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
Monday, February 27, 2012
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.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
A new way to post and to live
Well my friends, I've been inspired, after hitting the ole doctors office recently, I've realized I need to be eating healthier. So its been about 1 month, my wife and I have revamped our diet, let me tell you I feel much better, in only a month! All that aside I think I will share a bit of the new way of living as I go, here is what I will tell you.
Eating healthy and taking care of your body is honoring to God, many of us overlook it and think oh whats the big deal. Take some time to study what you are putting in your body, "high fructose corn syrup" = poison. God never intended us to fill our bodies with junk, as the temple of the holy spirit we should be taking care of it. I want to be around for my family and hopefully kids in the future ;). Its sobering to know that we are finite, but also good to remember, what choices will you make today? Peace love and uh...tofu (ok that is going to far....I dont endorse tofu, nasty nasty yuk yuk).
Eating healthy and taking care of your body is honoring to God, many of us overlook it and think oh whats the big deal. Take some time to study what you are putting in your body, "high fructose corn syrup" = poison. God never intended us to fill our bodies with junk, as the temple of the holy spirit we should be taking care of it. I want to be around for my family and hopefully kids in the future ;). Its sobering to know that we are finite, but also good to remember, what choices will you make today? Peace love and uh...tofu (ok that is going to far....I dont endorse tofu, nasty nasty yuk yuk).
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The purpose of "Study"
When did the gospel become a topic to debate? When did it become an item to pull apart and have a "smart" conversation about? This question has been brewing in my heart for a while now. Yes I'm sure someone will comment about how we need to study and show ourselves approved, I agree. Study is different though than becoming a philisophical thinker who prides themselves on neat big words. Our lives are to be impacted by hearing the voice of the Lord and obeying. We obey out of his love for us. If we dont understand that as Christians, we are no more than pharisees who are stuck in the law. Let us experience Christ.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
A great gift
This morning I am truly thankful. For my wife, she is my best friend, the one I laugh with, live life with. She is beautiful, patient and kind, gentle and strong. The Lord has blessed me with a great gift.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
It has been way too long....Post 4 eyes
So its true, after 32 years of living life with two eyes, I shall soon have 4. I wondered why things were really blurry, turns out, I needed glasses. It slowly snuck up on me, very gradual thing, but once I saw with glasses, I was literally amazed at the difference. You can tell where I am going with this..... :). Mankind is born into a world where we see very blurry, we smack into things, we hurt others, we get hurt. We are separated from Almighty God. Sin. In Gods great love and mercy He sent His Son to redeem us and bridge the gap to a relationship with God. John 3:16. Quoted, many times on neon colored signs at football games, yet its significance is many times passed over. I recently watched Amazing Grace the movie, in the extras it talks about the creation of the song amazing grace, this song has been sung at funerals, recited on the battle field, sang in churches with tall steeple's, and yet its meaning is lost. I once was blind but now I see, we don't know we can't see until we have the truth revealed to us of what it means to truly see. This Christmas season, remember that great moment from Charlie Browns Christmas- The reason is Jesus, he came to bring sight to the blind and light the way for us to come back to him.
Monday, October 17, 2011
I'm not here- John Eldridge/C.S. Lewis
"I'm Not Here"
Incredible. What a self-indictment. "Nothing dangerous is happening here." Those men have already been taken out because they've swallowed the Enemy's first line of attack: "I'm not here-this is all just you." You can't fight a battle you don't think exists. This is right out of The Screwtape Letters, where Lewis has the old devil instruct his apprentice in this very matter:
My dear Wormwood, I wonder you should ask me whether it is essential to keep the patient in ignorance of your own existence. That question, at least for the present phase of the struggle, has been answered for us by the High Command. Our policy, for the moment, is to conceal ourselves.
As for those who want to be dangerous (cutting-edge), take a close look at 1 Peter 5:8-9: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
What is the Holy Spirit, through Peter, assuming about your life? That you are under spiritual attack. This is not a passage about nonbelievers; he's talking about "your brethren." Peter takes it for granted that every believer is under some sort of unseen assault. And what does he insist you do? Resist the devil. Fight back, take a stand.
Incredible. What a self-indictment. "Nothing dangerous is happening here." Those men have already been taken out because they've swallowed the Enemy's first line of attack: "I'm not here-this is all just you." You can't fight a battle you don't think exists. This is right out of The Screwtape Letters, where Lewis has the old devil instruct his apprentice in this very matter:
My dear Wormwood, I wonder you should ask me whether it is essential to keep the patient in ignorance of your own existence. That question, at least for the present phase of the struggle, has been answered for us by the High Command. Our policy, for the moment, is to conceal ourselves.
As for those who want to be dangerous (cutting-edge), take a close look at 1 Peter 5:8-9: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
What is the Holy Spirit, through Peter, assuming about your life? That you are under spiritual attack. This is not a passage about nonbelievers; he's talking about "your brethren." Peter takes it for granted that every believer is under some sort of unseen assault. And what does he insist you do? Resist the devil. Fight back, take a stand.
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