Does your life have what Oswald Chambers calls, “sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is satisfying to Jesus.”?

How does someone’s life bring about that kind of pleasure to Jesus? Chambers would say it is found in, “…continual willingness to “go out” in dependence upon God…”

I’m reading about that kind of faith lived out in the lives if so many found in the book of Genesis. Abraham and Sarah’s lives were a continual “‘go out’ in dependence on God.” I believe there are many people living today with broken dreams because they have chosen not to “go out.”

What keeps us from living in the potential of what God created us for? Why is it that some seem to serve the Lord with reckless abandon? While others shrink back in fear.

Fear is a gripping emotion that takes us into “watch out for myself” thinking. How often do we read in Scripture about someone being spoken to by an angel of the Lord and hear, “Do not be afraid…” Once we lock ourselves in on fear we will not hear anything else. We will not move… we will not walk in faith.

On New Years Eve I was playing a game with my son. He was sitting on the sofa and said, “Daddy when I grow up I want to be just like you.” I’ve thought about those words a lot since then. I’ve thought about our relationship and my desire for him to grow up knowing, loving, and serving Jesus.

I’ve realized these past couple of days that my desire for him is much like the desire Jesus has for me. To live and walk by faith… To “‘go out’ in dependence on God.”

Today as I look to my Heavenly Father I echo the words of my son to Him, “Daddy when I grow up I want to be just like You.”

There’s no denying if you watch the news at all something is going on in our world today.  There’s a lot of talk about a Global Currency, Nato, The United Nations, and the need for a leader to bring us all together.  It does sound a bit like a movie that I have already seen… or even a chapter right out of the Bible.

While listening to the news this week about the G20 Summit I couldn’t help but be reminded of a bit of history recorded in Genesis 11:4 & 6,

Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let’s make ourselves famous so we won’t be scattered here and there across the Earth… God took one look and said, “One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they’ll come up with next — they’ll stop at nothing!”  (The Message).

Here we are with all of the problems we are facing as a Nation and at large a ”Global Community” and what do our “leaders” do?  They come together to try and solve the worlds problems.  Where is God in their leadership?  How much time has been spent by our leaders seeking the face of God rather than their own agendas?  I would like to hear that question in a news conference!

The life of Joshua (the understudy to Moses) is fascinating to me.  I just love Joshua.  I wish we knew more about the day to day life of Joshua as he learned from Moses.  I would like to know about the conversations they had together. 

So much is said about Isreal today.  Some Nations love and support while others hate and want to see them destroyed.  In the Bible, it is plain that God chose Israel as the nation from which He would reveal himself to the world.  When Jesus enters the world – God’s plan for redeeming the world now moves forward.  Why can’t our leaders see what has been set in motion from the beginning of time?  His plan for us all is to seek and worship Him.

The Bible says in Joshua 3:11,

…Think of it — the Master of the entire earth is crossing the Jordan as you watch.  (The Message).

“The Master of the entire earth…”  In the next chapter, we read that the people of Isreal crossed over the Jordan on dry land.  In the last verse of the chapter we read that all of the events of this chapter were done so that,

“…everybody on earth would recognize how strong GOD’s rescuing hand is and so that you would hold God in solemn reverence always.” (Joshua 4:24, The Message).

As the Nation’s leaders seek ways to bring peace (or their own agenda’s) to the table, lets not forget to seek God.  Let’s pray that our leaders eyes will be opened to the fact that the Master of the entire earth has a strong hand and desires that they hold Him in solemn reverence.

I want to understand more about how God has spoken to others through dreams.  As I read the Bible I am coming up with more questions.  I am reading in Genesis 37 and the chapters to follow about Joseph and the dreams he had been given as a teenager.  He was also given the opportunity to be used by God to deliver the interpretation of dreams.

As it pertains to the dream he was given, I wonder what ran through Joseph’s mind as he lived each day.  Did he know in his heart of hearts that his brothers would really bow to him?  Did he ever regret telling his brothers and father his dream?  Did he think it was going to take so long to see the fulfillment?  Should he have kept the dream to himself?  Did he prematurely speak about it?  No matter what the answers are – the dream was real and the dream became reality. 

But before the dream became reality – what was on the mind of Joseph?  How did he live the way he did… where did his hope come from?  Did the dream stay on his mind?  Did he never think about it again?  Was he looking daily for it to become reality? Or did a set of circumstances down the road bring him back to his teenage dream?

As I have been reading for whatever reason ”Kyrie” by Mr. Mister keeps playing in my head.  The words Kyrie eleison keep coming to my mind.  I realize Joseph was Hebrew but I wonder if he would have prayed these words, Kyrie eleison?  I’m sure in some way he must have prayed, “Lord, have mercy.”

(kĭr‘ēā‘ əlā‘ēsŏn‘, –sən) [Gr.,=Lord, have mercy], in the Roman Catholic Church, prayer of the Mass coming after the introit, the only ordinary part of the traditional liturgy said not in Latin but in Greek. It has nine lines: “Lord have mercy (thrice), Christ have mercy (thrice), Lord have mercy (thrice).” As the first invariable hymn, the Kyrie is often the first piece in a musical Mass. An English version is used in the Anglican liturgy and in the reformed Roman Catholic vernacular liturgy. The phrase Kyrie eleison used by itself is, of course, common in the Eastern rites, but without the phrase Christe eleison.The corresponding prayer in the Russian Orthodox church is often called a Kyrie.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNKbHJ3PTu4]

Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, kyrie

The wind blows hard against this mountain side,
across the sea into my soul
It reaches into where I cannot hide,
setting my feet upon the road

My heart is old, it holds my memories,
my body burns a gemlike flame
Somewhere between the soul and soft machine,
is where I find myself again

Kyrie eleison, down the road that I must travel
Kyrie eleison, through the darkness of the night
Kyrie eleison, where I’m going will you follow
Kyrie eleison, on a highway in the light

When I was young I thought of growing old,
of what my life would mean to me
Would I have followed down my chosen road,
or only wished what I could be

Kyrie eleison, down the road that I must travel
Kyrie eleison, through the darkness of the night
Kyrie eleison, where I’m going will you follow
Kyrie eleison, on a highway in the light

Kyrie eleison, down the road that I must travel
Kyrie eleison, through the darkness of the night
Kyrie eleison, where I’m going will you follow
Kyrie eleison, on a highway in the light

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do something I don’t do anymore… Gas prices and time keep me from this activity. 

love, I get so lost sometimes
days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
when I want to run away
I drive off in my car
but whichever way I go
I come back to the place You are (Peter Gabriel, “In Your Eyes”).

Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said, “Listen to this dream I had. We were all out in the field gathering bundles of wheat. All of a sudden my bundle stood straight up and your bundles circled around it and bowed down to mine.”

His brothers said, “So! You’re going to rule us? You’re going to boss us around?” And they hated him more than ever because of his dreams and the way he talked.

He had another dream and told this one also to his brothers: “I dreamed another dream—the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to me!”  (Genesis 37:5-9, The Message).

God – He is the Dream Keeper.