Monday, May 12, 2014
Its been a long time....
Its been a long time since I posted, so here you go! I am now a dad, how cool is that! Below is my wife and my boy. I've gained a whole new respect for parents. quite a ride.
Friday, July 20, 2012
The pace we live in
Well, its been a very long time since I posted, not sure if this is read by anyone but ya never know. Lately I've been struck by the pace of life. It is something that goes unnoticed, we quickly move in and out of traffic, try to beat red lights, all for what? To get somewhere in a hurry, our pace is moving at the speed of sound.
I've also been walking through a time of reflection, what my heart condition is, I have been pondering this question. Is Jesus enough for me? Really when it comes down to it, is His presence, His direction, His life in me enough to satisfy? We all have crutches in our Christian walk, when God hints at pull them away we can go into shock. I have been addicted to performing for God, to "doing" great things for Him. Most of us fall into that area, we figure that the Christian life, where it begins is in the doing. We are so used to getting approval or love or contentment, peace, joy or happiness by the doing, that we lump it into our life with God. We are called to action, to be used by God for His purpose. But is Jesus enough for us if we don't have something big to do for Him? We can't change our world until we are changed on the inside, that change is Jesus. Don't be so quick to run off to do things, Jesus may be wanting to talk with you first, sometimes that conversation may take longer than you thought, our pace is not his pace.
I've also been walking through a time of reflection, what my heart condition is, I have been pondering this question. Is Jesus enough for me? Really when it comes down to it, is His presence, His direction, His life in me enough to satisfy? We all have crutches in our Christian walk, when God hints at pull them away we can go into shock. I have been addicted to performing for God, to "doing" great things for Him. Most of us fall into that area, we figure that the Christian life, where it begins is in the doing. We are so used to getting approval or love or contentment, peace, joy or happiness by the doing, that we lump it into our life with God. We are called to action, to be used by God for His purpose. But is Jesus enough for us if we don't have something big to do for Him? We can't change our world until we are changed on the inside, that change is Jesus. Don't be so quick to run off to do things, Jesus may be wanting to talk with you first, sometimes that conversation may take longer than you thought, our pace is not his pace.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Fulfilled Promises
Its amazing to me that it has almost been 1 year since I married the one who God made so perfectly for me. 4/29!!! I love you Eve!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Speaking our need
So...this morning I read in a devotional about speaking our need to God, it is so important to realize its ok to be needy with God. We can say we put our trust in Him our hope our worth, but then we say now I'm a christian, saying I am needy of Jesus' love is almost a christian no no. What? How is it that we can be drawn to Christ out of His love yet we try to live out of something else? It baffles my mind how I will remember how God brought me to him, but I believe the lies at times about how now I have had my fill of Gods love and I need to suck it up and tell others about Christ. Dear Christian, how do we expect to tell others about Christ and a relationship with Him if we rely on "that one time" when we came to Jesus in need, helpless, hopeless and in NEED of Him. People don't want to see a perfect person, a perfect religious person is even worse, what they need, what we need is a fresh touch from Jesus. The fact of the matter is, its not about "pressing in", its about receiving who Jesus is constantly, not from a salvation standpoint, but from a relational standpoint. Should we have to wrestle with God to know His Love? But Russ....what about the story of when that one guy wrestled with God for a blessing? He was not wrestling with God for God, he was coming for a blessing from Him, there is a huge difference, when we make our walk with Jesus about how we need to do more to find him, to fight for that place in the Jesus please have favor on me and bless me because I am praying more than anyone else,etc. It becomes about our pursuit of God instead of His pursuit of us.
So two sides here, one is displaying our need for Jesus, the other, when we come to Him its not for us to receive a blessing per say, its to receive the very love and life of Christ. Allowing His ways and truth to lead us and guide us. My heart is truly saddened by those who strive strive and strive only to find themselves empty, tired, angry worn out, etc. All in the name of being a Christian, I have been there, for way too long, I still find myself falling into it. We aren't Gods answer to the world, remember that, God already gave His answer at the cross and resurrection of Christ.
The long short of it? Can you receive the powerful Love and Grace of Christ? are you willing? Just an simple prayer:
Jesus I know you are Lord of all, I know you came to save me, I accept you and I receive you as all that I need and all I will ever need. Jesus I am broken without you, I need your touch to restore my heart. I trust in you as my Lord. Jesus...Help.
So two sides here, one is displaying our need for Jesus, the other, when we come to Him its not for us to receive a blessing per say, its to receive the very love and life of Christ. Allowing His ways and truth to lead us and guide us. My heart is truly saddened by those who strive strive and strive only to find themselves empty, tired, angry worn out, etc. All in the name of being a Christian, I have been there, for way too long, I still find myself falling into it. We aren't Gods answer to the world, remember that, God already gave His answer at the cross and resurrection of Christ.
The long short of it? Can you receive the powerful Love and Grace of Christ? are you willing? Just an simple prayer:
Jesus I know you are Lord of all, I know you came to save me, I accept you and I receive you as all that I need and all I will ever need. Jesus I am broken without you, I need your touch to restore my heart. I trust in you as my Lord. Jesus...Help.
Monday, March 5, 2012
I Heart
Just watch a video by Hillsong United. I heart revolution "We are all in this together". I dont really know what to say other than that we need Christ, the world does. Loving people to Christ, leaning on Christ. www.i-heart.org
Monday, February 27, 2012
The "Love" word
Dont you just love that? I love coffee, I love this song, I love this weather, I love this shirt, I love this movie, I love I love love...lo...v...e. We whip that word around like we are trying to swat a bunch of flies with a wet noodle.
May I say I am very good and certain things, almost too good for my own good. Sound like any voice inside your head? Paul knew only too well what that was like, if I speak in the tongues of angels, if I prophecy, if I have faith to move mountains.....but have not Love I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor, but have not Love, I am nothing.
Gosh, God goes to the center of who we are, to make us miserable? No, to set us free from ourselves, Scripture says we love because He first loved us. The ability to love, it comes from the author of love. The definition comes from Him. Could it be that God is more concerned with me being patient, kind, keeping no record of wrongs, always forgiving, always hoping, always enduring than looking great as a Christian? I myself have ran over people in the name of ministry, I also have been run over in the name of the gospel. I need Jesus, as a Man, as a Husband, as a Leader, I need Jesus. Our striving for cars, money, status, etc. they mean nothing if we are using those to fill our need for Jesus. Below are lyrics to a recent song by Shane and Shane:
I'm overcoming fear
With Your perfect love, Your perfect love
You're opening my ears to hear
The sound of a lover's voice
You're calling out, You're calling out
Let me see Your face, Your loving face
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
I'm overcoming fear
With Your perfect love, Your perfect love
You're opening my ears to hear
The sound of a lover's voice
You're calling out, You're calling out
Let me see Your face, Your loving face
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
Your love calls me out
Of my death and my failure
Love, Your love
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
Your love calls me out
Of my death and my failure
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
Your love calls me out
Of my death and my failure
Love, Your love, Your love
May I say I am very good and certain things, almost too good for my own good. Sound like any voice inside your head? Paul knew only too well what that was like, if I speak in the tongues of angels, if I prophecy, if I have faith to move mountains.....but have not Love I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor, but have not Love, I am nothing.
Gosh, God goes to the center of who we are, to make us miserable? No, to set us free from ourselves, Scripture says we love because He first loved us. The ability to love, it comes from the author of love. The definition comes from Him. Could it be that God is more concerned with me being patient, kind, keeping no record of wrongs, always forgiving, always hoping, always enduring than looking great as a Christian? I myself have ran over people in the name of ministry, I also have been run over in the name of the gospel. I need Jesus, as a Man, as a Husband, as a Leader, I need Jesus. Our striving for cars, money, status, etc. they mean nothing if we are using those to fill our need for Jesus. Below are lyrics to a recent song by Shane and Shane:
I'm overcoming fear
With Your perfect love, Your perfect love
You're opening my ears to hear
The sound of a lover's voice
You're calling out, You're calling out
Let me see Your face, Your loving face
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
I'm overcoming fear
With Your perfect love, Your perfect love
You're opening my ears to hear
The sound of a lover's voice
You're calling out, You're calling out
Let me see Your face, Your loving face
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
Your love calls me out
Of my death and my failure
Love, Your love
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
Your love calls me out
Of my death and my failure
Your love tears me up
And when its done
Puts me together
Your love calls me out
Of my death and my failure
Love, Your love, Your love
Friday, February 24, 2012
Grace
I find myself trying to understand things, the why's or why not in life. Maybe you've done the same a time or two, someone gets sick, someone wins the lottery. Why is it I never seem to catch a break? Is there something I am not doing? Or maybe doing wrong?
The idea of Grace is one that seems at times to be out of reach or some mystical idea that is great to talk about, but really where does it fit into our purpose driven focused lives? May I suggest that Grace was really never meant to be understood, but rather experienced. For instance, the idea or rather the fact that someone can love you completely regardless of what you do or have done can make anyone including me short circuit. There is someone thing in us that wants to earn it, that wants to have our worth tied up in what we have been able to accomplish. Scripture talks about how we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
This glory is His alone, by right, by who He is, yet here is the startling thing, God in His infinite Love invites into His presence through the sacrifice of His Son. He invites us to the life in Christ, this life is something that most of us stop short of. Meaning that we dont hear much past Gods sacrifice, thus we learn to live up to the point of the cross, feeling that we are still a wretch who is lucky to be saved. At what point do we accept the grace of God, knowing He loves us, has saved us and we are made righteous in His sight. Let me say this, this isn't just an opinion, this is a fact, if you have made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, you are made righteous. I was once told there should be a healthy tension between the Law and Grace. May I be so bold to say, that the Law was fulfilled in Christ and done away with. There is no room for the Law in the Grace filled life. (Which is every Christians right as a child of God).
To bring this all together, God cares about each detail of our lives, sickness, provision, hurt, joy, laughter, peace, the list goes on and on. He call for us is to be obedient to His Divine Love and Grace that has so eloquently been written out in His word to us. The break we have been given is something we didn't deserve, what we have won is a life of hope and freedom and relationship, what have we done? Nothing. It is all by Gods Grace.
The idea of Grace is one that seems at times to be out of reach or some mystical idea that is great to talk about, but really where does it fit into our purpose driven focused lives? May I suggest that Grace was really never meant to be understood, but rather experienced. For instance, the idea or rather the fact that someone can love you completely regardless of what you do or have done can make anyone including me short circuit. There is someone thing in us that wants to earn it, that wants to have our worth tied up in what we have been able to accomplish. Scripture talks about how we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
This glory is His alone, by right, by who He is, yet here is the startling thing, God in His infinite Love invites into His presence through the sacrifice of His Son. He invites us to the life in Christ, this life is something that most of us stop short of. Meaning that we dont hear much past Gods sacrifice, thus we learn to live up to the point of the cross, feeling that we are still a wretch who is lucky to be saved. At what point do we accept the grace of God, knowing He loves us, has saved us and we are made righteous in His sight. Let me say this, this isn't just an opinion, this is a fact, if you have made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, you are made righteous. I was once told there should be a healthy tension between the Law and Grace. May I be so bold to say, that the Law was fulfilled in Christ and done away with. There is no room for the Law in the Grace filled life. (Which is every Christians right as a child of God).
To bring this all together, God cares about each detail of our lives, sickness, provision, hurt, joy, laughter, peace, the list goes on and on. He call for us is to be obedient to His Divine Love and Grace that has so eloquently been written out in His word to us. The break we have been given is something we didn't deserve, what we have won is a life of hope and freedom and relationship, what have we done? Nothing. It is all by Gods Grace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)