"One of the many things this story tells us is that Jesus was not brought down by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly mix. Beware those who claim to know the mind of God and who are prepared to use force, if necessary, to make others conform. Beware those who cannot tell God's will from their own. Temple police are always a bad sign. When chaplains start wearing guns and hanging out at the sheriff's office, watch out. Someone is about to have no king but Caesar."
-from Bruderhof
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
EARTHSHAKERS!
There is an immense resistance and opposition in the spirituals around us at this moment. I can sense it, feel it and almost taste it. The constant mental hammer blows on my mind have been tiring to say the least. I know that we are moving into occupied territory and that much hangs in the balance at this time.
I know that what we say and what we do matters.
The prophet Joel spoke of "the earth quaking before those who are the army of the Lord" (Joel 2:10). I know and can sense that quaking taking place in the depths of lives and the course of the future right now. I can almost feel the deep fissures that are moving and the sound of old earth breaking and giving way to something else emerging. The ground isn't stable right now, it is moving and that is an uneasy and a dangerous and yet, exciting time. Things won't look the same after a quake. People's lives change after a quake. Somethings die in earth quakes too.
God uses earth quakes, He swallows some in quakes and opens doors that no man could have opened for others.
There are two prophetic men who has been chained in a prison.
There are those who are not saved that can only be saved by an earthquake.
Destiny hangs on a shaking.
I believe this shaking is going to result in a harvest.
I also believe that this shaking is going to result in a releasing of shackles that have held us bound.
The result is that "whole households" are going to be saved.
Our wounds are going to be washed and great joy is going to be released.
I'm just trying to hold on in the "midnight"...(Acts 16:25-36)
Please pray for us.
There is an immense resistance and opposition in the spirituals around us at this moment. I can sense it, feel it and almost taste it. The constant mental hammer blows on my mind have been tiring to say the least. I know that we are moving into occupied territory and that much hangs in the balance at this time.
I know that what we say and what we do matters.
The prophet Joel spoke of "the earth quaking before those who are the army of the Lord" (Joel 2:10). I know and can sense that quaking taking place in the depths of lives and the course of the future right now. I can almost feel the deep fissures that are moving and the sound of old earth breaking and giving way to something else emerging. The ground isn't stable right now, it is moving and that is an uneasy and a dangerous and yet, exciting time. Things won't look the same after a quake. People's lives change after a quake. Somethings die in earth quakes too.
God uses earth quakes, He swallows some in quakes and opens doors that no man could have opened for others.
There are two prophetic men who has been chained in a prison.
There are those who are not saved that can only be saved by an earthquake.
Destiny hangs on a shaking.
I believe this shaking is going to result in a harvest.
I also believe that this shaking is going to result in a releasing of shackles that have held us bound.
The result is that "whole households" are going to be saved.
Our wounds are going to be washed and great joy is going to be released.
I'm just trying to hold on in the "midnight"...(Acts 16:25-36)
Please pray for us.
Scripture is bold and my prophetic inspiration is not:
NEW GENERATION ARISE!
It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a mighty army appears!
How great and powerful they are!
When the rains of God's purposes are about to pour it is often like the dark thunderclouds of a storm that arise. They can be ominous and a little frightening but they also speak of a great outpouring coming. It has been very dark in your life, the storm has been brewing and you are not sure if it is the end or not. But the Lord says to open your eyes and see that the storm is good...it is bringing the rain!
The dawn of God's purposes for your life are unfolding even now, will you see it? A great work and a powerful force for good is marshaling, will you believe it?
The likes of them have not been seen before and never will be seen again.
A NEW GENERATION is arising that will accomplish and do things that have not been done before. There is much ahead that requires a willingness to go into the future with new eyes and an open mind. The church will have to fold up her tabernacle and be willing to move with the cloud and fire of God's purposes. Will you be mobile? Will you be flexible? Are you a wanderer or a settler on this planet?
Fire burns in front of them and follows them in every direction! Ahead of them the land lies as fair as the Garden of Eden in all its beauty.
Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes.
The passion that is smoldering in the depths of this company is scorching. They burn and the results of their burning are devastating to all that is safe, comfortable and lukewarm. The fire on them is uncontrollable. It races across states and oceans on the wind of God's Spirit. It leaps across stateliness and ignites on any heart that is dry and ready for a spark of potential. What starts out small grows fast. Nothing the fire touches is the same...it either joins or is consumed or left altered as the fire sweeps by. Many won't know what hit them until it passes.
They look like tiny horses, and they run as fast.
Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops!
Listen to the noise they make - like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of a fire sweeping across a field, or like a mighty army moving into battle.
Like wild horses they run and what they do, happens fast. They are children of the wild wind not temples of stone. They move unpredictably and quickly. You turn and they are off and running. They move on mountaintops and often leap over valleys of trouble and despair and religious gullies that have many trapped and stuck. They dwell in high places. They abide in mountain mists where God speaks and walks. Look to the hills and you will see that their hearts are up in the burning mountain. A battle is what they are looking for. They make noise. Those who like it quiet better move on because the roar of the fire is deafening at times. The sound of God is a trumpet in this hour and the Lord is crying out with a LOUD VOICE to Lazarus.
Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with fright.
Fear of loss, fear of losing the known and having to face faith.
Predictability is comfortable. Sin hides in the familiar.
The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like trained soldiers.
Straight forward they march, never breaking rank.
They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right place.
They lunge through the gaps, and no weapon can stop them.
These are warriors not consumers. They are wild men and women who long for something that makes their blood tingle in their veins. They want gasps not yawns.
They long for a company of warriors that guard each other's back. They revel in the skill of their comrades. The stronger each is, the more they accomplish. They abhor the skill of only a few…what good is it? They train for war not peace. They serve one who came with a sword and offered them a life of service without the assurance of peace.
They swarm over the city and run along its walls.
They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows.
They have a heart for the city not just churches. They are in the city more than in a church building. They know that God has called them to houses, homes and places where the people are living. They don't wait for them to come…they go to them. They have no affinity with butt sitters but ache for the swarming ones.
The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble.
The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine.
You know when they come and when they leave. They don't slip out of services, slump in chairs, cuddle with quiet. The earth moves and the heavens respond to their presence because there is a God weight on them. He has inhabited their feet and the weight of His glory is on their mouths. Stone yields water to their whispers. The ground swallows the enemy at the sound of their dancing feet. Natural lights go dim at the brightness of their joy. Worldly lights fall from the sky of idolatrous hearts and the true SUN rises in their midst. HE IS AWESOME in their midst. He steals all the attention. They are simply the boring moons and HE is the GREAT SUN. All things revolve around the powerful force of HIS presence. All things are pulled and held together by HIS all consuming presence. You can't compare with HIM. Your fancy pants, your bling-bling and all the shinning lights, colored smoke and charisma you can muster is dung in their eyes. They won't settle for a gold calf in the valley of man's creation when the GOD OF ETERNITY beacons them to ascend the mount of GOD. They don't want Moses or Aaron they want GOD.
The LORD leads them with a shout! This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders. The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can endure it?
God is leading this generation of the shouting one. They hear His voice and are on the move. A new day is emerging.
-Joel 2:2-11
NEW GENERATION ARISE!
It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a mighty army appears!
How great and powerful they are!
When the rains of God's purposes are about to pour it is often like the dark thunderclouds of a storm that arise. They can be ominous and a little frightening but they also speak of a great outpouring coming. It has been very dark in your life, the storm has been brewing and you are not sure if it is the end or not. But the Lord says to open your eyes and see that the storm is good...it is bringing the rain!
The dawn of God's purposes for your life are unfolding even now, will you see it? A great work and a powerful force for good is marshaling, will you believe it?
The likes of them have not been seen before and never will be seen again.
A NEW GENERATION is arising that will accomplish and do things that have not been done before. There is much ahead that requires a willingness to go into the future with new eyes and an open mind. The church will have to fold up her tabernacle and be willing to move with the cloud and fire of God's purposes. Will you be mobile? Will you be flexible? Are you a wanderer or a settler on this planet?
Fire burns in front of them and follows them in every direction! Ahead of them the land lies as fair as the Garden of Eden in all its beauty.
Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes.
The passion that is smoldering in the depths of this company is scorching. They burn and the results of their burning are devastating to all that is safe, comfortable and lukewarm. The fire on them is uncontrollable. It races across states and oceans on the wind of God's Spirit. It leaps across stateliness and ignites on any heart that is dry and ready for a spark of potential. What starts out small grows fast. Nothing the fire touches is the same...it either joins or is consumed or left altered as the fire sweeps by. Many won't know what hit them until it passes.
They look like tiny horses, and they run as fast.
Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops!
Listen to the noise they make - like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of a fire sweeping across a field, or like a mighty army moving into battle.
Like wild horses they run and what they do, happens fast. They are children of the wild wind not temples of stone. They move unpredictably and quickly. You turn and they are off and running. They move on mountaintops and often leap over valleys of trouble and despair and religious gullies that have many trapped and stuck. They dwell in high places. They abide in mountain mists where God speaks and walks. Look to the hills and you will see that their hearts are up in the burning mountain. A battle is what they are looking for. They make noise. Those who like it quiet better move on because the roar of the fire is deafening at times. The sound of God is a trumpet in this hour and the Lord is crying out with a LOUD VOICE to Lazarus.
Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with fright.
Fear of loss, fear of losing the known and having to face faith.
Predictability is comfortable. Sin hides in the familiar.
The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like trained soldiers.
Straight forward they march, never breaking rank.
They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right place.
They lunge through the gaps, and no weapon can stop them.
These are warriors not consumers. They are wild men and women who long for something that makes their blood tingle in their veins. They want gasps not yawns.
They long for a company of warriors that guard each other's back. They revel in the skill of their comrades. The stronger each is, the more they accomplish. They abhor the skill of only a few…what good is it? They train for war not peace. They serve one who came with a sword and offered them a life of service without the assurance of peace.
They swarm over the city and run along its walls.
They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows.
They have a heart for the city not just churches. They are in the city more than in a church building. They know that God has called them to houses, homes and places where the people are living. They don't wait for them to come…they go to them. They have no affinity with butt sitters but ache for the swarming ones.
The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble.
The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine.
You know when they come and when they leave. They don't slip out of services, slump in chairs, cuddle with quiet. The earth moves and the heavens respond to their presence because there is a God weight on them. He has inhabited their feet and the weight of His glory is on their mouths. Stone yields water to their whispers. The ground swallows the enemy at the sound of their dancing feet. Natural lights go dim at the brightness of their joy. Worldly lights fall from the sky of idolatrous hearts and the true SUN rises in their midst. HE IS AWESOME in their midst. He steals all the attention. They are simply the boring moons and HE is the GREAT SUN. All things revolve around the powerful force of HIS presence. All things are pulled and held together by HIS all consuming presence. You can't compare with HIM. Your fancy pants, your bling-bling and all the shinning lights, colored smoke and charisma you can muster is dung in their eyes. They won't settle for a gold calf in the valley of man's creation when the GOD OF ETERNITY beacons them to ascend the mount of GOD. They don't want Moses or Aaron they want GOD.
The LORD leads them with a shout! This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders. The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can endure it?
God is leading this generation of the shouting one. They hear His voice and are on the move. A new day is emerging.
-Joel 2:2-11
Rejoice in the Lord your God!
For the rains He sends
are tokens of His forgiveness.
Once more the autumn rains will come
as well as those of spring. -Joel 3:23
I received a word form the Lord last October about the autumn and spring rains that were spiritually falling in October and would come in 2004. My life was dramatically flooded in October and November of last year. The Lord sent some amazingly reviving rains in the autumn of 2003. A good deal of the prophetic inspiration in that downpour was from the book of the book of Joel and Mark 5, as well as Daniel & Esther.
One verse that was spoken like a trumpet in my spiritual ear was in Mark 5. The whole part where the Lord said that the dead girl had to die but was just sleeping and would surely rise but only by the power of the word of the Lord Himself.
There was only a father and mother, a few disciples, Jesus and a dead girl in the room.
A gathering of generations focused on one thing...another generation coming alive.
Little did I know that in the spring of 2004, we would be launching an all church Saturday night service at New Hope Christian Center. Little did I know that the Lord had a gathering in mind of multi-generations with a heart to empower, disciple and father a new generation to arise and take the land of promise.
The dead girl won't arise without fathers and mothers.
She won't awaken without disciples in the room.
There will be no resurrection life without Jesus, the lord of Life in the room.
There will be no miracle without driving out the unbelieving crowd.
Only those who long for her love will see LOVE awaken her again.
The natural rains are falling outside; can you hear them watering the seeds of autumn?
This last weekend was our 4th BLAZE youth conference and it was so powerful!
Dead things came alive.
Destiny was set in motion for many.
Youth, young adults and adults were impacted by the Spirit and Word of God.
Some were saved, some were healed, and some were called.
Fresh vision for families and lost loved ones was imparted again.
God broke in on clouded minds and hearts and pulled back the veil of the future and showed many the next steps in their journey to apprehend what God apprehended them for.
Cold dead hearts that had given up on loving and being loved were melted and revived.
Drug paraphernalia was placed in my hand in faith that a life of forgetting would be replaced by a life of purpose and passion.
The holy armor of purity was strapped on with renewed passion and zeal.
The shield of faith was taken up and the sword of the spirit was gripped with boldness for the fight.
The troops were brought into ranks and new leaders were born.
Vision was restored spiritually and naturally.
New lands were tattooed on the souls of new missionaries.
Another new worship project was born with a generous and sacrificial gift.
God sent the rains…
For the rains He sends
are tokens of His forgiveness.
Once more the autumn rains will come
as well as those of spring. -Joel 3:23
I received a word form the Lord last October about the autumn and spring rains that were spiritually falling in October and would come in 2004. My life was dramatically flooded in October and November of last year. The Lord sent some amazingly reviving rains in the autumn of 2003. A good deal of the prophetic inspiration in that downpour was from the book of the book of Joel and Mark 5, as well as Daniel & Esther.
One verse that was spoken like a trumpet in my spiritual ear was in Mark 5. The whole part where the Lord said that the dead girl had to die but was just sleeping and would surely rise but only by the power of the word of the Lord Himself.
There was only a father and mother, a few disciples, Jesus and a dead girl in the room.
A gathering of generations focused on one thing...another generation coming alive.
Little did I know that in the spring of 2004, we would be launching an all church Saturday night service at New Hope Christian Center. Little did I know that the Lord had a gathering in mind of multi-generations with a heart to empower, disciple and father a new generation to arise and take the land of promise.
The dead girl won't arise without fathers and mothers.
She won't awaken without disciples in the room.
There will be no resurrection life without Jesus, the lord of Life in the room.
There will be no miracle without driving out the unbelieving crowd.
Only those who long for her love will see LOVE awaken her again.
The natural rains are falling outside; can you hear them watering the seeds of autumn?
This last weekend was our 4th BLAZE youth conference and it was so powerful!
Dead things came alive.
Destiny was set in motion for many.
Youth, young adults and adults were impacted by the Spirit and Word of God.
Some were saved, some were healed, and some were called.
Fresh vision for families and lost loved ones was imparted again.
God broke in on clouded minds and hearts and pulled back the veil of the future and showed many the next steps in their journey to apprehend what God apprehended them for.
Cold dead hearts that had given up on loving and being loved were melted and revived.
Drug paraphernalia was placed in my hand in faith that a life of forgetting would be replaced by a life of purpose and passion.
The holy armor of purity was strapped on with renewed passion and zeal.
The shield of faith was taken up and the sword of the spirit was gripped with boldness for the fight.
The troops were brought into ranks and new leaders were born.
Vision was restored spiritually and naturally.
New lands were tattooed on the souls of new missionaries.
Another new worship project was born with a generous and sacrificial gift.
God sent the rains…
Friday, March 19, 2004
63 percent of the world’s population is under 34 years of age.
That fact should awaken us to do whatever is needed to see Jesus planted within their world.
Will we, can we, should we?
How can we not?
Karsten Wolff, leader of the 'Kraftwerk', an intercultural youth church in Dresden, explains: "I don't see it primarily as focusing on youth church, but on building tomorrow's church today."
Amen! I couldn't of said it any better.
That fact should awaken us to do whatever is needed to see Jesus planted within their world.
Will we, can we, should we?
How can we not?
Karsten Wolff, leader of the 'Kraftwerk', an intercultural youth church in Dresden, explains: "I don't see it primarily as focusing on youth church, but on building tomorrow's church today."
Amen! I couldn't of said it any better.
WHAT HAVE WE BEGUN?
What have we begun?
What have we done when we pray like this?
When we play like this?
Can we ever know-the seeds we sow-
the lights we show-the dreams we throw?
Playing like kids in dangerous places
quietly burying atomic seeds (hidden graces)
radiation kingdom come
What have we begun?
And here we see angels burn like the sun
here we juggle destinies
what is this thing we've done?
What passion finds expression when wounded soldiers pray?
What army gets commissioned kneeling in this way?
What hand is writing on the wall
what wonders hem me in?
When we lit that three way candle
what fires did we begin?
Are nameless heroes rising tomorrows chosen ones?
Carriers of Jesus what plague have we begun?
A poem from www.24-7prayer.com web page
What have we begun?
What have we done when we pray like this?
When we play like this?
Can we ever know-the seeds we sow-
the lights we show-the dreams we throw?
Playing like kids in dangerous places
quietly burying atomic seeds (hidden graces)
radiation kingdom come
What have we begun?
And here we see angels burn like the sun
here we juggle destinies
what is this thing we've done?
What passion finds expression when wounded soldiers pray?
What army gets commissioned kneeling in this way?
What hand is writing on the wall
what wonders hem me in?
When we lit that three way candle
what fires did we begin?
Are nameless heroes rising tomorrows chosen ones?
Carriers of Jesus what plague have we begun?
A poem from www.24-7prayer.com web page
Monday, March 15, 2004
"Work hard at living in peace with others."-1 Peter 3:11
Well, I guess that sums it up doesn't it?
Living in peace with others can be plain old hard work!
Not easy work, but hard.
Most of today's spirituality buzz is humming in soft and sweet tones like elevator music.
It's fantasy land spirituality.
Real spirituality is often tough not easy. Real relationships can't exist very long with hush tones, fake smiles, trite religious cliches that seem better suited in a fortune cookie than the day to day world we really live in.
Jesus didn't have His head in the sand when He called us to live for peace.
He wasn't talking about some puritanical, down south, Sunday school dress up kinda Christian walk.
Not some white glove, clinically clean type of walk that never gets it's hands dirty.
Much of church our relationships are so prissy.
We are a bunch of babies that can't handle real relationships.
We hide from each other, we pretend and we frantically try to avoid any conflict.
To make it all the more difficult, we talk in strange religious language that never really let's on what we really think or feel.
It's crazy, nobody really lives this way in their personal life, why do we do it corporately?
We take the easy way. We self medicate with walks in the park, aroma therapy, frequent massages, exercise, shopping, sports, work, food, movies, video games, sex, reading and TV. We try to convince ourselves that everything will be OK, if we just take a bath or breathe deeply. We hide under the proverbial covers instead of facing our relational monsters. We think by emotionally hiding they aren't there. But they are, and until you face them, they won't go away, even if you close the closet.
Peace doesn't come from pretending the issues aren't there.
Peace doesn't always come from "just praying about it."
Real peace has to be maintained and it can be tough to do.
Having peace doesn't mean we can't disagree or have to see eye to eye or can't debate.
Peace can exist in the midst of the storm and walk on unpredictable waves.
Sometimes we think the true peace is found in the safety of the boat; when in reality, it is out there on the dangerous waves of uncertainty.
Let's leave behind the fantasy that true spiritual life together is easy.
If you want easy...don't follow Jesus but if you want true life than dare to live for real peace.
Well, I guess that sums it up doesn't it?
Living in peace with others can be plain old hard work!
Not easy work, but hard.
Most of today's spirituality buzz is humming in soft and sweet tones like elevator music.
It's fantasy land spirituality.
Real spirituality is often tough not easy. Real relationships can't exist very long with hush tones, fake smiles, trite religious cliches that seem better suited in a fortune cookie than the day to day world we really live in.
Jesus didn't have His head in the sand when He called us to live for peace.
He wasn't talking about some puritanical, down south, Sunday school dress up kinda Christian walk.
Not some white glove, clinically clean type of walk that never gets it's hands dirty.
Much of church our relationships are so prissy.
We are a bunch of babies that can't handle real relationships.
We hide from each other, we pretend and we frantically try to avoid any conflict.
To make it all the more difficult, we talk in strange religious language that never really let's on what we really think or feel.
It's crazy, nobody really lives this way in their personal life, why do we do it corporately?
We take the easy way. We self medicate with walks in the park, aroma therapy, frequent massages, exercise, shopping, sports, work, food, movies, video games, sex, reading and TV. We try to convince ourselves that everything will be OK, if we just take a bath or breathe deeply. We hide under the proverbial covers instead of facing our relational monsters. We think by emotionally hiding they aren't there. But they are, and until you face them, they won't go away, even if you close the closet.
Peace doesn't come from pretending the issues aren't there.
Peace doesn't always come from "just praying about it."
Real peace has to be maintained and it can be tough to do.
Having peace doesn't mean we can't disagree or have to see eye to eye or can't debate.
Peace can exist in the midst of the storm and walk on unpredictable waves.
Sometimes we think the true peace is found in the safety of the boat; when in reality, it is out there on the dangerous waves of uncertainty.
Let's leave behind the fantasy that true spiritual life together is easy.
If you want easy...don't follow Jesus but if you want true life than dare to live for real peace.
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
FILLED or FULL?
Live a life filled with love for others...
-Ephesians 5:2
When I was a kid, I remember one act of service that my Dad took me to do for an elderly lady he knew. We went to her house and cut wood and stacked it inside her home for her. I remember her house because it stunk and was filled with cats.
I also remember her thankfulness and the feeling I got from being able to help her out.
It was a simple act of service but it made an impression on me for the rest of my life.
Simple acts done in love are the most meaningful.
When I think of my Dad these kinds of things are what come to mind.
You know a lot of people, as I do too, how many of them stand out as those who live a life of love? I mean when you think about them, that is how you would sum up their life.
How many of us would have these words carved into stone to forever sum up our lives:
"Here lies _______________who lived a life filled with love for others"
What comes to your mind when you think of a life filled with love for other people?
Does the very thought exhaust you?
Does a schedule packed to the brim with endless activities, countless meetings, a host of volunteer positions, full offering plates and empty bank accounts, endless ringing phones, long talks after church or before, always moving people with your truck, being asked first but not really asked but expected. Does a life filled with love mean always saying YES, come to your mind when you think of a "life filled with love"?
I think the words of Mother Teresa best capture the reality and heart of the above verse:
"It's not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters."
The truth about love has to do more about the quality than the quantity alone. I know many people, myself included, that can jam pack a life full of activities, even ministry, and still not live a life FILLED with love.
We can be full and not be filled.
Our life can be busy but not satisfied.
One can know a lot of people and still be lonely.
You can do a lot and not get a lot done.
I can do a lot with little real love.
Jesus was not pushed by the immediate demands of life, people or emotional or even physical pressure. He did what He was supposed to do, when He was supposed to do it and how He wanted to do it. He had control of His life, even when it seemed it was out of control. The Father's will was the guiding compass of His day and life. He lived each day with purpose and His purpose was to be able to love.
Much of what the world (religious or secular) demands of you in the end doesn't produce a "Filled" life but a full life and that will leave you burned out and empty.
I love Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28-30:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened,
and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
I want to live a love filled life, which to me means being able to make sandwiches with love or preaching or combing hair, stacking wood or simply saying yes.
Live a life filled with love for others...
-Ephesians 5:2
When I was a kid, I remember one act of service that my Dad took me to do for an elderly lady he knew. We went to her house and cut wood and stacked it inside her home for her. I remember her house because it stunk and was filled with cats.
I also remember her thankfulness and the feeling I got from being able to help her out.
It was a simple act of service but it made an impression on me for the rest of my life.
Simple acts done in love are the most meaningful.
When I think of my Dad these kinds of things are what come to mind.
You know a lot of people, as I do too, how many of them stand out as those who live a life of love? I mean when you think about them, that is how you would sum up their life.
How many of us would have these words carved into stone to forever sum up our lives:
"Here lies _______________who lived a life filled with love for others"
What comes to your mind when you think of a life filled with love for other people?
Does the very thought exhaust you?
Does a schedule packed to the brim with endless activities, countless meetings, a host of volunteer positions, full offering plates and empty bank accounts, endless ringing phones, long talks after church or before, always moving people with your truck, being asked first but not really asked but expected. Does a life filled with love mean always saying YES, come to your mind when you think of a "life filled with love"?
I think the words of Mother Teresa best capture the reality and heart of the above verse:
"It's not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters."
The truth about love has to do more about the quality than the quantity alone. I know many people, myself included, that can jam pack a life full of activities, even ministry, and still not live a life FILLED with love.
We can be full and not be filled.
Our life can be busy but not satisfied.
One can know a lot of people and still be lonely.
You can do a lot and not get a lot done.
I can do a lot with little real love.
Jesus was not pushed by the immediate demands of life, people or emotional or even physical pressure. He did what He was supposed to do, when He was supposed to do it and how He wanted to do it. He had control of His life, even when it seemed it was out of control. The Father's will was the guiding compass of His day and life. He lived each day with purpose and His purpose was to be able to love.
Much of what the world (religious or secular) demands of you in the end doesn't produce a "Filled" life but a full life and that will leave you burned out and empty.
I love Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28-30:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened,
and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
I want to live a love filled life, which to me means being able to make sandwiches with love or preaching or combing hair, stacking wood or simply saying yes.
Monday, March 08, 2004
40 Days: Day 15
"Since you are His Child, everything belongs to you."
-Galatians 4:7b
Wow, I didn't know I was so rich!
Did you know everything belongs to you?
"So don't take pride in following a particular leader. Everything belongs to you: Paul, Apollos and Peter, the whole world and life and death; the present and the future. Everything belongs to you and you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God." -1 Corinthians 3:21-23
Does that verse make you think at all?
What does it mean?
What are the implications for someone who really believes that?
I am not sure I really understand what this fully implies in the here and now or as Paul puts it above "THE PRESENT."
Did you know that the PRESENT belongs to you?
What are we doing with the present? Do we live as if we own it? Do we go through the day with any kind of confidence that reflects such a knowledge of this truth? Does knowing this truth really have any effect on the immediate present.
How would you act differently if you knew that the Lord had given you the present and the future?
What are you currently going through that seems to contradict this truth?
How could you face those challenges differently within your own heart or mind?
How many decisions could you finally make if you really believed this verse?
Imagine how many dreams would be born today if we really lived like we owned the present and the future.
Imagine the holy audacity, the daring boldness, the confident courage that would be unleashed.
Imagine a people that thought they could win, should win and will win.
Think about how your life would be different today if you actually thought that God was for you not against you.
We live way below our privilege in God.
"Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves great wealth for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had." -Galatians 4:1
Are you better off than a slave this morning?
Do you live like it?
Do you act like it?
Do you think like it?
Does you conversation sound like it?
Do you dream like it?
Do you plan like it?
Do you know you are a daughter or a son of God?
Or do you have a slave mentality?
The scriptures command us "to get rid of the slave..." -Galatians 4:30
Let the truth of God liberate you from anything that is telling you something different from the truth today.
Live like you own the world. It will liberate you from fear, worry, anxiousness, timidity, neutral, indifference, disillusionment, cowardice, fear of man, prayerlessness, unbelief, bitterness, limited thinking and a host of other crippling thinking viruses that cause spiritual amnesia to the truth.
God's word brings freedom and it has the power to set you free today, first internally and then look out world!
"Since you are His Child, everything belongs to you."
-Galatians 4:7b
Wow, I didn't know I was so rich!
Did you know everything belongs to you?
"So don't take pride in following a particular leader. Everything belongs to you: Paul, Apollos and Peter, the whole world and life and death; the present and the future. Everything belongs to you and you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God." -1 Corinthians 3:21-23
Does that verse make you think at all?
What does it mean?
What are the implications for someone who really believes that?
I am not sure I really understand what this fully implies in the here and now or as Paul puts it above "THE PRESENT."
Did you know that the PRESENT belongs to you?
What are we doing with the present? Do we live as if we own it? Do we go through the day with any kind of confidence that reflects such a knowledge of this truth? Does knowing this truth really have any effect on the immediate present.
How would you act differently if you knew that the Lord had given you the present and the future?
What are you currently going through that seems to contradict this truth?
How could you face those challenges differently within your own heart or mind?
How many decisions could you finally make if you really believed this verse?
Imagine how many dreams would be born today if we really lived like we owned the present and the future.
Imagine the holy audacity, the daring boldness, the confident courage that would be unleashed.
Imagine a people that thought they could win, should win and will win.
Think about how your life would be different today if you actually thought that God was for you not against you.
We live way below our privilege in God.
"Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves great wealth for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had." -Galatians 4:1
Are you better off than a slave this morning?
Do you live like it?
Do you act like it?
Do you think like it?
Does you conversation sound like it?
Do you dream like it?
Do you plan like it?
Do you know you are a daughter or a son of God?
Or do you have a slave mentality?
The scriptures command us "to get rid of the slave..." -Galatians 4:30
Let the truth of God liberate you from anything that is telling you something different from the truth today.
Live like you own the world. It will liberate you from fear, worry, anxiousness, timidity, neutral, indifference, disillusionment, cowardice, fear of man, prayerlessness, unbelief, bitterness, limited thinking and a host of other crippling thinking viruses that cause spiritual amnesia to the truth.
God's word brings freedom and it has the power to set you free today, first internally and then look out world!
Sunday, March 07, 2004
The Lord has hidden Himself...but I trust Him -David (Psalms 8:17)
Trust is hard.
I remember as a kid going spelunking a lot in central Oregon with my family and friends. One of our favorite caves was one called Lava River Cave. It was massive underground cave that ran over a mile under the earth.
It was scary and exciting all at the same time to descend into the depths of the dark with only a small flashlight.
It was amazing how ink black it was and how pitifully weak our little lights would seem to be.
You really couldn't see much with them because soon as you tried to look around at the cave with your flashlight, you would stumble on some rock. You had to walk carefully and attentively with the light right on your path, so you wouldn't fall down some subterranean ravine or smash into a sharp rock.
I remember the claustrophobic feeling of being at the very end of that cave, having walked for it seemed hours, deep into the recesses of that black hole. I can still feel the suffocating fear of being so far in the earth with such a small light and thinking "what would happen if this little light went out?"
YIKES!!!!! It was worse than any horror movie goose pimples.
It would cause your heart to race and sweat to start to bead up on your paranoid face.
All of a sudden that little amount of light was extremely important!
To me living in this world seems to make trusting hard.
There is a lot of darkness here.
It is easy to look at all the pain and suffering, all the horrors of war, the greed, the disintegration of familles and morality and feel overwhelmed by the darkness.
Even though the Bible clearly says:
"The light shines through the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:5.)
It is often a tremendous struggle to believe in the power of light over darkness, not only in the world but within our very souls. The struggle, the battle, the war is never ending. It is a wrestling match to the end.
Darkness is always present.
God didn't remove it, hasn't extinguish it yet.
Can I trust in the face of things I don't understand?
Will I hold on when I don't feel anything?
Will despair and hopelessness rule when I can't seem to see the promises of God come to pass?
Can I trust in the dark?
Can I relay on this simple little book to get me through?
Is His word enough?
What happens if my feelings start to dim?
One of the main things that always got me through the moments of personal terror in those spooky caves was the fact that I wasn't alone. I often relied on other people's light to help me find my way. Their voices definitely were a source of encouragement and helped scatter away the boogie men that I was sure were following me down there. I was never the last in the line for sure! :)
The fact that the Lord has promised that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us, is one of the most awesome scriptures to me. No matter how dark it gets, I will never be left down in that deep, dark cave, all alone...the light, as little as it may be, won't go out.
That's something we can all trust.
Trust is hard.
I remember as a kid going spelunking a lot in central Oregon with my family and friends. One of our favorite caves was one called Lava River Cave. It was massive underground cave that ran over a mile under the earth.
It was scary and exciting all at the same time to descend into the depths of the dark with only a small flashlight.
It was amazing how ink black it was and how pitifully weak our little lights would seem to be.
You really couldn't see much with them because soon as you tried to look around at the cave with your flashlight, you would stumble on some rock. You had to walk carefully and attentively with the light right on your path, so you wouldn't fall down some subterranean ravine or smash into a sharp rock.
I remember the claustrophobic feeling of being at the very end of that cave, having walked for it seemed hours, deep into the recesses of that black hole. I can still feel the suffocating fear of being so far in the earth with such a small light and thinking "what would happen if this little light went out?"
YIKES!!!!! It was worse than any horror movie goose pimples.
It would cause your heart to race and sweat to start to bead up on your paranoid face.
All of a sudden that little amount of light was extremely important!
To me living in this world seems to make trusting hard.
There is a lot of darkness here.
It is easy to look at all the pain and suffering, all the horrors of war, the greed, the disintegration of familles and morality and feel overwhelmed by the darkness.
Even though the Bible clearly says:
"The light shines through the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:5.)
It is often a tremendous struggle to believe in the power of light over darkness, not only in the world but within our very souls. The struggle, the battle, the war is never ending. It is a wrestling match to the end.
Darkness is always present.
God didn't remove it, hasn't extinguish it yet.
Can I trust in the face of things I don't understand?
Will I hold on when I don't feel anything?
Will despair and hopelessness rule when I can't seem to see the promises of God come to pass?
Can I trust in the dark?
Can I relay on this simple little book to get me through?
Is His word enough?
What happens if my feelings start to dim?
One of the main things that always got me through the moments of personal terror in those spooky caves was the fact that I wasn't alone. I often relied on other people's light to help me find my way. Their voices definitely were a source of encouragement and helped scatter away the boogie men that I was sure were following me down there. I was never the last in the line for sure! :)
The fact that the Lord has promised that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us, is one of the most awesome scriptures to me. No matter how dark it gets, I will never be left down in that deep, dark cave, all alone...the light, as little as it may be, won't go out.
That's something we can all trust.
Saturday, March 06, 2004
Love...God...- Jesus
(Mark 12:30)
"God gave you emotions so you could worship him with deep feeling"
Chapter 13, pg. 101 of the Purpose Driven Life
Ask yourself: If you looked at the whole of my life, everything I think and do, what is the one thing that I am most passionate about?
Would "being a lover of God" be the first thing someone would mention about you?
Does your love stand out?
Could people tell that you are in love with God?
Do you love God with "deep feeling"?
How soon does someone find out that you are a "lover of God" by being around you?
Not the forced evangelism stuff, not the pushy religious jargon, not the suffocating moral judgment that often accompanies religious people like bad gas.
I am talking deeply sincere, tender, passionately faithful, move the heart kind of love.
God gave you emotions.
Are they working?
I am not talking weepy, gushy, over the top hyper-sappy, I've got Jesus pumps stuff. But the powerful internal wild river that when you encounter it, no matter where you are, it has the fearful and yet exciting sense that it's going to pull you under like some kind of holy undertow.
Sometimes I weep in my times with God because I long to love Him with a love that is worthy of Him. I want a desperate love.
A love life in God that is as permanent as a soul tattoo, as strong as death, as voraciously hungry as the grave and flesh searing hot as burning coals. (Song of Solomon 8:6.)
Don't just give me a calm, soft and cuddly precious moments kinda love...
I want thunder and lightning, smokey and fiery passionate love!
Jesus trumpets the call in Revelations too "Love me like you mean it, love me with fire, burn with love!" (Revelations 3:15.)
Save the tepid stuff for Hollywood chick flicks, steamy romance novels, rabid shoppers and golf enthusiasts. God wants the real thing.
The sad thing is that such people are painfully rare or pathetically weird; that the authentic lovers get sent to the background, driven out or burned at the stake.
Jesus' passion was a powerful display of love...desperate love.
I want to live a life of love that is ignited by such holy flames.
(Mark 12:30)
"God gave you emotions so you could worship him with deep feeling"
Chapter 13, pg. 101 of the Purpose Driven Life
Ask yourself: If you looked at the whole of my life, everything I think and do, what is the one thing that I am most passionate about?
Would "being a lover of God" be the first thing someone would mention about you?
Does your love stand out?
Could people tell that you are in love with God?
Do you love God with "deep feeling"?
How soon does someone find out that you are a "lover of God" by being around you?
Not the forced evangelism stuff, not the pushy religious jargon, not the suffocating moral judgment that often accompanies religious people like bad gas.
I am talking deeply sincere, tender, passionately faithful, move the heart kind of love.
God gave you emotions.
Are they working?
I am not talking weepy, gushy, over the top hyper-sappy, I've got Jesus pumps stuff. But the powerful internal wild river that when you encounter it, no matter where you are, it has the fearful and yet exciting sense that it's going to pull you under like some kind of holy undertow.
Sometimes I weep in my times with God because I long to love Him with a love that is worthy of Him. I want a desperate love.
A love life in God that is as permanent as a soul tattoo, as strong as death, as voraciously hungry as the grave and flesh searing hot as burning coals. (Song of Solomon 8:6.)
Don't just give me a calm, soft and cuddly precious moments kinda love...
I want thunder and lightning, smokey and fiery passionate love!
Jesus trumpets the call in Revelations too "Love me like you mean it, love me with fire, burn with love!" (Revelations 3:15.)
Save the tepid stuff for Hollywood chick flicks, steamy romance novels, rabid shoppers and golf enthusiasts. God wants the real thing.
The sad thing is that such people are painfully rare or pathetically weird; that the authentic lovers get sent to the background, driven out or burned at the stake.
Jesus' passion was a powerful display of love...desperate love.
I want to live a life of love that is ignited by such holy flames.
Friday, March 05, 2004
Since we were restored to friendship with God
by the death of His Son
while we were still His enemies,
we will certainly be delivered
from eternal punishment by His life.-Romans 5:10
Here is are some amazing truths that should grab your heart and mind and shake you like a rabid puppy with a squeaky toy!
God has restored you.
His arms are wide open right now, there is nothing that stands between you and God.
There used to be a barrier, a huge chasm, a gigantic veil that kept little ole' you on one side and BIG Ole, Him on the other.
If you even took a peek around or under that massive curtain that hung within the holy tabernacle something frightening would strike you!
Were talking spooky stuff, like your skin would start to rot!
You just didn't go near to God or you would be snuffed out like an insignificant bug on one of those scary blue bug zappers. Poof! Gone, bye bye...you dead.
God was Like a holy nuclear reactor core...you just couldn't go near Him.
Look at Moses, He was one of the only few that did and his face was like Hummer headlights afterwards. He couldn't go anywhere without attracting all the bugs around camp.
But Jesus changed all that on the cross.
Jesus fulfilled God's ultimate desire which was to be able to fully embrace His children. Through the cross God was able to get His arms around you again.
On that amazing day when Jesus was spilling His blood and it was running down that wicked cross; God was tearing that old veil from top to bottom in the temple.
He was doing it with an excited smile, I am sure.
He was about to adopt a whole lot of kids!
It was a great day.
And just think, He did that for you before you even gave a rip.
In fact, while you were still lost, dead and His enemy.
Imagine what He will do now that you are friends....
The last thought is sooooo amazing to me:
I can now with CERTAINTY
that I am gong to be saved
from eternal punishment.
Only one Son is going to the cross, it was Jesus.
I am going to my Father's house when this is all said and done.
No punishment for me because Jesus took all the punishment I deserve.
I have nothing between me and my Father.
No sin, no guilt, no fear, no anxiousness...I live in a complete certainty of His love and acceptance of me, right now.
That rocks my world.
by the death of His Son
while we were still His enemies,
we will certainly be delivered
from eternal punishment by His life.-Romans 5:10
Here is are some amazing truths that should grab your heart and mind and shake you like a rabid puppy with a squeaky toy!
God has restored you.
His arms are wide open right now, there is nothing that stands between you and God.
There used to be a barrier, a huge chasm, a gigantic veil that kept little ole' you on one side and BIG Ole, Him on the other.
If you even took a peek around or under that massive curtain that hung within the holy tabernacle something frightening would strike you!
Were talking spooky stuff, like your skin would start to rot!
You just didn't go near to God or you would be snuffed out like an insignificant bug on one of those scary blue bug zappers. Poof! Gone, bye bye...you dead.
God was Like a holy nuclear reactor core...you just couldn't go near Him.
Look at Moses, He was one of the only few that did and his face was like Hummer headlights afterwards. He couldn't go anywhere without attracting all the bugs around camp.
But Jesus changed all that on the cross.
Jesus fulfilled God's ultimate desire which was to be able to fully embrace His children. Through the cross God was able to get His arms around you again.
On that amazing day when Jesus was spilling His blood and it was running down that wicked cross; God was tearing that old veil from top to bottom in the temple.
He was doing it with an excited smile, I am sure.
He was about to adopt a whole lot of kids!
It was a great day.
And just think, He did that for you before you even gave a rip.
In fact, while you were still lost, dead and His enemy.
Imagine what He will do now that you are friends....
The last thought is sooooo amazing to me:
I can now with CERTAINTY
that I am gong to be saved
from eternal punishment.
Only one Son is going to the cross, it was Jesus.
I am going to my Father's house when this is all said and done.
No punishment for me because Jesus took all the punishment I deserve.
I have nothing between me and my Father.
No sin, no guilt, no fear, no anxiousness...I live in a complete certainty of His love and acceptance of me, right now.
That rocks my world.
Draw close to God,
and God will draw close to you.
-James 4:8
I remember when I first became a Christian and how easy it was to just accept this simple truth as fact: God wants to be close to me.
He was inviting me, compelling me really, to come to Him.
It was a mysterious and deeply moving invitation because I was aching inside to be loved. I was broken hearted and needed a true friend desperately. I was constantly being smashed and thrashed on the rocks of unhealthy relationships.
I was like a piece of water logged wood in the ocean waves, being constantly thrown here and there by every unwise choice I made. I was searching for something in people that I couldn't find and it was seriously battering me to death inside.
I couldn't find the acceptance, security and affection that I so longed for. I was sure that another relationship would satisfy, another party, another job, another night out, another trip, another toy would ease the internal frustration. I was empty.
I was always looking horizontal and inward but I never thought about looking vertical.
Until I was told that I had a spiritual need and I had to look to God.
Not long after that, I heard the above invitation, not like Moses on the mountain but like the smell of fresh bread on the wind. I sensed something drawing me and it was a new fragrance not like the earthly perfume that dissipates the longer you wear it but a celestial scent that seemed to grow stronger the longer I drew it in.
I was intoxicated...and I fell madly in love with GOD!
Here was a relationship that wasn't based on outer things.
Here was a safe place that offered me friendship that wouldn't abandon me, even if I sinned. Here was an invitation to a future that wasn't based on how good I was or if I did everything just right but was a free offer.
God offered me everything in exchange for my pitiful life, that I had done marvelously at wasting. He wanted my life and I was sooooo willing to give it to Him.
But above that, He wanted my heart and that was a mystery to me. I wasn't good at loving people very well, in fact, I almost always gave up on people first before they could leave me. I couldn't promise Him anything more than who I was and yet...He chose me.
His choosing me, had a profound impact on my life. I felt special, more special than I ever had felt by winning the temporary affections of the latest girl.
Those were crazy days.
First love is amazing.
I am so glad that His love doesn't end but grows deeper and deeper and hotter and hotter the closer you get to Him.
Kinda like the Sun, the closer you get...it burns you up.
I dare you to draw near today.
Take a chance and drop everything and open up your arms and embrace Him. He is waiting to draw near and you can probably smell the fragrance of heaven around you even now...
and God will draw close to you.
-James 4:8
I remember when I first became a Christian and how easy it was to just accept this simple truth as fact: God wants to be close to me.
He was inviting me, compelling me really, to come to Him.
It was a mysterious and deeply moving invitation because I was aching inside to be loved. I was broken hearted and needed a true friend desperately. I was constantly being smashed and thrashed on the rocks of unhealthy relationships.
I was like a piece of water logged wood in the ocean waves, being constantly thrown here and there by every unwise choice I made. I was searching for something in people that I couldn't find and it was seriously battering me to death inside.
I couldn't find the acceptance, security and affection that I so longed for. I was sure that another relationship would satisfy, another party, another job, another night out, another trip, another toy would ease the internal frustration. I was empty.
I was always looking horizontal and inward but I never thought about looking vertical.
Until I was told that I had a spiritual need and I had to look to God.
Not long after that, I heard the above invitation, not like Moses on the mountain but like the smell of fresh bread on the wind. I sensed something drawing me and it was a new fragrance not like the earthly perfume that dissipates the longer you wear it but a celestial scent that seemed to grow stronger the longer I drew it in.
I was intoxicated...and I fell madly in love with GOD!
Here was a relationship that wasn't based on outer things.
Here was a safe place that offered me friendship that wouldn't abandon me, even if I sinned. Here was an invitation to a future that wasn't based on how good I was or if I did everything just right but was a free offer.
God offered me everything in exchange for my pitiful life, that I had done marvelously at wasting. He wanted my life and I was sooooo willing to give it to Him.
But above that, He wanted my heart and that was a mystery to me. I wasn't good at loving people very well, in fact, I almost always gave up on people first before they could leave me. I couldn't promise Him anything more than who I was and yet...He chose me.
His choosing me, had a profound impact on my life. I felt special, more special than I ever had felt by winning the temporary affections of the latest girl.
Those were crazy days.
First love is amazing.
I am so glad that His love doesn't end but grows deeper and deeper and hotter and hotter the closer you get to Him.
Kinda like the Sun, the closer you get...it burns you up.
I dare you to draw near today.
Take a chance and drop everything and open up your arms and embrace Him. He is waiting to draw near and you can probably smell the fragrance of heaven around you even now...
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
Thoughts from chapter 9 of the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren...
"The righteous are glad
and rejoice in His presence;
They are happy and shout for joy."
-Psalms 68:3
I wept through most of this chapter.
Strange when you read the above verse but even so, it's true.
God's word is such a mirror to the soul, it reveals our hearts, our thinking, our immediate moment in loving but painful clarity.
I found myself touched by an acute sense of God's overwhelming goodness and abundant blessings while reading this chapter. When you stop to think about the countless small and large things that we have to enjoy that are free and produce simply pleasure...it's amazing.
Pleasure for pleasures sake is a goodness from God that rocks the overly religious mind. We can get so spiritually constipated that we can't enjoy much of anything without complaining or whining about something.
Such a life doesn't bring pleasure to the Lord.
"God...generously gives us everything for our enjoyment." -1 Timothy 6:17
You can't get much better than that!
The part of the chapter where pastor Rick explains that:
"My children didn't have to do anything for me to enjoy them..." really struck my heart as well. It is SO TRUE.
So much of the enjoyment of having children is watching them enjoy all the little things in life. Watching them explore and experience all of creation's little treasures is an intoxicating pleasure.
Childhood is packed full of the simple enjoyment of finding pleasure in them.
Life then shifts more and more towards what they do and that is when the trouble starts.
In fact that is when the enjoyment begins to be something that we have to remind ourselves to keep in mind.
We can get so focused on them doing what we want
that we lose the pleasure of accepting them
for who they are.
As they grow into individuals we have to learn to let go and let them become.
That is an art.
Often I find myself having to stop and take a huge breath and remind myself of what is most important right now, and it is usually a call to simply love them for who they are right now.
The farther away from that I get, the less "happy and glad" I seem to become.
God, You are good...and I really mean that God.
"The righteous are glad
and rejoice in His presence;
They are happy and shout for joy."
-Psalms 68:3
I wept through most of this chapter.
Strange when you read the above verse but even so, it's true.
God's word is such a mirror to the soul, it reveals our hearts, our thinking, our immediate moment in loving but painful clarity.
I found myself touched by an acute sense of God's overwhelming goodness and abundant blessings while reading this chapter. When you stop to think about the countless small and large things that we have to enjoy that are free and produce simply pleasure...it's amazing.
Pleasure for pleasures sake is a goodness from God that rocks the overly religious mind. We can get so spiritually constipated that we can't enjoy much of anything without complaining or whining about something.
Such a life doesn't bring pleasure to the Lord.
"God...generously gives us everything for our enjoyment." -1 Timothy 6:17
You can't get much better than that!
The part of the chapter where pastor Rick explains that:
"My children didn't have to do anything for me to enjoy them..." really struck my heart as well. It is SO TRUE.
So much of the enjoyment of having children is watching them enjoy all the little things in life. Watching them explore and experience all of creation's little treasures is an intoxicating pleasure.
Childhood is packed full of the simple enjoyment of finding pleasure in them.
Life then shifts more and more towards what they do and that is when the trouble starts.
In fact that is when the enjoyment begins to be something that we have to remind ourselves to keep in mind.
We can get so focused on them doing what we want
that we lose the pleasure of accepting them
for who they are.
As they grow into individuals we have to learn to let go and let them become.
That is an art.
Often I find myself having to stop and take a huge breath and remind myself of what is most important right now, and it is usually a call to simply love them for who they are right now.
The farther away from that I get, the less "happy and glad" I seem to become.
God, You are good...and I really mean that God.
Friday, February 27, 2004
“The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears.”
–Purpose Driven Life (Pg: 37)
I went to the funeral for a 3-year-old girl the other day.
She died from cancer in her daddy’s arms.
I sat in the front row across from her parents, sister, brother and weeping family.
It was a tragic and painful hour and a half.
The look in her father’s eyes was hauntingly blank, dazed, numb…absent.
The look of life had been drained away by death’s suffocating kiss.
She was a little ballerina they said, a princess who danced in tiny ruby colored shoes.
There was no dancing that day. It was awkwardly quiet, strangely frozen.
We didn’t know how to act, what to say, how to feel.
Most I am sure, felt the same urgency I felt, to get home and hug on my own little ones.
God is frighteningly close in death.
His presence is like a plunge in an icy river.
The sudden cold is an electrifying shock of reality. Everything comes alive, suddenly only one thing matters, only one purpose screams in your head…GET OUT!
Death pries open your slumbering eyes, it slaps you in the face, and it throws you in the river.
Like the frantic scrambling of one trying to get out of freezing water, so one’s vision is instantly refocused in the stunning light of death.
All of a sudden you become a sage, a Solomon or Solomons. With the force of scorpion’s sting out of know where, you become aware of what is most important.
Death has a sting…the sting of love.
Death forces you into the arms of those you love. It is here that God is found in death.
Where love is born out of senseless tragedy.
Everything becomes real simple, everything else becomes so very small, compared to the priority of loving those you love.
The first thing I did as I rushed home, the only thing I could think of…was love.
Death ended the embrace of one father but multiplied embraces in a hundred homes.
Everything got smaller that day…that happens when God shows up.
–Purpose Driven Life (Pg: 37)
I went to the funeral for a 3-year-old girl the other day.
She died from cancer in her daddy’s arms.
I sat in the front row across from her parents, sister, brother and weeping family.
It was a tragic and painful hour and a half.
The look in her father’s eyes was hauntingly blank, dazed, numb…absent.
The look of life had been drained away by death’s suffocating kiss.
She was a little ballerina they said, a princess who danced in tiny ruby colored shoes.
There was no dancing that day. It was awkwardly quiet, strangely frozen.
We didn’t know how to act, what to say, how to feel.
Most I am sure, felt the same urgency I felt, to get home and hug on my own little ones.
God is frighteningly close in death.
His presence is like a plunge in an icy river.
The sudden cold is an electrifying shock of reality. Everything comes alive, suddenly only one thing matters, only one purpose screams in your head…GET OUT!
Death pries open your slumbering eyes, it slaps you in the face, and it throws you in the river.
Like the frantic scrambling of one trying to get out of freezing water, so one’s vision is instantly refocused in the stunning light of death.
All of a sudden you become a sage, a Solomon or Solomons. With the force of scorpion’s sting out of know where, you become aware of what is most important.
Death has a sting…the sting of love.
Death forces you into the arms of those you love. It is here that God is found in death.
Where love is born out of senseless tragedy.
Everything becomes real simple, everything else becomes so very small, compared to the priority of loving those you love.
The first thing I did as I rushed home, the only thing I could think of…was love.
Death ended the embrace of one father but multiplied embraces in a hundred homes.
Everything got smaller that day…that happens when God shows up.
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