Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29
Two Boats
One day according to the Gospel of Luke, at the Sea of Galilee Jesus taught the Word of God to a spiritually-hungry crowd of people.
They jostled among themselves and crowded around Him, seeming to say
"Give us more, Teacher."
They too, like many of us right now, want more hope, more purpose, and even more accomplishment in Him. A deep inhale of breath accompanies all of these things,
and for many, our breath holds.
And yet in the same way we want to rest and be completely contented and at peace in all things, to fully and deeply exhale.
Today.
Seagulls floated above the crowd that day and at the water's edge,
were two boats.
While continuing to teach, Jesus got into one of the boats - a boat owned by Simon (Peter). A simple fisherman.
"Put us out a little from shore.", Jesus directed Simon.
Just a little ways...
While seated in the boat, Jesus continued speaking the Word of God to hungry followers.
Fresh, warm, sweet bread was offered freely and devoured readily. The Aroma of hope was everywhere!
Meanwhile, the other boat remained tied to shore.
Motionless.
Restrained.
Tense against the rope that bound it.
Like a breath being held.
When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon Peter,
"Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
Simon and the other men had worked all night fishing and hadn't caught a thing - and he told Jesus so.
Yet, Simon relented and said to Jesus,
"But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
The Scriptures within Luke 5 speak the conclusion of the story wonderfully.
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Each and every morning when we awake, we too, stand at the water's edge. The sun is cresting the horizon and casting magnificient rays of reds and oranges and yellows and white towards you!
And as we rub the sleepiness and dreams out of our minds, our eyes become clear and we see someone. Out there, someone is standing between the immense light of the sun and us.
Out there, just a little ways from the shore,
stands Jesus in a boat.
He sees you.
He sees everything that is on your heart, your mind and in your breath today.
Every hope, every dream and every excitement - He sees them.
And every crushed hope, every lost dream and every resulting sadness - yeah... Jesus sees those, too.
And because Jesus sees you and everything
that either lightens you
or darkens you
that! is the very reason why He stands in the boat right now, and waits for you.
He is smiling at you, right now. And with that inviting smile, His eyes and outstretched hands are saying
Come join Me.
Every moment of this life, we get to choose between Two Boats.
One, is always there, tethered to shore but with a knot that all too easily releases. And while there is no captain for this boat, it always seems to pilot itself somewhere, some how,
to nowhere.
No one else is present, just you. An inviting vessel for you to make your own way, today. To go it alone.
Solo. By yourself. In need of no one else.
Yet, another boat awaits nearby.
Unlike the other, it is not tied to shore, or anything. No binding rope is attached and just like the story in Luke, it floats just a little ways offshore with a powerful and warming backdrop of the sun behind it.
A boat that wants to take us deeper.
And if we will look, if we will seek, if we will surrender our heart - when our eyes focus in on this boat, a Captain is seen standing there.
A Captain who always is willing to lead with us, to pioneer with us into new frontiers of life.
Our Captain is Lord Jesus.
Tomorrow, as you awake - or maybe even right now - be encouraged. Release the breath you have held for too long.
Let your heart, soul and mind exhale deeply everything that is not of Jesus. And maybe deeper than ever before, breathe in the hope and contentment and the finished accomplishment that is
A Life in Christ.
Peace.
E412
Apostles
When Jesus ascended in the opening verses of Acts, He made each of us that would believe in Him - an apostle.
Every "Christian" must realize they are more than mere disciples of Jesus. A disciple simply learns or is "in training". As with many regimens, the time for training must come to an end. When it does, that training must be put to use and become active!
As a believer of Jesus, the moment you take your first breath as a newborn you are ready to be an apostle. The Greek word for apostle is
apostolos or in Greek: ἀπόστολος which means:
a messenger, envoy, delegate, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way, especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel; an apostle.
Believers and unbelievers all around us are being tormented daily by the enemy. Anxiety, active sin, insecurity, loneliness, feeling different than everyone else - they all are weapons of the evil one. he delights in using them against anyone he can.
We as apostles of Jesus, yes! apostles! - have been commissioned by the same Christ Jesus to don and swing the most powerful weapon ever created against the works of the devil.
And that weapon, is Love.
Even if your apostleship is only minutes old because you were just born anew...
Or maybe you have been in training or in "discipleship" for years and you've never felt ready to consider yourself an apostle - a disciple yes, but an apostle?
It is time. It is
your time.
You have been delegated, you have been given the Message, you have been commissioned and the first session of your training has been completed.
You have been loved by the One who is love.
Wherever you are as you finish reading this, I encourage you to take that step into your apostleship, right now.
Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Forgive anyone you may have a grievance against.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Draw your weapon, apostle!
You are equipped with the Blade that destroys every work of the devil and finishes the battle by binding everyone together in perfect unity.
Love.
Overcomers
This is love for God; to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Rest in His Safety.
While chasing God this morning, He stopped along the trail and showed me this.
13
Yet if you devote your heart to him
and stretch out your hands to him,
14
if you put away the sin that is in your hand
and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,
15
then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;
you will stand firm and without fear.
16
You will surely forget your trouble,
recalling it only as waters gone by.
17
Life will be brighter than noonday,
and darkness will become like morning.
18
You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
19
You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,
and many will court your favor.
The Rest Jesus gives us is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
24X7.
Hold my heart, Father.
Soooooo good.
The same Hands that created the Heavens... they hold you right now, brother, sister.
Your past fuels God's Fire!
When you look back on your
past,
what do you see?
When you recall all of the mistakes,
what do you feel?
When you visualize what you once did and are tempted
right now,
does it slow you, paralyze you? Cause you to fail
yourself?
In this life.
The Father wants to take ownership of your past.
He wants the keys. He wants the title.
All you have to do is turn it over to Him.
And then once He owns it, He wants to use all of those things
that happened to you,
or that you did,
or that were said to you,
or that you said to ... you
for His purpose and plan. He wants to consume you with a Fire for life that is unquenchable!
He's Ready. Are you?
Watch this.
Throughout Scripture, the Father tells us that when we enter relationship with Jesus by believing in Him, a refining process begins.
When we refine something all things that hurt the value of something,
are removed.
A relationship with Jesus does the same. God sees perfection when He looks at you. You are His son. You are His daughter.
Yet He knows that we need refinement for our sake. He knows that our past mistakes, shame, tragedies can hurt us and cause us to devalue ourselves, even as we walk with Jesus.
That's not OK with the Father!
He sent His Son to us so that we would see what freedom and abundant life truly are! In Christ Jesus.
He paid the biggest price, ever paid.
It is known that during the refinement process, the things that do not add to the value burn away.
In God's refining fire something similar happens.
The parts of your story that only serve to hurt you and devalue you in your eyes, burn away and yet as they do something amazing happens!
As they burn, God is able to use them for His Good in a way only He can - by feeding your Fire
with these no-longer living branches of your life.
These branches for one last time have a purpose.
They provide a Light, a relatability, a vulnerability that welcome others to come near you.
To gather 'round.
To be warmed by your story and Jesus' Love.
A final flame that would never harm you or what you have been clothed in, Christ Jesus.
As the branches turns to ash, with the gentleness and protection that God provides us all,
they become nothing,
and are remembered no more.
Scriptures:
John 15, Matthew 7:7-12, Mark 8:34, Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12, Daniel 3:27, John 10:10
Heaven is our Mother.
This piece has been warming and creating itself for awhile now.
It is time for it to be written.
Did you know that our first and last Mother - is Heaven?
Scripture tells us that God stitches us together in our mother's womb. We are a creation of wonderful needle-work both spiritually and physically, for Him.
Long before our mothers are made known of His creation inside of their wonderful bodies, He, God, has already created and predestined us for His pleasure and will in His own Body, which is Heaven.
Heaven is our Mother above.
The Scriptures tell us of our Heavenly Mother beginning all the way back in the book of Genesis.
If we chase after this a bit and journey-on, it is amazing!
The road to travel is not long; the Treasure that awaits is life-changing.
Are you willing to come along?
You remember the story of Sarah, wife of Abraham, and how she stood in the doorway of her tent one hot day thousands of years ago? Three visitors has just arrived and her husband hurried around attending to them, bringing them food and drink. As she stood there listening, she heard the Lord say
"I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."
Sarah, who was known to be
barren or unable to have children, famously laughed at the idea and yet in about a year's time she gave birth to a son, like the Lord promised.
His name was Isaac, which appropriately means
"he laughs".
Sarah said,
"God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me."
Oh shall we ever laugh with you Sarah, shall we ever!
God's Promises are sure. Watch how this one comes to fruition! Watch how our Heavenly Mother is revealed to us!
Continuing on with our Abraham and Sarah story, the Scriptures tell us how years earlier Abraham took it upon himself to sleep with his slave woman, Hagar, and thus have a son to inherit his everything. This son's name was Ishmael.
So at this point this family is comprised of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac. On the day Isaac was weaned, Abraham held a great feast. During the feast Sarah noticed that Ishmael was playing with her son, perhaps in a teasing way, and Sarah said to Abraham
"Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac."
Genesis 21:10
Not long afterward, Abraham sends Hagar the slave and her son Ishmael away, into the desert.
Galatia.
Then, we jump forward hundreds of years in time to the church of Galatia. The year is approximately 50 AD, nearly some twenty years after Christ has been crucified. Although the Christian church is alive in Galatia it is in trouble. The apostle Paul has written a letter for them all to read and to take to heart. After a shorter than usual greeting, Paul gets right to admonishing them!
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ."
For the following chapters, the apostle corrects them with many exclamation points, mind you, and chapter three starts off with
"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?"
A study of the early Galatian church reveals that many there were attempting to blend-in the Law of Moses i.e. the Old Covenant into the New Covenant and the Galatian church. Paul is clearly worked up in this letter as he continues admonishing the believers with verses such as
"All who rely on observing the law are under a curse,"
Harsh correction, but desperately needed.
And then, in some of the most amazing Scripture in the New Testament, God tells the Galatian church and all of us something that is just knee-bending!
He tells us that because of the Promise He made with Abraham and because of the New Covenant He made with those who believe in His Son Jesus, that none of us are bound to the slavery of the law of sin and death.
Instead, because of the Promise, we as Christians are all bound to the free woman, who is our Mother, who is above all. Through Her we have absolute freedom in righteousness.
She is Heaven.
A barren woman who was never in need of a husband - to have children of the Promise.
She has all that we will ever need.
She has our Father.
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:
“Be glad, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband.”
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 At that time the son born according to the flesh (Ishmael) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit (Isaac). It is the same now.
30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Genesis 18,21, Galatians 1,2,3,4, Romans 5,6,7,8
Love.
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
Ignite yourself.
He loves everything about you.
With every moment of every day He has given us the gentle command to forgive, ourself.
He has blotted out everything that you were. That hurt you. That was never His. Was never yours.
He is not caught up on it. Why are you?
He believes in you.
And, He is so
content with you.
In this life right this moment, wherever you are, He stands a few paces ahead of you.
It is
race day.
The air is filled with white light, with passion, with warmth and an energy snaps and crackles around you.
Your body tingles.
A tension is building, summing, growing greater. It is a good tension.
Something is about to move.
He looks back at you over His shoulder and says
Come, follow me.
CRACK!
Like a bolt of lightning snapping across the sky, white, hot - He takes off running!
And with child-like instinct and an excitement, you too explode out of your standstill and run!
Chasing after Him.
There are people, things, colored and white, bright things and dark, black things on the sidelines as you run, with Him.
A mix of good and not so good. Of beauty and ugly. Warmth, cold.
That's that.
He has got your past, and
He has got your Next!
He looks back at you, smiles and says
Let's go!
Christ Jesus is here to content you and to ignite you!
To absolutely light you on fire
for Him
and abundant life.
Yes.
We're going to go quick and sharp here.
When you said 'Yes', to Jesus, did you mean it?
Are you ready for it to mean, more?
How young or old were you - maybe when you were baptized in water?
Have you ever thought gently, 'I'd like a 're-do' on what I said to Him'?
Jesus is OK - if you want to say 'Yes' to Him, again.
'Yes' is Jesus' word.
When 'Yes' is spoken Jesus tells us there is more rejoicing in heaven over the lost one that has been found!
than over all of the other
99.
And every time we say Yes to Jesus, we are given the opportunity to kill off a part of us
that we no longer want,
that He no longer wants us to
be.
What lives inside of you that you no longer want?
He already knows.
And He wants to say
Yes.
To ask only requires a seeking from you.
Perhaps a walk in the woods.
Or a few moments of stillness in your truck, shop or at your desk, just you and Him.
Simpleness. Solitude. Serenity.
A new life awaits you.
Every day.
Scriptures:
Matthew 7:7, Romans 6, John 10:10, Matthew 5:37, Galatians 2:20, John 14:23
Ready or Not.
Ready or Not. Matthew 11:28-30
Soooooo good.
He's always ready.
There's no place like His presence.
Transform yourself - into a new person!
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Captain.
“Captain! The ship can not take much more of this!”
Your ears hear the words as you stare straight ahead, hands strongly fixed to the wooden wheel that steers your vessel. The waves, seemingly like gigantic tears welled up from somewhere, someone, have been unleashed and are rolling, boiling all around your ship. And now, once again, you are trusting yourself, your own “captain” and your leadership wisdom that has been gained from many years on this sea of life, to pilot your ship. To get you through this.
This,
one
more,
storm.
You’ve been here before.
“Why am I here, again?”, you ask yourself.
Thankfully, your abilities have guided you through many storms before, but this time, you are facing some of the roughest waters you have ever seen. These waves are different and each one seems to carry huge but differing proportions of sadness, anger, failure, disappointment, shame, rage. Hopelessness.
These waves, these tears.
“Who made them? Who has cried them?”, your heart wonders...
For hours, days, the battering continues. Your ship groans as the next enormous swell points you downward in all things as you descend to the lowest point of the wave, of this life. A valley, a depression, in the waters.
A slate gray darkness surrounds your ship. Huge drops of cold rain slap your face, sting your eyes and blur your vision. You blink hard to regain your sight and fight for your life
in the fury of your storm,
as you near your low point.
The bottom.
And sometimes – when you were there before, for some reason - it is fearfully calm at the bottom.
Level. Flat. Still. Nothing to lose.
And then suddenly! Just as quickly as you were headed downward, a strength, a power yanks your ship up! With all the strength you can muster, you pull and hold firmly on the wheel as your ship shoots forward, upward.
The top is reached.
A peak.
Seemingly everything is yours.
Nothing is above you. Everything is beneath you.
.
Silence, Sunshine. Bliss.
.
.
.
“BOOM!”, like an explosive clap of thunder just above your head, you are instantly jolted, frightened as you feel your legs, the bottom, the support, this uplifting that has been holding you up on this peak of life,
suddenly and completely drop out from underneath you.
“Hold on!”, you scream as the fall begins.
Weightlessness, free-fall.
A curious, control-less – feeling.
Repeatedly, the valleys and peaks of endless waves, come.
The morning hours and a glimpse of daylight brings hope, a warming heart. Yet, the evening’s approaching darkness steals even that away, as your storm rolls on.
“Who owns this vessel, this life I am in?”, you ask.
“Me?”, you deeply inquire of yourself.
“Who is my captain, in this life?”
.
.
.
Eventually, the storm comes to an end. Your ship emerges from it, sailing westward, battered a bit, a torn sail or two but a calm sea with a warm sunset lies in front of you and your vessel.
Maybe, the tears, the rips in our cloth are useful for us, or someone else, some way, somehow?
Life happens and for most of us, life gets real often. Very real. And as likened to in our story, our ship, our vessel, if you will, is you. It is me. And our life can be looked at as the ocean, a largely limitless body of possibilities. And once someone places our ship on the ocean waters, we can choose to go any direction, we can choose to sail anywhere, literally.
Life promises us amazing sunrises and amazing sunsets, and it promises us amazing crystal blue warm waters to dive into head first! and explore! The edges of life, the beaches of our oceans warm our feet with fine grained sand that flows between our toes as we sip delicious drinks of life with loved ones and bathe in the kiss of the sun. Sun shades, beach chairs, extra-long multi-colored beach towels. Laughter of kids and a beach ball. Amazing.
Likewise, life also promises us hours or days, that will send us scurrying to pack up our beach! 70 mph winds, rain and eight foot waves suddenly crashing into our lives cause us to roll up the towels, collapse the sun shades and run for the car right quick! The party is over.
In this life, each one of us gets to choose, who is going to lead this life. Each one of us makes a decision either implicitly or explicitly to the following question:
“Who am I going to allow to lead, me? Who am I going to make ‘Captain’, in my life?”
There is one who wants to be captain of your life. You’ve done great so far taking the wheel of this ship and piloting it through things only you know about. How many years have you been captain, of you own life?
And now there is another that wants to give you rest from the battering of this life, of this ocean and its dark, angry waves.
He wants to give you rest from the pain of seering loss and of unexpected death.
He wants to give you rest from your disappointment, shame, lostness, loneliness and sadness.
He wants to give you peace, a peace that you might not yet have experienced in this life. It’s real; it’s amazing.
He gives us rest, so that we in turn, can live this life to the full and sail this ocean to every magnificent sunset!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
and
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
He's Always With Us.
Another new Hillsong release. Turn it up to 11. Seriously.
Reminds us that wherever we go, whatever we endure, there's Another in the fire always with us!
Fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
These are my gifts given to me by the spirit. These are your gifts as well. Those of us that accept Christ also accept the spirit. The spirit is not given to us to hurt us but to guide us, strengthen us, make us better versions of ourselves. Sometimes this process can feel like it hurts. Just like muscle does when being put to use but just after a few times we realize we have become stronger not weaker.
Shepherd me, Jesus.
As each new day comes in this life of ours
as the sun rises and gently warms the eastern sky
we are presented a question.
"Who will I let lead me, today?"
With a brushing off of the hand followed by a scoff, how many times have we answered with
"I shall lead myself! Thank you very much!"
What if instead, we allowed the best leader in all of Creation, to step in front of our day, and lead us?
There is One, who wants to be our Shepherd through every moment of our life and His Name is Jesus.
How can we allow Jesus to lead, to shepherd our lives?
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says if we drink of Him, of His Water that He offers, that we will never thirst again, satisfying us internally. Then for eternal promise, Jesus says that same Water that we have just drank, will become a living Spring or Fountain within us and from it, a River of Living Water that will continually wash us and provide for for others near us.
What if,
when we awake in the coming morn, after we reach for the water glass to satisfy our thirst from the night before,
what if we were to reach for a big glass of Living Water who is Jesus Christ, and drink deeply for the day ahead?
Jesus is our Shepherd in this life and to let him lead our day, one only needs to turn to Him and listen to His Voice as He speaks. Jesus speaks to us through His Word, our Bibles, and through the Holy Spirit who peacefully indwells, lives within us. Moments in stillness allow for your voice and Jesus' voice to be heard in wonderful, intimate conversation. Rest in knowing that Jesus' Voice only brings words of encouragement, peace, comfort, and purity of a life promised in Him. All other voices we sometimes hear throughout the day are not of Jesus and to be stern here, Jesus commands us, not to listen to them.
Jesus is our shield of faith. He passionately wants to lead your life and it is why He came to earth. He wants to shepherd, guide you through and protect you from everything the coming hours and days might throw at you. Right now, or perhaps as the coming sunrise awakes this earth,
be encouraged brother or sister, and take up Jesus on His Offer. Let your heart speak with the Power and Peace of Jesus, the following prayer.
"Shepherd me today, Christ Jesus.
Amen."
Blessings.
Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Because you first loved me.
I was born in your eyes of perfection. Because you first loved me
I should fear no one's rejection.
Because you first loved me I've grown over the last 34 years. I've felt pain and sorrow
but it is nothing compared to the happiness and strength, you've created from it.
Because you first loved me
I found the love of a woman who has given me everything and then some.
Because you first loved me
I got to see my children born.
Because you first loved me I'm stronger today
then I was yesterday.
Because you first loved me
I've come to love you.
You are overwhelming Power coupled with Mercy and Grace and because you first loved me,
I love the world as you do.
Beyond the Road.
In the early morning between night and dawn is the coldest. When you're in the wilderness it seems to be that much colder. You feel alone, scared, and wishing for the comforts of home. But then it happens. light starts to crest. in the darkest coldest part of the night, all you were wanting was anything but where you were. The life we know and have come accustomed to is all you want. Then he shows up. In the form of light in an array of colors, God shows up in a marveless form of a sunset and you realize.
“There is more than me in this life.”
Acceptance. Point 1
As men in the beginning of our adult lives we form these preconceived notions of who we are and what we are to be. Depending on how you were raised or where you were raised we find ourselves wandering. Yes wandering, not wondering.
We wander on the ideas of are we Good enough, are we tough enough. Do we have what it takes. Why do we find ourselves here? I don't know. But here is where most men's foundations are built upon. On the ideas of men! You were taught these things by men. Your father, stepfather, grandfather, or significant male figure in your life. You were taught to ask these things of yourself. If I cry am I a pansy? If I get scared will my dad get mad at me? Concluding to the ideas of men. Wandering in these ideas of nothingness.
We conclude these things to form who we are to become, which leads in to our future lives. How we will work at our jobs. How we will interact with other men. How we will love our wives and finally how we will raise our own children. It's not until we come to the awe moment. The “God moment” - that we realize that the ideas have been useless through our entire lives and realize that only Godly ideas will ever prevail in all aspects of our lives.
Can you accept the idea that it's ok to cry when hurt both mentally and physically? Can you accept the idea that not all men are built for the wilderness? Can you accept that some are? Can you accept that what you know and have been taught is completely useless in a world that only requires useless thought? Because if you actually accepted the thought of what God wanted from you, the acceptance of what the world wanted, would disappear. When you can accept Godly vision. Then, are you ready for what's beyond the road?
Why? Point 2
As men you will always be asked this question - why? Why you did this or why you did that. As if your explanation is going to ease whatever problems that some may have with why your doing or accomplishing the things that God has set forth for you. In reality it's no one's business why you follow the works of God. But we answer in the hope of maybe, just maybe, our answers will reveal something of God in the person asking, why?
In February of 2018, I left a career position as a professional firefighter and the question was
why?
Sure. I get why they're asking why. But when I gave my answer, "I'm leaving the fire department to go into ministry." Their mouths went from normal to completely open. Followed by a long pause then the statement. “Are you crazy?”
Yes maybe. But I'd rather be crazy about God then anything else. Sure - did I have my own fears, concerns or doubts about what I was doing ? Absolutely! But where God was wanting me and how I was getting there was not lining up with what I was recently doing. So. One must choose. You know that idea of free will. Do I stay where I am or do I go? Do I step into the unknown, the dark, damp, cold place where I know God will keep me safe? But how will God keep me safe? I had to choose do I stay on the road or do I go beyond the road.
Fear. Point 3
Fear is a funny thing. It convinces you that what you know is right, is wrong, because the possibility of failure of getting to the thing you want is worse than ever even trying. What!? Are you serious. So now you have convinced yourself to never even try to obtain what is destined for you because getting there is scary. Come on; yes the unbeaten path is scary. There is always something you can tell yourself why you should not go that way. Why you should stay on the road and put your head down and fall in place.
Could you even imagine what life would be like if that were true. if fear was true. Now don't twist my words, danger is real. But fear is not. Danger is the real consequence of unplanned or complete ignorance of a situation. If the curve ahead says 25 and you take it at 80 there's huge danger. You're about to crash. When it says please don't pet the wildlife and next thing you know there's a baby buffalo in your car, “Danger”. You can't say I have no fear when you can see the consequence ahead. That's not fearless, that's ignorance. That's stupidity.
Now if you have calculated all the risk. Weighed both good and bad outcomes and your still holding back from accomplishing your dreams, then you are held by fear. What we need to understand again is that fear has no place in our lives. None, nada. I don't care about your lifestyle, where you were raised or the money you make. It has no place. It will always hold you down and you will never accomplish your full potential with the idea of fear.
I know what your thinking
but Brent it's scary.
Yeah, so is waking up every morning. Every morning you wake up alive and not in heaven you're in a scary place. You have just become accustomed to it.
Step off the road and achieve what God has for you in your life.
Truth, by our actions.
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
Any Joe can act tough or strong. But to love is the true strength, character of a man. A man that can suppress his urge to fight to defend himself but rather love the person next to him. That is a man. That is what I strive to be. That is what we should all strive to be.
Tears of Love.
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, Jesus has been invited to dinner at a
Pharisee's home. Let's pick up the Story there...
When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
The Word grants us permission and encourages us to gently place ourselves into this Gospel of Ours. We are all participants in and are the fulfillment of this amazing Story of Jesus. Actors, characters, vessels. Would you do that now as you read this? Would you still your mind, and heart, and body and place yourself into this Story - for just a little while? Let's go there now.
It is evening now and earlier in the day - a day filled with all sorts of craziness, you crossed paths with Jesus. And fitting for the craziness of your life, and a reason that you can't quite fathom, you walked right up to Jesus and invited Him over for dinner, tonight. Hey, our lives are crazy at times. What's the big deal about inviting Jesus to dinner?
With no words exchanged on His part, Jesus accepted your invite.
And now Jesus is reclining in your home, enjoying himself as He relaxes and speaks with the others. Meanwhile, you and others race around busily, nervously preparing the meal. You're admittedly freaking out a little. Who wouldn't be as you say to yourself:
"Oh my word! Jesus is in my house!"
You gather yourself and as you do, seemingly from nowhere a strange comfort begins to overcome you. The frantic and the speed of the scene seems to be increasing all around you - yet as it is - you stop for a moment
and glance back over your shoulder at Jesus.
"He is here", you say softly to yourself. "Jesus is in my home."
Suddenly - everything begins to slow. While the others continue talking a million miles per hour and the bustle around you increases, you turn yourself, your
everything - toward Jesus. His presence is drawing you and now, everything else is just noise and blurred imagery passing by as you walk to your Savior. Then, just as the woman was in the Scriptures, now you too, find yourself standing behind Jesus. And as you stand there with heart and mind stilled, tears begin to wet your eyes.
Love.
In Christ, we too, wet the feet of Jesus with our tears.
Beautifully, powerfully, the woman in this passage of Scripture displayed not necessarily how much she loved Jesus
but instead
how much Jesus loves us.
We love because he first loved us.
Blessings.
Don't look back.
“Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
In Genesis 19, angels of God warned Lot's wife to not look back when fleeing the cities where they had been staying. For the Lord was about to destroy the cities of the plain and everything in it because of sin.
In Christ, doesn't Father God, tell us too, to not look back in our own lives?
To not grab our own story from the dusty book shelf of our mind, our story book authored by ourselves or sometimes others,
and dig-up, un-earth, reminisce, walk through our past?
In Christ Jesus, our lives are no longer our own. (Corinthians 6:19-20)
We, preciously, are no longer alone in this world. When one accepts Jesus into their heart, Jesus directly tells us that "we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:23) The we, being God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God moves in and lives inside of us.
This is the indwelling of God that is purely a Gift from Him - for believing in Him. It is the mystery of the Gospel, revealed. (Colossians 1:27)
Once our old self is gone and a new creation has come (2 Corinthians 5:17), God willingly and wantingly lives inside you and desires complete control of His beloved new Creation - You.
Christ Jesus, with a Power of only His understanding, starts cleansing our hearts of anything displeasing of Him and everything goes! All wickedness, deceit, impurity is gently and lovingly, replaced.
All that remains is Him. Pure, Holy, Righteous. At Rest. At Peace.
Yet, as with all things of the Father, He always allows us, a choice, as we still have our minds and the freedom to choose. Even while in Christ, the Father, gives us a choice. It's one of the astounding beauties of Christianity - He always lets us choose. And the choices come daily. Forks in the road, almost every day, every hour, every minute, maybe even every second of our life - a choice has to be made
a choice to follow Him,
or a choice to follow our past. To follow who you were yesterday. To chase after what happened, long ago.
When we approach that choice, that fork in the road, we can always choose
to make a huge error
and look back.
To look back at our past, even for a moment and listen to the accuser as he hisses from the sidelines...
"You're never going to make anything of your life..." or
"Just yesterday, you sinned against your God..." or
"Don't you remember what your husband did to you and your family!" or
"But your wife said ... don't you remember?" or
"They don't really love you... they're just saying that..." or
"You will fall away from God again. You always do..."
Stop listening to him. he is a liar.
The accuser is the father of lies. he can say nothing that is true. Ever.
And Now in Christ Jesus, for each one of us, the past, the errors have been atoned for and are remembered no more by our Father. If God remembers them no more, what authority do we have to remember them?
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Let's press on!
Press on with amazing Life!
Philippians 3:12-13 and Isaiah 43:18-19 encourages us to
press on as we bring this in!
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
Building 429 wrote a song about Pressing On. Press on and enjoy your new life, Today!
Raise a Hallelujah.
Even as we endure the storms of life, we can Raise a Hallelujah for all that God has given us.
This is a powerful praise song. If the maximum volume on your audio system tops out at ten (10), turn it up to eleven (11) and play this song, today. Repeatedly.
Blessings.
Gulp Water. Eat Bread. Become.
How many of us either hear or feel this daily?
"I need to be in the Word more." or "I need to read the Bible more often."
Hang around with Christian men and women and I suspect you will hear this a lot! Men and women are hungry for more of God's goodness and promises in their lives. And it's in those lives that each one of us have had times of amazing peace and joy and strength. Because in those times we were close to God. Some
thing got us there and then, life happened.
Life.
The days and weeks and months came and went and before long we found ourselves wrapped up in the daily happenings of life again. Stresses returned that were always there before, but before when we were close to God, we had a peace and a feeling of victory over it. Like it was something that had to be resolved and dealt with but there was this strange and yet joyous feeling that everything was going to be OK. But not now. Now, life seems to have victory over us and even over God! And worse yet, God seems distant, strangely dim in this life.
"What changed?"you ask yourself.
It's a fair question and we can surely learn from our decisions. Yet to short-cut the answer a bit, it doesn't really matter what changed. That's in the past now. What matters Today is the fact that you hunger and thirst to get back to where you were. That Place. Where you were close to Him. How do we do that? Come along and find out!
Gulp Water.
In the book of John chapter 4, Jesus tells us that if we drink of the Water that He gives, that we will never thirst again. A few pages later in John 6, Jesus tells us that He himself, is the Bread of Life and whoever comes to Him will never go hungry again. Go and read John 4:1-25 and John 6:31-51 now.
In these Scriptures Jesus welcomes us to never be thirsty and never to be hungry again. Yet, here is the Big question, what does it actually mean to
drink of Jesus Christ? The answer is tucked into John 6:35.
Answer.
Believe Him.
and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
To believe in Jesus is to drink of Jesus and the belief can take a couple of depths for each one of us as individuals. The easier depth or a sip of Water, if you will, would be simply believing that Jesus is
all that He says He is. He is the Son of God. He came, walked, taught, died and arose. The deeper depth for those that are willing to try it is to gulp the Water of Jesus! and believe that Jesus is who He says He is but also
believe you are all that He says you are!
Jesus Christ says that you are you are a cherished and adored son/daughter of the Father.
A one-and-only masterpiece of God's creation and He has Plans for your life. Plans you can not even fathom.
He says that you no longer have to be what you were or what you have been through. Instead He says you are pure, wonderful and forgiven.
Eat Bread.
To go along with not being thirsty Jesus tells us to eat of His Bread which again is Him and all that He is.
For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
We can look at the Bread of God as many things and one of them is the sustenance or contentedness that is had when we eat of the Bread of Life which is the Word. The Holy Scriptures. Our Bibles. Just as our physical bodies grow hungry when we do not eat food, our spiritual bodies grow hungry when we do not feed them the only Food that truly satisfies.
Order off the Menu.
Menu - Welcome to the Kingdom Diner!
Family Dining at its Best! - Only Two Items!
Living Water: $Free!
Bread: $Free!
Come to the Table. When you awake in the morning, find the face of God in your thoughts and heart. Shut down the other thoughts that your freshly awoken mind may be distracting you with. Then, the next step, God authored it best in the book of Philippians:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Then, let your feet gently touch the floor and come. Pull up a chair at the Table of the Lord. Pour a big glass of Water, spend a few minutes in stillness and in faith and believe everything that you are. Then, open the Word, take a piece of Bread anywhere from the loaf. Hint: consume yourself in Ephesians chapters 1 and 2 for a few weeks. Ephesians is like a 19 grain multi-grain loaf! There are countless satisfying and chewy nuggets in there to feed your spiritual hunger.
Become.
Jesus promises us by believing in Him and eating of Him that rivers of living water will flow from within us and that we will have abundant life in this one and the next. By being so, we become who we already are, in Christ Jesus.
Blessings.
Scriptures: John 4:1-25, John 6:31-51, John 6:35, John 10:10, Philippians 4:4-8, John 7:38
Everything is possible!
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
Impossible is the thought that it will never happen. We believe in a God that came from heaven to earth through miraculous conception.
Lived with out sin.
Created countless miracles.
Was tortured beyond human ability to withstand.
Buried and arose from the dead.
Impossible does not belong to Christians. We can never accept impossible.
Consumed by Jesus.
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Every thing we do. Should be a representation of him. People should look at us and say wow!!! What is it about him? JESUS!!
That's what's in me. My life - our lives - do not belong to us once we accept Christ. He will consume you from your fingers and toes to your very core. Everyone else's needs will start to matter while the needs of yourself will fade to nothing. You will start to walk like him, talk like him and think like him, until the only thing that's left is a pure light that shines as a beacon to all. How amazing is He and how lucky am I that I get to hold the candle.
Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith
So much good Stuff in here. Isaiah 55:2 says
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Let your heart be soft and hear, brothers and sisters.
Let Jesus flip the tables in your Temple.
Brother Todd is rolling 25 minutes in; some one needs to hear this today. 3 minutes.
New Year's music, from Hillsong.
Hillsong gifts us all with some new video releases from their Israel Tour 2017.
From Jihad to Love.
We've all got someone close to us, that we are praying for. Praying that the veils, errant beliefs will be removed so that that someone... can see the goodness of God.
I am praying for mine. Will you keep praying for yours?
Here's a powerful testimony of a precious child of God, a Muslim man, who through his own strength and courage, and the prayer of others was able to see the Hope that a Life in Jesus Christ brings.
Grace > sin.
I attend a weekly Bible study titled BSF or Bible Study Fellowship. We are deeply studying the life of David and the Psalms he wrote.
From the teaching last week:
Psalms declare people's lives are molded by their relationship with God and His grace, which is greater than our sin.
Our love for each other fulfills the Law.
10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Sanctification.
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Be Still.
Sooooo good.
Be Still
Words and Music by Ben Fielding & Reuben Morgan
VERSE 1:
Be still and know
That the Lord is in control
Be still my soul
Stand and watch as giants fall
CHORUS:
I won’t be afraid
You are here
You silence all my fear
I won’t be afraid
You don’t let go
Be still my heart and know
I won’t be afraid
VERSE 2:
Be still and trust
What the Lord has said is done
Find rest don’t strive
Watch as faith and grace align
BRIDGE:
Surely love and mercy
Your peace and kindness
Will follow me
Will follow me
POST CHORUS:
Your love surrounds me
Your love surrounds me here
Your freedom is now.
"If we're not set free from sin until we die, then Jesus isn't our savior, death is."
Peace - given to us.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Our God of Hope.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Living life to its fullest, in the Light of Jesus.
For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
and
I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.
and
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Here, three bite-sized morsels of the Bread of Life are readily given by the Word. God deeply desires us to live our lives to the fullest. He sent His Son as the last and final sacrifice so that we can do so.
How do you avail yourself of this Gift? Live a full life filled to the brim and overflowing it ten-times over! Hold nothing back as you actively
be God's Love and Light and Power for everyone near you. Actively seek out negativity, confusion and malice, first in your own mind (if it's even there) and then in all the environments around you
and destroy it with the Love of Jesus. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and after He ascended He gave us
each personally the best Weapon ever created to battle the enemy.
Love.
With each and every sunrise, before your feet touch the floor, you can choose a path that you might have walked yesterday; fear, insecurity and confusion and darkness - or! you can choose
His Path! A Path Jesus has so brightly illuminated for us; a Path where you are Power, Love and a sound Mind for everyone around you -
including yourself!
Chase
His Path for your life -
run it down, hard! He wants you to have it to the full and really, has already Won it for you. All you have to do now is...
Go get it!
The Beginning.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:1-3
Valentine
Words and Music by Brooke Ligertwood, Scott Ligertwood & Joel Houston
VERSE 1:
From Your sacrifice for the sake of all
Redemption’s birth and relentless hope
As the weight of grace crushed the face of love
And You bled and died for Your enemies
VERSE 2:
To woo us back from death and woe
A valentine to a faithless world
Every wayward heart You pursue us all
And in kindness call us home
CHORUS:
This world is Yours
My God this world is Yours
All You made to be Yours
I know You love us all
VERSE 3:
Your agape love displaces fear
And the plan is working heaven’s near
For the kingdom comes to the heart that whispers
Have mercy God on me
CHORUS 2:
This world is Yours
My God this world is Yours
All You made to be Yours
I know You love us all
All this world is Yours
My God this world is Yours
All You made to be Yours
I know You love us all
BRIDGE:
You reign forever
You reign forevermore
My heart surrendered
You reign forevermore
Now.
Where are you at, this morning? Are you in a good place spiritually with God the Father? Amen! if so.
Or are you not in such a good place? Are you distant from God? Feeling unattached?
Are you thirsty for Jesus Christ? So thirsty that you feel like a dried up branch withering on the dusty ground while a bubbling, cool spring of Water is distant, yet always present? With each day that goes by, today, yesterday, tomorrow - do you feel even more dry inside, smaller, less important?
Do you feel that you have drank from that Water before and remember how satisfying it was?
Do you remember how at peace, how happy! you were when you partook of that Water and how it seemed limitless how much you could drink?
Do you remember that with each drink, your peace and happiness became more and more and more?
Maybe, too, you remember the last time you wandered away from God. The time or times you struck out on your own and had the thoughts of:
"I can do this on my own. I can stay this happy and satisfied via my own strength. Praise God! Thank you for that Drink, Father! but I am good for awhile."
And maybe, too, you remember how, after awhile, you dried up, again. You became cracked, sharp, broken off and maybe, way too easy, to break.
Or, maybe, you have been drawn away physically to a place where the Light of Christ is dim, or flat out, nonexistent. It is pitch black and you feel your Light burning within, your Flame, dimming? That flame that was positively ignited! when you let Christ come into your heart and start a raging Fire!
Yet now, your flame is
softening,
flickering
in this wind,
we call life.
A Voice.
Come back to Me..........
"What was that?",
you ask yourself.
Your Father is whispering. You hear it in the wind. You hear His voice, faintly.
The wind dies down momentarily and while straining/hoping to hear the voice again, you hear something else. In the distance, you hear a roaring sound, seemingly far away but perhaps, not. You strain harder to listen and then hear clearly the Spring of Living Water bubbling wildly, spouting powerfully and gushing forth, forming a mighty, rushing River at its base!
Again, you hear the voice. Clearer this time, even over the roar of the rushing Water:
Come back to Me
Then, the wind picks back up again. It howls in your ears drowning out the sound of Him... and Him.
Come Back.
We wander astray sometimes. It happens.
God keeps no record.
God wants you back. Right now.
Now.
There is no reason to wait.
Wherever you are, whatever feels right... it does not matter to God.
His arms are open wide, right now.
Now.
Right. Now!
Collapse to your knees, now.
Or, go to the Cross, now.
Or, fall on your face. Now!
Or, simply, maybe with Christ's tears pouring down your face, bow your head. Now.
Are you ready to go back, to where, you never left?
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
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