Jt's Indie Christian Music Podcast » Fire

The Cross of Christ and What it Means to Me

BH — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:44:02 +0000

Part I

Christ died on the cross so that we would have eternal life. He, a man, took on the weight of sin from the past, the present, and the future on that cross and died. Jesus endured the cross for the joy on the other side (Hebrews 12:2). His love encompassed all… every person in the past, present, and future. This love remains unconditional, regardless of any circumstance, reason, place, position, or status.

The cross was where blood was spilled out. What would it have looked like? The cross… stained with the blood. The ground underneath… trodden down and soaked with blood and water poured from Christ’s body. Christ Himself… nailed to the cross, bleeding, barely recognizable as a human, and probably in agony, all the while looking down on the crowd with tender love and compassion. It was a holy spot. Christ had His life flow—His blood—washed out of Him, and the weight of all human sin, iniquity, and burden on His shoulders.

Only death could release and provide the gateway into the new. Only through the cross was it possible for the temple curtain to be torn in two. The gateway to free, unlimited access to God became opened at last. God’s presence was now unleashed to all who came to the Savior. By choosing to step through the gate that Christ has opened we possess a wonderful inheritance, including:

~a relationship with Christ
~the Holy Spirit of God Himself
~an inheritance in heaven
~ life in abundance and to the full, here and now!
~ victory over sin, death, and strongholds
~the wonder and glory of God’s presence

All of this has already been made possible and accessible by the work completed on the cross! We don’t need to strive to earn it or keep it. Christ has already completed the work and fulfilled the righteous requirements of God’s holy law that was given through Moses. Christ has already suffered the punishments of our sin. He has taken on the punishment that we so deserve. All we need to do is receive and believe in Him.

Part II

The cross on which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ hung on means most of all, rest. Gazing upon the cross of Christ, I see a work that was completed over 2,000 years ago. The work took on my own humanity, my own sinful nature, my sin, my pain, and all my sickness. From this I can rest easy, knowing that Christ has already paid the dear cost of all my sin. I know that He has already done it and aim to simply take hold of that which He died to give.

The cross also means love. Yes, Christ died for all of humanity. Everyone. However, there is a deep, very personal side to this. He died for you. He died for me. A giving of life that we might truly live. For God created life, and in Him is where real, true, actual life resides.

End Notes

Not too long ago we celebrated Easter. Was this Easter any different for you? Or was it basically the same holiday as usual? I hope and pray for each one of you reading this that God would bless you and open up your eyes to the wonder of the finished work of Christ on the cross. I hope that you may come to know that Christ has totally fulfilled the requirements of the Law. Christ is the only person Who has ever and will ever walk on the face of the earth Who has not broken God’s perfect and holy Law. By saying this I mean that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We have all broken it but the One.

By receiving Jesus’ perfect fulfillment of the Law we become clothed in His righteousness and covered in His blood. God sees us as He sees Jesus—righteous, holy, on and on. We are loved just as Christ was loved. We are seen by how God saw Jesus. Reading through the gospels it is easy to take note of how Christ was so beloved. We are too… Our eyes just need to be opened to it.

Open our eyes, Lord!

Amen.

Nothing to Come Between

BH — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:32:18 +0000

4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
Exodus 20:4-6

Ah, yes. The Ten Commandments. The receiving of these was a monumental time in history. For the Israelites, these commands from the Lord God Himself became the foundation of their law and rules to live by. They still apply to us today, and God desires us to live by them and keep them. Jesus referred to the commands (see Matthew 5:27-48), taking them to the level of the heart in this age. Jesus expounded upon adultery and murder, but I would like to focus on idolatry.

1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
7 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’
Exodus 32:1-8 (emphasis mine)

Not too long after the Lord God gave Moses the Commandments, Israel went ahead and made an idol! Instead of patiently waiting for God’s timing and trusting that Moses was safe they made a calf and bowed down to it. Seems kind of silly, doesn’t it? You might remember what happened to them after this: they went right into the wilderness for forty years. The consequences were pivotal.

That was our example way back when. I’d like to share a more current-day stance on the issue of idolatry, as not many people in the western world bow down to physical idols. This is from Sandie Freed’s powerful book, Breaking the Threefold Demonic Cord:

“To bow down means to give superiority or reverence to another being. In other words, we listen to the words of another being or honor another voice above God’s. How many times have we listened to the voice of the enemy? How often do we heed what the devil says about us and exalt his words above what God has said? It we exalt Satan’s words over God’s, then we are bowing down to a false image. Dear ones, this is a form of idolatry!

…If we have embrace any image of God that is not truly who He says He is, then we are bowing down to a false image.”

So you can see that anything in our lives that is held in higher esteem than the Lord and what His Word says, then we are bowing down to a false image and holding that higher in our life. All of us struggle with this in different areas. However, let us desire to the utmost to bring every thought into the captivity of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

I want to encourage each and every person to think about their life. Take a good, hard look. Here are some thoughts to consider:

It’s not a widespread topic to keep God at number one in our lives. It’s too easy in the complacency of life to allow certain things to run us … money, family, jobs, friends, work, etc. It might not be an image or a statue, but how often do we bow down to these and worship them in the sense of allowing them to run our lives?

Where has the honor gone in keeping the Lord in the first and foremost place? Busyness and activity tend to take over stillness and rest.

May we keep Him first in our love, time, money, and everything. By obeying Him to the fullest, loving Him above anyone and anything in our lives, He will make us successful and bless us in all of our ways.

High Cost

BH — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:07:03 +0000

This week in church we are started a nine week study on discipleship via Dietrich Bonheoffer’s book, The Cost of Discipleship. I read this book back in 8th grade and had a difficult time grasping what he was saying, but after many years I’m sure it will be a more rewarding experience. Anyways… On Sunday, Pastor Dave’s sermon focused on cheap grace vs. costly grace. To highlight the point of costly grace, P.D. used the following verse:

Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you. Matthew 7:6

This verse has never made much sense to me. After hearing the sermon, however, it is beginning to take root!

I must confess and ask for forgiveness for those in my 20-somethings generation… We’ve taken so much for granted. I know we shouldn’t blame circumstances… But (as so many like to point out) we’ve had so much provided for us. We haven’t had to struggle for much. Things aren’t nearly as rough on the home-front here in the U.S. as they were in the past (in some ways).

So naturally with being surrounded by an abundance of everything, we’re going to take a lot of it for granted.
It’s unfortunate that that also applies to God’s grace.

We take grace lightly because we fail to count the cost. We take our freedom lightly because it’s hard for us to grasp the price so many before us paid to protect us. We take our parents lightly because we don’t understand the sacrifices they have made in raising us. Forgive us all, Lord.

When we count the cost, there arises a deep-seated gratitude that erupts into a desire to pour forth and give back.

Grace has so many different facets. A baseline fact is that one of the results of Jesus laying down His all is for us to be covered in God’s grace. Let’s briefly think about this… Jesus, after being in heaven for who knows how many years, came to us in the form of a baby. He left the glory of God in heaven and came to us in flesh. Now I’ve heard near-death encounters of people having glimpses of heaven and not wanting to return to earth. Imagine what it would be like to have been in heaven, then coming down here to live for a period of time! He walked on this earth and grew as all of us have. Around the age of thirty His ministry began and I’m sure most of us know the story of His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection.

What about the hours before the crucifixion? In His suffering, Christ’s friends abandoned Him. Life feels empty and lonely without friends. I can’t imagine going through the worst possible time and having your friends fall asleep and run from you. Ouch. Jesus was scorned, mocked, and beaten. Try putting yourself in His shoes. See what it feels like. Yet He silently stood strong out of love. Then the whipping. The crown of thorns? How about the nails in the wrists and feet? Oh, and don’t forget about being displayed on a cross for all to see. At this point Christ is marred beyond recognition and has a spear stuck in His side. Death. Then came the glorious resurrection!

This all happened that we would have life as lived by grace.

Failing to keep in mind Christ as risen from the grave causes grace to be cheap. We lightly come back for more and don’t hold it as the precious, wonderful gift that Christ died in order to give us.

I pray that God would open up all of our eyes to understand the high price Jesus paid for us. From seeing this in a deeper, more meaningful manner, I believe that our hearts will be so riveted and moved to display our gratitude in a unique manner. Maybe you’ll write a song about it. Maybe you’ll just get on your knees in thankfulness to God. Maybe you’ll offer it to someone else who desperately needs some grace. Either way these are all expressions of our gratitude to our Creator.

God, please help us to count the cost of the cross, of the price Jesus paid for us. Just as we would hold a valuable treasure with the utmost care and consideration, help us to hold the grace You have blessed with in the same manner. May the wonder of Your sacrifice be truly felt in our hearts, so that we might feel and share in the immense power. In Jesus’ wonderful name. Amen.

Faith

BH — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:52:17 +0000

The title of this blog is ‘Faith.’ One word. No strings attached.

In all of its simplicity, faith is loyalty to, belief in, and trust in something. It is the essence of part of our lives. Maybe you’re a boss and have faith in your employees. Maybe you’re a child and have faith in your parents. Maybe you’re a teacher and have faith in your students.

But above all else, transcending any person or thing here on earth, do you have faith in the One?

If you do…

You are radically blessed!

The first couple of chapters in Romans are oozing with talk of faith, and I encourage you to take a look at them! Chapter 4 focuses a lot on Abraham. Verses 2, 3, 13, and 14 tell us that:

“2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ … 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless. ”

Breaking this down a little, it is noticeable that Abraham was made right with God not because of his good deeds or his accomplishments here on earth, but because he had faith in God and acted upon his beliefs! Abraham was put in right standing with God because he trusted Him! Abraham was declared righteous because he believed God!

Isn’t that astounding?! We are made righteous through faith.

Thinking of the word righteous, some attainable, unreachable standard comes to mind. It comes off as being for a select few. But the amazing thing is that righteousness is for all of us! All because faith levels the playing field!

Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants—not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all. Romans 4:16, AMP

Anyone can choose to believe! Faith in Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, is for everybody! Regardless of where anyone has been or what has been done, anyone at all is free to believe in God and take Him at His Word.

God’s Word… so full of promises. God’s Word… so full of life. It is all there. Believe in Jesus and you believe in God’s Word made flesh (John 1:14). Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Through the Truth in God’s Word we are pointed in the Way we should go, which leads to Life. If we would believe this Word at all costs, imagine what glorious things await!

Faith takes away any selfish ties. Faith puts it all on our Savior Jesus. Faith has everything to do with a focus on God. When we live our lives constantly beholding the One Who is righteous, in turn we are made righteous! No, we will never have perfect performance. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But God is righteous, holy, and always faithful to us. So when we keep our hope set on the One, we become like Him! All we have to do is believe God at His Word. Trust that what He says is true. We are in right standing with God when we trust in Him—perfect and spotless. There is nothing in and of ourselves! Search the Scripture and see how God has shown Himself faithful to us! He will never fail us, forsake us, or let us down (Hebrews 13:5)!

God can truly be trusted!

We are told that faith without works is dead (James 2:17-26). However, the works we do should not be out of striving for acceptance or approval from the Lord. I want to share with you something by Joyce Meyer. I feel that it brings faith and works into a very healthy perspective.

If we have real faith, we will do good works, but our dependence will not be on works. Our works will be done as acts of love for God—in obedience to Him—rather than as “works of the flesh” by which we hope to gain right standing and acceptance with Him. (Pg. 1806, The Everyday Life Bible)

I believe that if we truly believe the Lord and are secure in our place as God’s own children, then we will act in accordance with our beliefs. By walking in obedience to God’s calling, we act in faith because we trust in His Word to reign in our lives.

Keep the faith!!!

Another Piece of the Puzzle—The Lord’s Voice

BH — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:45:27 +0000

Lately I’ve been interested in, enamored by, and puzzled by the voice of God. Maybe I’m making it too complex. God speaks to us all. He can’t be limited! His Word, people, circumstances, nature, and so many things surrounding us are all vehicles through which God communicates to us. God help us to see Him and hear Him in the midst of it all!

What I want to focus on, however, is God speaking to us—directly and personally. Countless times in the Bible we read, “And God said…” and “And the Lord of the Lord came to me…” on and on. Noah, Abraham, David, Ezekiel, Mary, and a number of others are recorded in a beautiful picture as hearing from God, being faithful in obedience, and walking in the great things of God’s will for them.

Isn’t there tremendous potential for us all? If those who heard God’s voice walked in great things in the Lord, can’t we all?! It’s part of the giant wonder of walking close to Jesus, of being led and guided by His voice, through the Holy Spirit in us.

It is part of our inheritance and our right as being included in the family of God to hear His voice! We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Think about the unlimited potential. God told Noah to build an arc. The flood came. An angel came to Mary and spoke to her. She was impregnated. What earth-shattering things will God speak to each and every one of us?

Since God Himself is in us, why is it sometimes so hard to get in tune with His heart and really come to know what He is saying? This radical Being that created the universe is in us, and yet how often do we fail to recognize Him throughout the day? Jesus walked in such power here on earth. He was a human like us, and He too had the Holy Spirit. He calls us to go out and make disciples, and I firmly believe that as we spend time with Him in prayer, worship, and His Word, we will be closer to Him and clearly come to know His voice. May the cares of the world not choke out His word in us. (See the likes of Matthew 13:22, Mark 4:19, and Luke 21:34)

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your voice! Your creative and powerful voice which created all in this universe now resides and dwells in us! Lord, please open our ears and clean them out so that we can clearly hear You. Teach us to discern your voice with clarity and confidence

And just as You spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice, so help us to be still and quiet before You in the same manner. Help us clear out the clutter in our minds and honor Your voice.

I pray that You would lead us down Your perfect path into great things wherever we are! In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Psalm 29
1 All of you angels in heaven, honor the glory and power of the Lord!
2 Honor the wonderful name of the Lord, and worship the Lord most holy and glorious.
3 The voice of the Lord echoes over the oceans. The glorious Lord God thunders above the roar of the raging sea,
4 and his voice is mighty and marvelous.
5 The voice of the Lord destroys the cedar trees; the Lord shatters cedars on Mount Lebanon.
6 God makes Mount Lebanon skip like a calf and Mount Hermon jump like a wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord makes lightning flash
8 and the desert tremble. And because of the Lord, the desert near Kadesh shivers and shakes.
9 The voice of the Lord makes deer give birth before their time. Forests and the temple is filled with shouts of praise.
10 The Lord rules on his throne, king of the flood forever.
11 Pray that our Lord will make us strong and give us peace.

John 10:27
The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice…

There is a Time and a Season for it All

BH — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:07:10 +0000

God is the master organizer! Have you ever really thought about it? From the galaxies and planets, the stars in their place, the earth with the water, sea, and sky, all the peoples and nations, down to the microscopic array of the composition of atoms, God had it all organized and planned beforehand. Even the changing of the seasons is organization for the cycle of nature. The human life spans many seasons and many overlap. A woman goes through a cycle each month. All of this has a purpose.

In Ecclesiastes 3 we read:

1 To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted,
3 A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up,
4 A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to
refrain from embracing,
6 A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away,
7 A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak,
8 A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace
…
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and
minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the
sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the
beginning to the end.

Additionally, in Psalm 31:15, King David writes that, “My times are in Your hands…”

I feel like my current way of going about daily life is being totally shaken up. Some moments it is hard to tell which way is up and which way is down. I mean this mostly in regards to my thought life. God takes us all through seasons of change, which is definitely a good thing. All we need to do is cooperate and trust that God is right there with us (see Heb. 13:5), thus allowing Him to work His awesomeness.

I admit to being a person who doesn’t particularly care for change (in some regards). After coming to know some people who enjoy changing various things frequently, I’ve come to appreciate their adaptability and ability to improve for the better by trying something new. It is such an admirable quality and keeps things new, fresh, and alive. There is much to be said on both ends of the spectrum. We were made in God’s image and likeness, right? So on one hand we have our unchangeable, fixed Rock in heaven, Who is always the same. But this very great I AM is also always doing a NEW work in us—His people. We all have the hope of being with the Lord, of really knowing Him! In the Bible it says that, “What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.” (1 John 3:2, The Message) So if in actually seeing Christ at His return we become like Him and resemble Him, then in the meantime we are continually in the process of being prepared and refined; we are ever in the process of renewal, and it is at Christ’s coming that we will fully become like Him, for we shall see Him exactly as He really is! All of us, in order to prepare us for Christ’s coming and to fully meet Him, are taken along many and unique paths to get us to our final destination—an eternity with the Lord!

Sometimes change occurs subtly and without our knowing; other times it is stunningly shattering. Being aware of such shaking up is hard to grasp onto, but with knowing that the Lord is the only firmly fixed One we have gives great hope and strength to endure until the very end.

No matter what you’re going through, please continue hanging on. The Lord has every moment, every breath of your life, in His precious timing. Our times are in Your hands…

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the grand elegance of Your creation! Every facet of it was thought of and planned beforehand. What an amazing thing to think about! Thank You for the times and seasons You have made. Give us Your grace and Spirit to trust every moment of our lives into Your timing. Please help us to rest easy, knowing that YOU very well know what is going on every moment of our lives, that nothing at all escapes Your notice. So much praise goes to You alone, God!!! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Love Him Wherever You May Be!

BH — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:26:53 +0000

Currently I am reading the book And I Will Be Found by You by Francis Frangipane. One particular chapter has just blown me away. I still have trouble wrapping my mind around some of the truth found in here! You can read the entire chapter here. Here are a few quotes that particularly stick out:

• “Love Me where you’re at.”

• “‘Lord, is that all You want of me?’ To this He responded, ‘This is all I will ever require of you.’”

• “…and I was released from the false expectation of ministry-driven service. God was not looking at what I did for Him, but who I became to Him in love. The issue in His heart was not whether I pastured, but whether I loved Him. To love the Lord in whatever situation I found myself—even as a television repairman—this I could do!”

This is the first and greatest command—to love the Lord our God with all our mind, heart, entire being, and our might. Just to love. By simply focusing on loving the Lord, that gets us out of the way—in a good way. That allows the room for God to prompt us, move us, guide us, lead us, transform us, on and on, without us being in the way of His work. All of this because we are so engrossed in His love and loving Him that all else simply falls into place! It becomes a result of our love. We become so enamored with focusing on our exceedingly huge God that we aren’t trying to fiddle around with our issues. Then we turn around and POOF! (Ok, I realize that not all issues in our lives are short-term. However, the piece of the puzzle I am hoping to bring light to is to transfer your needs to God and focus on Him. By being consumed with Him you will be doused with the grace and everything you need to move forward in life with strength and joy.) I will never forget my time at a CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) conference one year. Going into the conference I was struggling with various things. After a few days of giving so much attention to God, I returned back to normal life and was confounded! Those things that were tangling me were no longer there!

What I’m really trying to say here is that if we will just allow ourselves to become consumed with the diamond-like and infinitely multifaceted Being of our God, wherever on earth we may be, we can bring great joy to His heart.

I find Francis’ story so encouraging. Currently I am living life at home, working as a substitute teacher, continuing to hone my musical skills. Thoughts of ministry, service, and doing something bigger with my life have frequently passed through my mind. Francis’ story helps to bring peace to my current state-of-of affairs, and I hope it does for you too. For the three years Francis was working simply to provide for his family he had no titled ministry. He was not traveling all over the world. He was working a job, providing for his family. And yet in the midst of this utmost simplicity, Francis was drawing near to and loving the Lord right where he was. God still passionately loved him. He wasn’t sad or disappointed because Francis wasn’t out winning hundreds of thousands of souls. God loved Francis and showed Himself to him in the most ‘average’ and everyday situations. Such intense love can be found in this. A spark from this example has reignited my heart to love everyone I know the best I can.

By no means was any of this performance-based. My mind keeps on wanting to say, “But, wait!” No… I am learning to refuse the thoughts that I have to perform in order to keep God happy or be branded a better person, or more faithful, or whatever. We are called just to love. Only to love. Become to God in love. Let the scales fall away. Everything else will follow. Learn to dwell in God’s love.

Everything flows from Love itself! By providing for his family and loving the Lord in the midst of it, Francis was fulfilling his purpose at that time. Situations and circumstances may change, but our highest purpose and calling remains—to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, with all of your strength, and with all of your mind. This is a true purpose for us all.

From knowing first of all that we are loved and accepted for who we are, then we are empowered to go forth doing. The love of God frees us in our hearts, with purity of motives. Then we are equipped to love others with pure hearts, just as Jesus did as He walked this earth.

All else will fall into place.

Lord Jesus,
May we be like You as You walked this earth. Fill our minds and our vision with You, that we can simply allow You to work. Consume our hearts with Your love, that we may be totally and wholly freed of performance-based mindsets. May we be grounded in You, loving You absolutely anywhere we are, being set free from any limitations. Because of Your incredible love for us, we long to love you in return and bring glory to You in every thought, situation, and every action we take!
In Jesus’ awesomely wonderful name.
Amen.

Not Only Looking Away From, But Looking To

BH — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:51:29 +0000

It’s the Christmas season and one of the most blessed times of the year. All of the fun, festivities, and gatherings have helped to muster up the Christmas spirit—a spirit of joy, of thanksgiving, of love. This is a time when people on a much larger scale make an effort to reach out and give to others. What an awesome thing! This spirit of giving spinning out from the original gift of a Savior given to us! Isn’t this just what God intended? For us to imitate Him, especially in the area of giving and blessing others, is truly a fulfilling thing.

Amidst all the busyness of the times, while everyone is hustling and bustling, I find times of silence before the Lord to be some of the most exciting. Imagine the storm swirling around outside, but inside is the perfect and calm peacefulness. Inside you know everything is going to be alright, regardless of how things are going outside. It’s a matter of trusting and at the same time knowing with your whole heart that all will work out. Like a tree rooted into the depths of the earth nothing shakes this restfulness on the inside.

A silent, still, and holy night.

I am so glad there is snow on the ground. Regardless as to whether much of it will be left on Christmas Day, it’s made the anticipation even more fun! The stillness of a snowfall is so full of serene beauty. It covers the world with a pure white blanket. There is much to be related to the blessed night of Christmas Eve. This peace so pure, so holy, can only be found in Jesus. Additionally, looking at a sleeping baby imparts some of this peace to our hearts. Have you ever seen that commercial where “Silent Night” is playing in the background and they show babies sleeping? There is such preciousness found in these.

I hope and pray for us all to meet this Peace in our hearts this Christmas. Regardless of what you’re going through—the struggles of depression, the missing of loved ones, not feeling like you have enough to give—I just want you to know that your heart are so felt. There are so many people I know right now who are holding on by a thread; it is a blessing that my family is able to provide some care and support. That is the wonder and beauty of being there for each other. We can bear one another’s burdens and provide the love that is so needed. Please don’t try to go it alone. People are around you to help.

Turn away from all distractions, from the hurt, from the pain, from any loss, and turn to Jesus Christ, the One true love.

Just as Christ came to give us eternal life and in His physical absence from earth we have the Holy Spirit (Counselor, Comforter, Helper, Advocate, Strengthener, Intercessor, Stand-by) in us, so are we called to help counsel, comfort, help, strengthen, intercede, and stand close to others. As God has done to us, let us go do to others. This will spread the love, this will usher in more cheer. Not just for right now in this Christmas season, but throughout the entire year. Just as the song goes, “Keep Christmas with you, all through the year,” let us keep the spirit of love, joy, faith, and giving in our hearts always!

On that joyous morning we celebrate! We celebrate our Savior and look forward to His second coming. We celebrate love and family. We enjoy giving and at the same time receiving—love, gifts, food, whatever it may be. God loves celebrations! Look at all the feasts found in the Old Testament. Similarly we celebrate this monumental occasion in our own faith. A time when God gave us the gift of Love and of the promise of eternal Life itself.

As we remember the birth of Christ and look forward to His second coming, let us rejoice at the promise of eternity spent with the Lord! There will be no more weeping, no more sickness, no more death. Only LIFE!

Merry Christmas and a blessed new year to all!

Treasuring the Word

BH — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:29:10 +0000

Psalm 119:1-6, AMP

1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God’s revealed will).
2 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart.
3 Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]; they walk in His ways.
4 You have commanded us to keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently.
5 Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]!
6 Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments.

Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

Isn’t it amazing how much King David was diligent about keeping God’s Word treasured in his heart? Psalm 119, which sometimes sounds like the same thing stated over again so many times, reminds us how much David really wanted to please God and follow all of His commands. On a very similar plane, the Lord told Joshua to meditate on His word, that it would then be observed. Then all the great blessings would follow.

Looking also to the dawn of the church, it is astounding to see how much authority they walked in! On the day of Pentecost about 3,000 people were added to the numbers of those who believe. The power of God was mightily present with them! I believe we can walk in this type of authority, too. There is so much to be gained from pondering marriage of the old and the new, the promised Word with the living Spirit.

I don’t profess to be a scholar on the Jewish faith. One thing I do know, however, is that one of their main concerns is to keep the law of the Lord—a mission of obedience. Looking at so many examples in the Old Testament, disobedience to the Law resulted in death, famine, judgment, or any number negative consequences. I wonder if we often fail to recognize that today in our Christian culture. God has told us we will be giving an account of our time here on earth. Do we fail to take this into serious consideration?

Do we fall too easily into the trap of complacency? Is being “nice” people all that God desires for us, or is there something more? What does His word say about giving, about reaching out, about doing something to help those in need? How will the world know us, as children of the one, true, and living God?

Are we really known for who we are (as Christians) and displaying our love in our actions? As a direct result of a healthy, strong, and intimate personal relationship with the Lord, our lives will begin to flow outward to others with the light and love of God, just as Christ walked on this earth. However, we must take our stand of responsibility, and just as King David was keen on setting God’s commands always before him, we must seek to fervently obey the Lord. This comes from a working knowledge of God’s Word.

In addition to taking our stand of responsibility, we must come to realize that God’s grace and His Holy Spirit are sent to us to enable us to continually walk in greater victory and holiness. By no reliance on ourselves can this be accomplished, but with God all things are possible. Apart from the Holy Spirit there is little hope, but with Him we are empowered!

The disciples walked closely with Jesus and learned His ways. Then they were sent out. Then the Holy Spirit was sent to them, and they walked with incredible authority and power! The wonders God works when we spend time getting close to Him, obeying His commands, and waiting on Him, in order that His promises would be fulfilled!

Just as David so looked forward to in Psalm 119:6 Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments, so by obeying God’s will shall we inherit blessings! Looking again at the Old Testament, it is when the people obeyed His commands that they entered into the fullness of God’s blessings for them. The wanderers in the desert were turned away from God. When they finally turned to the Lord, then they entered into the Promised Land!

So it is with us. May we always seek and desire to get close to the Lord, to obey His commands, to wait on His promises for us, and expect the Spirit to flow from us! Then we will enter into the Promised Land! May the two great commandments, to love the Lord our God with everything in us and to love our neighbor as ourselves, consume our lives!

Proverbs 2:1-5, AMP
1 My son, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you,
2 Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly Wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it];
3 Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
4 If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures,
5 Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God.

In all things together with God, Who has promised to NEVER leave us!

Waking Up

BH — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:19:57 +0000

Sleep. Oh how we love and cherish our sleep. It’s a time to relax and get all cozy under the blankets. Resting and relaxing is one of the most pleasurable activities! Consciousness of the world around us fades away into our imaginations.

But alas… When the morning comes then we must get up and get moving! This comes more naturally to some than to others. Depending on what we have going on that day, maybe there is no real pressure to get going. But all the same, we are awake. The realities of life are present with us, and we must decide on how to continue our walk in life for this one day we have been blessed with.

I must say that it is awfully scary sometimes as to how we can be awake without actually being “awake.” It is far too easy to view the world around us in a deadened and sleep-like manner. We see but are not truly seeing because many things blind us to the way things really are!

When God calls us to “Awake, O Sleeper, and arise from the dead,” He is calling us to a higher level of awareness and urgency in our walk. Ideal conditions for sleep include dark and quiet places where we are uninterrupted. (Just to clarify, resting and sleeping are good, healthy, and necessary parts of life! Rest is a huge part of our walk with the Lord in a spiritual manner. When referring to sleep in this article, I am referring to death and the dullness/unawareness that come with it in our waking life, NOT the positive aspects of rest!) This is similar to the place where satan wants us to be. In the devil’s ideal place we are tuned out of our surroundings, unaware of everything going on outside of ourselves. He wants us in dark places where there is no light. Just as a dead person cannot move and be of use on earth, so the devil wants us to be immobile and stagnant in our walk with the Lord! So he will do whatever it takes, including tuning us out of our senses, to hinder us from being as powerful in our walk as we could be!

I believe it is time to wake up, to come to our senses, and to begin moving those creaky joints in an effort for the Lord. What we need is a dousing of oil from the Holy Spirit to begin moving again! We must turn to the Holy Spirit and utterly submit every part of ourselves. Feed on the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate your heart with Truth—thus bringing light to all your ways. By the Truth we receive the Light. But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light. Ephesians 5:13, AMP By the Light we are convicted, we see our sin. By seeing our sin we are enabled to repent. After repentance comes the healing, the wholeness, the breaking of the yoke.

Throughout the process of our internal revealing process, the Lord begins to shine light to our eyes, and all of our senses for that matter, to the hurting needs of the world surrounding us. Our heart awakens to His heart for others. We come to really see and understand the emptiness of a world that lives without Jesus Christ as their Savior. We begin to perceive it everywhere, just as Jesus did as he walked on this earth. Hearts beat in sync with the heart of God. We are moved to action. Complacency and idleness are shattered. We must move. We must do something for this aching world. We must go forward in the Light of Christ, shining, breathing, moving for His glory… because His heart so aches for us to do so.

In Christ’s strength we will move. In Him we will become involved with others. Strongholds and barriers preventing us from reaching out and moving will be far-removed. Fear and awkwardness will diminish as we spend more time enjoying Him. We will pray more. Pray for more people to be moved, to be awakened to their senses, out of the depths of their sleep.

And we, as Christ’s body, will come forth just as Lazarus did, in the full glory and power of the Holy Spirit, adorned in His light. Just as Jesus shouted with a loud voice for Lazarus to come out of his tomb, so are we as the body of Christ being called to Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead! In order that Christ’s light should shine upon us!

And There Was Much Rejoicing!

BH — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:00:16 +0000

I want to challenge us all to have hearts of giving, filled with thanks, as we constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] risen from the dead. 2 Timothy 2:8, AMP Great power lies in this. If only we would tap into it!

I particularly like the way the Amplified translation puts this verse because it sends our thoughts in a particular place. For one thing, to constantly keep Christ in mind. We are called to always remember, to tap into that which He died for. And we are not just broadly keeping Christ in mind, but we are holding onto the fact that Jesus is risen from the dead! We need a more in-depth look at what His triumph over death entailed.

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound.
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit—that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
4 And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
Isaiah 61:1-4, AMP

4-8 But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
on him, on him.
7-9 He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn’t say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he’d never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn’t true.
10 Still, it’s what God had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.
11 Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will make many “righteous ones,”
as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Isaiah 53:4-11, The Message

I encourage you to take a close look at, examine, read over and over, and read aloud these verses. When we keep in mind Christ as risen from the dead, not only are we remembering the awesomeness of His sacrifice and the tremendous power of His coming back to life, we are also keeping in mind everything that He died to give us in this life of salvation. Jesus wants us to have our life!!! His heart is that we enjoy it too! (John 10:10) By the sacrifice which He made, it is possible to live our lives to the full!

When we think on Jesus as risen from the dead, we are remembering that HE has promised to set us free, to deliver us, to recreate us in this life. What HE has promised, HE will fulfill! These promises are yours to keep, to hold on to, to know that God is faithful to you and never let you down! (see Hebrews 13:5)

So let us rejoice in this fact: that God has promised to give you life! No matter what you are going through right now, know that there is hope. Know that there are promises for you to stand on. Through these the Lord will keep you, firm and steady, immovable in steadfastness and patience, trusting Him and knowing with all your heart that God will bring you through.

Thank You, Lord, for these great and wonderful promises of Yours! Thank You for the bounty of this relationship with You. Thank You for Your heart that yearns for us to be totally and utterly free in You! Give us Your grace, that we may constantly rejoice and give thanks to YOU!!!

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross].
Colossians 2:15

Turn and Face the Truth

BH — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:19:05 +0000

Countless times in the Bible we are told to return to the Lord. Turn again to Him. Turn once more to Him.

Therefore return to your God! Hold fast to love and mercy, to righteousness and justice, and wait [expectantly] for your God continually!
Hosea 12:6, AMP

Let’s picture this turning from the Lord in our minds…

The Lord, bright and holy, His face shining as the sun at noonday, is before us. His loving, passionate, yearning gaze captures our hearts and attention. He desires us more than anything and wants to consume our hearts with His never-ending love. Truth Himself is the object of our gaze.

But suddenly something causes us to stop facing Him. Sin, selfishness, and death creep in, so we turn our backs to the one and true living God. Instead of having pure Light before us, we stare into darkness. The bleak hopelessness of what now lies before us makes our hearts grow dim, skews our perception.

At the same time God’s heart aches for us to turn back, to face Him and see the face of Truth. He yearns for us to know reality and the way things really are.

Some have responded to this cry in the Lord’s heart, but some are remaining in the lifeless darkness.

Jesus Christ, the hope of glory, may You save us all!

I believe that there is infinite freedom in facing the truth. The saying goes that the truth hurts. It is a time when we acknowledge and consent that this is the way things really are. We might not like to see it or admit it but we must agree.

Joy becomes more pervasive of our lives when the facts are laid bare. No cover-up, no hiding. They are in plain sight. We begin to accept things. Maybe change will result. The important thing is that we see things the way they really are.

“Our fallen thinking processes automatically justify our actions and rationalize our thoughts. Without the Holy Spirit, we are nearly defenseless against our own innate tendencies toward self-deception.

“Therefore, if we would be holy, we must first renounce falsehood. In the light of God’s grace, having been justified by faith and washed by the sacrificial blood of Jesus, we need not pretend to be righteous. We need only to become truthful.

“No condemnation awaits our honesty of heart—no punishment. We have only to repent and confess our sins to have them forgiven and cleansed; if we will love the truth we shall be delivered from sin and self-deception. Indeed, we need to know two things and two things only: the heart of God in Christ and our own hearts in Christ’s light.”
Francis Frangipane, Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God

In the same way God’s Truth (His Word) shines the light in our hearts as to expose the darkness that lies within us. It does us no good to deny, cover-up, or make excuses for those things. That prevents the Light from penetrating our beings and doing the work it was sent to do. What we must do is simply confess, ask for forgiveness, and then receive God’s healing touch.

Too often, I fear, we get caught up in should’s and shouldn’ts. ”Well, I shouldn’t be like this, so it cannot be true.” “I ought to be a better person. There must be something wrong with me.” If you’re a Christian, you most likely know what I’m talking about. We need to shine with God’s light to the world. Sometimes, though, we generate all of the doing part on our own for the sake of appearances. For instance, we are told that we are to be hospitable to others, so then we feel it’s something we should be, regardless as to whether or not that is really in our hearts. Instead of possessing a submitted life lived for the Lord, obligation and legalism settle in. The heart of the matter gets dissipated. (Please see my last blog for more on this matter!)

When we just admit to God our weaknesses, faults, sins, etc. and ask for forgiveness, the whole healing process goes so much faster!!! We consent that we are weak and need God’s help and grace to have a heart for what He wants us to be and do. It is in totally relying on the Lord that we are able to be who He so desires us to be.

Any relationship is radically strengthened when you are able to be lovingly truthful with others. Fears. Doubts. Worries. Mistakes. Brute honesty and forgiveness are the way to go.

As we open up our hearts to others, may we always know that our hearts are laid open to and totally bare to the Lord God every single moment of the day and of our life. Whether or not you believe in Him, this is the truth. All that He asks is that we come to Him and give it up. He will replace our darkness with the radically awesome light of His love. Tell Him you are weak. Tell Him you need help to be the way He wants you to be. Then lean on His grace. Look full into His Truth. His Spirit will take God’s Word through the very fibers of your being and make you to be more like Christ.

Face the truth. Face reality. Face God’s Truth. It is reality.

An Eruption From Within

BH — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:15:31 +0000

For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7

I want to pose a question and simply ask, Is our heart in what we are doing?

This could be anything… Spending time with others, spending time with the Lord, worship, cooking a meal for a family member, working, doing things as for the Lord and not for man, etc.

Or are we just doing things for the sake of doing them?

One of our highest calling as Christians is to do everything we do for the glory of God. It’s even above doing it for ourselves or another person. In this, doing it for the Lord, our motives are at their height in purity. After all, what matters the most is on the inside.

Sometimes it’s said that if your heart’s not in it, don’t do it. Granted, there are times when we need to step past what we are feeling and simply do something. But we always must be keeping tabs on our heart-attitude. For God loves a cheerful giver. And what about that lady who gave two copper coins out of her lacking, but in radical abandonment to the Lord?

I feel that there in a general view there is a complacency and holding back in the body of Christ today. I think apathy is present. There is laziness. We’re limited in what we give.

Why?

Are we fully grasping the power of our actions?

Do we really understanding the why behind those things we as Christians are called to do?

C.S. Lewis hits on this area in at the beginning of his book, Mere Christianity. He called it the “Law of Nature,” regarding how people ought/are thought to supposed to act. Then we can say, “Ok good. I am told to do this, so I’ve done it.” Plain and simple. Short and sweet. I want to challenge us to take this a level deeper, into the heart of the matter.

Take a moment to reflect on God peering into your heart. What would He find there? Emptiness? As in, “Well, I’ve been told to do this, so I’m doing it. There are no connections or real desire. I’m just following orders.” Mixed-up motives? “I don’t really want to do this, but I’m going to do it anyways. That’s all that really matters is that I do it.” Passion? “God has given so much to me, and I want to give the best part of everything back to Him.”

I strongly feel that the reason that we as the Church are so starving in our giving is that we are not fully grasping the power behind what the Lord has given to us.

If we TRULY understood the power and reasoning behind worship, wouldn’t we have so much more passionate and meaningful worship? If we really understood the importance of reading our Bible and meditating on God’s word, wouldn’t we be more heartfelt with that? You will act on what you believe. If you believe that God loves you, has your best in mind, and has good things planned, chances are you will have more of a heart of obedience.

The best way to move past all of this is to peer into God’s own heart. Look at His fiery passion for us. It’s everywhere in the Bible. Focus on the absolute Truth of how God feels, on His attributes. Ponder it. Meditate on it. Expect the Lord to reward your seeking with more of Himself. It is one of the most astounding joys in life to get to know the Lord for Who He really is. Search the scriptures. Find out how generous and giving God is. Search for humble and geared towards serving Jesus was throughout His time on earth. Look for how willing Jesus was to give up everything. Come to know God’s radical, passionate love in the Song of Solomon. The promises are all there.

Once we take hard, long gazes at God’s heart we will be transfigured. Our hearts will be more willing and more on fire to give because then we will understand how much the Lord has given to us. We must learn to totally rely on the Holy Spirit and God’s grace. Then we will be fully and divinely equipped. Nothing can be done on our own. This desire to give will erupt from within. Then we will be empowered. Then our giving will be more true, more sincere.

Everyday we must peer into God’s Word, think on it, and allow Him to change and transform us evermore from glory to glory.

Jesus, may we always become more like you.

Amen.

There’s Beauty in the Messes

BH — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:36:51 +0000

Last weekend my mom made some cinnamon rolls. Before putting them in the oven the pan was dropped and the cinnamon rolls got all twisted. She apologized so much. But somehow, seeing them in a not so ordinary state made them look even more appealing!

It’s hard to explain. We’ve all seen it. All been there, done that. We think things are in order but then seem to fall apart on us. We’ve got an ideal way in our minds which isn’t usually the way things turn out. The twists and turns are enough to drive us crazy, but there is a beauty to it all…

“Mack concentrated instead on staying to the walkway. As he rounded the trees, he saw for the first time a magnificent garden and orchard somehow contained within a plot of land hardly larger than an acre. For whatever reason, Mack had expected a perfectly manicured and ordered English garden. This was not that!

“It was chaos in color. His eyes tried unsuccessfully to find some order in this blatant disregard for certainty. Dazzling sprays of flowers were blasted through patches of randomly planted vegetables and herbs, vegetation the likes of which Mack had never seen. It was confusing, stunning, and incredibly beautiful.

“‘From above it’s a fractal,’ Sarayu said over her shoulder with an air of pleasure.

“‘A what?’ asked Mack absentmindedly, his mind still trying to grapple with and control the pandemonium of sight and the movements of hues and shades. Every step he took changed whatever patterns he for an instant thought he had seen, and nothing was like it had been.

“‘A fractal . . . something considered simple and orderly that is actually composed of repeated patterns no matter how magnified. A fractal is almost infinitely complex. I love fractals, so I put them everywhere.’

“‘Looks like a mess to me,’ muttered Mack under his breath.

“Sarayu stopped and turned to Mack, her face glorious. ‘Mack! Thank you! What a wonderful compliment!’ She looked around at the garden. ‘That is exactly what this is—a mess. But,’ she looked back at Mack and beamed, ‘it’s still a fractal, too.’”

Excerpt from The Shack, by William P. Young

Life is messy! A sopping, crowded, all-over-the-place kind of mess. I don’t think we’ll ever really be able to understand it. Sometimes we think in too much of a linear fashion. Straight path, front to back, the end. That’s not how it goes, though.

A book I read this summer, The Time Traveler’s Wife, caused me to realize how much in our lives is intertwined and comes full circle. The time traveler in the book lived a crazy life. There was himself in the present, and himself the time traveler. The author went back and forth between these scenes in his life. Yet by the end of the book all of the seemingly random events in his life made sense.

God somehow creates a divine order out of our messes. What we see as total chaos, the Lord sees as something beautiful and precious. Think of a small child who just woke up and their hair is tussled. It’s a precious thing. I think that’s how God views our lives. He’s got the order, the blueprint. All we need to do is trust and allow him to unravel things.

There are so many scenarios… A friend apologizing for the messiness of the house. Our own up-keep. But let us not get so caught up in appearances. Regardless of what’s going on, the most important thing to remember is…

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28, NLT

God is ever in the process of untying our knots, ripping strongholds to shreds, removing our chains, and releasing us from the things that blind us to the Truth. It’s through this inner-working that we are made new creatures, alive and refreshed.

By the blood of the Lamb we are washed and made clean. By His grace we are enabled to simply trust. In the midst of whatever is going on we just need to trust that God has got it all under control.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8, AMP

And thank God for that.

Pause for a moment. Take a deep breath. Know that God’s got it all mapped out for you. Everything’s going to work out.

Keep going.

Your life is one of the most beautiful ever known.

Photo by Krits

Freedom at Last: The Joy of the Other Side

BH — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:49:53 +0000

Has God been calling you to do something?

To give up something?

If so, I want to encourage you to please stay out the course. No matter what it is, please stay it out. It may be so very, very hard to do that thing or give up that thing, but please know that it is so very pleasing to God. It is difficult for us to see the big picture right now, but there are so many examples surrounding us of pure joy and bliss found when surrendered to the Lord’s will.

This week has been a huge challenge for me. I felt the Lord placing a few things regarding His will on my heart: one thing I am called to be right now, and the other I felt a tug to give up. However, through three very important people in my life these things were confirmed and their purpose smoothed out. I have peace. Joy, actually. Such freedom as I haven’t felt in a long while!

But the road to where I am, six days later, was gut-wrenching. From the outset I was upset. Regarding the area I am supposed to be in right now, I can’t say I am too happy about! Everything within me screams against it. However, I have peace in knowing that this is just for a season. I don’t have total peace or confidence in doing this particular thing, and it doesn’t feel like, “Oh yes. This is what I was meant to do.” I’m trusting that God has a good, crazy important purpose for this. Just like He always does for these kind of things.

As for the thing I was called to give up, well… This is where there were a lot of roadblocks! This was something very near and dear to my heart. To near and dear I must say… This was what my heart was set on as a type of “life-calling” for various reasons. That’s what I wanted to pursue! I’ve been realizing that since setting my heart on this I’ve lost a lot of peace and my focus has not been in the correct area. Although this thing is a gift, it’s not my calling. So this past week was God’s way of helping me to no longer have this as my main goal in life. And let me tell you that since letting go of that, I feel as free as a bird!

Through the various people in my life, I do not believe it wise to give up this particular area for good. That would be me not using a particular gift God has placed in me and also I would not be being true to myself, who I am. For the first time in a long time I know I will be able to enjoy this so freely and without pressure, without strings attached. All because God helped me to give it up in my heart, release it, free it, from the center and core of my focus. It’s not gone forever. Its priority level is just being shifted.

It was difficult this past week because every time I thought we were nearing the end the Lord took things another level deeper, like peeling off the layers of an onion and exposing what was in my heart. It’s so hard sometimes. We don’t like looking at the truth of what’s in our hearts. We might find it shameful or against what we want to believe is true. I encourage you to please face it. It’s one of the best things you could ever do for yourself. Find out what’s really inside as God leads. It will bring so much joy in your life.

It’s part of being a close follower of Christ, realizing God’s will that is. Non-Christians and some Christians may never experience. It’s easy to think, “Wow. Aren’t they lucky. They don’t need to give up what they want to do.” But truly, when God unveils His will for us, it’s a sticky, painful mess, but in the end it gives us pure bliss. We are being true to ourselves because God will lead us to whatever it is that we were intended to do!!

There’s so much in the Bible we could look at regarding this, but I would first like to look at Jesus. Wonderful Jesus Who so lovingly endured the cross for His love of us. Can you imagine living your whole life knowing that it was going to end on a cross, bearing the sin of humanity? How awful would that feel?! But yet, He endured…

He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 AMP

For the joy of it all! Isn’t that incredible? He endured so much while here on earth: rejection, hostility, opposition, denial, physical beating, abandonment, on and on we could go. In spite of it all, Jesus carried out His purpose and loved as only God can love. He gave up, lost, His life here on earth and was given back a greater glory of being seated on the throne forever!

Isaiah, too, gave up His son. He held onto the promises of God and was trusting that God would pull through. At the last possible moment, He did!

For he reasoned that God was able to raise [him] up even from among the dead. Indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead [potentially sacrificed], he did [actually] receive him back from the dead. Hebrews 11:19 AMP

I encourage you to let go and trust the Lord. From death to life He raises. If God is calling you to fulfill something, please submit.

No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this,
Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—
What God has arranged for those who love him.
1 Corinthians 2:9