What do you see?

Mark 8:21-26 tells the account of the people of Bethsaida bringing a blind man to Jesus. They beg him to heal the man…after spitting on his eyes Jesus puts his hands on them, then asks the man "what do you see?" The blind man says, "I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

 As we experience life, when we find things pressing in on us and become overwhelmed by unfavorable circumstances, we often miss God whispering in our ear, its normal to not recognize what he is doing in our lives.

 The blind man was able to see after Jesus touched him, even though he had been touched by God he remained unable to see clearly. Like the man in Mark we don't see clearly the changes God is making in us because he may choose to do things in ways we don’t recognize.

 Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13-14  we are to "forget what lies behind and strain toward what is ahead of us", we are told to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us toward heaven in Christ. Forgetting all things good and bad so we don’t get attached to anything on earth, because we don't belong here but with God in Heaven. Don’t expect God to do things the same way all the time. Today’s fire is not found in yester days ashes.

 The beauty about God is he always tells the truth. He always does what he says; and he can always be trusted. He always wants what is best for us.

 Grab on to the idea of not holding too tight to an experience or thinking life will always be lived the way we expect it. When we make the decision to live intimately with God his plans may be different. His ways and thoughts are always higher than ours and he always knows what he is doing.
 Oh when he says he is a jealous God, he means he is jealous when it comes to anything that takes us away from that intimate connection with us that he loves so much.

After Jesus touched the blind man’s eyes a second time he was able to see everything clearly.
 Don’t give up before the touch from God happens that will make all the difference.

 Instead of looking for the cure to what ails us, look for and at the physician who has the cure to what ails us.

Jars Of Clay

Today was a good day at Discovery Park Church On The Streets.

The faithful Discovery Park team was amazing as usual with their bright loving smiles and inviting hello’s when greeting everyone.

 I have the blessing of being one of the members who gets the privilege of talking with everyone who lives in the park. These have truly become our friends. It has been an interesting transformation from ministry to a relational interaction at Discovery Park.

 Today I had the honor to speak to two men, Bob who I met for the first time today and Robert who I have become friends with over the past year.

 Bob is a Vietnam Veteran. He told me he still has problems staying inside due to his problems with Agent Orange exposure. He just feels more comfortable outside. As we talked he told me he was married and had two sons. He lost his wife, he didn’t tell me how. He lost one son who died in Afghanistan who was a Navy Seal. His other son died in Iraq. Bob also told me he and his wife use to work with displaced kids. Who were homeless for one reason or another. He told me how the two of them loved changing the lives of lost children who had nowhere to go and no hope. I was moved. There was a sincerity of heart. He looked deep into my eyes, almost piercing through, as he told me about how he and his wife were almost like shepherds and guardians for the children they loved and worked with. After his wife died that all came to an end.

 He told me about how he was spit on and scorned when he came back from Vietnam. How he was so confused that he and other men who put their lives on the line to serve their country were treated like they were the enemy and not heroes when they came home.

 The conversation I had with Bob had some amazing sagas to it. It had the makings of a good auto biography or even a short film. But there was one thing missing. As he related his experiences there was no life to his stories. I don’t think Bob was fabricating anything, I just believe he was tired .

 He told me he suffered loss from the Agent Orange exposure in Nam, now with one lung, and one kidney. He also told me he was an Army Ranger so he was tougher than the Agent Orange and it wouldn’t get the best of him. Bob was empty in side. When I asked him if he ever went to church he said he wasn’t ready yet. I was able to hear Bob’s story today and interject that God indeed loved him through all his life’s situations he described to me, that the Lord was with him through the atrocities he endured through war, the loss of his wife and both sons. How he was able to experience the heart of God being expressed through him and his wife as they reached out to a hopeless situation when they helped the homeless children. So he could hear of the love God had for him today. Bob acknowledged my remarks. I was able to pray with him before he left and I believe the God of love touched a man who got caught up in the hardships handed out by life, and I am firmly convinced that God in his infinite wisdom touched Bob’s soul today. Bob will think about the things we talked about.

For that I am grateful to the Holy Spirit.

 I also talked to Robert today, my friend of a year now. The sense of thankfulness carried through from my conversation with Bob. It amazes me that the more of God’s word we have in the reservoir of our hearts and minds God is able to go from one conversation to the next, both unrelated and he draws from that reservoir ministering in each situation.

 Robert is one of the local guys who always shows up for our COTS gathering, every Wednesday and every third Sunday of the month. Robert one of the friendliest men there. He has usually had too much to drink. The conversation usually stays on the surface, not going too deep. Today was different. God had other plans for Robert today. We sat saying hi to each other and talking about the where abouts of other men we’ve made friends with. Then the sun broke out through some clouds. Robert made a comment of how good it felt. I was telling him how thankful I was about having the ability to experience God with all my senses. Then I was reminded about the 10 lepers in Luke 17:11-19. Jesus healed 10 lepers only one returned to give thanks. Robert listened intently as I told him the story. Then I told him about the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. I told him my story, how I accepted Jesus as my lord and savior when I was 18, and how thankful I have been each day since. I told Robert, who was sober as a nun today, how I cared for him, his safety; and for his health. Then I asked if he had ever asked Jesus into his heart the way I did when I was 18. He told me he had. I believe him. I got to pray for him that God would keep him safe and draw him to his heart and into an intimate relationship with him.

 Today was a good day. I looked around and saw others being prayed over. The Good News of Gods loving heart was being handed out today. Prayers were being answered today.

 We are blessed to be trusted to handle the only words that give life to a lost and dying generation. In all our frailty and personal struggles, the creator of the universe makes the choice to put such a treasure in jars of clay. What an unspeakable honor we have been trusted with. Look for every opportunity to give away what has been freely given to each one of us. His love.

Happy are the feet of those who bring good news.  

Creative Thought

I have a friend in Church who referred to our minds and hearts as a reservoir. Her statement was “We need to fill our reservoirs with God’s word.” That was the first time I heard that term regarding to storing God’s words in our hearts. That’s the perfect term because that is exactly what our minds and hearts are. We store knowledge and experiences in our hearts and minds, from there God will minister to us and others through us. Daily life is then lived out,  then new things and experiences are gained.

 Our minds and hearts are designed to be like a reservoir. Whatever we take in we speak and live out. If we store God’s word in our hearts meditating on it we will begin to live it out. God knew that when he said “study to show yourself approved’ and ‘out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”, because a man will draw out of his heart what is stored up in it, either good a or bad.

 I recently read an article about creative thinking from a business blog. I won’t go into detail about what the author wrote but I do want to express some thoughts about what the Lord revealed to me through it.

I don’t want to ramble on so I’ll get to the point.

 In John 10:10 Jesus speaks about life in abundance. The term abundance reflects different ideas to all of us. So for argument sake let’s use two definitions for abundance.

Abundance from the Free Dictionary by Farlex on line:

a·bun·dance  (-bndns)

n.

1. A great or plentiful amount.

2. Fullness to overflowing

Abundance from the Greek New testament:

per-is-sos'     Adjective

Definition

1.               exceeding some number or measure or rank or need a.            over and above, more than is necessary

 So why am I writing about abundance and creative thought, joining them in the same article? Because one leads to the other. I found that when there is an abundance of life in me, when God’s word is alive in me, according to Colossians 3:16, joined with a balanced amount of service that I am involved in (James 2:14 -18.) Then comes creative thought. God is amazing for many reasons. I love that that he gives creative thought when we spend time with him and in his word. God is very relational. When we are in a relationship with God he loves to share his heart with us showing us his creativity in what he has made, things we see and what we don’t see. According to John 16:13 God placed his Spirit in our hearts for the purpose of showing us what is in his heart. God isn’t selfish and doesn’t have a cloke and dagger relationship with us. He wants us to know him and the things he loves. He gave us 5 senses because he wants us to enjoy what he has created. He knows what speaks to each one of us. According to Psalm 39 he knows each of us intimately because he created us uniquely as indivuals who relate to him. That’s why he calls us personally. The call to be born again into new life is never a corporate decision but always a personal decision.

·        We read and study God’s word, filing the reservoir of our hearts and minds.

·        We meditate on it by talking about what we have in our reservoir with God (prayer) and each other (fellowship).

·        We play out what we are learning by putting it into action (James 2:14 -18 and Matthew 28:19.) 

·        God’s Spirit moves his word 18 inches from head to heart and we begin to see it through revelation Ephesians 2:17.)

·        God’s words become alive in us according to Colossians 3:16 and our relationship with God is transformed to more than just words we hear on Sunday morning in church and become personal.

·        Life becomes abundant with the richness of more experience and revelation, my wife calls this a flowing cup, she draws that term from Paul in Philippians 2:17.

 That is when creativity comes, through great thought and action. God begins to drop his thoughts in our minds and hearts. This is the place that great ministries are born, books are written and art is expressed through the very expression of a relationship with the maker of all things. All gifts come from above. There are no wrong gifts just miss guided gifts. Depth and abundance comes from relationship with God who knows us intimately because he created each one of us uniquely the way we are. He alone knows the depth of each heart.

 Abundance and creativity go hand in hand but not in a way that is expressed by a void of a relationship with God who burns to lalvish his love on us and through us because he all about relationship, he always has been and always will be.

Abundant creativity comes through him and having a relationship with him. It’s never too late to get started.

Staying in the game

 In 2 Samuel we read the story about the day King David decided to stay home from battle.

Men are great when we are challenged, or have something to conquer and fight against, when we’re in the heat of the battle and involved with the process of making a difference.  Our Achilles heel is when we have too much free time on our hands. Idol time is our worst enemy.

 King David sent his right hand man to lead Israel into the season of battle while he stayed home. So what’s wrong with taking a day off, right? The issue isn’t a day off from work but a day off from our relationship with God. I work in construction 5 days a week. I’m a Christian Man 24/7. The enemy knows that. He is looking to take advantage of any weak point in my day - every day.

 David found himself alone with nothing to do one day. From his roof he had a bird’s eye view of his kingdom. There must have been a shift in the way he looked at things before he saw Bathsheba taking a bath. Board; his thoughts wondered away from the things of God. What was he doing looking into someone else’s back yard anyway? When we get bored we let our minds wander then we start to take liberties that get us in trouble.  We know where the boarder of danger is only too well, boredom is the Humvee the enemy uses to crash the gates of the boarder. We take the ride voluntarily, we’re never forced. He always makes danger look fun; it’s the forbidden fruit that always looks the best.

 Living Excellent is taking inventory of our lives in light of God, who alone is perfect, and then by the council and guidance of his words in the Bible, we make a conscious effort to make the better choice in every area of our lives. That’s what the Bible calls godliness, knowing the difference of right and wrong then making the decision to live and speak in a way that pleases God, his ways not ours. It’s our choice.

 Acting decisive is moving in a forward direction with confidence, not wavering in our decisions. The ability to act decisive as a man of God comes from making excellence the lifestyle we practice every day, in all we do.

 In Luke 17:20 Jesus says "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation of the gospel.

 Christianity is not a spectator sport. The Christian life is not a part of who we are brothers, Christianity is who we are, and designed to be lived with great passion.

Stay in the Game

Finding Rest

Recently on a trip to Napa Ca. with my wife for a short getaway. We went to a great winery that was built to look like a 16^th century castle. Can’t tell you much about the wine but the castle was fun as we walked around the courtyards and up the stairs through the halls and balconies into the tunnels we imagined what life might have been like to live in the era. As we were leaving we came across some sheep. They were bleating out with loud cries, it was early evening so I’m sure it must have been time to eat. My wife is a lover of animals so she grabbed some nearby grape leaves and fed them. Another couple walked up with who had an older very small dog. The owner told us he had very bad eye sight. She wanted to let her dog smell the sheep but was afraid the sheep might bite her dog. Janice and I have been around sheep over the years so we were accustom their mannerisms. Janice proceeded to inform the lady her dog was indeed safe but to watch her pup because it would be more likely that he would be more aggressive toward the sheep. Janice went on to tell the couple that the sheep were very docile animals and nearsighted and had to flock together or they would get lost easily (not being the most intelligent animals) Then she went on to tell the couple that is why Jesus related to us as the sheep of his pasture because we had the tendency to not be of good eye sight and get lost all too often straying from the paths he set before us knowing what is always best for us.

Today I was reading Matthew 11:28-30. Jesus tells us to come to him when we are taking on too much of a burden when we are worn out and overwhelmed with the involvement of life and we get consumed with the necessary activity of living. He tells us that we should take his yoke on us because his burden is light and he desires to give us rest.

I thought about those sheep at the castle in Napa, about the conversation or should I say the accurate and gentle loving evangelistic teaching of my wife to some strangers that God brought to her that day as she expressed her knowledge of his thoughtful love. I thought of how we like sheep get so involved with the activity that is right in front of us not realizing how heavy we make life by taking on everything ourselves in our strength getting so overwhelmed we burn out then crash and burn. I have been on the verge of crashing and burning for the past few months. Life can be demanding and service

 to others that should be joyful, because usually it’s a passion set in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, becomes nothing but work on top of life, it’s then that nothing is easy. We cry out to God but the last thing we do is take his yoke on us. We continue to shoulder the weight of our load alone.

We really are like sheep that need constant care. Our eyesight is not the best and we get disillusioned thinking we have the ability to go it alone instead of always staying under the yoke Jesus offers us, that is easy and enjoyable to ware. Jesus wants to give us abundant life in this life as well as in the next. He wants us to have a joy that is complete, found in him not in our own ability and strength.

I am thankful today that he is a present help in a time of struggle and need. I think he lets us struggle at times for us to learn lessons and grow up as it were. I thought at my age most of the growing up was over, but in light of eternity we will always be growing up and learning in this life. We learn more about who he is and gain an experiential knowledge of his presence in all things.

Something interesting caught my eye in the Matthew11 passage this morning. After Jesus invites us to come alongside him under his yoke, he says “LEARN OF ME”. We are so use to being under the burdens of life that learning a new way of  living with joy in the midst of trial or burden because he is foreign to us…well it takes a lifetime of learning.

School is in; let’s enjoy life together we can help each other learn about his light burden, finding his rest.  

Growing in your knowledge of God

It pleases God when we grow in knowledge of him.  Our understanding of growing in knowledge of anyone is based on our concept of acquiring information of a person. As true as that is and necessary to aquire information about someone to get to know them, That is only a starting point. The apostle Paul had a different concept in mind when he said “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.           

Take a look about a couple of examples of the way God looks at things. He says he has chosen the foolish and weak things of this world to confound the wise and strong. Our concept the opposite position. “Only the strong survive, there is power in knowledge.” These things are true but they refer to a life dependent on who we are and what we can accomplish, instead of a life of dependence on God alone. God also says “the last shall be first’ and ‘to be great you must become a servant.” Again this sounds opposite to what we were told when we were growing up.

I’m not advocating living a life shrouded in ignorance nor living an unhealthy life style or avoiding strengthening our bodies. That would be ridiculous.

  If we grow in the academic aspect regarding our knowledge of God alone we create in ourselves the distinct possibility of self pride, arrogance and religious piety that will equal that of the Pharisees and Sadducees that Jesus spoke so strongly against during the first century when he said “beware of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.”

When we are taught to grow in the knowledge of God it's not an academic by itself but relational through experience. This idea makes me think of a time when I was chasing my wife. Yes I said chasing. I wanted to learn everything about her so I could impress her and learn to please her. I wanted to spend time with her. I wanted her to want to spend time with me. I figured if I knew what made her happy, figuring out what made her smile and laugh she would do everything she could to get more time with me. Soon I wanted to know how she thought and what motivated her to act the way she did. I wanted to avoid what made her mad or fearful. I wanted to know what her dreams and aspirations were. I wanted to know what made her who she is.

 This kind of knowledge is both academic and relational. The relational knowledge was and still is only found out by experiencing her, by spending time with her and studying her. After 32 years of being married to my wife, the same holds true today as it did 32 years ago. As we both change through the years it requires me paying close attention to her and her needs, desires and dreams.   

In Mark 4:35-41. Jesus had the disciples get in a boat with him to set sail across the Sea of Galilee. As we pick up the story Jesus is sleeping and there is a squall that forms as they are in the middle of the sea. The wind is blowing and the waves were big enough to sink the boat. The disciples panic, consider that these guys were seasoned fishermen. Some small amount of wind and waves wouldn’t have frightened them, Mark records that these fearless young men were afraid for their lives. They wake Jesus out of a dead sleep, he immediately takes action and calms the storm, the waves subside and all is calm. He says to them “why are so afraid, do still have no faith?” Growing in the knowledge of God will cause us to call out to him first instead of panic first. Spending time with him in prayer and in his words, the Bible, we learn how he actually feels about us. We learn we can trust him to keep us safe in all things.

God’s desire is always relational. He wants us to know everything there is about him. That’s why he put his Spirit in us. John 16:13-14 says: “But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak from his own thoughts or intentions, but whatever he hears he will speak; and he will reveal to you what is to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is from me and will place it in your hearts making it known to you.”

 God wants us to learn about him and experience him through an ongoing daily relationship. Growing in knowledge of God will be very shallow if all we do is acquire information about him and don’t know how he feels and thinks about us and everything around us. The depth of God is way too great for us to limit our knowledge of him to simply an academic study of the Bible and not delve into the depths of who he is personally. The written words he left for us will always keep us from getting off track with him because of our emotions. Our emotions are a gift from him so we can experience intimacy with him. He is very balanced and will always keep us balanced if we stay consistent in our full knowledge of him and always gaining more knowledge of who he is. Growing in relationship with him daily the way he intended with us the way he always desired from his early walks in the cool of the garden with Adam and Eve.

Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your paths straight.

Focusing on what is right with us

 Funny how when someone is coming to visit or you're having a party things get done around the house that are normally let go. My wife and I just had another couple over for dinner. We spent about four hours in the back yard and then another couple of hours in the house that was already clean, we cleaned and arranged things in hopes of making our dinner guests more comfortable.

 The evening was nice so we set up outside on the deck in the back yard. My wife cooked a fabulous dinner and made up a great desert. Conversation was easy. The night was a success. Our guests have been friends for some time and today I am happy say we are better friends. Time well spent without a doubt.

 My friend is a contractor and some of our conversation was about some of the homes he had built and how his father was a contractor. From the stories I gathered his dad was quite the craftsman. They enjoyed our home which made me feel pretty good because we actually did most of the physical work in the remodel of our house. The only problem with you doing your own work is you always focus on the imperfections and the things you wish you would have done differently or more of.

 Something struck me this morning as I was looking out the bay window into the backyard. I reflected on conversation from the night before. Realizing much like my thoughts of the imperfections in my home because of my construction abilities. The encouraging words from our friends made me realize my focus was on imperfections not on what was positive and functional.

  Many of us view our lives by looking at our shortcomings and our personal imperfections. Paul understood this concept as he wrote in Philippians 3:13 “Brethren. I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”

 I remember years ago my wife and I went to a performance of a Christian comedian. He told the story of not wanting to become a Christian before he got saved. He said “I always thought the Bible was full of don’ts, then he realized after he became a Christian if he focused on doing the do’s he wouldn’t have time to do the don’ts.

 I suppose the idea is we all have amazing things that make us who we are. We all have abilities and gifting that are unique to us. And guess what? It’s good!

  If we focus more on what is right instead of being hamstrung by what is wrong life will be more enjoyable and we will become comfortable in our own skin, the way God meant for it to be. If we compare ourselves to him instead of everyone else around us we will find he is very gracious, he is our present help in time of need. He is at work in us both to will and to do for his good pleasure. If he is for us who can be against us?

 There is so much God wants to do with and through us, his choice is to use us for his purpose. He places us strategically in lives of the people who we can speak to, because they can relate to us. Who we are is no mistake but accurately designed by God for his pleasure.

 We need to learn to enjoy and embrace who we are and how we’re made as we grow in purity and holiness. Paul also said if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Doing the do’s and focusing on what is right with us instead of being frustrated about the don’ts and magnifying what is wrong with us will make life more abundant.

  Life is fun and should not be missed because of looking at what is wrong with it. The journey is what we make it.

Don't sit on the sidelines,  get in the game. 

Have a blast!

Today’s Fire is Not Found in Yesterday’s Ashes

Have you ever seen a great movie followed up by a sequel that was a bomb? Or listened to a CD that was amazing and turned out to be a Grammy winner only to be followed by a CD that no one wants to buy by the same artist?

I was recently involved with helping coordinating a men’s gathering. This was the second year I've been involved. It was unanimous that last year’s men’s event was over the top amazing. This year fell short. The event was good but not great. The planning seemed much more difficult and the attendance diminished from last year.

 The sequel was good but not as good as the original. I was puzzled. As good as it was, and yes God did show up, men accepted Jesus as their savior, I still felt disappointed. The speakers were better than last year; the worship in song was good
.

After months of planning and putting things together, this week was a good time to get some time to get caught up on things around the house. Today (Saturday) I mowed the front and back lawns. Then it was time for some weeding. I sat alone in the quietness of my back yard pulling weeds enjoying the sunny afternoon. I love the quite, it allows me time to reflect and process things. Alone with my thoughts I began to speak to God from my heart.

I thought about the men’s advance last weekend and the unsettled feeling that remained in my heart. I thought about the time and effort that went into preparation. All the sudden my mind was filled with the thought “Today’s fire is not found in yesterday’s ashes.” What? No really what the heck does that mean? Then I thought about how the men’s event of 2010, it was so good and 2011 felt mediocre. Then the thought came again “Today’s fire is not found in yesterday’s ashes.” Exodus 16:4 says: “Then the Lord said to Moses, I will rain down bread from heaven for you." The people were to go out each day and gather enough for that day, on the sixth day they were to collect twice as much so they could have enough for the seventh day and not gather manna on the Sabbath.

One of the teachers at the retreat spoke about authority in Christ; he said authority doesn’t come through just knowing about the name of Jesus but through intimacy with him. That intimacy is a daily issue.Yesterday’s connection with the touch of the Spirit doesn’t fill the need for today. A lot of Christians try to be filled and live on Sunday’s sermon all week with no contact with Jesus at all during the week. No Bible study, no fellowship, and especially no intimate prayer time in his presence. The problem is we become famished and malnutrition sets in. We begin to live in what the teacher called soul famine. The funny thing about someone who is starving, almost anything begins to look good to eat, even things that will cause harm. A person adrift at sea dying of thirst will drink salt water, eventually it's the salt that dehydrates him and will kill him. When our souls are starving if we don’t take in what we know to be nourishing for a long enough period of time we will try to fill it with things unimaginable. Things that would normally be obvious to us as unhealthy to our spirit. Things that are not supported in God’s word. All because we are starving for the things of God but we don’t go to him to find what we need. If we try to just live our Christian life from Sunday to Sunday we will eventually see other things as better than the eternal promise offered to us. Our experience will become like the manna that was kept too long and would begin to smell foul and turn to worms.

We need a fresh daily portion of intimacy with Jesus to live in the power and demonstration of the Spirit who wants to live in and through our lives.

All we need is found in his presence.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things will be added to you.

Today’s fire is not found in yesterday’s ashes.

Stay close to him, the entry point is found in a prayer closet.

It's your choice

The choice we make could be the difference between life and death.

On Saturday I was getting ready to meet a friend for breakfast. My day was scheduled pretty tight, as usual there was way too much to do. I was running a little behind, not having called my friend the night before I thought a call on the way was a good idea. My friend couldn’t make it. So I turned the corner heading for the freeway and figured my day would start a little earlier than expected. As I turned the next corner in the distance was what looked like a guy lying in the street. Approaching the guy I saw a woman walk up next to him and bend over to talk to him. Now on the scene I saw the pool of blood under the man’s head and the woman who was talking to him had on latex gloves and she was holding his head.

 I have been First Aid and CPR trained for two years now but never used my training. I jumped out of my truck and ran over to help. As we went through the procedure the memory of my training came right back. I found myself knowing what to do next. I would assist the woman who was on the scene first. Calling out to the young girl on the cell phone and giving vital signs with basic information to the 911 operator. Another man arrived next to me and we gently rolled the man, who was the victim of a bicycle accident, on to his back. He was seizing when I arrived but now showing signs of being alert and coming to consciousness. The woman, who was a nurse, braced his neck with her hands as I restrained him from grabbing at his facial wounds. The other man who helped me roll him left the scene and another showed up, He was asked to help with traffic control so no additional injury’s would take place. The paramedics arrived. As one took my place I made my exit, too many people involved may have caused unnecessary confusion.

The whole event was surreal and was over very quickly. As I began to reflect I was very thankful for the training I received.
As I thought of my full day and having missed a breakfast I was really looking forward to, all of my plans seemed insignificant in relation to what took place.

 I began to think about a couple of things:

 I thought of the Psalm that says that a man plans his ways but his steps are ordered by the Lord. We always make our plans but need to be sensitive enough to the move of God’s Spirit to allow our plans to change for his plans to be carried out through us. I began to wonder why do we push through staying on task so we can complete our daily routine? As we usually do how often is the desire of God to use us missed, causing our journey to come up short of valuable experiences filled with the glory of God that becomes part of our story. I wondered if it would have been a still small voice that prompted me to reschedule breakfast and go around the block to head for the freeway, instead of a phone call,  would I have listened?

 I also thought of the passage in the Gospel of John…Jesus speaking about the Holy Spirit says “he will remind you of the things I already spoke to you.” Like my training I remembered when I needed it ,the Holy Spirit will remind us what we have already learned from the words of Jesus, they will come during times of confusion, persecution, when we need guidance or comfort. Also the book of Galatians says: “The mind of the flesh is death but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace. I know, you might be saying what does that have to do with this situation? I’m glad you asked. I thought, if we daily make the choice to set our minds on the things of the Spirit of God we would live much more sensitive to the leading and promptings of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in John 16 that he (the Spirit) would not speak on his own but take from what the Father gives him and make it known to us. He goes on to say “and he will show us things to come.”

Being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit takes walking in the Spirit and living as a daily sacrifice. Not an easy task because we need to learn to get past ourselves. I had a choice on Saturday. There was no requirement for me to stop and help. My day was very full. Yes it was the right thing to do, the thought really never entered my mind not to stop, but the choice was there for me to make, there were a lot of people who passed by and even more who stood looking on but didn’t help out. Walking in the Spirit is a conscious choice. It doesn't just happen because we are born again or church goers. We have to put in the effort to walk with him and avoid what causes his voice to become silent to our hearing. 

How will we live our daily lives, what will we tell the Father when we stand before him in light of Ephesians 2:10. He made us glorious and set good works in front of us to do, all for his glory.

Life with purpose. Life is larger than living for only ourselves.

I can't move!

 I am in the construction trade. The other day I was in the process of repairing a leak in a basement of a commercial building. It was necessary to dig outside the building below the ground surface down far enough to find the problem and fix it. The area we had to work in was about 5 -6 feet below ground level. The work area was confined to about a 2 by 3 foot area.

 Pressing into that confined space made me think about how life can press us into places that feel like we can’t move. Those times when the only prayer that comes out of our heart is “God.” It’s not even the beginning of a prayer but more like your last breath before you begin to sob uncontrollably.

 That spot comes in various forms…a lost job when you are in your late 40’s or 50’s and no one will take a look at you to hire you at a new company. The news that your son or daughter has been found D.O.A. after being rushed to the hospital because of a hit and run accident. The doctor comes into the exam room and delivers the news that you have inoperable cancer and your time is short, or we couldn’t save the baby your wife was caring because lungs, heart or other vital organs were undeveloped.

 The “oh my gosh what do I do now" moments in life when despair floods your thoughts and emotions.

 That’s when the Holy Spirit groans for us, when there are no words. When prayer is far too much effort, when it feels like silence is the only thing that can give comfort and everything else is just white noise.

 I have been in that place, when pain and confusion are too deep for words when tears flow with no sound. It’s right here when the Spirit of God cries with us. He is in pain exactly like we are in pain.

 Romans 8:26 tells us the Holy Spirit actually groans for us in intercession. He fills our hearts and minds with peace. He is the dearest friend who will sit and say nothing but cry with us in our pain, until only his words are placed in the perfect place at the perfect time, because no one knows better than he does. When peace can’t be found from any other person, he is like a healing balm that sooths and touches the deepest spots inside who we really are, that person we hide from everyone, the person no one else sees inside of the exterior we show the world around us, the little boy in the toughest men, the little girl in the woman who only shows the solid exterior of strength and confidence to everyone around her - that place deep in our souls that no doctor can reach.

 The Holy Spirit rescues us in the time of our greatest hour of need. The rescue mission of intercession by the Spirit of God is supernatural. Romans 8:26 tells us that he helps us in our weakness, when we don’t have what it takes to help ourselves. The idea Romans paints for us is that he crawls into our situation with us. We are never left alone in desperation. The Holy Spirit – God living in us – is right there with us. He is our rescuer in the time of our greatest need. He is always there; he always sees the condition of our hearts. And he is always able to rescue us.

The Holy Spirit in us is an amazing, supernatural gift from a father who loves us so much he gave us all he is.

When we read the scriptures do we miss the heart of God?

When Jesus changes water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee according to John 2:1-11, our focus is  on the miracle of changing one substance into another, and rightfully so. But why did he perform the miracle? Was he drug into public ministry by his mother before he was ready?

We know that Mary, Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding feast. This could have been some relative, most certainly friends of Mary. The close knit community of Cana would have insisted that the entire community would be invited.

Not providing enough food and certainly not having enough wine would be a social disgrace. In closely knit communities of Jesus’ day an error like this would have followed the newly married couple all their lives. Wine was a rabbinic symbol of joy. Running out of wine would have suggested the guests, the bride and groom were not happy people.

Consider How a Jewish wedding took place:

The prospective groom's father first approached the girl's father with the proposal of marriage. If the girl's father agreed to the suggested dowry, the two men sealed the agreement with a toast of wine. 
 The prospective groom proclaimed his love and asked his love to marry him.  If she accepted his proposal the agreement was validated by the presentation of a gift, usually a ring, he said to his intended bride, "Behold you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the laws of Moses and Israel." 
 Arrangements were made right then concerning the terms of the marriage.  A written contract listed the time, place, and size of the wedding as well as recording the dowry and terms of maintenance of the marriage.
 The typical Jewish wedding took place at night.  As soon as any members of the wedding spotted the moving torches signaling the groom's approach, their cry echoed through the streets, "The bridegroom is coming."  The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia tells us, "Mirth and gladness announced their approach to townspeople waiting in houses along the route to the bride's house."  Upon hearing the announcement, the excited bride would drop everything in order to slip into her wedding dress and complete her final personal preparations for marriage.
    Instead of the groom entering the bride's house, the bride came out to meet him.  The two, accompanied by their wedding party, returned together to the groom's house for the marriage ceremony.  Following the public ceremony, the newlyweds entered their bridal chamber to be intimate with each other for the first time.  After this union, the groom came out and announced to the wedding guests, "Our marriage is consummated."
     Receiving the glad news, the wedding party began a "festive" seven-day celebration.  The celebration lasted seven days only if this was the first marriage of a virgin girl. The bride and the groom stayed with each other in seclusion.  At the end of this time of privacy for those seven days, the groom would present his unveiled bride to everyone in attendance.  The newlyweds then joined in the wedding feast with the guests.
 So consider the heart of a loving God:
Mary missed out on all the fan fare and attention of what would take place for a young Jewish girl, who no doubt dreampt of her own wedding. The honor and all the expectancy of a traditional wedding ceremony, all that a wedding ceremony meant as a believer in God. Mary was honored to accept the call of God on her life. But now at the wedding ceremony of a friend, all the memories of excitement, anticipation, joy, fear, and love had to rush into her heart and mind. Then the feeling of lost dreams, what could have been. What every little Jewish girl watched and dreamed of one day for her own life. Joseph now gone she was alone with no covering of a husband. No fond memories of that great day shared by a husband and wife.
God is a healer of our deep wounds with a touch of his hand. Sometimes he chooses to do something more for us that causes us to understand his love in ways that will speak to the deepest unspoken areas of our hearts that hurt beyond words.
 No wine for her young friend! Mary knew the shame that would come, the thoughts and the looks this young girl and her young husband would have to endure the rest of their lives. Mary felt the horror and feared the worst.
 Mary looks at her son, knowing who he is and that he was capable to take care of what was necessary, she says "there is no more wine!" Jesus told her very sternly, “woman, why are you dragging me into this, it’s not my time yet.” 
 Jesus performs this miracle for Mary. To touch the heart of Mary and to cause her to know that he knows she missed out on her childhood dream.
 I don’t want to miss the heart of God. He cares about lost dreams, and missed opportunities. Sometimes what look like the small things are the larger things and he knows that. I want to slow down and find God’s heart in why he did the things he did, not just that he did them.
He is there at all times, he sees our hearts in all things and he is able to touch us when and where we need him to touch us.
The thought of this moves me to greater trust in him.
 Thank you my brother Dale Brockett for dropping this in my heart. You are an amazing gift from God.

Growing in the Knowledge of God

It pleases God when we grow in knowledge of him.  Our understanding of growing in knowledge of anything is based on our concept of growing in knowledge not God’s concept. The only problem is we don’t usually get it.

Take a look at a couple of things the way God does. He says he has chosen the foolish and weak things of this world to confound the wise and the strong. Our concept is just the opposite. Only the strong survive, there is power in knowledge. These things are true but they refer to a life dependent on who we are and what we can accomplish, not of dependence on God alone. God also says the first shall be last and last shall be first and to be great you must become a servant. Sounds opposite again to what we were taught when we were growing up. How many times have we heard second is still second. No one remembers the person who finishes second.

I’m not advocating living a life shrouded in ignorance or not living a healthy life style . That would be ridiculous.I love competition and think it is even healthy. But it is not an end to meat all means.

  If we focus on an academic growth in our knowledge of God alone we create in ourselves the distinct possibility of self pride, arrogance and religious piety that will equal that of the Pharisees and Sadducees of the first century. Jesus spoke out very strongly against this attitude and lifestyle, he said "beware of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees."

When we are told to grow in the knowledge of God it isn’t just academic but relational as well.
When I was chasing my wife. Yes I said chasing. I wanted to learn everything about her so I could impress her and learn to please her. I wanted to spend time with her; wanting her to want to spend time with me. I figured if I knew what made her happy, figuring out what made her smile and laugh she would do everything she could to get more time with me. Soon I wanted to know how she thought and what motivated her to act the way she did. I wanted to avoid what made her mad or fearful. I wanted to know what her dreams and aspirations were. I wanted to know what made her who she is.

 This kind of knowledge is both academic and relational. The relational knowledge was and still is only found out by experiencing her, by spending time with her. After 32 years of being married to her the same holds true today as it did when the chase was a foot. As we both change through the years it requires me paying close attention to her and her needs, desires and dreams.   

 In Mark 4:35-41. Jesus had his disciples get in a boat with him. They set sail across the Sea of Galilee. As we pick up the story Jesus is sleeping and there is a squall that forms as they are in the middle of the sea, The wind is blowing and the waves were big enough to sink the boat. The disciples panic, now consider that these guys were seasoned fishermen. Some small amount of wind and waves wouldn’t have frightened them, Mark records that these guys were afraid for their lives. They wake Jesus out of a dead sleep, he immediately takes action and calms the storm, the waves subside and all is calm. He says to them “why are so afraid, do still have no faith?” Growing in the knowledge of God will cause us to call out to him first instead of panic first, because we learn we can trust him to keep safe us in all conditions through our journey as we walk with him.

God’s desire is always relational. He wants us to know everything there is about him. That’s why he put his Spirit in us. John 16:13-14 says: “But when He the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears he will speak; and he will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify me, for he will take of mine and will disclose it to you.”

 God wants us to learn about him and experience him through an ongoing daily relationship. Growing in knowledge is very shallow if it is only academic and not relational. The depth of God is way too great for us to limit our knowledge of who he is that comes from what we glean academically alone, not delving into the depths of who he is through building a relationship with him. The written words he left for us will always keep us from getting off track relationally with him because of our emotions. Our emotions are a gift from him so we can experience intimacy with him. He is very balanced and will always keep us balanced if we stay consistent in our full knowledge of who he is. Always moving forward gaining more knowledge of who he is. Growing in relationship with him daily the way he intended from his early walks in the cool of the garden with both Adam and Eve.

Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your paths straight.

Submission

I find the word submission a difficult one to live by. The topic of submission is a common conversation among Christians, but not so quickly applied. The Bible has much to say about submission: “Wives submit to your husband’s in Christ, ‘submit to those in authority over you, ‘submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you, ‘you younger men submit to your elders.”

 The trouble is we don’t like to submit to the authority of God. We all like the idea and understand the concept of submission but let’s face it it’s not easy to do.

  This morning I came across the passage where Jesus comes John the Baptizer, in Matthew 3:13-17, to be baptized. John is taken back by Jesus’ approach to him. John knows Jesus as God. The one who has come to take away the sins of the world.  John makes the statement; “one is coming whose sandals I am not worthy to untie,” making it pretty obvious he had a full grasp on who was standing in front of him. John physically sees his cousin but the Spirit of God had revealed to him this was God incarnate. I love the statement Jesus makes in verse 15, “John for now this is the way it is, so we can fulfill all the necessary requirements of the law.” David Murrow puts it like this “it’s like a new golfer giving golfing lessons to Tiger Woods.” Are you kidding me? Do you think John was standing there scratching his head?

 There are times when God will lay something in our hearts that doesn’t seem to make any sense. In fact there are times when God asks us to do things that will make us look foolish or weak, or even to us like we might be in harm’s way. I recently experienced a situation like this. A long term situation has been brewing where I work; the situation was like a pressure cooker left too long getting ready to explode. A coworker who is a button pusher got out of hand. Last week things escalated to the point of getting outsiders involved. After several meetings there was a verbal reprimand that resulted in a meeting among our peers. The morning of that meeting I was going through my devotions and the Lord dropped in my thoughts that I should take the opportunity to ask this man to forgive me. WHAT?

 Literally after months of self examination, prayer, fasting and talking to other men in authority at church, looking for a Godly view of the situation, wondering if I was in violation of scripture or before God, I came to the conclusion I had done nothing wrong. Then the Lord tells me I need to ask for the forgiveness of a man who has no conviction of Godly matters or anything about God at all. Like John the Baptist, I was confused.

Jesus told John we need to do this to please God.

 I didn’t like what I was asked to do. I had a choice to make, would I go with what I was convinced to be right in my mind and emotions or obey God and do what felt very unnatural to me? An apology would make me look foolish in front of unbelievers, authorities over me and friends.

 The meeting went off pretty good. The opportunity came for me to speak up. Like a pregnant pause, you could hear a pin drop. I looked across the circle of 14 construction workers standing next to each other. It felt like two gladiators facing each other ready for battle. The work force divided into two camps, half with him and half with me. There was absolute silence, the air was so thick you needed a sawzall to cut it! I called my nemesis out by name, first stating the obvious issue between us then I said “if I have done anything to make you’re working environment uncomfortable, please forgive me.”

 Almost immediately there was an overwhelming sense of release in me, fighting back the tears welling up in my eyes. I wasn’t done. I addressed a problem with another man who had been a friend, now in the opposite camp, and asked for his forgiveness as well.

I learned a very deep and hard lesson this month. Submission to God is not always something that makes sense. Submission is a matter of obedience and a matter of will. Is Jesus Lord of my life, or just my Savior?

Living as a disciple of Jesus is not easy because in order to follow Jesus, submission is a requirement. Submission comes at personal cost. Jesus said “if you want to be my disciple you must pick up your cross daily.” Being called a child of the Living God has benefits, it holds many promises, but it’s not always easy, there is a cost. It would be easy to pay a monetary price to enter the kingdom, God knew that. The requirement of our devotion is at a personal cost of honoring Jesus as the King of Kings, it’s the hardest thing we will do in this life because it requires us to live as sacrifices at the expense of our sinful nature we were born into. Jesus placed the Holy Spirit in us to empower us to do the right thing and to guide us into all righteousness.

Submissions to the things of God are not always easy, but it teaches us how to live in the abundance of his favor, teaching us how deeply he loves us and wants the very best for our lives.

  Work hard at submission, to honoring the King of Glory. Love him and keep his words alive in your heart daily.  

Seeing Things as They Are Meant to be Seen

 How do we look at obstacles and difficult situations that get right up in our faces? 

 What about the person who is obstinate or verbally abusive toward us?

  

I started January of 2011 by asking God to change the way I viewed things in life. After all what Christian doesn’t want to be more holy or take on the attitude and views of God, right? The statement “Be careful of what you pray for” is such a cliche. That statement feels cheap, like God is looking to trick me or wanting me to go through something unnecessary. He always wants what is best for me. It’s not even in his character to give me anything that will harm me or fill me with anxiety.

 Moving forward means change, positive change means looking at what doesn’t work, then purposely exchanging it for a new way of doing something that does work.

  Some years ago a pastor told me, “when you find yourself in the middle of a trial don’t ask God for a way out, ask him to help you learn his lesson for you in the middle of the trial.” I really didn’t like that idea then, and I don’t like that idea today. I still don’t like trials, today I’m better at not running away from them.

 There is a book in the Bible named “James.” James was the brother of Jesus. James pastored the early church in Jerusalem. He opens his letter with the statement “consider it the purest form of joy brothers when you encounter different kinds of trials.” Because the purpose of those trials are to cause us to mature, lacking nothing. That includes the trials we had nothing to do with getting ourselves into, as well as those we bring on ourselves.

 Trials act as an interesting tutor. They have the tendency and ability to dig into the deepest parts of who we are, the areas that no one else usually sees. We know how to disguise these dark areas, protecting them from eye sight. Our tutor also reveals our blind spots. More often than not our emotions play a large part of the unyielding, relentless lessons our tutor requires us to master.

 Just like a student in a classroom who studies his lessons is required to endure a test to prove what has been learned. Tests we encounter in life ensure our lessons have not past by without making an imprint on who we become or at the very least forming us into better students than we were before we started.

The most difficult thing about lessons in life is that for the most part they include people. I find that when trials come, they usually include a person that I don’t get along with or care too much for, fortunately this is a very short list for me. This is the point where I usually want to cut and run.

 If you like to cook you may appreciate the use of a mortar and pestle. A mortar and pestle is a set of cooking tools used to crush, grind, and mix solid substances, the pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, and the end is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, usually made of hard wood, ceramic or stone. The substance to be ground is placed in the mortar and ground, crushed or mixed with the pestle.

 I like the picture this paints for me. Trials that include other people are the times when life and ideas don’t flow freely between two or more people. Like the pestle performing the work it’s designed for, trials that involving people have the feeling of grinding and mixing incompatible substances together until they break down and are combined as one, creating a new compound much better or more effective than the original. Both original substances are changed forever.

 I am a lover of people. When someone comes into my life l view our connection as an investment, forming the person who I become, hopefully I become an investment in their lives as well. I want all my investments to have large dividends that pay often for both parties. Every encounter with people has the potential for greatness. Some investments are better than others, but all investments, good or bad, large or small, leave an imprint on each one of us.

 When the lord brings abrasive or incompatible people into my life, as I yield to the trial that presses me in the mortar bowl, I’m learning to look at those trials as the better part of my journey however uncomfortable and unnatural they may be. So although these may be the most difficult of trials, they become the richest and most memorable with the greatest potential for creating in me tolerance, understanding, and humility, my personality becomes more colorful and my character stronger.

 The remainder of the James passage, the second verse in chapter one says… “Because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature, lacking nothing.”

That sort of rings in my ears, mature, lacking nothing. What a lofty goal! Obviously pastor James loved people and had the desire to see people growing into their greatest potential. He wanted it so much he was willing to tell them the hard things. The same potential God has placed in each one of us. A shepherd’s heart will do that. That pastor, who talked to me about trials so many years ago is that kind of pastor, he is a man who chases after the heart of God.

 Every one of us need people who aren’t afraid to tell us the hard things, speaking to the true person behind the mask we all wear when we first encounter each other. To really know who someone is takes time. It requires standing with each other as we go through tuff times instead of avoiding each other during the trials that change us. Standing with someone through trials also shows the results the lessons our trials have created in us.

I want to see things differently; I want to see difficult people differently. We should embrace difficult situations and trials, they act as a spring board for moving us on to the next season of life, as we grow into maturity.

Embrace the road to maturity. It’s worth the trial.