Jesus, Our Friend

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:12-15

The passage in John 15 tells us that Jesus is our friend.  Do you consider Him as a friend?  It is sometimes not what we consider our Lord, but scripture is clear He wants to be our friend.  Many times we view God as our guide, leader or sometimes view Him as a mean parent.  These views of God aren't bad, but we should add friend to our list of thoughts about God.

What does your friendship look like with Jesus?  It should be similar to our friendships on earth.  We talk to our friends, share secrets with our friends, cry with our friends, be open and honest with our friends and love our friends.  We have the option to talk to God in prayer all day long.  Spend time in His word and be honest with our Lord.

Remember, He is your Lord and also wants to be your friend.

God Bless.

Part One: Thoughts on Philippians 2:1-11

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. 

And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:1-11

In Philippians 2:1-11, we are encouraged to live differently: humble and with the same mindset of Christ.  This is very counter to our culture; humility is rare.  Read it, read it again and read it a third time.  There is so much in the passage, probably to much to tackle for one post, but here are some thoughts I have gleaned from the passage:

• If you don't have Christ, this is not possible.  We cannot become humble without Christ.  Christ must be in control of your life for humility to rule in your life.  

• We must be focused on Christ.  We cannot be humble with our own operation powers, self will, or legalist training methods.

• As you continue to follow Christ seeking him throughout the day, He will transform you into his likeness; hence the words "have the same mindset as Christ Jesus."

• A few things we should be avoiding:  do nothing out of selfish ambition- Don't look after yourself first, but others.  Being selfish with your time and resources is the fast track to not being humble.  vain conceit- Pride.  Nothing else needs to be said.  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others- Matthew 7:12 says, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..."

If we are focused on Christ, following his teaching than we will not fall into these areas. Romans 2:8 says that that "who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger."

Here is plenty to chew on in Part One: Thoughts on Philippians 2:1-11.  I pray that we stay focused on Christ and chase after Him with wreckless abandonment.

God Bless.

Thoughts on Luke 18: Part Three

"People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:15-17

This is the third part of six I will be writing and posting. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts as well.

Do you have a childlike faith?  Can we have this type of trust in the Lord?  Christ calls you and I to have this type of faith!  Anyone who doesn't, Christ says, will never enter the kingdom of God.  Today this passage is more real to me than it has ever been.

Recently Landon took interest in my bible sitting on my nightstand.  Frankly, he is interested in anything on my nightstand, but is currently fascinated with books.  My first instinct was to snatch it from his hands and tell him no, but than I remembered this passage.  I stopped myself before I could react and instead said, "Landon, there is a story in here for you.  Let me show you."  I read aloud Luke 18:15-17 and told him that I desired to have childlike faith as he does.

When I arrive home from work, Landon runs down the hall to greet me by jumping into my arms.  He knows and trusts I will catch and pick him up.  This picture is a type of faith Christ wants us to have in Him.  Babies trust we will take care of them, nurture them, love them and wipe their bottoms.

Christ wants us to run, headlong, after Him.  Are you running headlong after Christ?

I love the first part of the passage as well.  Jesus wasn't afraid to make friends, even with the youngest.  The disciples thought maybe Jesus was to busy or didn't have time for the children, but Jesus rebuked them.  Jesus desires for us to be friends with people of all kinds; as the song now goes red, yellow, brown, black and white and age shouldn't be a factor.  Jesus wants us to love everyone of all kinds.

Christ followers:  put a smile on your face.  Say hello to a child.  Love your neighbor.  And run after Christ, jump into His arms and bask in His freedom.

God Bless.

Things God Has Been Teaching Me

I have been chewing on a few passages of scripture lately and I feel led to share what God is teaching me.  I pray that anyone who reads, take it as encouragement, because that is the intent.

In an society where using words like honor is fading, Exodus 20:12 tells us we should, "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."

What does that mean to adult child? It means we honor our father and mother in their decisions, even if we disagree with them (not saying you have to agree, but acceptance is what I am talking about). Consider our lifespan, I potentially have 30 years left to spend with my parents. I don't have time to waste on being mad, angry, offended or whatever other selfish feeling you can think of towards my parents, there is just not enough time.

I can't imagine one day Landon or Logan choosing not to speak to me.  Could it happen, yes, I would be broken hearted to tears.  I can't repay my parents in such a way, I love them too much.

In keeping with this commandment, God is going to bless you.

Lamentations 3:38-41 says, "Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven..." 

God is in control of everything.  Good or bad, God is on His throne and His ways are higher than we can fathom.

We have no right to complain.  I have been challenged to examine my ways and return to the Lord in many areas of my life.  When return to the Lord, there is blessing.  Are you missing out on blessing today?  We are encouraged to lift up our hearts and hands to God; what an amazing picture of submission to our Lord.

I heard in a sermon recently the pastor reference Genesis 16:9-10, "Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her."  The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."

God is talking to Hagar, Sarai's Egyptian maidservant, after she found out she was pregnant with Abram's son.  God is telling us to go back, submit and He will bless us.  It is so easy to run away, but God is directing us to go back, deal with it, forgive and forget, insert your cliche, but go back and submit.

God wants to bless you and I, we just need to listen to His words.  God will bless us if we follow and obey His instructions.  Didn't God bless Hagar?  Or course he did; it is believed that Ishmael is the father of the Arabs.

One final passage of scripture that God has shown me recently is, Matthew 7:12.  "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." 

God is going to bless us kindly.  The illustration my friend uses is as follows:  We ask God for a moldy strawberry and He says, "No, you don't want that, here take this fresh strawberry."  Would you give your child a moldy strawberry, by no means.  God wants the best for us.  He wants us to receive blessing and in order to receive it we have to look at verse 12:

"...do to others what you would have them do to you..."

We are called to love one another and treat others as we want to be treated.  I don't want to be treated with disrespect and neither do you.  How do we want to be treated in our mistakes?  We want to be let off the hook.  God wants the best for us; not mediocre. We should treat one another with love; unconditional love and even if it is not returned to us, love them anyway.

Jesus says, "...the greatest commandment in the Law [is] 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matthew 22:36-38).

I pray that I continue to dive into God's word and glean from it what He'd have me learn. God Bless.

Holy vs. Unholy

In The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer states, "We have learned to live with unholiness and have come to look upon it as the natural and expected thing."

This a truth that was real in Tozer's day and continues to be true today. We can see it when we turn on the television, listen to the radio and watch the national political landscape. Unholiness is acceptable and we accept it every single day.

What does our Lord think of this acceptance of unholiness? 1 Peter states, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy" (v. 15-16). God desires for us to chase after Him and be holy.

For those who follow Christ, Romans 6:3-4 asks, "...don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

We are called to live a new life. We are no longer alive for our earthly reasons (ie. money, fame, etc.), but Christ alive in us, to Him all the glory.  Colossians 3 present some guidelines for holy living:

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things," "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry," and "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful" (1-17).

With Christ in our lives we can be holy. Who's in control today; you or Christ?  My prayer is that you and I strive to be holy today and tomorrow and no longer live for ourselves, but Christ.

God Bless.

Thoughts on Luke 18: Part Two

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14

This is the second part of six I will be writing and posting. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts as well.

What a picture of true worship and yet we sometimes forget that proud and condescending attitudes of worship are unacceptable.  This passage of scripture describes two people worshiping God in two different ways.  Typically the Pharisee would be viewed as the "good guy" and the tax collector the "evil guy," but Jesus describes a scene that might surprise some.

The Pharisee followed all the rules and was proud of it.  He tells God, "I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."  These are all "good things" to do, but in these things, is the Pharisee honoring God?  I would say he is only doing them to look good, play the part, bragging about all that he as done and judging others.

The contrast is the tax collector.  Tax collectors were often viewed in the negative light, because many collected taxes for the government and added there own fees; robbing from those who paid taxes.  The tax collector went to the temple, but "stood at a distance," probably because he felt unworthy.  The tax collector is humbled before God and cries out, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."  His body language and prayer indicate true repentance for the sins he committed.  He doesn't make God a list, but confesses he is a sinner and Jesus tells his followers the tax collector, "went home justified before God."

Humility is rare in our culture.  We focus on ourselves, our actions and even our popularity.  These actions effect the way we treat one another and worship God.  If we are not focused and humbled concerning our lives, but instead looking at others and comparing ourselves, than Jesus says you are not justified. 

We are called to be humble and present ourselves in a real manner towards God and one another.  I pray that each of us can read, meditate and soak in this amazing picture of worship Christ shares with his followers in Luke 18.

God Bless.

Praise the Lord for His Faithfulness Endures Forever

"Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.
For he loves us with unfailing love;
the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.
Praise the Lord!" Psalm 117

Praise the Lord! God is going to take care of us no matter what. He is faithful.

It comes down to the 15th and payday hits the bank account. All the bills go out the door and there is only a small amount left. Is this amount enough to get by on? God thinks so, but too many times, I don't think so. Worry sets in and maybe we won't make it to the 30th this month, what than?

Psalm 117 says, "faithfulness endures forever". Do I believe what God is telling me in this passage or is it just a nice psalm to think about. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," states 2 Timothy 3:16.

God-breathed. God is the author; a bestselling author on top of that. God's word is truth and in these words, "faithfulness endures forever," I can firmly believe God is going to take care of my family and I.

From time to time this story I have recounted happens to me. Does God always provide? No matter what the circumstances are God has been faithful. Does this mean we are licensed to be irresponsible? By no means, we try to be responsible with what the Lord provides and as I said, "God has been faithful." He is not only faithful with money, but such much more.

Are you relying on God today? Do you believe His faithfulness endures forever? Put your faith in Him and He take care of you.

God Bless.

Praise the Lord for His Unfailing Love

"Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.
For he loves us with unfailing love;
the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.
Praise the Lord!" Psalm 117

Praise the Lord! He has bestowed some many blessings in our lives and what can we do, "Praise Him!"

I was considering how I sometimes take advantage of God's many blessings. If it is with myself trying to control a situation or squandering what He provided in an irresponsible way, I am prone to allow my flesh to show it self. How many times do we take advantage of what the Lord provides?

Romans 6:6, "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." When I wake up in the morning and allow Christ to live and I chose to die than I am more apt to give praise to the Father and accept His unfailing love. It states, "crucified with him." This crucifixion and death to self with Christ is the only way that we can even live such a life.

Unfailing love! A characteristic of God that is sometime most do not understand or comprehend. What would it look like if we love one another with an unfailing love. In that unfailing love, my thoughts chase the Father's choice to sacrifice his son, Jesus. Am I even willing to let the thought cross my mind for one of my children to pay such a price?

God's love is unfailing. I hope that you will take the time to enjoy this amazing love today and give Him all the praise.

God Bless.

Thoughts on Luke 18: Part One

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:1-8

We started looking at Jesus' parables in chapel recently and I love reading and soaking in Luke 18. So much so, I decided to write a series on the six sections of the chapter. This is the first part of six I will be writing and posting. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts as well.

My favorite question in this section of the chapter is, "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" What is faith? The Greek word for faith is pi'stis and in this context it is a physical action, based upon a belief and sustained with confidence; relying on God no matter what the circumstances or outcome, complete trust that God will take care of it.

The word faith usually brings on the word belief. The scene in Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade portrays the difference. Indiana Jones is in the cavern looking for the holy grail and comes to a cliff and reads the clue. He looks across the bottomless pit and believes that he can step out and he will live, but does he have faith? He takes a moments, holds his heart and believes and steps forward in faith to find an invisible bridge. For me, this images visually show us the difference between the two.

Isn't it hard to sometimes relinquish all your doubts, fear, worries, etc. to the Lord? Yet it is plain in God's word that our faith is powerful. Matthew 17:20 says, "...I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain..." Christ challenges me to allow Him to take over, operate on faith and know that He is going to take care of everything.

Do we follow the example of the widow and pray/cryout to the Lord day and night; petitioning Him for all our daily needs? In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are encouraged to, "pray continually." How's your prayer life? God hears your prayers. Jesus sets the example by praying himself, "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears..." (Hebrews 5:7). When was the last time you prayed and were moved to tears?

We can have such a loving and passionate relationship with Christ and it starts with faith. I pray yours and my faith in Christ grows daily and the fire inside burns because he will return and is looking for the faithful. Where will He find you?

God Bless and tune in next time.

Death to Self. Alive in Christ!

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

Jesus asks Peter, "Will you really lay down your life for me?" Jesus asks us this question everyday. How do you respond? Do you get at of bed every morning and die to self?

Will you say, "I have been crucified with Christ," or continue to live in the flesh?

To continue to live an unchanged life in Christ is to be without Christ.

We are to strive to live holy lives. In first Peter 1:13-16 believers are call to, "...prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

I have a friend who tells me you can be sinless; the more and more I read, study, trust and believe, the more I believe we can live without sin. We need to stop making excuses and strive to be holy instead of abusing the grace of God. The Lord desires us to live holy and righteously. In Christ, you are no longer a sinner, but a saint.

If you commit your life to Christ, die to self, how can we live out this impossible faith? You can't.

In and through Christ you can and only with Christ in your heart changing and permeating your life is it possible.

What do you choose: Death or Alive in Christ?

There is freedom in Christ, will you accept His grace and follow Him?

"Spiritual Musings from a Foolish Man"

I want to invite my readers to check out a blog that I really enjoy.

My pastor buddy (who is not so "foolish"), Jason writes Doodles, Scribbles, Hums and Notes. I keep re-reading his most recent post, The Heart Breaks and Breaks. It rings of truth and it keeps pointing my mind back to Christ. If you don't go to his post, here is a quote:

"You will be beat up and bloodied, but of the things that remain that lead us towards the light, love is the greatest. In the gospels, Jesus dies for love, and the truth is, that is the pathway to a living heart. We reach out with wounded hands that are barely healed from the last experience and our heart breaks and breaks, on its own journey toward being a thing of beauty.

I hope your days are blessed and full of life, but if you must suffer today or tomorrow, suffer for love and let your broken heart live."

Jesus lives, loves and dies for you, but it doesn't end there; He rose three days later and now sits at the right hand of God interceding for us (Romans 8:34).

Go love someone, even if it means someone might not love you back. Love hurts, but Christs love is sufficent.

For sermons from Jason, check out http://www.thewellinaustin.com/

God Bless.

And The Holy Spirit Pours Out

"There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!" Romans 5:3-5

Let me start by saying, I am starting to learn what God wants to see in my life. First, to be a lover, follower and disciple of Christ. God wants me to share the story of His son Jesus to anyone I meet. Help out my neighbor, community and friends who are serving around the world. Second, love my wife. Give her encouragement, support her and listen to her thoughts and desires. Third, love and take care of my family. This means I serve the Lord in whatever capacity he allows and use whatever the Lord provides to put food, shelter and clothes on my wife and son.

Without listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, none of the above is possible.

Leadership with the Holy Spirit:

Recently I have been learning a new style of leadership: Lead with the Holy Spirit in mind; be truthful and bold and compassionate. What does that mean? Throughout the day, weekend or minute by minute, I am tasked with many things. Sometimes I can delegate certain things, asked to make on the spot decisions and many times have people looking for me for guidence. If I do follow the Holy Spirit or determine what the Lord would have me say or do, than I found out that things run much better. If I don't speak up or act with the Holy Spirit in mind, none of these things will happen and it would be just me trying to do all the work.

Confession:

Hi, my name is Jeremy, I am a recovering passive person. If you want to be run over, not speaking up is permission to be allowed to be run over. I am learning to speak up for what I believe, need and desire. As I said, if you don't, you get walked on. Don't get me wrong, sometimes saying nothing at all is the right answer, but too many times I have not said or done enough. God is teaching me this no action is sinful, not right.

As I learn these lessons and apply them, please pray that I will continue to be willing to learn and grow from the many, many, things the Lord is teaching me daily.

God Bless.

When Did Arrogance Become a Fruit of the Spirit?

Arrogance : an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.

The fruits of the Spirit are listed in Galatians 5:22-23, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” These tenants are cornerstones in the Christian faith and attitudes that should be reflected by believers on a daily basis. One famous hymn proclaims,

“And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians
By our love.”

I am a firm believer that we can wake up every morning and ask God to join us on our journey and He will refine these “fruits” within each of us, but that won’t happen over night and they do happen by choice. If I have a problem with one of these, I am going to need to ask God for help and also proactively make these fruits stronger. We can make this choice to: let someone over on the highway, love one another, etc.; with help from the Spirit was can live fruit filled lives.

There is a second list in Galatians. This list highlights aspects of sinful nature that disqualify people from the kingdom of God. “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God,” Galatians 5:19-21

Arrogance does not make the fruits of the Spirit list; rather it can be classified under the sinful nature list. Check out these passages of scripture:

“In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” Psalm 10:4

“To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” Proverbs 8:13

“The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day…” Isaiah 2:17

God “hates” arrogance. If that isn’t simple enough, there will come a day when all men will bow and “the LORD alone will be exalted.” My favorite part of Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life is the first sentence, “It’s not about you.” Too many times we got caught up worrying about if our preacher is a good speaker, weather the band or music leader is playing the right music, or if so and so is tithing enough. “It’s not about you,” it is about God.

I have been pulling my fruits lately and seeing which need water or Miracle Gro. Pull out your fruits, see what you need to work on because I am always finding things in my life that could use improvement and I bet you could to.

Just some “food” or “fruit” for thought. God Bless

What is Ash Wednesday and Lent?

I have had several people ask me about Lent and Ash Wednesday. Not being Catholic, I had to do some research and ask around. This information comes from several sources, but this is what I came up with:

In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Ash Wednesday originated in the 900s and the official name is Day of Ashes. It is called Ash Wednesday because the saints have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross on Wednesday (40 before Good Friday).

According to the Bible a mark on the forehead is a symbol of a person's ownership. When one has their foreheads marked with the sign of a cross it symbolizes that the person belongs to Jesus Christ. A friend of mine told me it is, “to remind us that we came from ashes and will return to ashes (death).” In addition to ashes, Ash Wednesday is also a day of fasting.

Lent is based on the passage from Matthew 9:15 (KJV) that says:

“And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.”

Some sources say the Apostles fasted as they mourned the death of Jesus. The forty day fast preceding Easter, begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Good Friday continues to be practiced today. This fast has morphed into giving up meat instead of an actually fast for most people. Some people give up other items, such as TV, video games, bread, beer, etc. Ultimately, the focus of the fast should be to focus on Christ and his sacrifice on the cross.

I don’t believe this a requirement, but is a great liturgical practice for focusing on Christ.

That is what I came up with. If you have any more information, please let me know.

Not Man, But God

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God gave the increase." I Corinthians 3:6

I sometimes think its all about me; how can I get this person into church, what graphic will work, what song, etc. My buddy blogged about a similar topic and I commented, “I have been considering just grabbing people and shaking them till they come to Jesus…wait, that won’t work.”

The above verse reminds me that I can only do so much, but the rest is ALL in God’s hands.

For those of you struggling with trying to win the world for Christ in an hour; take a deep breath and realize you are one of many tools in God’s big toolbox.

God Bless.

Taylor Swift a Theologian?

Kari encouraged me to listen to a new song on the radio by Taylor Swift. I think the first time I listened to it I didn’t really listen and just shrugged my shoulders and said, “Oh wow,” or something similar. A few days later, Kari encouraged me to listen again, but this time I listened to every word. Love Story written and sung by Swift reminds me of the spiritual journey or the Love Story that many of us are involved in.

These selections come from the end of the song and I think they directly coincide with many areas of my life and the journey I am on:

“Romeo, save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel
This love is difficult, but it's real
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story…”

This stanza reminds me of life and all the material and spiritual things that demand our love or try to tell us how to feel/love. Considering my younger days, the desire to be “cool” by doing the proper things to qualify as cool is a huge misnomer. I love what Donald Miller writes, "I didn't know that cool was just a myth..." There is no such thing as “cool,” but we compelled to feel this way and for me it was a struggle. Our feelings are tugged on by family members, God, peers, girlfriend/boyfriends, you name it, we are stretched when it come to delegating out love. All we can do is cry out to God, “save me” from the “mess.” This begins the ultimate Love Story, asking God to be saved and believing in his Son, Jesus, is our only deliverance from the “mess.”

“I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town”

The next stanza reminds me that sometimes the path gets long and weary. Many times we get on “spiritual highs” when nothing seems like it can go wrong, but we are pulled down by many many things: bills, anger management, trust issues, lack of direction, etc. Many times we allow these earthly things to interfere with our spiritual Love Story. Sometimes we see it fade and let doubt creep into our minds and think “God is not big enough for my problem.” We go searching for God “on the outskirts of town” and even almost lose hope God is even hearing your prayers and we cry out, God “save me” because nothing earthly can feel the void, but God’s love.

“And I said
Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you but you never come
Is this in my head, I don't know what to think
He knelt to the ground and he pulled out a ring
And said”

Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone
I love you and that's all I really know
I talked to your dad, you'll pick out a white dress
It's a love story…”

We confess that we are lonely in mind, but truly we are not alone when the Spirit takes residence in our heart and soul. Or maybe we didn’t accept Christ when we cried out to him the first time and this is our first realization that we need Him.

Either way, this last stanza is a picture of salvation. God is watching out for you and is always on bended knee asking us to choose Him. God doesn’t want or need our love, but offers it. He waits and offers a “ring” and wants us to respond. After we “respond,” we are completely forgiven. Then we get to pick out a white dress, because we are washed clean of our sins by Jesus. It says, "...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:25-27). It all ties into the ultimate Love Story.

What an amazing picture of salvation. It is our choice daily to continue to accept the love, bask in His love, share His love and live out our relationship with Christ by loving God and our neighbors.

I think it is an amazing Love Story. I hope that your own Love Story is progressing. God Bless.

Eternal Ripples

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Have you ever created an eternal ripple? I bet you have, you just weren’t aware of it. I am not sure if this is the appropriate term, but it makes sense to me (I might have made it up, if I did, I call dibs) and it sounds cool.

An eternal ripple is a God ordained action, reaction, conversation or word said to another person or group of people causing them to act in such a way that eternally changes their lives. The ripple continues when this “changed” person carries on the God ordained actions, reactions, conversations or words to others around them; therefore creating an eternal ripple (I also think you are part of a bigger eternal ripple, but I will not go into that).

I think many times you don’t know how your lifestyle or words affect people, but sometimes you get to hear stories or witness them with your own eyes. I love watching God move and work; recently I heard how a co-workers life was changed and I thought I would share.

I started working at an insurance company at the age of 18 and quickly found myself transferred to a new division, with a new manager from Indiana. She was trained in the many ways of cooperate America and excited about her job. On several occasions, she overheard me talking about my faith to co-workers; this immediately sent up a red flag in her book. I was called in for a “closed door meeting” and asked to keep my religious talk out of the office because it was inappropriate and offensive. Respecting my manager, I respected her wishes to an extent, but I am hard to keep quiet.

I am not sure how much time past, but about two months later she called me into her office and said, “Tell me about this Jesus stuff.” In November of 2003 she made profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

I get an e mail the other day from my former manager who, lost her first husband, re-married and has since had a son. From what she tells me, he keeps her on her toes, but the most important thing about the e mail she sent me was the eternal ripple. She said, “without you, my son has an opportunity to grow up and know Jesus as a child or teenager, instead of me figuring it out when I did as an adult.” She has such a powerful testimony, I am so glad to count her as a friend and sister in Christ.

I don’t think she gives me all the credit (I know she doesn't), cause I was only God’s tool in the process, but it is neat to find out how God uses you to pass on His eternal ripple. So, what eternal ripples are you stirring up? Go out and make one!

For more on Eternal Ripples check out "The Church" in "Church," by my buddy Keith.

God Bless.

Dictionary.com: Word of the Day

I checked my gmail this morning and saw this

“Dictionary.com Word of the Day- edify: to instruct and improve.”

“God uses gmail too,” was my initial reaction, but what a good reminder first thing in the morning. I work in a cube environment; you know similar to Office Space, so whenever someone comes to my desk I try to take every opportunity to be positive and say encouraging words. Sometime I catch myself “messing” with people and I have to remind myself to redirect and remember what I am here for. I need to strive to also have a positive attitude, use kind uplifting words and encourage people. Daily, I have so many opportunities to edify; I just have to consciously choose to.

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19

God Bless and have a great weekend.

“Have you stocked up on your hurricane supplies?”

I received this in an e mail from a good friend and than proceeded to joke about how people are crazy about over-reacting about the weather. With the pending “doom” in Austin of Hurricane Ike, which realistically has already caused much havoc for Cuba, but really, do people in Austin, TX need to be worried? Yes, it is a powerful storm; it has damaged an entire country, taken many lives, and there is no doubt it is a powerful storm. Now as the Texas coast prepares for the hurricane; I watch friends worry, shelves at the local HEB empty, and gas prices rise. WOW!

I think our local weather men are selling this shock intensive and fear laced lines for ratings. Frankly this is causing added stress, fear and much panic for many inland folks who under other conditions would be concerned, but not scared. I even caught myself about to text my wife, “Can you pick up some bottled water and summer sausage?” I put my phone down slowly and calmed myself down. An hour earlier, I could care less* about Hurricane Ike and its actual effects on me and my home, but now I am slightly worried (*I do care about the people of Cuba, which have been in my prayers). Why do we let this people into our heads and minds?

Instead rely on God. The Lord says, “May your unfailing love be my comfort…” Our comfort should be in His “unfailing love” and these fears should bounce off our armor. Basically, that Hurricane is coming, I could sit hear and worry about it all day; instead, I took a deep breathe said a quick prayer, and re-focused. Maybe it would be a good idea to have some bottled water, but I wouldn’t stock up a weeks provisions. God drives out fear and provides comfort.

TV Weathermen, please just report the news, we are going to tune in for it anyway. You don’t have to convey fear, with passionate scared facial expressions and heightened tones in your voice. Just tells us what we might expect, because you’re just guessing anyway.

Finding Contentment

In conjunction with completing my read of In the Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson and my own personal struggles, God has taught me so much in the last two months (I highly recommend Batterson’s book, if you haven’t read it).

God has revealed to me that he is going to take care of my wife and I no matter what. With thoughts of other jobs, ministry struggles, and paying the bills, God basically said, “You are where you are for a reason, so make the best of it and I will take care of you.” This assurance of contentment revealed to me that I shouldn’t stress and worry about things I can’t fix and rather let God take control (He is the one in charge, not me or anyone else). In addition, God provided overtime at my job to increase my pay; therefore opening other opportunities to meet more people’s needs as well as our own.

Concerning some other personal struggles, I am currently tackling some Lions. God says, “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10). Affliction is defined as the cause of persistent pain or distress or great suffering. If it weren’t for these current struggles/afflictions and hardships, I would not have the experience nor refinement to face other things that might arise in the future. I am delighted to be alive and make the best of whatever situation God throws my way. It is an amazing learning experience.

Perseverance is also critical. During these times when it just seems you should give up and move to Alaska, God tells us the outcome is maturity. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-5). We are supposed to consider these times joyful! Wow. How hard is that? As I come to grips with what God is up to; it is easy to find comfort in the fact that He is working through it and I can either learn from it or get mad about it and learn nothing. God has taught and is teaching me so much this summer and I am glad to know that it is all part of his plan.

I would encourage anyone struggling, down and out, or whatever the case maybe; to find comfort in the Lord through the reading of scriptures, prayer and loving on one another. Through these avenues, God can provide peace and comfort. Keep you head up for, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). God Bless.