Father!

This CoffeeBreak is one from the archives, but I felt impressed in my heart to remind you of God’s care today. Whatever you are going through, wherever you are, you need not feel alone, because you have a Good, Good Father. Read on …

I love the way my son, Sean, prioritizes family time, providing quality experiences and emotional for his children.  His faithful work in ‘fathering’ is giving his children real advantages in shaping whole and healthy lives. (PS- Moms are wonderful and I equally recognize applaud those women who love and care for kids heroically.) It is a fact that children who have a loving, involved Dad are doubly blessed. We know that children without an engaged, supportive father are more likely to live in poverty, to become involved with bad behavior, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to drop out of school. We need to strengthen families, to help parents make their relationship strong so that children can reap the benefits.

Jesus in His model prayer begins, “Our Father in Heaven…”  Oh, that we would shape our prayers similarly.  More than God, or Lord, or Great One – He is relational; our Father! What a profound revelation. Of all the names and titles of God, Jesus reveals Him first as Father. In Matthew 7, that is expanded in meaning.  Jesus says  “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." (Matthew 7:9-11, NLT) I hope you feel His care, that you are able to lean on Him without wondering if He will show up or care!

Isaiah also teaches us about our Father. "O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." (Isaiah 64:8, NIV) 

When you pray does your heart open to a caring Father, or do you respectfully feel distance because you think of Him as King? Do you primarily think of Him as the “Boss,” fear Him as Judge, or beg Him because He is more like an ATM dispensing favors if the right code is entered?  

The wonder of our faith is that God knows us, cares for us.  With the faith to accept Him as our Father, we are ready to spiritually grow into maturity, able to trust Him, and we find a place of secure rest in our turbulent world.  Many who worship the Lord call Him “Father” but they do not love Him as such. Perhaps this is related to being ‘fathered’ poorly or not having an earthly father. Perhaps it is because of an abusive father. Or perhaps we just fail to understand what it means to trust His Fathering love. 

I often use the word, “Abba” when I pray, a word that Paul uses for God. Less formal, indicating a close relationship, it’s like calling God, “Dad.”  Here is the passage-  "You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children." (Romans 8:15-16, NLT)  I grew up with a strong father who I naturally called, “Dad.” But, I grew into another relationship with my father-in-law over time. In time it became natural to call him, “Dad,” too. Similarly, we can grow from God, our Father;  to God, our Abba.

There is one more part of fathering that I want us to think about for a moment before we go today . In a solid parental relationship, it is not all ‘bless you, wonderful child.’ Parents show love by providing appropriate boundaries and discipline. Earthly Dads don’t always get it right. I know that some of the ‘discipline’ of my children happened less for their correction and more because they frustrated me or because I was fatigued and/or impatient. 

Our Abba never acts because He is in a bad mood.  He will discipline us, sometimes sternly when needed, but always for our best.  Here is the truth -  "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" (Hebrews 12:7-9, NIV)

When you read of the Father-heart of God in the Holy Scripture, ask the Spirit to reveal the depth of Abba’s love to you.  That is one of the most healing truths in all of the Word.  Know this – God is not the dreaded Authority Figure who is watching for your failure so He can punish you.  He is the Waiting Father, (see Luke 15)  whose grace is amazing, whose mercy is deep and wide, and who acts always for your ultimate good. When that is settled into your heart and mind, you will pray with faith, live with peace, and find richer relationships in this world that rest in the security of your intimate love of the Father.

Our word from the Word is the prayer that Jesus taught us-

“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us today the food we need, and
forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:9-13, NLT)

__________________

Good, Good Father  

(a worshipful presentation of this song by HouseFires)

 

I've heard a thousand stories

Of what they think You’re like

But I've heard the tender whisper

Of love in the dead of night

You tell me that You’re pleased

And that I'm never alone

 

You're a Good Good Father

It's who You are

It's who You are

It's who You are

And I'm loved by You

It's who I am

It's who I am

It's who I am

 

I've seen many searching for answers

Far and wide

But I know we're all searching for answers

Only You provide

Because You know just what we need

Before we say a word

 

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways to us

 

Love so undeniable I can hardly speak

Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

Into love love love

 

You're a Good Good Father

It's who You are

It's who You are

It's who You are

And I'm loved by You

It's who I am

It's who I am

It's who I am

 

Anthony Brown | Pat Barrett

© 2014 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Common Hymnal Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Worthless, Discarded?

The teacher broke the trust of the parents, the school, and the students in his choices. He was dismissed, faced charges, and was convicted. Discussing this with a friend, I observed that his very wrong decisions did not negate all the good he had done through the years. Should he face justice? Yes, because there are consequences for crime. Should his actions be recognized for what they were; wrong and abhorrent? Yes, again. Should he be tossed from memory, his good years erased?  As a Christian, I don’t think so.  I think we all struggle with how to relate to failure, don’t we?  How do we find justice, yet offer forgiveness? What is the ultimate aim of justice – vengeance or rehabilitation? 

Since the first decades of Christian faith, the balance between compassion and conviction, punishment and restoration, has proven to be difficult to find. It is even more difficult in this era of a ‘cancel culture.’ 

Are you wrestling with how to relate to someone who has sinned or failed, especially one who claims to be a follower of Christ? I hope these few words are helpful.

The church in the ancient city of Corinth at first erred on the side of compassion, failing to address grievous sexual sin in their congregation. Paul wrote to them demanding that the man be put out of the fellowship, reminding them that sin, if left uncorrected, spreads like yeast in bread dough!  Those Christians had mistakenly taken pride in their broad-minded tolerance, unable or unwilling to call the sin what it was. The apostle took them to task for that and they ultimately did put the man out of their church fellowship.  But that is not the end of the story! In his second letter to that church, Paul urges them to forgive the man, apparently because his excommunication had brought about repentance. "Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won’t be able to recover. Now show him that you still love him." (2 Corinthians 2:7-8, NLT)

In the little letter to Philemon, Paul demonstrates compassion. While he was under arrest in Rome, somehow a man named Onesimus (oh-ness-i-mus), whose name means ‘useful,’  found him. They developed a friendship and Onesimus became a Christian believer. Paul had known him when he was a slave in the household of Philemon a Christian convert in Colossae. Onesimus had stolen from the house and run away to Rome, but the life of a runaway slave was one of fear, living in the shadows. Paul counseled this new Christian to go back to Philemon and make things right to escape the endless fear and to clear his conscience.  Was that an easy choice? Not at all. His punishment could be severe. He could be beaten or reduced to the lowest place in the household or even sold to some other household. The apostle, however, pens a letter to Philemon that is one of the most personal in the New Testament.  He becomes an advocate for both men, asking them in the name of Christ to go against social norms! He asks Philemon to forgive the man and to accept him into the household, not as a slave but as a brother in Christ!  In a play on the name of Onesimus he says "Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me." (Philemon 11, NIV)  What a letter of conviction, compassion, and restoration.

People will fail, fall, and disappoint us. We will sin against others in big and small ways.

Do you want to be reduced to that most awful moment, that terrible decision you made, judged as worthless, erased from life? 

Will you cancel all the good of another thinking only of the blot on the page as they were writing the story of their life?

Living in grace is a choice that frees us from becoming the judges of the world, that allows us to reach out to the one who has fallen flat on his face.

Grace does not require that we ignore or minimize wrong.  It means that every action, even justice, is framed by love, seeking God’s best for the one who has sinned.

The word from the Word invites deep thought, a balance of compassion and conviction in us. May the wisdom of the Spirit help us find our way.

"Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin,
you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.
And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ."
(Galatians 6:1-2, NLT) 

Lord, fill us with wisdom, making us capable of being persons of both conviction and compassion equally, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Video of this blog at this link)

____________________

Graves Into Gardens

I searched the world but it couldn't fill me

Man's empty praise and treasures that fade

Are never enough

Then You came along and put me back together

And every desire is now satisfied here in Your love

 

Oh there's nothing better than You

There's nothing better than You

Lord there's nothing

Nothing is better than You

 

I'm not afraid to show You my weakness

My failures and flaws

Lord You've seen them all

And You still call me friend

'Cause the God of the mountain

Is the God of the valley

There's not a place

Your mercy and grace won't find me again

 

You turn mourning to dancing

You give beauty for ashes

You turn shame into glory

You're the only one who can

 

You turn graves into gardens

You turn bones into armies

You turn seas into highways

You're the only one who can

 

Brandon Lake | Chris Brown | Steven Furtick | Tiffany Hudson

© 2019 Brandon Lake Music; Maverick City Publishing Worldwide; Music by Elevation Worship Publishing; Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

How do I love Thee?

A line from a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning came to mind as I mused about loving God. “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”  Love is both simple and complex, expressed some moments with fervor and in others with quiet perseverance.  Perhaps you are old enough to remember that song - "Love is a many-splendored thing!” It is!  My prayer is to ‘love God’ more not less, to avoid the rut of a familiar relationship as I pursue an ever renewed knowledge of the Holy One.  How do I love Thee?  It is a question worthy of our thoughts, a response of faith to the words of Jesus who taught us that loving God with “heart, soul, mind, and strength” is the core of life. 

I was formed in the Pentecostal traditions of Christianity so my first thought about loving God turns to the emotions. From my youth I absorbed the idea that loving Him will include laughter, tears, passionate prayers; a very personal engagement. When my tribe prays for spiritual renewal what they usually mean, though perhaps unconsciously, is that God will grant an emotional encounter with the Holy Spirit. Such moments are to be treasured. However, loving Him is so much more multi-faceted – including obedient service, steady discipline, studious understanding, and stillness.

Are you 'in love' with Christ Jesus?
If you define that only by applying the romantic ideals about love taught by our culture, you will be disappointed.  Yes, we should be passionate about loving our God. Christianity without passion just isn't Biblical! But, there is so much more. It is not really about YOU, but rather about HIM.

Loving God is first a response to HIS love for you.  We cannot just work ourselves into loving Him, nor can we somehow stir up a passion for the Holy in ourselves.  “We love,” John says, “because HE loved us first!”

My favorite teaching parable of Jesus is recounted in Luke 15. It is about the Father’s love for me! It isn’t a pretty story but it is oh so wonderful in what it means for you and me.  A selfish and rebellious son willing to abuse his father’s good heart demands his inheritance and goes off to ‘forget’ who he is.  In a short time he succeeded in making a mess of life. Only after he wasted his fortune and ruined his life, as he sat hungry and alone, in his job as a pig feeder, did he finally begin to grasp the immensity of his offense and the value of the home he had abandoned. 

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired man.”  (Luke 15:17-19, NLT)  He expected judgment.  He found love! "And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." That is compelling stuff! It defies logic, cannot be explained. It’s just love.

Yes, we love because HE loves us first, loving us to life, making possible our restoration to Himself at the cost of His Son’s life, promising us life in His forever home through the Resurrection.  We cannot love God apart from acceptance, through faith, of His grace and love. If we won’t start there with Him, with His love for us, our “love” will become an ugly imitation based in religious zealotry, duty,  attempted deals with Heaven, and calculations of appeasement.  God just wants us to respond to His declaration that He loves us and to weave that acceptance into every part of life, making it the foundation of every choice, every day.

Love is based in His covenant – it not a contract. God granted us life, not based on our performance but as a gift.  Engrave this truth in your mind and let this inspire love: "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms—all because we are one with Christ Jesus. And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7, NLT)

Ah, friend, do you love Him?

If we love Him, we will stop playing “let’s make a deal” with God.  Our theology of love will go way beyond the idea that if we believe some facts, then we get the key to Heaven.  Our love will be a tumultuous discovery of a Person, a weaving of His life into ours, surrender, acceptance. In the process, we will start to think as He does, acts as He wills; not because we must, but because we have become of His heart.

The word from the Word this Friday is a song of praise. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." (Ephesians 1:3-6, NIV)  

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge … So, “that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  (Ephesians 3:16-19, NIV)\

Amen.

(Video of this blog at this link)

____________________

My Song

Why should I sing of lesser things

And things that pass away

When I've a friend like Jesus now

To sing about each day

 

I have no song to sing

But that of Christ my King

To Him my praise I'll bring

Forevermore

His love beyond degree

His death that ransomed me

Now and eternally

I'll sing it o'er

I find no more delight

In other songs

My melody of love

To Christ belongs

I have no song to sing

But that of Christ my King

To Him my praise I'll bring

Forevermore

 

He is the theme of angel song

That fills the heav'ns above

Should I not join their chorus sweet

And praise the Lord I love

 

John W. Peterson

1954. Renewed 1982 John W. Peterson Music Company

CCLI License # 810055

 

Just a big kid?

One of my greatest joys is observing my children in their maturity, capable, strong, productive adults who are part of rich relationships, making bright places for those who live around them. Each is amazingly unique in personality and ability, but they are all truly grown up!

Oh yes, I loved when they were cute little kids who needed so much care and guidance. I liked their teenage years less when they looked like adults but still lacked true wisdom. I watched, with some trepidation, as they wandered into their 20’s offering counsel as needed and watching them learn maturity in trial and error.  Now they are in mid-life and I see mature people, who are living their best lives.  

What does your Heavenly Father see in you, my friend?
Does he see an infant, a growing but yet undeveloped young Christian, or does He delight in your spiritual maturity?

When I see a toddler having a tantrum, I smile indulgently knowing that a frustrated 2 year-old has a very limited ability to understand his own emotions or to exercise self-control.  When I see a man losing it my response is not nearly so charitable. That little girl who loves 5o ‘pretend’ at being a little princess is sweet and we smile at her innocence. A woman who is still lost in fantasy land is a sad person, for whom we feel pity. 

Do you know that it is quite possible to ‘grow up’ without becoming a mature adult?  Chronological age does not have a direct correlation to true maturity. Our bodies grow into adulthood without much conscious thought. True maturity is developed, cultivated, and learned.  In difficult moments, in times of confusion, when the world goes upside down we are all so thankful for the person who is the ‘adult in the room,’ the one who capable of seeing the situation, providing insight, steadiness, and courage, as they provide a guiding hand.

Maturity is marked by awareness of life, by understanding of our own strengths and weaknesses, by the ability to press through hard times, by self-control and wisdom. A mature person is capable of play, knows when to laugh and when to cry, and is, above all, a person who can be trusted to hold his place in the world – whatever comes. Maturity is demonstrated by a wholeness of person – with emotions, values, and spirituality aligned – that allows for a rich character to develop in us.

Here is the key question – am I maturing in Christ?

Paul, writing to the Christians of Corinth, lamented their immaturity. "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:1, NIV)  Their community was marked by fighting over position, selfish displays of ‘spiritual’ gifts, and refusal to develop the character of Christ Jesus. God, by His Spirit, urged them to grow up and become useful to His purposes, not focused on themselves.  

 Peter also addressed the issue of spiritual immaturity.  I wonder if he was reflecting on his own immaturity and impulsiveness in the early days of his Christianity when he wrote this:  "make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-8, NLT)

The young pastor, Timothy, was struggling in his work in the church. He was intimidated by false teachers, facing critics from his congregation, and wobbly in his leadership. His mentor/spiritual father, Paul, urged him "Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next." (1 Timothy 4:7-8, NLT)  Train yourself for maturity!

We grow in maturity as we make those day to day choices that require deferred gratification, as we do ‘right things’ even when we do not want to do them, when we learn truth and apply it. What a rich harvest that wise maturity provides in our lives, sparing many a foolish decision, keeping us on course when we are tempted, and allowing us to lift others when they are stumbling under the weight of the world.  So, will we just ‘grow up’ or will we become mature in emotion, faith, love, and hope?

The word from the Word points to a critical part of developing real maturity.  The community of faith, mentors and leaders gifted by the Spirit, is our training ground. Christians are not solitary giants, they are strong together, when they give encouragement and share wisdom. "He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ," (Ephesians 4:11-12, NLT)   God calls us into His Church and gives us spiritual ministers so …"that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth." (Ephesians 4:13-14, NLT)

Ready? Let’s grow on into the beauty of maturity in Christ!

(Video of this blog at this link)

____________________

Build My Life

 Worthy of ev'ry song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You

Jesus the name above ev'ry other name
Jesus the only one who could ever save
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You We live for You

Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me

I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken

Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett

© 2016 Kaple Music; Capitol CMG Genesis; Housefires Sounds; Said And Done Music; sixsteps Music; Thankyou Music; Vamos Publishing; worshiptogether.com songs; Martin, Karl Andrew; Bethel Music Publishing

 

CCLI License # 810055

Joy In the Journey

Are you so focused on some goal, some destination, some accomplishment – that you have forgotten that there is joy to be found right here, right now? Bev and I drove across the United States in the Summer of 2011 and what a trip it was. We took our time, driving only 300 or 400 miles a day. We actually got off the interstate and ate in local little restaurants. We fully appreciated the beauty of the Moab desert as we drove along the Colorado River, stopping to gaze over that unique landscape. We walked a mountain meadow near the Continental Divide, breathing the air at those heights. There was even a kind of wonder in the wide and vast Great Plains. We knew we had to ‘get home’ but we let ourselves enjoy the trip! That is not always how I travel! Sometimes, I get ‘on the road’ with a single-mindedness. I drive fast through long days to ‘just get there.’ 

Let me ask you – how are you living your life? Are you letting yourself enjoy the journey or are you looking only to some future hope of happiness or anticipating trouble down the road?

Jesus wisely counsels us to live today. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:34, The Message)  I promise you that your experience of life will be much richer and certainly more joyful when you choose to be fully present to the people and things that are happening all around you. 

Joy does not ‘just happen’ for the most part. We discover it as we are intentional in our ways.  As a little boy, I learned a Sunday School chorus: “Jesus, Others, and You; what a wonderful way to spell JOY.”  I didn’t really understand the profound truth of those simple words then, but I do now.  Put away Ego and selfishness. Turn upward and outward, giving yourself away.  When we let go of our tenacious grasp of our ‘plan,’ and give ourselves away, choosing to serve, refusing self-centeredness and replacing that we selfless serving, JOY grows inside out. 

The culture in which we live insists that our happiness can only be found if we are dedicated to Self.  We are told to “Find yourself.”  “Do what makes you happy.” The wisdom of God is exactly opposite. We are called into the Body of Christ where we can be most alive only when we deeply connected to others in interdependent relationships.   

Peter points to this radically different way of life when, by the Spirit, he tells us to “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 4:9 NIV)  The word “hospitality” in that verse translates the original Greek text that speak of ‘loving the other.’  Hospitality is not just prepping a meal for someone in your home.  It is a choice to invite others into your life, to be a welcoming serving person, who is ‘enjoying the trip.’

Beyond that, Peter tells us to “use your gifts to serve!” Some use their gifts to gain influence. Some use them to find favor, others with the desire for applause.  If we want to find joy in the journey we will take God’s gifts to us – big and small – and give them ways - “faithfully administer”- Peter says.  The most joyful Christians that I know are those who are connected and who embrace opportunities God presents to them to make their world a better place.  Those who roll up their sleeves and get to work to serve Jesus, His Body, and the world in His Name have the potential to become content, fulfilled, steady people.  Oh yes, I am realist. Fatigue may come. Criticism will show up, especially from those doing the least. However, the “company of the committed”  are focused on Another’s praise. They are joyful, not because of great results or constant recognition, but because they love God and others.

This Monday morning as you go off to your responsibilities, pray to find joy in the journey.  Choose to accept and serve, to pause and reflect, to listen with true attention.  As you live with this awareness of God’s Presence and other’s needs, you will know a difference in your own life, a kind of joy that flows from the Spirit. Oh that others would say of us what Paul wrote of his friend, Philemon. "I myself have gained much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because your kindness has so often refreshed the hearts of God’s people." (Philemon 7, NLT)

Here is a word from the Word, a Psalm that uses ancient images to convey the joy of community.  Though they may be somewhat lost to us in their fullness, the sense of full joy still seeps through these words Read them, live them.  Find Joy today.

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." (Psalm 133, NIV)

Oils, precious and refined, were poured on the heads of the priests symbolizing the Presence of God.  The fragrance spread to those watching. Everyone was enveloped in the experience, part of the rite even through the sense of smell!

Mount Hermon, the highest peak in Northern Israel, was the place from which the waters of the Jordan flowed, bringing life to the desert areas of Mount Zion in Jerusalem.  God gave the snowfall that fell on that high peak. As it melted and flowed down into the Jordan the whole region was watered, the fertility of the ground preserved.  All were blessed by something happening far away. When God's people work together, sharing grace, loving – it is the best of the best, spreading out to touch many lives.

Lord, spread the fragrance of Your goodness through our words and actions today. May we be a refreshing presence to those whose souls are parched.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

(Video of this blog at this link)

___________________

Joy In The Journey

There is a joy in the journey

There's a light we can love on the way

There is a wonder and wildness to life

And freedom for those who obey

 

And all those who seek it shall find it

A pardon for all who believe

Hope for the hopeless

And sight for the blind

 

To all who've been born of the Spirit

And who share incarnation with Him

Who belong to eternity stranded in time

And weary of struggling with sin

 

Forget not the hope that's before you

And never stop counting the cost

Remember the hopelessness

When you were lost

 

And freedom for those who obey

 

Michael Card

© 1986 Birdwing Music; Mole End Music

CCLI License # 810055

 

The Best!

Wednesday, feeling great after surgery and a long hospital stay, I got out my Miata, put the top down and drove, soaking up the sunshine. I didn’t care who could hear me singing! As I gave thanks, it came to me that the joy I was experiencing was about my present state, my sense of well-being. It is good to give thanks.   

It is true that my life overflows with good things – a comfortable home, my amazing and great children, loving friends, resources beyond my needs, food in abundance, a sense of safety and security. However, these are not the greatest of my blessings.  As my recent brush with mortality revealed again, this earthly existence will end one of these days. Someone else will live in my house, spend my money, and drive my convertible.

What is the best of all, the center of my joy?

Paul expressed it profoundly in these words -"… a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:21-24, NIV)   

 When Jesus’ disciples experienced spiritual authority, they were excited. He pointed them to their best treasure - "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”" (Luke 10:17-20, NIV)

Do not misunderstand me. The privilege of living a good life is not to be overlooked or taken for granted. With those blessings come the responsibility of stewardship, using the opportunities to help others, to be the hands of Jesus in a world of need.  A person will not necessarily be ‘more spiritual’ or pleasing to God if he suffers greatly or lives with deprivation. 

As the blessed children of God, we are commissioned by Jesus to advocate for the poor, to care for the sick, to comfort the dying, to work for justice, and to share what we have with others.  I cannot read the whole of the Bible without concluding that it is good to live securely, with plenty. But, even when hardship comes, when unexplained suffering overwhelms – there is a blessing that is available to all – the promise of being God’s own child, with an eternal home prepared with Him!

“Rejoice that your names are written in heaven!”  Let that phrase fill up your mind, inspiring your emotions today. Make that fact the center of your joy.  And don’t forget that you cannot be moral enough, dutiful enough, selfless enough, or churchy enough – to gain that relationship. God gives this gift to us through the work of His Son, Christ Jesus, because of grace. It cannot be earned, only received by faith.  Trust Him this day. Breath a simple prayer – “Christ Jesus, thank you, for the gift of Your ‘righteousness’ that makes me a child of God who lives without shame, guilt, or fear of the future. Amen.”  Then, rejoice in the best of blessings.

Here is a word from the Word -
"I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit
—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—

that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in.
And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love,
you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.

Reach out and experience the breadth!
Test its length!
Plumb the depths!\
Rise to the heights!
Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. " (Ephesians 3:16-19, The Message)

(Video of this blog at this link)

____________________

Who Am I

Who am I that the Lord of all the earth

Would care to know my name

Would care to feel my hurt

Who am I that the Bright and Morning Star

Would choose to light the way

For my ever wand'ring heart

 

Not because of who I am

But because of what You've done

Not because of what I've done

But because of who You are

 

I am a flower quickly fading

Here today and gone tomorrow

A wave tossed in the ocean

A vapor in the wind

Still You hear me when I'm calling

Lord You catch me when I'm falling

And You've told me who I am

I am Yours

 

Who am I that the eyes that see my sin

Would look on me with love

And watch me rise again

Who am I that the voice that calmed the sea

Would call out through the rain

And calm the storm in me

 

Mark Hall

© 2003 Be Essential Songs; My Refuge Music

CCLI License # 810055

 

Time Limited

Just about everything I know of has an expiration date. Batteries lose their charge. Milk goes sour in the refrigerator. Cereal gets stale. Bread molds. I was reminded again that my life is time limited during my recent stay in hospitals, 2 facilities, 10 nights in 11 days!  Though I feel much better today, there are still a couple things that require additional medical care.  Am I going to die in the near future? No doctor seems to think so, a fact for which I am grateful, but I know in a new way just how quickly a person can go from strong to weak, from feeling great to awful pain.  

 When I first met my terrible pain I would like to be able to say that I knew a calm and gentle spirit, but … alas, I am all too human and I cried out in great fear. But, loved by God, by family, and friends - I quickly regained a sense of perspective and the balance of my confinement was mostly a time of great peace, resting on faith, entrusting myself to His care.          

Here is the first choice that was impressed on me by the Spirit, through the Word. “Be Thankful!”  Repeatedly, when tempted to complain, I felt His prompt to choose faith. Yes, faith is the foundation of true gratitude.

I am NOT thankful for days of pain, for the necessity of surgical intervention, or the extended stay in the hospital. My thanks was and is sustained by this – “He is God Almighty.”  Laying in that bed, I was challenged by the familiar opening lines of the Apostle’s Creed:  “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth …”  I have recited those words a thousand times or more. During this experience, I remembered them and asked myself  if it were true to me. 

If He is God- FATHER of loving care; and ALMIGHTY – with all things under His direction; then I can be at rest. And so I was, and grateful that He is working in me and through me, in ways that may beyond my understanding in the moment.  There was an interesting side effect of thanking Him.  I  found myself thanking nurses, doctors, and hospital staff for their care with words that were not just polite, but from the heart.

One morning there, around 5 am, a nurse came into my room. I was awake so she asked if she might sit a moment or two. A conversation followed that revealed her soul exhaustion because of struggles in her own life with disappointment and uncertainty. She told me that she sought out my room because ‘there is such a feeling of peace here.’  After praying with her, I thanked God for helping me to be obedient in thanksgiving which allowed His peace to be felt and known. I experienced His word - "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

Beyond a response of humility that allowed me to express thanks to God I found myself humbled by a renewed realization of my place in this world. There is a subtle kind of pride that creeps up on me (you, too, perhaps?) that makes me feel indispensable. “Whatever will the world around me do if I am not functioning at capacity?”  While it is important to be of service to God and others, if that service is done from duty or pride, it is tinged with Self that obscures the Spirit’s work.

Sidelined by weakness, completely at the care and mercy of others, I remembered that life flows on, that others will close the gap, taking up the reins of responsibility. Of course that may seem like common sense to some but I needed that lesson. We all serve best when we lean into our spiritual gifts with joy in the offering of ourselves for God’s glory. So many other times when sidelined by sickness even for a day, I fretted about ‘getting back’ to work and service. This time, God let me experience the Body of Christ in a new way.  During those times someone stepped up to take my place as a Bible teacher in our Vacation Bible School.  My pastor replaced me quickly at a wedding I was to conduct. Another ministered in my place at a funeral that I was to do.

People to whom I have ministered, for whom I have prayed, prayed for me.  The strength of being ‘in the Body of Christ’ became even more evident to me in my weakness.

So, are you in a hard place, a painful situation, a circumstance that is limiting you? 

Let me urge to you trust your Heavenly Father who is ‘God, the Father Almighty.’  

Pray to know the gift of faith and lean into gratitude for His gracious gifts. 

Let the love of the Body surround you, carrying you when you cannot stand alone. Being part of His Church, His family, in life’s great and happy moments, makes it possible to know the ministry of that Body when life turns quickly. Yes it is true that "If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:26-27, NLT)

We are all time limited, will all experience weakness, sooner or later, and at some point, oh cheery thought, we will come to the end of our earthly journey. May God grace us with inner beauty, deep faith, and an experience of being loved and loving in those moments.

Join me in this prayer that David prayed so long ago, our word from the Word.

"Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say,
“I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me." (Psalm 13:3-6, NIV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

____________________

Breathe On Me Breath Of God

Breathe on me breath of God

Fill me with life anew

That I may love what Thou dost love

And do what Thou wouldst do

 

Breathe on me breath of God

Until my heart is pure

Until with Thee I will one will

To do and to endure

 

Breathe on me breath of God

So shall I never die

But live with Thee the perfect life

Of Thine eternity

 

Edwin Hatch | Robert Jackson

Words: Public Domain