then gave me the tightest hug while saying, "You have no idea how much that meant to me." I tried telling her that it wasn't my idea, but God's - but I didn't get that far. And I didn't need to say so, God's actions speak for themselves. She reiterated, "Really, you have no idea what that meant."

She explained to me that she and her family are all believers, and that as her mother lay dying in the hospital, they took turns reading to her from her favorite books by her favorite author - Max Lucado. Though, she had never heard of this particular book. Then, at the funeral, her son got up to read his grandmother's favorite verse for her one last time, Psalm 23.

The full title of the book I gave her is: Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Meant To Bear (The Promise of Psalm 23) by Max Lucado. She was overcome, I think from knowing that God's presence was with her, and knowing that her mom was in God's presence. She's going to have her son read the book as soon as she's finished with it...

How could I have known this author and this Psalm meant so much to this woman and her family? There's no way! How could I have known that this was the perfect thing to give her during her time of mourning? I couldn't have!
Who else but God could have orchestrated this?
Who else but God? Seriously think about it.
Who else but God!

You are God alone
From before time began
You were on Your throne
You are God alone

And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on your throne
You are God alone

Unchangeable
Unshakable
Unstoppable
That's what you are

He loves us dearly and is constantly reaching out to us. The way His law works in this age, though, is to enact His will through men and not against their will. How many more people could we touch and reach for Him if we were always obedient? Since He wishes that nobody would perish but that all would experience eternal life, I'm guessing all of them ...

I praise you, Father, for your mercy and comfort in a fallen, imperfect world. Thank you for working with us, for your patience, and your grace during our subbornness. Thank you for your love and for your sacrifice, so that the sting of death will only be a temporary pinprick before the eternal glory of your holy presence.

Authority - 1/8/2008

2008-01-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

Romans 13:1, "All of you must yield to the government rulers. No one rules unless God has given him the power to rule, and no one rules now without that power from God."

This morning, God reminded me that people who have authority are in such a position because He put them there. What they do in that position, of course, is up to them and many people throughout history will have to have an uncomfortable talk with God about how they abused that authority. But, the fact is, as Christians we are to submit to the authority in our lives; to God's authority and the law of the land. Rebelling against that authority is said in this chapter of Romans to be equal to rebellion against God Himself; against the laws and leadership He has established.

I believe this applies to the workplace as well, and that's why I feel like God used this verse to talk to me this morning about my attitude at work. Our bossess and employers hold positions of authority in our lives, and I see no reason not to think God would have also established them in those positions...

Yesterday I learned that I will have to move my 6th period class to another room every day - an incredible inconvenience that will throw off my routine for that period. As I allowed this information to stew in my mind, I continued to add resentment to the broth, turned up the heat, and let it simmer. I felt the administration should sample my bitter stew - to at least hear how this schedule will affect my daily life, even if it is only for one semester, even if voicing my disapproval will bring about no changes to the schedule. I don't care that they don't have options, this makes things harder for ME!

That's when God put me in check. I read this verse, and through it He reminded me that as a Christian I am to be recognized as somebody who respects authority - both earthly and divine. If I am asked to do something inconvenient at work, it is my job to do it. After all, I'm getting paid to.

Even as I was reading this verse though, I felt slighted by the administration's decision. I took it personally, even though it wasn't a personal attack. I thought to myself, "Why don't I just find a job at a school that has room for me and will make me feel welcome? I'm a good teacher. I take my job seriously. Any other school would be glad to have me." Dangerous, prideful thinking. I immediately glanced up, and verse 16 of chapter 12 read itself to me, "...do not think how smart you are."

Oops. Okay, already! I'll be good. Which, as it says here in the Bible, is how you defeat evil. Romans 12:21, "Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good."

Thank you, Jesus, for the gentle reminder this morning. Thank you for speaking to me through your word. Thank you for keeping me on track and reminding me of my job as a teacher and as a Christian.

Scrooge - 12/21/07

2007-12-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes 7:4, 10, 12, & 14, "A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks only about having a good time. Don't ask, 'Why was life better in the 'good old days'?' It is not wise to ask such questions. Wisdom ... can save whoever has it. When life is good, enjoy it. But when life is hard, remember: God gives good times and hard times, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring."

CHRISTMAS PAST: I confessed to Melissa the other day that I don't like Christmas anymore. It used to be a time of family and friends; the pressure and expense of gift-giving was balanced by the excitement over the one time throughtout the year that everybody gets together. It was celebration. It was family. It perpetuated the warm and fuzzy feelings from my childhood. Those were the "good old days" of Christmas.

CHRISTMAS PRESENT: That all changed with my mom's death. We had no idea at the time, but she was truly the "glue" that held our family together. I still see my family sporadically, but there have been divisions that prevent us from meeting as a group. Plus, my brother and I have since married, so our prioritites have changed. Christmas is no longer what it used to be and consequently, I don't care about it anymore.

CHRISTMAS FUTURE: This is the situation that came to mind as soon as I read chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes. The whole chapter is filled with great wisdom - as is all of King Solomon's writing. This particular book is full of wisdom gained after despairing over the trials and meaninglessness of life - and how that is all made worthwhile by the end in store for us. But, these lines in particular jumped out at me and spoke to my situation. That's one reason the Bible is called "The Living Word." Its verses seem to change themselves to reveal meanings that speak to individuals in their current situation.

The first line here says a wise person thinks about death, a fool about having a good time. At first, I thought, "Well, I lost my mom. Of course I'm thinking about death. Look how wise I am!" But, I was reminded of Christmas. I wanted only to have a good time - for the holidays to fit into my mold; my definition of celebration. That's not what life is about. We are to treasure what we have, not what we've lost, since we all die. I was not wise, I was a fool.

The verses emphasize we are not wise to ponder "the good old days." It continues to explain the importance of wisdom ... it can save whoever has it. Save us from what? I think probably depression. Anger. Sadness. Rash decisions. Regrettable words. Ourselves.

So in wisdom, we should remember what this verse says: "God gives us good times and hard times, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring."

Experiencing loss is an inevitability. It's bound to happen again. But tomorrow can also bring Great Joy, as the true meaning of the season emphasizes. Our Savior chose to come to the Earth and die to bring us eternal life. Not to give us meaningless gifts

So, it would be wise to enjoy what I do have, and not dwell on what I once had. In the end, we'll all be together anyway in celebration of our Savior!

How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
Oh, how marvelous! Oh, how wonderful
Is my Savior's love for me!

Give It A-Way - 12/20/07

2007-12-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

Mark 4:21&24, "Then Jesus said to them, 'Do you hide a lamp under a bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand.' ... The way you give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you even more."

I think these two verses jumped out at me this morning as instructions from God on how I am to handle a situation at work.

One of our secretaries was gone for a week and a half - I didn't know why until I welcomed her back. It turns out, her mother passed away. She began telling me a little bit about her family, explaining that her mom was sick for six years before passing away.

My dear God...

I started telling her about my own mother, who was also sick for six years before Heaven became her forwarding address. As we were speaking, I kept thinking about the book Traveling Light by Max Lucado. This book is about the baggage we all carry around with us, and how we can give it over to God, one bag at a time. One piece of "luggage" in the book is the burden of grief - I think our secretary can benefit from it.

An interesting aside, however ... the book is called Traveling Light. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." He traveled around while teaching. He WAS Traveling Light. His teachings now travel around the world, giving light. And now, a teacher, who loves traveling, has purchased a copy to give to a person who needs the Light Of The World to help her "travel light." GOD ROCKS!

My original plan, before reading this scripture, was to anonymously place the book in her mailbox, maybe with a sticky note on the applicable chapter. I wanted to avoid potential controversy as a Christian teacher in a public school doing Christian things to people who may or may not believe. But, "Do you hide a lamp under a bowl? No!" I won't be as effective if I hide a book based on God's word hoping she'll read it.

Then I read the next verse, "The way you give to others is the way God will give to you ... but even more." So, if I am giving, but hide who the giver is, then God will give to me in the same way. I will still be blessed, but I won't have the awe-inspiring encounter with the Giver. And if I were to have withheld the gift entirely, God would have dealt with me in the same way.

Jesus also said, "I am the way." If He is, then try replacing the word "way" with His name in the scripture above. "The JESUS you give to others is the JESUS God will give to you, but God will give you even more." Ha ha! I love that!

If we freely give the Word - our God; pass along His Traveling Light to others, then we will receive even more of His word and presence. What an exciting way to live!

So, as a Christian state employee I will not anonymously hide the light for others to stumble upon, but let it boldy shine - so pray for me!

________________________________________________________________________

Consider The Source - 12/17/07

2007-12-17T19:57:00.000-08:00

John 3:31-32, "'…The one who is from the Earth belongs to the Earth and talks about things on the Earth. But the one who talks about Heaven is greater than all. He tells what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts what He says.'"

"Hindsight is 20/20." How true that adage is. When we look back on our life and on history, we can see perfectly what was done and what should have been done differently; we have the benefit of hindsight.

Fortunately, God's foresight is 20/20, while we are blind in that area. He can look ahead with perfect clarity and warn, direct, or encourage us. According to this scripture in John though, people didn't accept what he said. They killed him instead. Of course, after He rose again and proved everything He said, we believed. Hindsight is 20/20.

People who heard Jesus speak often did not consider the source of His knowledge - which more often than not surprised His listeners. As He taught, people would ask, "Who is this man who speaks with so much authority and knowledge?" He told them about Heaven because He is from Heaven. We talk about the Earth and the things in it because we are from there. We dwell on what we know - cars, books, people. When you listen to somebody, it doesn't take long to figure out where a person's experience lies.

So what if a man talks only about Heaven, God, spirituality, fulfilled prophecies, angels, and perfect living? What if our hindsight proves His foresight to be true?

Then we should consider the source. We should seriously consider the likelihood that great truths have been revealed by a man who experienced them firsthand, even had a part in their original design. We should also then make an effort to accommodate those truths in our lives - we should adjust our lifestyle accordingly. If everything that He prophesied would happen did in fact happen, save for a few last major events at the end, then our 20/20 hindsight should be enough to trust His vision of the future rather than our own. Consider the source of the speaker's knowledge - while also considering that the speaker perhaps is the source of all knowledge.

White Elephants - 12/15/07

2007-12-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

Matthew 1:23, "The virgin will be pregnant, she will have a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means, 'God is with us.'" This fulfilled the ancient prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, "The Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be pregnant. She will have a son, and she will name Him Immanuel."

God is with us!
God is with us!
Think about that! Because for a long time, He wasn't. We sinned; our pride rejected Him and stained with our own rebellion, we were cast from His presence.

He returned to get the Israelites out of Egypt - He was with the Ark of the Covenant. But, anyone who came near to the Ark drew close to God's presence and, being stained with sin, risked death. Therefore, the Jews were given laws and rituals for cleanliness; blood sacrifice and atonement for sins.

But that was then. The blood sacrifice in the Old Testament temporarily satisfied God's law so we could in those moments enter into His presence. The willful sacrifice of Christ on the cross forever paid the debt caused by sin - fulfilled the requirements of God's law - and cleansed us permanently.

We no longer have to clean up and atone for our sins every time we want to talk to God because we're under grace, God is with us! We don't have to kill a red heifer to come to God, because He killed His own son so He could come to us. Such powerful, radical love!

And now, He is Immanuel. Immanuel. God is with us - Immanuel!

As soon as we sinned, God had a backup plan, and carried it out when His glory would be greatest, yet early on enough in history so His glory could be spread through generations and continents. Isaiah told us it was going to happen, Matthew told us how it did happen.

So now, during this time of year when we focus so much on worthless, trivial Christmas presents, we forget about God's presence - Immanuel. The greatest gift we've ever been given.
Everything else, from bookmarks to new cars, are the worthless gifts you'd see at a "white elephant" gift exchange compared to Immanuel - our true gift.

God is with us. Even now, while you read, God is with us - a privilege dreamed of by generations of people throughout history.

What are you doing with your life in the presence of Immanuel?

A Useless Tree - 11/24/07

2007-11-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

Luke 13:6-9, “Jesus told this story: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. … the man said to his gardener, ‘I have been looking for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it down. Why should it waste the ground?’ But the servant answered, ‘Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and put on some fertilizer. If the tree produces fruit next year, good. But if not, you can cut it down.’”

I wonder how many times in my life I’ve been “The Useless Tree” in this story. It’s so easy for my focus to go from the eternal to the immediate and begin working on what’s best for my comfort rather than what’s best for my condition. If Jesus is the gardener, I’m sure there have been countless times he’s interceded for me. I’m sure that more often than I’d like to admit, He’s gone to the Father to say, “Hang on; don’t give up yet, this fruit is good. Let me work on this tree for a bit and get it to produce fruit again.”

According to this parable, “working on the tree” means digging up dirt and adding fertilizer. Sometimes I feel like there’s enough “fertilizer” in my life – too much junk. But in this case, fertilizer refers to food. Good food. Plant food. The Word of God, spending time alone with Him, worship, fellowship, keeping in step with the spirit rather than what the flesh wants – this is all good food that will help produce fruit for my God. I need more of this in my life, as we all do.

Unfortunately, instead of good food, instead of fertilizer, we have a lot of dirt. Dry dirt. Dirt that takes up space and makes us feel like we’re planted firmly, but offers nothing in return. Instead, it starves us. It replaces the food we need from God with emptiness, and we wither. The fruit stops growing, and we waste the ground we stand on. This is not how I want to live. Choose this day whom you will serve … as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

It’s time to let the Gardener do His job again, to dig out the dirt in my life and replace it with rich, dark soil that will feed my deepest spiritual hunger and allow me to produce the kind of fruit He wants, fruit of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. This is how I want to be identified. By their fruit you will recognize them. This is how I will be identified. I am going to be a good tree and produce the fruit my Father is looking for.

To Serve - 10/5/2007

2007-10-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

Luke 17:10, "It is the same with you. When you have done everything you are told to do, you should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done the work we should do.'"

We are called to serve God. In doing so, we are promised an unimaginable reward. A reward so great that its eternal glory cannot be described in a way that we could understand it. That is why it is written, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no one can know what God has in store" 1 Corinthians 2:9.

But, this scripture in Luke captures the heart of the servant. Yes, we are called to serve, but we do not do so for the reward; we do not serve and honor God because of what we can get out of it. If that were so, we would not be serving God, we would be serving ourselves.

Our relationship with God is not a business deal. We do not enter into an agreement to serve so we can collect our "paycheck," our reward for serving. Rather, we serve God because it's what we should do, as the scripture says.

It explains how servants are to work - they serve with no expectation for reward. Their attitude is to say, "we are unworthy servants; we have only done the work we should do." They do not expect to be invited to eat with their master. They are satisfied with being able to serve him instead.

Luckily, our Master, our Savior, our God Almighty is loving. We know that He will indeed invite us to His banquet table, after telling us, "Well done, my good and faithful servant ... come and share my joy with me" Matthew 25:21. We were created to serve Him, but we were also created to be in an intimate, loving relationship with Him.

We can serve Him selflessly with humble, dedicated hearts because we know that He is good. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11. We know that His plan has our best interest at heart, even though we cannot see the whole picture or undersand why - until we look back and see ther perfection of His work.

Serve Him well. Obey Him. We are loved and will be rewarded, but remember that in the end, we are unworthy servants who have only done the work that they should do.

300 - 8/7/2007

2007-08-07T09:30:00.001-07:00

We serve a mighty God. We serve a powerful God. We serve the one true God of wonder. He alone was worthy to atone for our sins, and He alone is worthy of our praise and worship. How do you honor God? How do you give Him the glory He deserves, for all He’s done in your life and all He’s done for everybody?

I recently saw the movie 300, a bloody tale of how a garrison of just 300 Spartan soldiers were able to hold back thousands of Persian soldiers from invading ancient Greece. This great accomplishment comes right out of the history books, though the movie itself is very “Hollywood.” My point is, the Spartans lived for glory on the battlefield, and for earning honor in battle.

Another popular movie that I love is Gladiator, in which the main character would often dispatch the soldiers (and then the gladiators) in his command with the words, “Strength and Honor.” In fact, I know men who were so inspired by this story that when parting, they will repeat to each other, “Strength and Honor.” Like the Spartans, these gladiators valued strength, honor, and glory.

But, I ask, whose strength? Whose honor? Whose glory?

Their own? Who were these people that the glory they earned on one battlefield should earn more attention than the Glory of God, which has been proven on countless battlefields? Why should their story captivate our thoughts above God’s glory? Of course movies are secular and will focus on 300 Greek soldiers and not on generations of God’s followers. But as Christians, we should make an effort to maintain our focus and be less impressed with the feats of man than we are with the miracles of God.

This morning as I was listening to the song, “Not to Us” by Chris Tomlin, with a chorus that repeats, “Not to us, but to Your name be the glory,” I was reminded of the story of Gideon in the book of Judges.

Gideon was a normal man, not trained as a warrior. God asked him to take 32,000 soldiers and conquer the Midianites. But God said to him in Judges 7:2, “…You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So 22,000 men left, while 10,000 remained.”

God wanted to reduce the number of Israel’s soldiers to put the odds in favor of the Midianites. This was the only sure way to prove that the victory in battle was because of God’s power, not the soldiers’. Then God told Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there” (7:4). While they were drinking, God told Gideon to separate the ones who drank from their hands from the soldiers who got down on their knees to drink. Three hundred soldiers drank from their hands, the rest who got down on their knees to drink were asked to leave.

That left 300 Israelite soldiers to conquer thousands of Midianites. Cue faith in God and glory for God, please.

The movie “300” focused on 300 Greek soldiers; the glory of so few defeating so many, while encouraging each other with ideas of their own honor and glory. The story of Gideon also used 300 soldiers to illustrate the glory of victory against all odds, but focused on just one person's strength – God’s. Those soldiers encouraged each other as they ran into battle by saying, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” That battle cry reminds me of the one that the Angel warriors use in Frank Peretti novels, “For the saints of God and for the Lamb!” Both battle cries give honor and glory to the only One who truly deserves it.

Now if we keep in mind that often the Lord’s army can be an army of one – you – then perhaps the challenges and battles in your life are no longer obstacles, they are in fact opportunities. They can be situations God has set up to maximize the glory He has earned in delivering you from them. It may be that, like Gideon’s army, God has orchestrated unfavorable conditions in your life to demonstrate His power when delivering you from them. So let Him. Be obedient, trust Him.

I know in these situations, I often find myself whining when I should be encouraged. I mope about circumstances not going my way when I should try to contain the excitement from waiting in anticipation to see what God’s going to do next. I should wait to see how God will "prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies." I should be reminded and inspired to put my faith in the One who is all powerful and the one who is my friend.

Glory to God in the highest!

God Strikes, Our Reward - 7/26/07

2007-07-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 20:15 & 17, "...Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you."

The verse above is the response that the king Jehoshaphat received from a prophet in the crowd after he had prayed for God's help. Since the people attacking Judah were the result of obedience toward God rather than disobedience, the picture changed for the people of Judah. And so did the battle. "The battle is not yours, it's the Lord's." Johoshaphat prayed for protection against vast armies mounting an attack, and through the mouth of another that God sent him encouragement.

His prayer is a good model for one seeking protection or help from God. While praying, he brought to mind the fact that the armies approaching were from the lands God told Israel not to attack upon delivering them to the promised land. He humbled himself before God; not pointing his finger and saying, "This is your fault!" but rather, he stressed God's power and that the people did not know what to do, but they would still fix their eyes upon God. They relied totally upon God, trusting His power and favor to deliver them.

The people of Judah were told only to go out and face the oncoming armies. Not to get their weapons. Not to fortify their homes. They were asked to step out in faith, and to watch what the Lord would do. This reminds me of the verse in Isaiah that says, "No weapon formed against me shall prosper."

God used the weapons brought to destroy Judah against those who wielded them. They all slaughtered each other in the presence of the servants of the Lord. The battle truly was the Lord's, since the people of Judah didn't enter into the fight for a second. We see here that though Judah faced a great challenge as a result of their obedience, God protectd them and made sure they would not suffer for it. All they were asked to do was to step up and face their enemies while relying on the strength and promise of the Lord.

Following God does not mean we should fear a backlash from the enemy. If our obedience leads to a threatening situation, we can be sure God will deliver us from it - for that is an example of when the battle is not ours, but the Lord's. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!

The Waiting Room - 7/24/2007

2007-07-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 13:8-14, "He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. 9 So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
11 "What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, 12 I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
13 "You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

I am in a waiting room right now, so to speak. I am waiting on the interviews and job offers to start at the beginning of August. Teaching is a seasonal job, and consequently so is the hiring. Anxiety has set in, and I've found myself planning an imaginary move to nearby cities to "set up shop" and create the illusion of progress for myself. Although, I have pending applictions in several cities and the one I choose to move to doesn't necessarily mean that's the city in which I will be hired. Only God knows which one that is.

Waiting on God is an important part of following God. We may look around, as Saul's soldiers did, and feel anxious - pressuring ourselves into making a move. But if we move on our own timing instead of His, we probably will miss out on the incredible blessing He's arranging behind the scenes. God is perfect, so is His timing. We are imperfect, and so is our timing.

I have been reading the book Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets off and on. Today I picked it up, and the author alluded to this part of 1 Samuel to emphasize the importance of waiting on God. God, through the prophet Samuel, commanded Saul to wait for Samuel's arrival before making an offering, winning the Lord's favor before battle.

Saul was the king of Israel, and he saw that the men in his command had become anxious. Instead of doing as he was told, ceding his authority to God's, he took it upon himself to make the offering and rally the men for battle. Samuel described this as a foolish act. It showed a rebellious streak in the king's heart; a refusal to wait on God's timing. The consequence: God replaced him with David, "a man after God's own heart."

I must continue to wait on God. He has a job lined up for me, this I know. He's made this clear. I would rather be known as a man after God's own heart than one who is known to make a foolish act in a panic. So I wait. There's no reason not to - He's provided me with everything I need in the interim, and then some. Everything, that is, except the patience to wait. No, He's only provided the opportunity to use patience. So I will. I will patiently wait, because I love God and can trust Him. And I'm thankful that God used this scripture today to remind me of the bigger picture and set my focus back on Him. God's so cool!

A Change in Perspective. - 7/13/07

2007-07-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Genesis 18:13-14, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."

Is anything too hard for the Lord? Certainly not. Is anything too hard for me? Of course. And through whose point of view do I see the world? Too often, my own. But, through whose point of view should I see the world?

If I look at life and my own situation in comparison to the control I have over it, discouragement could easily follow. I could examine my ongoing job search and my dependent living situation and get frustrated because so much of it is beyond my control. Junior High teaching jobs are strangely hard to find in Washington right now.

But, "Our hope is in the Lord." Like the verse above from Genesis asks, is anything too hard for the Lord? When I look at my life from His point of view, everything is simplified.

Of course I'll get a job. God told me to leave Belize and move to Western Washington.
Of course my family will heal, because Mark 11:24 states, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours."
Of course my neice will be taken care of when she moves to Montana. She has trusted her life to God and Luke 12:31 says if we seek His kingdom FIRST, everything else will be added to us ... by His power and authority though, not our own.

Is anything too hard for the Lord? Is anything too hard for the Creator of Heaven, the Maker of the Earth? No. We have only to wait on His perfect timing and trust that He means what He says. He's already proven that.

So now, I continue to wait. I continue to hope. I can relax, enjoy a cup of coffee, and know that I am taken care of. As a Christ follower, hope is something I am blessed with and a source of so much joy. I praise you Jesus for blessing me and guiding me here for a life I know you've prepared for me ahead of time.

Useful Pottery - 2/15/07

2007-02-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 18:4-6, “But the pot He was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him…’Can I not do the same with you as the potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand.’”

I love this verse and think about it often. I came across it in my Bible today as the song, The Potter’s Hand by Hillsongs played in the background. I turned the page, and in the scripture there, God again used a clay pot as an analogy for Jeremiah. Three clay pot references. So, I decided to think on this a bit and figure out what God was saying to me.

This verse says that the clay was “marred in his hands.” If God is the potter, and we are the clay, then that is very true. We are born from sinful flesh – we all start out as marred clay. We cannot shape ourselves, so we have two choices. We can sit in a lumpy pile and let our lives remain self-absorbed and sinful. Or, we can bring our sloppy, mess of a life to our loving Father, who makes all things new. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).

Once we’re transformed, we take on the shape He decided on; our lives look like His design rather than what we would have chosen for ourselves. Though we may have had a different mental picture for our lives, we should still trust Him fearlessly. We already know what it looks like when we make the decisions - and it's never as good as when we allow Him to gently guide us. That’s the hardest part of being a Christian – yielding my will to God’s and allowing Him to call the shots.

I should remember that a vessel shaped by a potter; it is not my job to tell Him what I should look like or what my role should be. That's the other thing - my purpose is not meaningless; I was created for something specific, just as a clay pot is created for a specific reason. Though it may look pretty sitting on the shelf, that was not its intended function.

The shape God gives our lives is uniquely suited for the role he has us play. A bowl is different from a pitcher which is different from a pot. I shouldn’t be discouraged if my life doesn’t look like someone else’s; if my shape is drastically different from those around me. That just means he has a drastically different plan for me.

That also means I have no right to question what my Father – the potter – fills his vessel with. How absurd would it be for a cup to come to the potter and insist on holding oil rather than tea? “I made you, you silly cup! Hold what I ask you to hold because you can’t see what I’m doing here. You can’t see the table I’m setting. Trust me, and I promise I’ll take care of you.” He’s proven time and again that He is good. He is powerful. He is loving, and He has plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.

“I’m captured by
Your holy presence
Set me apart, I know you’re drawing me to yourself
Make me more like You

Take me, and mold me
Use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter’s Hands”

Dawn of the New Year - 1/7/07

2007-01-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

So here it is, five months after my last blog entry - on this blog. So much has happened; God has changed my life so dramatically and worked so incredibly on aspects of my character that I didn't even know needed to be addressed. Our time in Belize has been incomparable to anything I've ever experienced. In a nutshell, these are the biggest things I've learned or that have changed while living in Central America:

All I really need is God. Not friends. Not my family (though I desperately want them in my life). Not an internet connection. Not affordable food. Not any of the comforts of living in the U.S., just God. Only God. God, God, God. We all know it; many of us say it, but to be shown that it is true causes deep, personal growth.
I had an unhealthy attachment to the area I lived in because of the history I have there. The land was directly tied to the memory of my mother, as were several of the posessions I had that she had given me. Selling those and leaving that place to move to C.A. changed me forever and freed me from being bound to certain aspects of my grief.
Melissa and I have grown so much closer. We moved so far away from friends and family that we couldn't help but grow together - all we have to lean on is God and each other. He has truly strengthened our marriage and given us a solid foundation to build the rest of our lives together.
I don't have to be alone to have an encounter with God. I used to think that the only way I could have meaningful God time was to isolate myself from everything. While this is still true to an extent, God has shown me how I can still find Him anywhere; everywhere if I look carefully. Five months of living in a fish bowl and never being alone taught me how to see God in all things.

And perhaps one of the biggest things I learned while teaching in a private school in Central America is that Christian Americans are terrified to talk about their faith around non-believers. The culture I am surrounded by is based on Christian faith, and sometimes I'm taken aback at how frankly people talk about God's undeniable truths. I will hear something that even I, as a Christian, may take offense at. But, that generally only happens when it is a Christian value that is not sensitive to other spiritual points of view. It's not what you would call "politically correct." There is an incredibly vocal group of non-believers that has everyone walking on eggshells. Christians hesitate to say the very name of Jesus in public to avoid offending a follower of any other faith or "disrespecting the rights" of an atheist.

When I look at how I lived back home (and how so many other Christians do as well), I am ashamed. We are commanded to freely spread the gospel to everybody. Who am I to decide it shouldn't be heard by an outspoken atheist? Why should I be afraid to boldly declare God's truth to everybody, regardless of how they may see me? After all, they boldy speak their mind! So what if people in the historical church gave Christianity a bad reputation? That's what people do; we're flawed. "Mistakes were made." But God's character is flawless and He's the one I follow.

I am reminded of John 15:19, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." The message of the cross offends non-believers. Plain and simple. Being a Christian means that you will not get along with everybody, but you should still try to. Frankly, if we are not offending people with our faith, chances are we are not being bold enough with it. Chances are, we are allowing ourselves to water down what we say we believe in the presence of non-believers to avoid causing any offense. Most likely, we are not letting God use us as a torch to set the hearts of our loved ones on fire because we're afraid of getting into an argument on theology.

That's not necessary! We have only to present the truth as we know it and let the Holy Spirit do His job in the heart of the listener. And if they don't receive the message, tragic as that is, we've done our part. On that Glorious day, God can point back to that moment as an example of His trying to win another heart over; He will be glorified through our work. Keep in mind, too, that many Christians represent some of the previously most hard-hearted atheists ever. But, God can soften any heart. In fact, He probably wants to use me to do just that, if I let Him...

There are a million other things God has shown me through this incredible experience. Whether or not we stay in Belize, this year has been life-changing. I am blessed not only by what He has done in my life, but also where and how He did it. Praise His holy name! Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord of all, and I thank you Lord for the miracles you've worked in my life. I'll tell you later about how He healed my tooth!

Call Now! - 8/6/06

2006-08-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 33:3 - "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

At the worship service last night, this is one of the main points the speaker made. This verse really spoke to me - often this is how I approach my devotional time. I will begin each quiet time by praying that the Holy Spirit speaks to me and guides my thoughts and hands to reveal whatever the Lord has for me to hear or understand. When I let God direct the conversation, I'm always blown away by what He shows me.

What I find most fascinating, is that these "great and unsearchable things" are often located in a scripture that I am already familiar with or that I would normally read over and find no additional meaning beyond what is plainly before my eyes. But if I pray to God first, I can suddenly see how to apply that scripture to my life or how it could also mean any number of additional things.

The key though is in the first part of this scripture: "Call to me..." We have to make the first step. We have to invite the Lord in to our hearts and minds to guide us and speak to us. If we don't initiate the conversation, then the "things you do not know" will never be revealed. God will still work in your life and guide you, but the advantage of wisdom will not be at your side to help you discern the truth in any given situation. Obviously then, regular exposure to such a pattern of devotion and worship will lead to greater knowledge and application of Godly principles to your life.

I want alll of my friends and family to experience this form of devotion and communication with God; this kind of two-way relationship. Such an intimate and personal communication level with God strengthens your relationship with Him beyond measure, and having Him working so closely in your life regularly means His love, provision, and protection go before you wherever you may be led.

Praise be to our God for being so concerned with relationship that He would literally die to maintain it, and communicating with each of us individually to express His deep love for all of us, regardless of our past or present - just as long as we give the future to Him.

El Paseo - 7/29/06

2006-07-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

John 14:4,6 "You know the way to the place I am going. ...I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me."

I like the layers of wisdom and direction found in this verse. Where was the place He was going? To His Father's house. The way in which He was to travel was through sacrifice - offering Himself up to pay for our sins. The place He was gong was also the Cross.

But, the way we know of to get to His final destination is to follow Him; His teachings, His way of living. The whole time Jesus was engated in ministry, He spent every waking minute telling people how to be reconciled with teh Father, and showing them the power of God through His actions.

That's another thing I like about this verse - "You know the way..."
In verse 6, Jesus says "I am the way..."

"You know The Way."

Jesus is the way, and I know Him personally. He is my God, but also my friend, my guide, my Father, my confidant - my everything. He is the way to that place where all hope is fulfilled. Permanent Peace. Permanent Love. Permanent understanding. Permanent life. That means no more separation through death either. Saying goodbye to people you love is hard, be it for a season while moving to another country or for a lifetime if death is the cause of that separation.

Thankfully, in Jesus no goodbye is permanent. Because through Him, everybody has been given direction to the same place; everybody has been shown the way to meet each other again. It may sting for the moment you experience the separation, but if those you love follow The Way, the Truth, and the Life, then we'll all arrive together in everlasting life.

I think a little bit of what I experienced today is a big part of the eternity experience. We had everybody over to say goodbye before moving to Belize, good friends and family. It ended with sad goodbyes - but I knew I'd see them again. And in the life everlasting, this day would not have ended. We would all continue to enjoy each other's company in the presence of our most powerful God who brought us all together in the first place, both in this world and again when we are all reunited in His kingdom.

Until then, everybody has been given their own map to follow leading to that moment.

Don't lose the Way, and I'll see you there.

Tropical Fruit - 7/28/06

2006-07-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

John 15:4, "Remian in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

"Apart from me you can do nothing." How true is this! I am a broken person born of a sinful nature. Everything I attempt on my own or try to accomplish for my own selfish desires ends in failure. Without God, anything I try to pursue fails to deliver any sense of satisfaction - only a hollow longing for something else.

However, when I remain in Him - remain plugged in to the true vine, I barely even have to try and much fruit is produced in my life. Like in a true branch, His power flows into my life - meeting every true need and causing me to produce beautiful fruit to honor Him.

I don't want to make it sound like I have no troubles and live a carefree lifestyle - though in a sense I do. But, sometimes branches have to be cut back to produce good fruit. We rarely recognize this for what it is during the pruning process. That's why we need to just thank Him for trouble or hard times and always trust in Him. Then, when we see the fruit produced in our lives, it becomes clear why we endured what we did and can give Him glory for it. Everything is done for the same ultimate purpose - to give glory to God.

I am plugged in to my God, and for a season at least He has decided that my wife and I are going to produce tropical fruit for Him. He has called us to Belize to work for Him among His people there. Along the way, every need and want has been satisfied or addressed. The planning stage has gone so smoothly that it became clear only God could have orchestrated this process of relocation - right down to finding a home for our cat. We couldn't do it on our own, though we tried, and resolved to take him to a no-kill shelter full of abandoned cats - a safe but sad solution.

On our last day in Pullman, a woman from our church decided to take Sumo in and love him as an "only cat." I thought to myself, "How great you are, God! Why would YOU care about what happens to this crazy animal - enough to act on it and find a home for him before we leave?" As soon as that thought crossed my mind, another followed right behind it that was not my own,

"Because you do."

God loves me, and I'm plugged in to Him. If I'm a part of the vine, then my needs are His needs, my concerns and worries are also His - regardless of how small they may seem.

So trust in God! Get plugged in! Talk to Him every day! That's how He guides you and helps you produce big, ripe, juicy fruit.

Mango, anyone?

Step By Step - 7/17/06

2006-07-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

Galatians 5:25, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

It still blows my mind to think of all God has given me; all He has done in the lives of my friends and my family. He has done so much to heal the hearts of those who were close to my mother. And, He's done so much to bless our lives in every way.

And now Melissa and I are moving to Belize. Such an incredible opportunity to serve Him, and in doing so we are blessed with an adventure unlike anybody's I know of. Still, the reality of good-byes puts into sharp focus what it can mean to step out on faith to follow whatever you believe God has called you to do.

I have no doubt in my mind or my heart that this is God's will, from the very beginning. Everything has come together so perfectly, it has to have been orchestrated by God Himself. I can see things He'd done years in the past that paved the way and prepared for this very event.

But, I've been dwelling on my present family situation and what a difficult time it is to leave them. On the way to work this morning, these lyrics caught my ear and spoke to this situation:

There was so much work left to do...

But so much You've already done!
Oh God, you are my God
And I will ever praise you...

I will seek you in the morning
And I will learn to walk in your way

And Step by Step you'll lead me
And I will follow you all of my days...

Like the scripture above in Galatians, God will lead Melissa and me, step by step. We still don't know so many details about where we are going to live. But, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is God's will and our needs have been met. We have housing, furniture, income, and an assigned ministry where we can serve Him.

These two priveleged Americans can learn to do without everything outside of that assignment. For now, we must take baby steps in the direction God has pointed us. As the Holy Spirit leads us, step by step, we will continue to honor and praise Him.

God, YOU are my God. There is no other. I will ever praise you. Thank you for taking care of me and my family. I love you for alll that you've done, and because you first loved me. Lord Jesus, I praise your Holy name. May your will be done, and I thank you for mending my heart and my family's. Amen.

The Coolest Kid EVER - 7/5/06

2006-07-05T22:53:00.000-07:00

"Do you wanna know why none of the ashes from the fireworks hit us?"
"Why, Kelsey?"
"Because I prayed."

So adorable!!! My niece joined my wife and I for the Fourth of July Weekend. We watched the fireworks show the city put on, with primo seats almost directly underneath the display. A lot of the embers were falling nearby, and one especially hot piece landed on the blanket of the people behind us. It was still glowing and sent the family into a panic. My niece apparently was worried the same drama would unfold on our blanket, so she prayed. Then she believed with childlike faith - relied entirely upon God - that we would be safe.

Mark 10:15, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

This is the same kind of faith we are commanded to develop. We must learn to simply rely on God. When we pray for something, of course it will come to pass because we know how great and powerful our God is.

I had my niece all weekend for camping, fun, and some quality time before my wife and I move to Belize. It was so very, very hard taking her back home. For both of us. But, I had made a CD of the latest Christian hits for her last time she stayed with us. She informed me this weekend that one of her favorite songs on that CD is the same as mine.

I made a point to emphasize that as much as I love her (which is a WHOLE lot), God loves her even more. Like this song that she told me she liked. Like He loves all of us...more....

More
by Matthew West

Take a look at the mountains
Stretching a mile high
Take a look at the ocean
Far as your eye can see
And think of Me

Take a look at the desert
Do you feel like a grain of sand?
I am with you wherever
Where you go is where I am

And I'm always thinking of you
Take a look around you
I'm spelling it out one by one

(Chorus)
I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you yesterday and today
And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again
I love you more

Just a face in the city
Just a tear on a crowded street
But you are one in a million
And you belong to Me

And I want you to know
That I'm not letting go
Even when you come undone

(Chorus)
I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you yesterday and today
And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again
I love you more
I love you more

Shine for Me
Shine for Me
Shine on, shine on
Shine for Me

(Chorus)
I love you more than the sun
And the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you yesterday and today
And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again
I love you more

(Chorus)
Than the sun
and the stars that I taught how to shine
You are mine, and you shine for me too
I love you, yesterday and today
Through the joy and the pain
I'll say it again and again
I love you more
I love you more

And I see you
And I made you
And I love you more than you can imagine
More than you can fathom
I love you more than the sun
And you shine for me

Jesus thank you so, so much for calling my niece at such a young age to learn of your Great Love and grow up under your protection and provision. I pray you show her that, though the sorrow may last for the night, your joy comes in the morning.

I love you, Kels!

Receive Rewards - 6/28/06

2006-06-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

2 JOHN 8, "Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully."

Following Jesus Christ is hard work. The pull of our sinful nature is always fighting against our salvation. Our bodies want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against the flesh.

This goes beyond carnal desires. Arguing, bickering, persecuting, judging, attacking ... so many sins that divide the people God loves set us against the Spirit's leading. This stems from our sinful nature, and the people God loves who are affected by this includes Christians and non-Christians, because we all started from the same place. We just decied to follow the path of Christ Jesus, and that comes with many rewards. When you choose to live for God, life does not become easier - but the blessings become greater and this brings Him even more of the glory He deserves, and then you are blessed for bringing Him glory and the crazy love cycle begins!

The scripture above warns us, "watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for." Do not lose the faith! Do not get discouraged, the Lord wants to reward you for your faithfulness and for standing up for Him when nobody else would. But, the enemy wants you to focus on current trials and tempt you into walking away from your reward with lies.

For example, Jesus wanted to bless Jerusalem and reward its people, but they were not willing to receive it. Luke 13:34 exposes God's grief over stubborn Jerusalem; their refusal to let God bless them by their own choice to live against truth. Jesus laments to Jerusalem, "But YOU were not willing!" He wanted to bless them.

We make the same choice. We have all at some point embraced our sinful nature and become slaves to it. Luke 6:20-21, "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time...?" I'll tell you the benefit. We got to proudly shout, "I'm in control! I DECIDE!"

And where did that lead? Nowhere. We can't see the whole picture, only HE CAN. And HE LOVES US! He will bless you, guide you, and bring you into eternal life, that there may be no more strife; no more separation.

So, do not lose what you have worked for! Let yourself be rewarded fully by keeping up with God and His leading. Galatians 5:25, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Check in with God every day to make certain that you are doing so.

Gimme More Gimel! - 6/26/06

2006-06-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

Psalm 119:20, 24 "My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. ...Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors."

Psalm 138:1,4-5 "I will praise you with all my heart; before the 'gods' I will sing your praise."

I love how bold David is in this Psalm. Before the false gods he will sing praises to the real Lord of Heaven! He is fearless because his love for God and his desire to honor Him is greater than any other emotion.

We could benefit from taking the same position in our lives. Our culture is filled with false gods. Money, materialism, fame, celebrities, decadent lifestyles... people worship these idols every day. They don't pray or burn incense to them, but they are idolized and raised to the highest position in millions of lives.

What's sad is that the Lord my God will probably do one of two things: deliver those who reject Him to their evil desires, that they may enjoy the fleeting pleasures of this life and suffer consequences later. Or, He will remove from the lives of those whose hearts are prepared for Him whatever is held above the Lord. If you value anything more than God, He will remove that obstacle from your life. That can hurt, especially if you love that object more than anything else in your life.

He admitted from the very beginning that He is a jealous God, and that you shall have no other Gods before Him.

Now, imagine how bold you must be, how much you must love God to stand before the false gods and idols of others and sing praises to the Lord. That is the boldness I desire for my own life.

I think God used Psalm 119 to articulate that desire for me. The other day, I could not get the word "Gimel" out of my head. I recognized it as a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. I know that Psalm 119 has verses for each letter of that alphabet, with each line beginning with the letter of that verse in the original language.

I turned to Gimel to see why it was stuck in my head. Two lines struck me - "my soul is consumed with longing for your laws" and "your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors."

I am consumed with longing for my God at all times - this is how we should live. Nothing else matters more than Him. Nothing else is as permanent or as great. And, the words of God are my counselors, my strength.

I will boldly praise His name before those whose gods are man-made and temporary.

Lord Jesus, may your name be praised....amen.

________________________________________________________________________

Big Events - 6/21/06

2006-06-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

It's hard sometimes to think of what my mom would say during life-changing events. She passed away in September of '03. Since then, I married my best friend, my little brother married an awesome woman, and they gave me another niece. Now, my wife and I are stepping out on faith - going on an adventure to Belize where mission work and employment blend into one.

What would my mom say?

Luckily, I know her heart so I have an idea of what she would say. And she knows Jesus Christ (she lives in His house right now). I know Jesus, too, and she is most likely aware of what He is doing in my life right now. So I know what she probably is saying.

I think God helped this become incredibly clear when Melissa and I were driving home from Tacoma on Father's Day. God the Father's Day...

She had fallen asleep, and I was listening to the radio. A song that I had heard dozens of times before started playing. It was a familiar tune, but I never paid any attention to the lyrics - until now. Suddenly all of my attention was fixed on this message playing in my car. I believe it is exactly how my mom would react to the news of my traveling to Belize to teach junior high in a Christian school. This is where the lyrics started speaking to my heart:

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
that leads you through your days
And may convictions keep you strong
guide you on your way
May there be many moments
that make you life so sweet
But more than memories

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings

It's not living
if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
but I'll cheer as you fly

...so let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings

Thank you Jesus for your presence; for reminding me of my mother's love - the roots of which will be there for me whatever this life brings. Thank you Lord for filling my heart with dreams and the faith it takes to do great things for you. I praise your holy name, Jesus. Amen.

Christian Chameleons - 6/20/06

2006-06-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Galatians 2:11-12, "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of [those men]."

I don't know that I've been struggling with this, or maybe I will in the near future, but it's a good reminder for me. When I read this scripture, the first thing I thought of was the term "Christian Chameleons." This does not refer to colorful lizards singing praise with long sticky tongues and testifying with their arms in the air in the jungle. I've heard this somewhere before in reference to Christians who change who they are or what they say they believe depending on their environment. Peter did this when influential believers with opposing beliefs came to visit him. He stopped doing what he knew was right out of fear that he would offend these men.

Of course, that is the exact opposite of how we're supposed to live. Think of it from the point of view of somebody who has never really seen a Christian live out his or her faith. Every time that person is around a believer, they don't see an example of Christ's love or a person living by His teachings. Instead, that person has seen watered down versions of the truth in order not to offend.

I don't care much for an in-your-face approach to sharing faith. Sometimes that is necessary, but if that is how you approach even casual conversations, your well-intentioned faith will be written off as overzealous and oppressive. But, we should not allow fear of other points of view or the influence of others censor our convictions so as not to offend. We have been commanded to go out into the world and be an influence. Refusing to share what we know to be true out of fear does nothing to fulfill that commandment.

I like this scripture because Paul confronts Peter directly. He doesn't gossip about the situation to other believers. In alignment with scripture, he told Peter to his face that he was in the wrong. Peter "...was not acting in line with the truth of the gospel" and Paul let him know it.

There are have been many times that I was confronted with opposing beliefs that forced me to identify why I believe what I believe. My faith was like the proverb, "Like a reed in the wind, I will bend but not break." Evidence of God working in my life is undeniable and reinforces my faith all the time. That doesn't mean though that I haven't questioned some things from time to time, and I believe that's healthy.

This scripture is a good reminder overall. I must be strong when faced with opposing points of view, and must not change who I am to suit my environment; I must avoid becoming a "Christian Chameleon."

Shut The Door - 6/12/06

2006-06-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6:6-7, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. "

I think God is reminding me here that my devotional time is just that - devotional. I must devote my time entirely to Him when I make a point to read His word and seek His guidance.

First of all, I haven't been regularly devoting time to God lately. Not that I'm not in prayer every day, but there is a special connection made when I step aside from my daily routine and responsibilities to check in with Him and just spend quality time together.

Lately too, when I do get to my devotions, I've been almost trying to multi-task. I may read the Bible in the living room while the T.V. is on or carrying on a conversation. I believe this is a reminder from God regarding the first entry I made in this journal based on the scripture Luke 5:16, "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray." I must completely detach myself from everything in the world ... to withdraw to a lonely place and pray. I have found that only when my attention is completely focused on God can I hear Him leading me through scripture or inspiration. If I'm focusing on what I hear from the TV or radio, I'm not focusing on Him and won't hear what He has to say.

We are supposed to model our lives after Christ's. That is a huge task because I am so self-centered naturally. But making sure I also model my prayer life after His, that tendency will naturally be kept in check. ...Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray...

I feel a bit like our cat (who I'm pretty sure has Attention Deficit Disorder) . Sometimes to get his attention, I'll have to snap my fingers or clap at him and shout his name. Then he'll look at me with his head cocked to the side and realize, "OH, you mean I'm not supposed to be on this countertop! My bad..."

I think maybe God may have clapped His hands at me to get my attention to remind me that I must not lose my focus or take my devotional time lightly. This is not an option; what I do in the rest of my day is.

Did Something Crazy - 6/7/06

2006-06-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

So... got a little crazy today! I'm still looking for a teaching job, and the options are limited. Melissa and I had joked about me getting a teaching job in Belize, since we fell in love with it on our honeymoon.

Well, I randomly decided to search for teaching jobs in Belize today, and came across a Christian School looking for six teachers. All positions but the 7/8 grade teacher had been filled. I meet all the minimum qualifications, and then some. I talked with Melissa about selling most of our things and heading down there, and she is as excited about it as I am. So, I completed and submitted my application this evening.

So... if you're reading this blog right now I'd like to ask you to pray for God's will in this situation. That way, if He wants me to go down there and teach these kids, it will happen. If He'd rather I stay in Washington and help kids here, then that's what will happen. Still, I'd appreciate a quick prayer on the subject. Thanks!

Know What You've Got - 6/4/06

2006-06-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ezra 3:11, "And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the House of the Lord was laid."

"You don't know what you've got, 'til it's gone." This is a famous proverb, proven to be true in every life, generation after generation. Of course, it's also a rock ballad from the 80s.

The book of Ezra takes place upon the Jews' return to Israel. While in exile, the Jews could have easily made this song their National Anthem. Although the rock group Cinderella wouldn't exist for a few thousand years or so...

A few generations of wicked rulers slandered the Holy name of the Lord in the nation He rose up. As a consequence, God removed His hand of protection. His own house - the temple Solomon built - was looted and destroyed. The walls of Jerusalem were torn down, and its people carried off as captives.

They had all forgotten or turned away from God. He sent many prophets to speak for Him; to nudge the people back in line and reveal to them the wickedness of their ways. We receive similar reminders when our lives don't mesh with God's will. A friend may rebuke or identify our unhealthy decisions out of love. A scripture may remind us of how we should live. The fact is God gives us many chances to turn our lives toward Him.

Some of us don't learn so easily. Too many of us choose the hard road, and must "hit rock bottom" before we can see how destructive or unhealthy our decisions have really been. When the Babylonians invaded, the Jews lost their fredom, their wealth, power, and the right to worship God in His temple and enjoy His protection and provision. Cue their anthem.... "You don't know what you've got, 'til it's gone..."

While in exile the Jews returned to the Lord. It's a sad truth that many times we must be faced with tragedy before asking God to start working in our lives. They returned to God, then they were permitted to return to their land. Their captors were eventually conquered by the Persians, and the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem.

God used this exile to lay a foundation of people who would serve Him, then they returned home to build the foundation of a temple to do just that. The scripture above describes their reaction to the sight of that foundation - they shouted and praised God.

It may be time for you to lay a foundation in your own home to praise God. Maybe like the Jews had done, you've also embraced a spirit of rebellion against God, or just forgot to reference Him in your decisions. Maybe your home already collapsed under the attack of the enemy. Rebuilding and strengthening can start immediately.

This time, make Jesus Christ your foundation. Build your house on that rock, and regardless of the enemy's strength, you will prevail to give God the glory. "...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15.

The Promised Land - 5/31/06

2006-05-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

Joshua 11:12, "He did just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded."

Joshua was the leader responsible for establishing a place for the Israelites to build God's nation. After leaving Egypt and wandering the desert for decades, the Israelites came upon the land of Canaan - the land God had promised to the people He chose to spread His name across the globe.

God needed to secure this land for the only group of people who worshipped Him on the planet. This is the place where His son would be born into the world and offered as a sacrifice to reunite God with all of His children - the same children who had separated themselves from Him by sinning. But first, Joshua must lead the smallest of nations into this land and defeat dozens of kings and their people.

Joshua and his army succeeded in every military campaign because he was obedient. He did exactly what Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded. Therefore it wasn't by Joshua's own power or ability that he was able to deliver this land to God's people, but because the power of God went before him.

One thing that truly amazes me is that the same God, the exact same person who helped Joshua; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God who defeated Pharaoh and the one who invented air, water, earth, and love - works directly in my own life with the same power and authority He had over His people throughout history.

Since that time though, the law has changed. God no longer needs a temple and a blood sacrifice because Jesus' blood sacrifice paid the debt caused by sin, and God has chosen the hearts of His people as His temple.

With the spirit of the living God living in me, I can experience the same level of direction and success when the odds are against me - as long as I am living according to God's will and honestly seeking His direction. Ephesians 6:14 emphasizes the concept of living by God's direction when it speaks of the "Armor of God." This armor consists of:

the belt of Truth
the protection of Right Living on your chest
on your feet wear the good news of Peace
carry the shield of Faith to stop all burning arrows of the Evil One
accept God's Salvation as your helmet
take the Sword of the spirit which is the word of God
... and Pray in the spirit at all times

Joshua had the "protection of right living" on his chest. He lived according to God's will, plan, and purpose. For that reason, he was protected when standing against an army three times the size of his own. In the same way, God will protect us if the way we live is right in His eyes. Not only will He deliver us from our enemy, but He will establish us in a land flowing with milk and honey - a prosperous life where the protection of His hand will allow us to enjoy success.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps

2006-05-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

Romans 10:17, "So faith comes from hearing the Good News, and people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ."

Every day people easily put their faith in simple, unreliable things. When I insert the key into my car's ignition, I have faith that the engine will turn over - even though cars fail every day. When I flip a light switch, I have faith that the room will be illuminated - even though light bulbs eventually burn out. When a skydiver jumps from a plane, he or she has faith that the parachute will deploy and save them from a series of unfortunate events, so to speak - even though we've all heard of incidents where that was not the case.

Why is it that somebody would actually throw themselves from an airplane and expect to live? On what basis do they have reason to believe the parachute will save them? This is an important question. Think about it. If a person has never attempted skydiving before, why should they believe that the parachute will open for them as it has for others - and believing it strongly enough to step off the edge of the plane? Chances are, there is somebody who explained to them how the parachute works. Another person who put their faith in it - and has proven it to be true in his or her own life - has explained it. Somebody who experienced it first-hand convinced the new skydiver that it really works and is worth the jump. This person explained the "Good News" of parachutes to somebody who will soon be falling fast. This is exactly how faith and the message of Jesus Christ spreads from one person to another. Somebody who has proven it to be true in his or her own life is asked to pass that information along to somebody who has not.

Right now, we're all falling. But many of us have Christ in our lives - the parachute that will save us from eternal death. He loves us enough to catch anyone who is willing to accept His love and believe in Him, guiding them gently to safety. It's open to anyone because not one person in this world is worthier than another to be saved by Him. We don't have to earn it, but we do have to consciously receive it.

Hebrews 12:1 begins, "We have around us many people whose lives tell us what faith means." The first scripture says that faith comes from hearing the Good News of Christ. This second scripture is tangible evidence of that Good News - changed lives and hearts. So if we are surrounded by so many people whose lives tell us what faith means, why aren't they all passing it along? Why aren't they handing extra parachutes out to their friends and family who are still falling? Why aren't people who haven't heard the Good News getting it from those whose lives tell us what faith means?

This morning I came across an excerpt with a similar theme from God Came Near by Max Lucado. It made me chuckle. Here it is for your reading pleasure:

A few nights ago a peculiar thing happened. An electrical storm caused a blackout in our neighborhood. When the lights went out, I felt my way through the darkness into the storage closet where we keep the candles for nights like this...I took a match and lit four of them...
I was turning to leave with the large candle in my hand when I heard a voice, "Now hold it right there."
"Who said that?" I asked.
"I did." The voice was near my hand.
"Who are you? What are you?"
"I'm a candle." I lifted up the candle to take a closer look. You won't believe what I saw. There was a tiny face in the wax...a moving, functioning, flesh-like face full of expression and life. "Don't take me out of here!"
"What?"
"I said, don't take me out of this room!"
"What do you mean? I have to take you out. You're a candle. Your job is to give light. It's dark out there."
"But you can't take me out. I'm not ready," the candle explained with pleading eyes. "I need more preparation."
I couldn't believe my ears. "More preparation?"
"Yeah, I've decided I need to research this job of light-giving so I won't go out and make a bunch of mistakes. You'd be surprised how distorted the glow of an untrained candle can be..."
"All right then," I said. "You're not the only candle on the shelf. I'll blow you out and take the others." But just as I got my cheeks full of air, I heard other voices.
"We aren't going either!" ...I turned around and looked at the three other candles...
"You are candles and your job is to light dark places!"
"Well, that may be what you think," said the candle on the far left..."You may think we have to go, but I'm busy...I'm meditating on the importance of light. It's really enlightening..."
"And you other two," I asked. "Are you going to stay in here as well?"
A short, fat, purple candle spoke up, "I'm waiting to get my life together. I'm not stable enough."
The last candle had a female voice, very pleasant to the ear. "I'd like to help," she explained, "but lighting the darkness is not my gift...I'm a singer. I sing to other candles to encourage them to burn more brightly." She began a rendition of This Little Light of Mine. The other three joined in, filling the room with singing.
I took a step back and considerred the absurdity of it all. Four perfectly healthy candles singing to each other about light but refusing to come out of the closet...

Are you a closet Christian, or are you letting your light shine so that others - having heard the message of Good News from you - can have faith of their own?

Truths and Untruths - 5/21/06

2006-05-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 2:23-26, "Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they grow into quarrels. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient. The Lord's servant must gently teach those who disagree. Then maybe God will let them change their minds so they can accept the truth. And then they may wake up and escape from the trap of the devil, who catches them to do what he wants."

"I'm not stupid, YOU'RE stupid!"
"No, YOU'RE stupid, stupid-head!"

Okay, so maybe these aren't the exact words typically used, but I think this dialogue summarizes the mood that so often prevails when a believer and non-believer discuss their differing viewpoints. I actually wrote this journal entry weeks ago after a tense discussion my wife and her sister had with their father regarding spiritual matters. I didn't feel the need to post it at the time for some reason, but in the light of the Da Vinci code being released, so many people are up in arms about a new attack on Christianity by those who don't understand the truth so I felt like I should post it now.

The scripture above warns us to stay away from foolish and stupid arguments when discussing such things because they grow into quarrels - which last much longer. It's so easy to forget how difficult it is for a non-believer to forsake their own will for something unseen. It's just as easy to forget that their spirit has not been touched by the love of our living God, and we must pray for them. God has already changed the hearts and minds of millions of others just like them -- just like you and me.

When we disucss matters of faith with soeone who has never heard them before - or has only heard distorted misrepresentations - we are urged by this scripture to gently teach those who disagree. It says a servent of the Lord must be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient.

All three of these can be difficult when the tone of the conversation becomes condescending or hostile. Then, you don't really want to be kind, or patient, and therefore cannot be a good teacher. We must not let our emotions eclipse our ability to pass spiritual knowledge on to somebody who knows nothing of the matter. If in fact they do know something of the matter but have chosen to be against God, then the most you can do for them is to pray for them. The least you can do for them is walk away...

This scripture says that the devil uses traps to ensnare people and do what he wants. In our culture, the science of manipulated facts and theories to support anything that is against God is so often used to that effect. A theory that is unproven and against God is often accepted as truth. Those who believe it are now working for the enemy and against the kingdom of God. Unproven theories become pillars of modern science and used as arguments against the existence of God.

Truth, however, and spiritual facts have three pillars: The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. Their evidence, other than changed lives, changed hearts, and answered prayers - is simply all of creation.

So when we talk about the evidence of spiritual truth and facts, we must be patient and understand that the person we are talking to has been deceived by the father of all lies. Be kind to them, and pray that their hearts may be softened; their minds opened up to truth, His will, and His way. Do not let it escalate into a foolish or stupid argument. We are ambassadors for Christ, and must work as He did, speaking diplomatically but sternly, unwavering in what we as Christians know to be true.

A Real Jarhead - 5/4/06

2006-05-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 4:7, "We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great power is from God, not from us."

The treasure spoken of here in this verse is the light of the Good News about the glory and reality of Christ. It is this treasure that acts as the daily source of hope, joy, and purpose for the believer - even in the midst of trials and tragedy.

The verse just before this one reads, "God once said, 'Let the light shine out of darkness!'" This is what is meant when referring to Jesus as the light of the world. It is explained in this chapter that "the devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe." He has covered the globe in darkness, evil, and ignorance. Jesus Christ is the radiant light that pierced that darkness, overcoming it when He allowed His body to be pierced; His sinless blood cancelling the power of evil.

His glory cast out all shadows, and the gift of His love and grace along with the freedom He offers from the bondage of sin is the treasure we carry. Christians carry this light with them to continue shining in a dark world. But, the good news and power and love and grace and success that many Christians enjoy does not come from them. Anything good is from God. We are only clay jars - not equal in value or endurance to the treasure we carry inside. Clay is fragile, crude, and easily broken. It cannot match the purity and brilliance of the treasure inside - the Holy Spirit of the Lord and the knowledge of and relationship with Christ.

This scripture says that the treasure we hold shows that the great power is from God, not us. Nothing as pure and perfect and eternal as God can come from something as flawed and temporary as we are.

This reminds me of an argument by the philosopher John Locke in which he claims that the very idea of a perfect, holy God could only come from such a being. Basically, he argued that you cannot imagine or think of ANYTHING that you don't have some first-hand experience with. Every thought is based on something else we've seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted. Try it - the most imaginitive thought you can create cane be broken down into simple, un-original elements based in lifetime experiences. We possess NO knowledge of our own; everything we know has been passed to us from an outside source.

So, if we cannot be all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent, eternal, perfect, and holy - but we know of these qualities - that means something actually possessing these traits must exist. That also is a treasure held in the clay jar of our mind; the character of God revealed to mankind.

We serve a powerful God. He works in our lives daily. Some recognize His work and are in awe of it. Ohers labor under a lie and refuse to acknowledge His design and existence and stumble in darkness. But if you swallow your pride long enough to admit thyou don't have it all figured out seek Him, then His light will flood your life and change you forever. As Christians, we are commanded to carry this light to those who've never seen it. And that job will last the rest of our lives.

Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It - 5/2/06

2006-05-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

Luke 5:31, "Jesus answered them, 'It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to invite good people but sinners to change their hearts and lives.'"

Jesus offended many religious leaders by hanging out with people who weren't concerned with looking or acting holy. His is the Son of the Most High God, but you would have seen Him more often in the house of a sinner than the temple - the house of His Father.

It makes perfect sense, that He would spend His time teaching those who have never heard of God's love and how to live holy lives, rather than spending it with those who already knew of it. These are the sick who needed a doctor; their hearts were poisoned with the lies of this world and needed a heart transplant from the Great Physician.

When Jesus rose from the grave and went to heaven to prepare a place for us, this task of caring for the "sick" passed on to us. The Bible says that we are the body of Christ; we are His hands and His feet and must follow His example. We must walk as He walked and work as He worked. This is our mission.

We go on mission trips to oher places and countries, and that is good. But every morning, we wake up in the mission field right here. We are surrounded by sick people who have never heard the good news of God's love and grace. Or, they've heard an incredibly distorted version of it and are avoiding God based on that misguided understanding.

Ideally, we would wake up each morning and prepare for the day as we would if we were on a mission trip - praying, devoting time to God, fellowship, singing, and drawing strength from the source of strength for a day full of affecting the people in our lives.

We can't rely on pamphlets and books and blogs to teach people about God's love. Why weren't any of the books of the Bible written by Jesus himself? I think because there would have been only one book. Granted, the best one I'm sure. But rather than writing, He spent His time working with people. He touched lives every day so they would write about His love and glory from their individual points of view. Then those people went out and touched lives, and those people touched lives; crossing borders and rivers and languages and oceans, spreading like a fire across the globe until millions learned the truth of God. Every kind of person has believed "...from every tribe and every nation, every language."

Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other." Believers in Christ are sharpened iron - sharp enough to cut through every lie about God and sharpen other people's faith.

So, you know your mission; you have your assignment - you're living it. Now, you must do as Christ would have done if He lived your life, because you are living for Him and not yourself.

Being Still - 4/26/06

2006-04-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 12:8-10, "...take this problem away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.' ...when I am weak, then I am truly strong."

His grace is enough for me, too. Even though I can't see His plan for my life or where He's leading me right now, that shouldn't matter. I have His grace, meaning favor or good will. It also means mercy/clemency, and specifically the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.

His grace is enough for me. I know that He has plans for me, ".... plans to do good and not to harm me. Plans to give [me] hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11. I can sigh heavily in my discontent or pout, but really I should know that I am in His favor and that is enough. His grace is enough for me. Just like Psalms 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God."

"Be still and know that I am God."
"Be still and know that I am God."
"Be still and know that I am God."

That's what the scripture above means when it states that His power is made perfect in our weakness. We finally decide to be quiet and let God do His work. So often, it is only in our weakness that we rely on God, which is the opposite of how we're supposed to live. Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." We're supposed to lean on Him always so He can guide our paths, rather than make our own decisions and then look to Him for validation or supporting miracles. But, coming to Him in our weakness, humbling ourselves and relying on Him, opens the door for Him to work in our lives. That's how His power is made perfect in us -- we give Him complete control or our wills and our hearts.

There lies the greatest challenge. I had a conversation last night with the guys in my Bible study about what a mature Christian looks like. We decided that they've learned to live by faith, trusting in God and almost never questioning His will or purpose -- which makes me a toddler.

Basically, regardless of the circumstances we're facing or the uncertainty of the future, we must praise the God who has our best interests at heart and remember that no matter what, we serve Him, not the other way around. When we finally see the big picture, we'll understand how His path, while confusing from our point of view, was perfect in every way. Even when it leads us through challenges. I like the lyrics of this new song:

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen"and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear
You whisper through the rain"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
Who gives and takes away

Chorus:
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my sideA
nd though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear
You whisper through the rain"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
Who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

"Praise You In This Storm" by Casting Crowns

True Wealth - 4/22/06

2006-04-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 11:24-27, “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king … he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.”

“The one who is invisible.” Moses wasn’t afraid of the wrath of the king, because he kept his eyes on the true king. He chose to serve the one true God rather than himself or the Gods of Egypt or the wealth and power he was raised under.

It says in this scripture that the pleasures of the sinful Egyptian culture were fleeting. Moses saw that it was better to suffer and seek the will of God; to be in God’s favor. He lowered himself to ensure that he was seeking the will of the one true king rather than his own. Not many of us would have the strength it takes to walk away from the easy life and submit our will to God’s every moment of every day.

To be treated as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter meant to enjoy all the wealth and privilege of Egypt. Moses decided to forsake all of that to become a slave. He left the courts of Pharaoh to bake in the brickworks with the slaves of Pharaoh’s monuments.

Jesus Christ did the same thing – He stepped down from His throne and the courts of heaven to join with His people in their slavery – slavery to sin and death.

Moses humbled himself before God, and He used Moses to deliver a nation. Jesus Christ humbled Himself to His father’s will, and God used Him to deliver all nations. Through Him, we’ve been delivered from sin’s bondage; it’s cycle of destruction. And, we’ve been delivered from the eternal power of death. We have still sinned, and will suffer the consequence of separation through the death of our physical bodies. But, we will not suffer the sting of eternal death, but will live forever by Christ’s sacrifice. He served His father’s will and freed us all to pursue holiness in this world and then enjoy life everlasting.

Moses showed us that when you do let God’s will reign over your own, great things will happen, and the Lord will further His kingdom. And at the end of all things when His glory is revealed to all mankind, we will be found standing on His side enjoying the ever-lasting joy and freedom He has freely given to us.

Waves of Doubt, or Strength? - 4/12/06

2006-04-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

Matthew 14:29-31, "And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, 'Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?'"

Why did YOU doubt? Why did I doubt? How many different ways does God have to demonstrate His power and faithfulness before we can rely on Him? It's sad to think, but I don't know that I would have been any more successful than Peter was in this situation. Try to imagine it. A raging sea. Dark skies. Giant waves crashing all around you - and you're walking AWAY from the boat!

What Peter failed to focus on though, as any one of us could have, is what he was walking toward. The only begotten son of the Most High God was standing right there, ON the water. His presence was safer than the man-made boat Peter was walking away from.

I like the words of the song "Borrow Mine" by Bebo Norman describing this situation - and how we can approach similar situations in life.

Take my love
when all you can see
is the raging sea all around us
And don't give up
Because I'm not letting go
and the God we know will not fail us
We'll lay it all down as we call out
Sweet Savior, help our unbelief

The scripture says that if you ask anything in Jesus' name and do not doubt, it is yours. Doubt undermines our faith and tells God, "I don't really believe you can do this."
Doubt and faith - a constant struggle for us. Another great song, "Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns emphasizes this idea,

Oh what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes to come out of the boat and then
on to the crashing waves
To step out of my comofort zone
into the realm of the unkown where Jesus is
and He's holding out His hand

You can analyze Peter's example to see how to combat doubt & fear. Why did Peter doubt? Read the scripture above, "...he saw the wind and waves, he became afraid and began to sink."

Peter let what he saw scare him away from what he knew. That's how the enemy prevents us from praying dynamically with the faith moves mountains. He knew Jesus could save him and cause him to walk on water. After all, He was standing there to prove it. But Peter focused on something else, letting those distractions steer his faith away from Jesus.

So that's how we can strengthen our own faith and prevent doubt and fear. Focus on Jesus. Remind yourself of previous times Jesus answered your prayers. Use answered prayers to ediy your faith, and quote scripture, the word of God that's referred to as the "sword." You can stab and cut at doubt with the word of God. You can use a model similar to this one: Jesus, you said that ________, so I believe you will do ________ here and now.

It's not easy. Melissa and I are reading the book Left To Tell by Immacullée Ilibagiza, a Rwandan survivor of genocide and a fellow believer. Her prayers and God's protection are the only things that kept her alive while over one million of her people were butchered in one of Africa's smallest countries. In one instance, she was praying against being discovered in her hiding place while thoughts of doubt and fear flooded her mind. She had an intense battle to fight, then a vision of Jesus (one of several) appeared to her and told her to have faith, noting that it wouldn't be easy. If it were easy to have enough faith to move mountains, there wouldn't be any still standing!

So, she chose to be strong and trust His word, and pray - relying completely on Him. Now, she's left to tell her story due to His protection that she prayed for in faith. Just as thousands of others have throughout history.

So, why do you doubt? Sure, you may drown at any moment, but Jesus Christ is with you...

Journey To The Rock - 4/8/06

2006-04-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

Peter 2:4,6, & 8, "Come to the Lord Jesus, the 'stone' that lives. The people of this world did not want this stone, but He was the stone God chose, and He was precious. The scripture says, I will put a stone in the ground in Jerusalem. Everything will be built on this important and precious rock. Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disappointed. Also, He's a stone that causes people to stumble, a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they do not obey what God says."

The analogy of the stone, or rock, surfaces so often in reference to God. It's a great way to describe the power and stability of our Lord. In this scripture from Peter (Peter's name means "rock" or "stone"), Jesus fulfills the prophecy from Isaiah. The one the Jewish people rejected was chosen to be the foundation of all. This same rock will stand strong against those who sin - causing the shaky ground on which they built their lives to crumble and forcing them to rebuild on the solid rock of Christ Jesus.

As Jesus explained to the Samaritan woman at the well, if you come to Him, the "stone that lives," as Peter puts it, your thirst will be permanently quenched. John 4:13, "Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty. The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life."

There is a song that refers to Jesus as "a fount of living water." He can quench a thrist you don't even know you have. A thirst for truth. A thirst for love. A thirst for something real, at least one thing in your life that is permanent, unchanging, that has the strength of a rock. Deuteronomy 8:15, "He led you through the large and terrible desert that was dry and had no water, that had poisonous snakes and stinging insects. He gave you water from a solid rock..."

Moses struck a rock with his rod and a spring of water flowed from it in the desert for God's children. The teachings of Jesus - of love, forgiveness, and a relationship with God, work in the same way. They are a life-giving stream that flow from THE Rock.

The woman at the well met the Rock of Ages, and couldn't help but tell everyone that the Messiah was here. She wanted to share the life giving water flowing from the cornerstone of God's kingdom. John 4:42, "They said to the woman, 'First we believed in Jesus because of your speech, but now we believe because we heard Him ourselves. We know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

This woman shared the life giving water, and they believed. Their thirst was quenced because she shared what she knew to be true. Then, they believed after receiving life from the source. Psalm 73:27-28, "... But I am close to God, and that is good. The Lord God is my protection. I will tell all that you have done."

I will tell all that you have done so that others may taste the life-giving water that you receive when coming to the rock. Then they too can turn to the source of that water like the Samaritans did, so they may have a spring of water gushing up inside them - giving eternal life. Then we may never again thirst for true love, truth, and a quenching relationship with the savior.

April Showers...Elijah's Rain? Or God's Reign? - 4/5/06

2006-04-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

Zechariah 10:1, “Ask the Lord for rain during the springtime rains. The Lord is the one who makes the clouds. He sends the showers and gives everyone green fields."

It has been rainy where I live the past few days. I keep thinking about the rhyme I learned as a kid, “April showers bring May flowers.” I can already see the results of that here – greenery returning to the rolling hills that surround this city.

When I read this verse in Zechariah, I felt the twinge that so often accompanies a verse that I feel God has led me to. Then I thought of the rain over the past few days. Wasn’t enough confirmation for me, though! I turned the page to look for a verse elsewhere. I soon turned back though, accidentally. That confirmed that God really wanted to speak to me through this verse tonight.

I thought about it, and I think this verse is awesome. “Ask the Lord for rain … the one who makes the clouds.” The One who makes the clouds! Go to the source! Right now it’s the season for springtime rains. If you’re not receiving what you need, if you are not experiencing blessings raining down in your life, then go directly to the One who made those things.

Let’s see … what else did God make? Oh, maybe … EVERYTHING? So, are we trying to make our own plans or provide for ourselves according to our own ability? Or, are we letting God truly reign in our lives, coming to Him with our petitions, cares, or concerns?

If you need a quenching rain in your life, let God reign in it first. Pray to Him, sincerely with faith, and give Him the glory when He answers that prayer. There is so much power in prayer. Believe me, God hears us when we pray. Elijah prayed for rain, and against it. God heard him. James 5:17-18, “Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years! Then Elijah prayed again, and the rain came down from the sky, and the land produced crops again.”

Elijah wasn’t a powerful being with supernatural powers, it says plainly right here that he was a human being just like us. Every one of us can see the power of God moving in our lives like this if we aren’t praying selfishly and are willing to give God the glory. But first, we have to pray.

Think of the fig tree Jesus cursed. One of my favorite stories, actually. Jesus was hungry and approached a fig tree for food, finding none growing there. He cursed the tree and it immediately dried up. It seems even inanimate objects should be prepared to serve the son of God and are subject to His judgment. Plus, when I’m hungry, I get crabby. I can use this as justification for being short with people when I haven’t eaten… just kidding.

It’s what Jesus said after cursing the tree that is really powerful. Matthew 21:21-22, “… I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree and even more. If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”

I wrote a scripture like that one (Mark 11:24) on the top of each page of my prayer journal. When I’d ask for something in prayer, I’d read that, believe I received it, and wrote the prayer down with the date that I asked for it. When Jesus answered my prayer, I’d write that date on the other side of it.

After a few pages of answered prayers, I was humbled to think I could have ever doubted God’s power or involvement in my life. He loves us SO much He’d give us whatever we ask for!

Anyway, it’s raining outside right now. Did you pray for this? Or do you need to so that it will rain in your life? Well then, let Him reign…

How do these scriptures apply to your life? Are you in a season of rain or draught? Let me know!

________________________________________________________________________

First, Fruits,Then Blessings - 4/2/06

2006-04-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

Malachi 1:2, “The Lord said, ‘I have loved you.’”

… I have loved you … That’s what God said to me on Thursday. My wife suggested that this evening I look into the book of Malachi. I opened to it, and the second verse of Malachi basically read itself to me; it was so clearly the focus of the page. And, it reiterated Thursday's message.

I know that the Lord has loved me. I can look throughout my life and count my blessings. He has indeed loved me. More than any blessing He has ever given me though, He died for me. His blood paid off my great debt. He said the greatest love a man can give to his friend is to die for them. So, He has loved us.

Should we not honor the greatest love then with the highest honor? How do we do that? Maybe through sacrifice? You could you say that He has honored His love for us through His sacrifice. He said He loved us. Then, He proved it - honored His word - in the biggest possible way - He gave up His life for His friends.

This was his Father’s idea, to bring about reconciliation between Man and God. Jesus honored His father as we’ve all been commanded to do by fulfilling the request to lay down His life in place of ours. His sacrifice was honor. “The Lord All-Powerful says, ‘A child honors his father, and a servant honors his master. I am a father, so why don’t you honor me? I am a master, so why don’t you respect me?’” Malachi 1:6.

The Jewish people offered sacrifices to honor God and to atone for the sin debt. Our debt has been paid by His ultimate sacrifice so blood is no longer required. So, we are left to honor God in another way. What then? We can sacrifice our wallets and our purses. Do you believe and trust God enough to actually give Him your money?

He’s asked for ten percent of what we bring in to be returned to the storehouse. Malachi 3:10, “Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this.’” Here you will find the only plce in the Bible where God asks US to test HIM. Plus, we still get to keep most of it – a full ninety percent.

What do the results of this test look like? The Lord of All Creation will protect your assets. If you’re using them to help further the kingdom, then why wouldn’t He protect them? “I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need. I will stop the insects so they won’t eat your crops. The grapes won’t fall from your vine before they’re ready to pick,” Malachi 3:10-11.

Most of us don’t plant crops. But we all spend our days planting and harvesting something. The Lord will place His protective hand over what you’re working on, so that it may bear fruit.

When it does, we must remember to offer to Him our firstfruits. The best of the crop. By His power and protection, they’re His anyway. Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and the firstfruits from all your crops. Then your barns will be full, and your wine barrels will overflow with new wine.”

This is the heart of the message of the book of Malachi. The Lord took no honor in the half-hearted offerings, the second-rate sacrifices the people brought to Him. They weren’t firstfruits. They were leftovers. Blind sheep. Crippled calves. It was no sacrifice for the Israelites to sacrifice them. They saved the best for themselves. So, the Lord All Powerful said to them, “…You have robbed me in your offerings and the tenth of your crops. So a curse is on you…” Malachi 3:8-9. Don't steal from God! God! All-Powerful, remember?

All Powerful, and Loving. He has loved us with His sacrifice. We can return that love through action, demonstrate our faith in Him through works. He has told us to test him, and to honor Him. Why shouldn’t we show honor to the One who paid the greatest price? He alone is worthy of it. If we do, we’re blessed. If we don’t, we are stealing from the Lord God All Powerful. I wouldn’t steal from my wife, or a friend. Why should I consider stealing from the only one who has the ability to curse me for doing so?

Honor through our firstfruits - our tithe; a return on the Lord's investment of great love, and then blessings for us.

The choice is clear, so why not make it already? If you don’t believe it, test Him…

Confirmation - 3/30/06

2006-03-30T21:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I just published the post below this one and loaded the page to make sure everything uploaded. The automated Verse of the Day on the right had the following scripture posted:

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

It's confirmation for me that this was really where God directed me in answer to my prayer to speak to me through His word tonight. This verse is from Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet who told of the coming Christ, the Messiah. Jesus' life - and death - was the fulfillment of that prophecy. His fulfilling that promise meant we didn't have to live by the law of Moses to be holy any longer; like the verse above states he was crushed for OUR iniquities. We can now live under his grace, washed clean in His sight by the power of his blood, the power of his love...

Law & Order - 3/30/06

2006-03-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

There is a spiritual law at work in our lives that I don't quite understand. For reasons I cannot fathom, blood is spiritual currency; it can be traded for redemption. That’s why the Jewish people sacrificed animals, because our sin brings about death and blood can erase sin. But, only sinless blood. That makes every one of us broke.

There is one however who is not broke. Just one. The book of Revelation, the book that describes the end of all things, shows a moment in time where Heaven looks throughout all of history for one person worthy enough to open the scroll that brings about God’s final plan. Here, worthy meant "without any sin." No one was found, not one person ever. John, the author of the book, began to weep. An angel then told him, “Do not cry! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, David’s descendant, has won the victory so that He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals” Revelation 5:5.

Jesus is the powerful Lion of Judah he spoke of, the one who is not spiritually bankrupt. The victory spoken of here is obeying his Father and allowing himself to be killed. His blood was sinless, the only blood powerful enough. His was the only spiritual bank account big enough to cancel OUR debt – and He did it out of love for us. He resisted the urge to have legions of angels strike down his oppressors and instead let them shed his sinless blood on behalf of our sinful selves.

I opened my Bible tonight and began reading an excerpt in the margins from Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado. It described the moment when the Father in Heaven cast my sin, our sin, onto Jesus and then allowed Him to be slain in our place.

“Hour of death, moment of sacrifice, it is your moment. Rehearsed a million times on false altars with false lambs; the moment of truth has come… The living must die so that the dying can live. The time has come to kill the lamb…”

The instant man first sinned, this was the only option remaining to bridge the divide sin caused between rebellious man and a perfect, holy God. And He followed through with it because He loves us each so much.

Immediately after reading that, I flipped over a chunk of pages. I know God was speaking to me directly through the words on the page (like I asked Him to before starting my devotion) because my eyes were already focused on the line that read, “I have loved you.” Yup. I know this to be true, and believed He was telling me this now through His word, but the English teacher in me became confused by the tense. What do you mean, “have loved?” That’s past tense. You don’t love me still?
Then I read the next line of the verse, “The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends.” ... I have loved you...

BAM! Yes, he has loved me because He died for me – past tense, thank you very much. And, whoah! He called me – us – His friends! John 15:12-17, “This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you. The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I heard from my father. You did not choose me; I chose you. And I give you this work: to go and produce fruit, fruit that will last. Then the father will give you anything you ask for in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”

We’ve been promoted here. From servant, to friend. We have been told His plan – by doing so He offered to us His friendship. We prove ours to Him by doing what He commands. We’re not slaves, we don’t have to. But if we obey His teachings, we’re friends with the most high God and if we work for Him we can have anything we ask for in Jesus’ name.

I think of my friends, and how I want them to get along with each other because I love them all. You probably feel the same way. Same with Jesus. We’re His friends and He wants us to love each other. Loving others is His command, which in some circumstances may in itself be work. But this is the work that bears fruit – fruit that lasts. Loving others enough to bring them into God’s presence so they may be touched by His love is hard work, and can be done in countless ways. But that work bears the fruit that will last forever.

Loving each other will restore order. Again, I don’t fully understand spiritual law, but I know blood has power in it and the most powerful blood has been shed for me and anyone else who will receive that gift. That’s the law that will bring about ultimate order through His loving sacrifice. Revelation 5:11-12, “Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne, and the four living creatures, and the elders. There were thousands and thousands of angels, saying in a loud voice: ‘The Lamb who was killed is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honor, glory, and praise!”

That’s my friend...

Is he yours?

Watch Where You're Steering ... 3/27/06

2006-03-27T22:36:00.000-08:00

James 3:4-5, 7-12, “Also a ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship, making it go wherever the pilot wants. It is the same with the tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it brags about great things… People can tame every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have tamed them, but no one can tame the tongue…We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people whom God made like Himself. Praises and curses from the same mouth! …Do good and bad water flow from the same spring? …can a fig tree make olives, or can a grapevine make figs? No! And a well full of salty water cannot give good water.”

It’s strange to think that the tongue has so much power over our lives. But the more I think about it, the more clearly I see how our daily lives, our interactions with everybody, is based on language. What we say – or don’t say – determines how others see us and how we respond to the circumstances in our lives.

It’s also a convicting reminder that our tongue and what we allow to be said should be constant; always the same. Either be a spring of life, love, and truth untainted by sour words, or allow bitterness to speak for you without the façade of misleading wisdom.

If I’m frustrated at work or in a situation at home, I’m better off to bite my tongue than to lash out with a forked tongue and poisoned lips, causing damage; so that any words of truth I speak at other times may have impact by their own weight and not diluted by the sourness of what I speak on other occasions.

Plus, harsh words leave wounds that contradict the blessed love I’ve been given, the same love I’m commanded to pass along to others. Proverbs 12:18, “Careless words stab like a sword, but wise words bring healing.” I’d rather serve God as one who has healing words rather than carelessly creating wounds with a sword that God will have to heal in that person later on.

Even more, as a Christian my entire faith is weighed and measured by what I say. If I want to bring glory to my Father and truth to a non-Christian, I should be consistent in the words I speak to that effect. James 1:26, “People who think they are religious but say things they should not say are just fooling themselves. Their ‘religion’ is worth nothing.” Ouch! Spiteful words are just one thing that creates the stereotype of the Christian Hypocrite – an image used so often as an excuse not to believe in the truth of God's word. I’d rather be completely silent before allowing a personality conflict to demonstrate to another that my “religion” is worth nothing.

My tongue directs my life. I use it to praise my Father, that is what is in my heart and what I want to share and what is spoken from my mouth should reflect that. Luke 6:45, “Good people bring good things out of the good they stored in their hearts. But evil people bring evil things out of the evil they stored in their hearts. People speak the things that are in their hearts.” My God has been working in me my entire life to change my heart. I can do my part then to prevent cavalier comments from staining His good work…

Money Money Money ... (MONEY!) - 3/25/06

2006-03-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes 5:10&11, “Whoever loves money will never have enough money; whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with it. This also useless. The more wealth people have, the more friends they have to help spend it. So what do people really gain? They gain nothing except to look at their riches.”

I don’t really feel like I’m struggling with materialism at this point in my life, but I know I have in the past and there may be a point in the future when I’ll do so again. So, I’m going along with what I feel to be God’s direction here in His word today.

I came across this scripture almost immediately after opening my Bible. It used to be a favorite of mine — probably back when I first discovered my materialism, “He who loves money will never have money enough.” This from the wisest King ever to rule — and probably the wealthiest. I believe Solomon was speaking from wisdom AND experience here.

The line directly following this quote in the scripture explains a bit about why the lover of money never has enough, “whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with it.” That’s because happiness isn’t found in wealth. Wealth is “useless,” as it says here. Happiness cannot come from things. Sure, you may have more friends with increased wealth, but they’re not the kind that bring happiness either, they’re the kind that help you spend money. Chances are when the money runs out, so will they.

A favorite quote of mine I heard a couple years ago goes, “If you can’t be happy without it, you won’t be happy with it.” If there is one thing you’re pining for — putting your hope for happiness into — you’ll see when you get it that it wasn’t what you really wanted or expected because such things cannot bring lasting satisfaction or happiness. Hope in Christ is the only lasting source of satisfaction and pure joy.

Yesterday I was listening to the “Spirit” SIRIUS radio station at work. Between songs, the DJ played a great quote that caught my attention, “Envy is counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.” If we focus our energy on serving God rather than ourselves, our needs will be met AND we’ll be rewarded. If we are good stewards of what we have been given, even more will be added to our lives, according to the parable in Matthew 25:14-30. I believe that applies to being good stewards of everything God has given us, not just money: our homes, the people in our lives, our bodies … we must demonstrate responsibility to our God before we’re blessed with increase.

To do so, we must constantly seek His will to truly serve Him and not ourselves. Remember, you cannot serve yourself and Him at the same time. “No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches” Matthew 6:24.

I will then continue to try and serve God — something permanent — rather than the temporary possessions and lifestyles of this world.

Longing, Love, & Loyalty - 3/22/06

2006-03-22T22:47:00.000-08:00

James 4:2-5, 7 & 10, “You do not get what you want, because you do not ask God. Or when you ask, you do no receive because the reason you ask is wrong. You want things so you can use them for your own pleasures. So, you are not loyal to God! You should know that loving the world is the same as hating God. Do you think the scripture means nothing that says, ‘The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for himself alone?’

So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you. Come near to God, and God will come near to you. Don’t be too proud in the Lord’s presence, and He will make you great.”

There is so much truth here. James 4 is a great chapter. Here, we are reminded that we need only to ask and we shall receive what we need from our loving God. It's possible though that if we have asked and did not receive it's because the reason we asked is wrong. Are we asking Him to provide something that would help us to better serve Him? Or are we asking for something that will serve our own will and our own desires - or for our own plan in our lives rather than His? MY GOD IS NOT MY GENIE. I've had to remind myself of that several times. I serve Him, not the other way around. Yes, he has the power to give me anything, but won’t do so if that thing will replace God in my life.

Read the next part of the above scripture — if you ask of something for your own pleasure, you are not loyal to God. In fact, loyalty to the world makes us God’s enemy. Hmmm...that’s not really a position I want to be in. At some point, every Christian has to face his or her longing for worldly things, and power — absolute control over every aspect of our lives. This is one of the hardest things to give to God; control of our will.

The scripture above also quotes a line from Exodus, reminding us that God wants us for Himself alone. This is from the original Ten Commandments where God admits to being a jealous God. In fact, the very first commandment is to have no other Gods except Him, followed by the commandment to worship no idols. We worship Him and Him alone.

Check, and, check. I’ve never made a Golden Calf or a statue of a man with the head of a jackal. You can come over and check for yourself. Definitely never worshiped either of them.
Except … we can idolize and worship less obvious replacements of God. Fame. Money. Power. Money. Control. Success. Money. Good looks. Talent. Money. Control. These are the true American Idols, Simon.

Read the book of Hosea. He was an Old Testament prophet, and God commanded him to marry a prostitute, Gomer. He made her promise to stop doing her business and devote her love and loyalty to him. So she did. For awhile, then she started to go back to her old ways. Grounds for divorce, right? Nope. God commanded Hosea to take her back and ask her to re-commit herself to him. Whoah! Why? Because the Israelites — and we — have done the exact same thing to God. There is no other human experience that can explain the emotions God has when we replace Him with other things except infidelity. He feels cheated, and rightfully so.

I have been Gomer. I’ve let the devil tempt me in the past to seek out my own will or chase sin; to make my own selfish plans for my life and I know that it hurt God. But He took me back and would a thousand times over. The scripture in James clearly states that if we resist the devil and his temptations, he will flee from us. The One whose Holy Spirit lives within us has already defeated the devil so we need only to declare our allegiance to Jesus and that will chase him away. And if we come near to God, He will come near to us. So we can easily prevent any future "Gomerisms" by making an effort to draw near to God every day.

His love will never fail us, never end, and never give up. We’re human and make mistakes, but we’re forgiven before we even ask for it. That’s living under grace. What’s more, living for Him rather than ourselves will bring about greater blessings than anything we would have chosen for ourselves anyway. “Don’t be too proud in the Lord’s presence, and He will make you great.” Humble yourself enough to serve His will instead of your own, and He will take great joy in elevating you so all can see God’s power in your life. You will have great success and blessings so that He may receive the glory. Then, our longing will not be for material things, but only for Him and His Love, and He will have our Loyalty until that day when we get to be with Him and His other servants for eternity in His love, His peace.

Additives & Preservatives - 3/16/06

2006-03-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

(Nutrition = Bible)
2 Peter 1:3, “Jesus has the power of God, by which He has given us everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things because we know Him. Jesus called us by His glory and goodness.”

Read that verse again, slowly.

By the power of God, given to Jesus, WE have been given EVERYTHING we need to live and to serve God. Remember Luke 12:22-31? Your God has taken care of you; He knows everything you need before you do. Think of these as preservatives. In one sense, He’s brought these things into your life to keep you fresh and healthy, so you can focus on more important things rather than seeking them out on your own. In another sense, they are pre-serve-atives. “Pre” meaning “before,” and “serve” referring to serving God. They are first given to you when He calls you so you can be free to go out and serve God without worrying where your next meal will come from.

Now read the second line of the scripture — we have all we need to live, and serve God, because we know Him. We have a relationship with the source of all things. God is our one true God, but also our father, our friend, our teacher, our love. He doesn’t want the relationship a donor has with a charity — He wants to be a part of our lives.

Look at the next line in the scripture to confirm that. HE called US. It’s not like He was playing intergalactic monopoly with angels and then we interrupted Him with a prayer or petition. He first chose us, our entering into His presence is the return of our heart to His call.

So if we don’t have to worry about the basics in life, then what? Read on! 2 Peter 1:5-9, “Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives:

To your faith, add goodness; to this add

Knowledge; to this add

Self Control; to this add

Patience; to this add

Service for God; to this add

Kindness for Brothers and Sisters in Christ; to this add

Love

…if all of these things are in you and growing, they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

These are the additives that follow Jesus’ pre-serve-atives. He’s taken care of you, and now you are free to respond to the call of His service. There are more blessings for you in doing so. God still has a lot of work to do in this world, and wants to use us as His hands and His feet to go out and do that work. But, we’re not puppets or robots. We have free will, and must make a conscious decision and honest effort to add this list to our lives and serve Him, always giving the credit, the glory, and honor for what we’ve achieved to our Lord.

He Is, I'm Not - 3/16/06

2006-03-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

Not my favorite sounding song, but the lyrics are powerful since we have a LIVING God. God originally told His people His name is "I AM." He is everything, and is never locked in the past or the future. He IS, and is to come as the scripture states. These lyrics echo that:

I am the maker of the Heavens
I am the bright and morning star
I am the breath of all Creation
Who always was
And is to come

I am the One who walked on water
I am the One who calmed the seas
I am the miracles and wonders
So come and see
And follow me
You will know

Chorus:
I am the fount of living water
The risen Son of man
The healer of the broken
And when you cry
I am your savior and redeemer
Who bore the sins of man
The author and perfecter
Beginning and the end
I am

I am the spirit deep inside you
I am the word upon your heart
I am the One who even knew you
Before your birth
Before you were

Chorus:
Before the Earth (I am)
The universe (I am)
In every heart (I am)
Oh, where you are (I am)
The Lord of love (I am)
The King of Kings (I am)
The Holy lamb (I am)
Above all things

Chorus:
Yes, I am almighty God your father
The risen son of man
The healer of the broken
And when you cry
I am your savior and redeemer
Who bore the sins of man
The author and perfecter
Beginning and the end
I am

Mark Schultz - "I Am"

Trust in Faithfulness - 3/12/06

2006-03-12T23:49:00.000-08:00

Galatians 3:6, "...Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham's faith, and that faith made him right with God." (Quoted here from Genesis 15:6)
Galatians 3:11, "...Those who are right with God will live by trusting Him." (Quoted here from Habakkuk 2:4)
Galatians 3:3, "You began your life in Christ by the spirit. Now are you trying to make it complete by your own power? That is foolish."

As a practicing Christian I believe God, and know He has accepted my faith to make me right with Him. This is a gift offered to me through the price His son paid; I have faith in Jesus who died for my sins - in my place. That faith has reconciled me with the one holy Creator of all things.

Therefore, according to this scripture and countless others, I must live by trusting in Him. Given the price He paid, I cannot live for myself anymore. I am called now to be His hands and feet with all other Christians, doing His work here before we're blessed with eternity in His presence.

I must be careful always though not to take back the control of my life that I've given to the only one who deserves that control. The first of these scriptures sets the model for faith leading to a right relationship with God. The second scripture commands how I should live my life after being right with God - by trusting in Him. The third scripture warns against the foolishness of trying to use my own power to complete my life.

There is no reason not to trust Him; no reason to take back control when I can't see the whole picture. "...In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world." Ephesians 1:3. He's given us everything. What's more, "Because of His love, God had already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ." Ephesians 1:5. We have been given everything in the spiritual realm. Then as his children, why wouldn't he give us everything we need in the earthly realm?

Sadly, I don't believe He could give us everything in the material sense and still trust us to keep him as the center of our lives. If we have control over all the material things we desire, we would feel mighty important and focus our attention on things rather than God. But He will give his children everything according to their need.

Going back to Galatians 3:11 then, we must live daily trusting that He will provide. In my case, I don't know where I will live or work in five months. But God led me tonight to the scripture James 4:13-15, "Some of you say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to some city. We will stay there a year, do business, and make money.' But you do not know what will happen tomorrow. Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away. So you should say, 'If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that.'" Again ... I must trust the God of All, in all things...

Kingdom Culture - 3/11/06

2006-03-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

John 12:42-43, “But many believed in Jesus, even many of the leaders. But because of Pharisees, they did not say they believed in Him for fear they would be put out of the synagogue. They loved praise from people more than praise from God.”

A true follower of Christ is just that — a follower. A believer who has taken the extra step to act on what he or she believes is true. A follower is willing to walk away from anything they once held valuable for the sake of God. They love praise from God more than praise from people.
But the verse above refers to the opposite — those who love praise from people more than praise from God. They are believers, but they refuse to act on their belief for fear of rejection.

Their culture was centered around the synagogue and the fear of being banished from it; ours centers around entertainment and gratification of individual/selfish desires. People living in both cultures must decide between trading praise from people with praise from God — by acting out what they believe to be true.

The culture of the Kingdom of God is what unites the two groups, and anybody in any other culture or ethnic group. Mutual beliefs and values separate the Christian from the surrounding culture, turning them into a beacon of kingdom values. 1 Peter 2:11, “Dear friends, you are like foreigners and strangers in this world. I beg you to avoid the evil things your bodies want to do that fight against your soul.”

Our culture promotes so many of these evil things that fight against our soul as “normal” and even a “rite of passage.” A quote in the Max Lucado Bible from Walter Wangerin addresses the world’s “healthy” promotion of sexual activity. This is a quote from his book As For Me And My House. Sorry for the length, but it’s good food….

“…[they] justified their sin by the premise that sexual satisfaction is somehow their right — because God made them this way and they can’t help it; because the world makes so much of sexual experience; because they don’t receive enough “loving” from their spouses.
But in fact, the marriage vow subordinates one’s individual satisfactions in all areas to one’s marital partner — declaring publicly that sex is less important than one’s spouse, less important than the health of the relationship. Sexual satisfaction is no longer a right, but a blessing, a gift of the relationship to its partners….

He who worships anything of himself is a candidate for extra-marital sex. His marriage is vulnerable. His desires have become his privileges. So long as he is his own god, he feels himself free to obey nothing and no one but himself.

But he who takes seriously his declared commitment to the mutual relationship with his spouse, will guard the marriage even against the assaults of his own desires. His attitude sensitizes him, making him careful, wary, and aware. He will be able identify as threats those desires that are purely personal and merely self-satisfying. He will recognize them already when they are weak and small, before they grow monstrous and demanding; and…while he can, cut them off and quench them.”

A Big Ol' House - 3/6/06

2006-03-06T23:52:00.000-08:00

2 Timothy 2:20-21, "In a large house, there are not only things made of gold and silver, but also things made of wood and clay. Some things are used for special purposes, and others are made for ordinary jobs. All who make themselves clean from evil will be used for special purposes. They will be made holy, useful to the Master, ready to do any good work."

God's house is big. There, you will find all kinds of things - and people. Some may hesitate coming into God's presence, God's service, or God's love because they don't feel like they have anything to offer the One who created it all. But he loves us so much! He doesn't want that mistaken idea to stop us. Like the lyrics to the song "More" by Matthew West, "I love you more than the sun / and the stars that I taught how to shine / you are mine and you shine for me too / I love you yesterday / and today / and tomorrow / I'll say again and again / I love you more."

The scripture above clearly states that God will make anything - anybody - holy, useful to do any good work through His love for us. All we have to do is "...run away from the evil young people like to do. Try hard to live right and to have faith, love, and peace, together with those who trust in the Lord from pure hearts" 2 Timothy 2:22.

Then, we can be a useful member of God's household regardless of what we're made of. Part of a household we really cannot fathom. He'll use whatever we bring to Him, gold, silver, wood, or clay. We'll offer ourselves wholly to his service.

And He wants all of us to be with Him in his house at his banquet table. Like the parable of the banquet table, where after some guests arrived, and there was still plenty of room in the home, "The master said to the servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes, and urge the people there to come so my house will be full'" Luke 14:18. God wants a full house!

You have an open invitation to come to the Father's house and join us all at the great banquet table - He has prepared a place just for you.

Our Daily Bread - 3/3/05

2006-03-05T22:24:00.000-08:00

During one of the songs at the worship service last night, I started thinking about the Israelites wandering the desert after leaving Egypt, relying on God to provide them their food. I also thought about how God commanded them to take no more than they could consume in a day. If they tried to store up additional baskets of manna, the extra amount would rot and be useless.

These people were forced to rely upon the Lord from day to day. When they went to bed, they didn't have food for breakfast the next day. But they trusted in God, and when they stepped out of their tents the next morning, their daily bread - the manna from heaven - lay all around them. What faith it takes for us to do the same; to look at our empty plates or bank accounts or lives and trust that God will provide exactly what we need, when we need it, and in the amount that will perfectly satisfy that need.

This was before the desert theme at the worship service was explicitly explained. One part of the service included a tub of sand in the middle of the floor. We were encouraged to reflect on a lonely, barren desert place, an analogy for seeking God's direction during difficult times in our lives. We were asked to come forward if we wanted, to run our hands through the sand and wait on the Lord, wait and listen to what He may say to us.

I was grabbing handfuls of sand, letting the grains fall through my fingers as I prayed. There were zip lock bags there, and we were asked to fill them with the sand and take it with us to remind us of the experience, of meeting God in a desert place.

I had a bit of sand on my fingers already, having let it slip through them when I decided to fill a bag to take with me. I began to reach for a fistful when I had a thought that was not my own, "Take only what you need." I didn't think I needed many grains of sand to remind me of the box or a desert, so the pinch that was already sitting on my fingers I sprinkled into the bag.

Then I came home and read the scripture about the manna, "This is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. The Lord has commanded, 'Each of you must gather what he needs' ... so the people of Israel did this, some people gathered much and some people gathered little ... each person gathered just as much as he needed" Exodus 16:15-18.

I believe this scripture and this encounter is God's way of reminding me to trust in Him and His provisions according to His will. I also believe I'm going to soon be in a situation where I have access to plenty, but should take only that which I need, lest the excess I bring into my life rots and stinks - as did the additional manna the Israelites gathered for themselves.

Spiritual Athletes - 3/2/06

2006-03-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

1 Timothy 4:6-7, “…You will be made strong by the words of the faith and the good teaching which you have been following. But do not follow foolish stories that disagree with God’s truth, but train yourself to serve God.”

This sounds like God’s exercise program. Like an athlete training for his or her event, we must “train (ourselves) to serve God.” Except we don’t train for a specific sport. We train for living according to God’s plan and His will rather than our own. This will take an incredible amount of endurance since we will be in the game for the rest of our lives. But, the training is ongoing – we train ourselves to serve God by constantly living in His word (the Bible) and practicing the teachings we find there.

Like the Olympics, we are each athletes who bring to God our own special abilities that He strengthens for the big game. Not every athlete is a runner or skier or snowboarder. Likewise, not all of God’s athletes are equipped with the same skills. Some are teachers or prophets or musicians or missionaries, for example. God can use anything you bring to Him, to further the kingdom and spread the word of His Good News.

The verse above also says we’ll be made strong by words of faith and good teaching. We’ll need that strength. Like any good sporting event, there is competition. The enemy is training his own athletes to compete against God’s plan. The verse states there are, “foolish stories that disagree with God’s truth.”

We need train every day to stand strong against misleading, foolish stories and stand firm for the ultimate truth, with the ultimate Coach guiding us. Every day we compete for Him. And, we shouldn’t worry about how much we can accomplish at any given time. Just do it! A coach wouldn’t have an athlete in training attempt an Olympic skiing long jump if he or she almost broke a hip on the bunny slope. Like I wrote about David, we will practice with Him for increasingly more challenging tasks – and greater victories. We just need to step up and accept the challenge. So, hit the gym! Open your Bible and start building some spiritual muscle so you can be a formidable presence in God’s fight.

“we will run and never stop
yeah we all will stand together
taking everything we are
and then praising Him forever."

Mi Sobrina - 2/28/06

2006-02-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

Ésta es mi sobrina, Jocelyn. En ésta foto, ella tiene solamente doce días, que significa que ella no tiene tanto personalidad como parece aquí.

Fight The Good Fight - 2/21/06

2006-02-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

Galatians 6:17-18, "Our sinful selves want what is against the spirit, and the spirit wants what is against our sinful selves ... but if the spirit is leading you, you are not under the law."

For the rest of our lives, after accepting Christ's sacrifice, we will struggle with our flesh. The struggle is laid out plainly here. When we become a Believer, we are transformed. Our spirit will from then on always thirst for the King who is a fountain, the living wellspring of life.

But from that same moment on, our spirit will also struggle with the sinful flesh's desire to continue living as we were before becoming Christians. Our flesh thirsts to indulge in every pleasure, while our spirit thirsts for His presence - which cannot accompany such actions.

The enemy knows this, and will seek out specific areas of weakness he sees in our flesh and will meet us there with temptations that will turn our will toward earthly rather than spiritual desires. These temptations always amount to choosing ourselves over God and living in His way - which also brings His blessings. Ephesians 6:12, "Our fight is not against people on Earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world's darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world."

Knowing that, we're bound to fail in our own weakness - nobody has achieved perfection. But, we live under GRACE. "He loves us as we are, not as we should be." What we are responsible for then is to be eternally vigilant. If we take our salvation for granted, we will fall into sin. If we are truly in a battle against spiritual influences, we must treat it as such without rest. If there were tanks and soldiers camped at the edge of your city, would you continue along as if nothing was happening? Or, would you prepare yourself, your family? How would you protect them?

The situation changes little in the spiritual realm, and God provides you the protection. The last line of this verse frees you from the bondange of repeated failure "... if you live in the spirit, you are not under the law." The Lord provides you the means, the armour, and the weaponry. His weapons to defeat evil in our everyday lives include, "... the belt of truth tied around your waist and the protection of right living in your chest. On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One. Accept God's salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" Ephesians 6:14-17.

Now, take this even a step further. Take the good advice I read to think like a commander in the middle of a battle. You must examine your own weaknesses and anticipate an attack on those areas. Strengthen your defenses there. If you were the enemy, knowing you through and through, where would YOU attack you? That is where you WILL be attacked and must take whatever precautions necessary to come out victorious.

Likewise, you can seek out the Enemy's weaknesses. With the sword of the Word of God - the Holy Scriptures in the Bible - you can strike at the enemy, with your faith in God's love and power a shield during the counterattack. Spreading the word - handing out swords - will advance the Kingdom of God for which we fight and defeat the Evil One by decreasing the lives over which he has power. "And to God be the glory, the Kingdom, and the power for ever and ever, Amen."

Pick Up The Phone - 2/19/06

2006-02-20T22:43:00.000-08:00

Romans 10:20-21, "Then Isaiah is bold enough to say: 'I was found by those who were not asking me for help. I made myself known to people who were not looking for me.' But about Israel, God says, 'All day long I stood ready to accept people who disobey and are stubborn.'"

I love it when God does this! He's emphasizing how He's constantly talking directly to me through His word. I had no idea this scripture from Isaiah - the same one I was led to in my last devotion - was quoted in Romans. God led me to it when I wasn't even looking for it in another location in the Bible, confirming the message of the last devotion.

I am so humbled, on two levels. One: that the God of All, Lord of all Creation, chooses to talk to me through His word EVERY time I make the effort to listen to Him. He'll meet me there whenever I make time to come into His presence. And Two: That the same God, the All Powerful source of all things, actually says to us, "Here I am. Here I am," and seeks us out. We do not come to him unless He first calls us. He chooses us. John 15:19, "...As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." and, 1 Peter 2:4, "As you come to Him, the living Stone -- rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him..." are just some of the examples of God choosing us, choosing to be with us!

God's always trying to reach us; our phone is just ringing all day long with our loving God on the other end of the line. He's always trying to get our attention and begin a relationship with us, if we just pick up the phone and talk with Him. He communicates in so many different ways if we just listen. In my case, I have to step away from the distractions of the world, into a figurative phone booth to make time for Him -- isolating myself in order to be able to hear what He has to say. And I always love the conversations we have when I make time for Him...

He's Waiting - 2/16/06

2006-02-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 65:1-2 The Lord says, "I made myself known to people who were not looking for me. I was found by those who were not asking me for help. I said, 'Here I am. Here I am,' to a nation that was not praying to me. All day long I stood ready to accept people who turned against me..."

Real Victory - 2/14/06

2006-02-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes 11:4, "Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops."

The wisdom of Solomon is timeless. I'm pretty sure that if there were television commercials in ancient Israel, this scripture would accompany a large swoosh - replacing the slogan, "Just Do It." Basically, that's what he's saying here. "Just Do It." If you wait for perfect conditions before stepping out or starting anything, you'll never even begin.

Jesus had the same viewpoint. He didn't wait for us to stop sinning for a minute before He allowed His life to be taken in our place. He didn't wait for us to earn or deserve or even show that we desired His ultimate sacrifice - He "just did it." Romans 5:8, "But God shows His great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners" (emphasis mine).

In the same way, Christ does not want us to wait until we feel like we are good enough or worthy enough before coming to Him. He knows that if we do, it will never happen. Even if it did, our greatest works are not even worthy of His holiness. Isaiah 64:6, "All of us are dirty with sin. All the right things we have done are like filthy pieces of cloth." He just wants us to receive His offering of forgiveness so we can have a relationship with Him and be welcomed into His loving family.

How blessed are we that the only One throughout history with sinless blood allowed it to be spilled on our behalf - the power of it washing away all trace of sin if we just receive that gift. Then, we may come into His presence a new creature, not waiting to be good enough but welcomed by His grace and love, made as clean as newly fallen snow by the power of His love.