It seems like for the past 5 years I have been running around in the same circle. The circle I’ve been running now is well marked. Kind of like the rut you find on the ground around a merry-go-round at the park.
Faith. What does it mean to live by faith? Do you really know what that means? That’s what I ask myself… and anyone else that may be listening. I have these set of verses that keep coming up as I read the Bible. It’s the same set over the past 5 years that keep surfacing. My heart races a bit when I read them. I remember situations in the past when I read them, prayed, waited, and acted.
Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.” (The Message).
“Embrace this God-life.” I continue to hold on. I question, “Do I really have faith?” Mark 9:23-24 is another set of verses that continue to come across my eyes when I read Scripture,
23Jesus said, “If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.”
24No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, “Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!”
There’s this cry for something from within me… something that reaches out that gives me the assurance of meaning and purpose – which leads to me knowing I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. This comes so easy for some… and so difficult for me.
I think a part of the problem for me revolves around one of the words found in the Mark 11 verses listed above. “Forgiveness”. If I’m going to really embrace this God-life I’ve got to let some things go… and forgive.
Prayer… how serious are we with our prayer lives? Do we pray just enough to get us through the day? To get our own needs met? Just how serious are we about prayer? Read Matthew 26:31-46. Jesus was pretty serious…
I am hooked on 24! I am thrilled that Jack is back!! I just can’t get enough of the action and suspense that follows the life of Jack Bauer. I am trying to get Lori hooked. It’s too much for her to take.
15 minutes before the show began tonight. I fell asleep. I woke up at 30 minutes into the program! I couldn’t figure out what was going on. So I called a friend I knew would be watching and I got caught up. My falling asleep was totally uncalled for! I can’t forgive myself… could I not stay up just another 15 minutes?
When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour?Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”(Matthew 26:40-41, The Message).
How do you live life? Do you fly by the seat of your pants? How much of your life is spent seeking God? How ready are you for a spiritual battle? Do you even know when a spiritual battle has begun around your life?
Stay alert. Keep watch. Don’t fall into temptation.
… 2009 has gotten off to a great start. To begin with, on New Years Eve my daughter Valerie wanted to have a ring ceremony for her decision to “True Love Waits.”
We had a private ceremony hosted by our friends Nat and Tonya in their home. Valerie invited some of her friends over to join in the celebration. My friend Joel was there and led us in a song. Valerie asked if Joel would sing Beautiful Day by U2 during the ring ceremony.
I challenged Valerie to hide God’s word in her heart so that she will not sin against God. She pledged to seek God and to keep herself sexually pure until she gets married. “I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart…” (The Message).
The next day Walker calls me to let me know something exciting happened!! He was so excited to lose his first tooth. He said he got 5 bucks for his tooth from TF (the Tooth Fairy). The only thing is that TF left the tooth under the pillow. I told him that maybe he ought to bring it over to my house the next time he is over to see if it works again!!
The Read Through the Bible has gotten off to a great start. I know that I have several friends who are also walking through the Bible this year as well. (Joel, Nat, Jason, Randy, and (Amy C, aka Raging Genius) Keep it up!! I hope to hear from others who are as well.
I’m praying some outrageous prayers these days too!! I know God is going to work in them, in my family, and through all of the praying!! I’m glad I can talk with Him about the things on my heart. God is good!! I look forward to seeing God work in my life in 2009!!!
My choice is you, God, first and only.
And now I find I’m your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
And then you made me your heir!
The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
I’m happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
that’s not my destination!
Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I’m on the right way. (Psalm 16:5-11, The Message)
I received a comment from my “Are you hungry?” post. Instead of posting a lengthy comment there I have decided to write one here. The question posted was, “Is it possible to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sad at the same time?” There were several thoughts that came to mind as I read this question. If anyone would like to add to the discussion please jump in.
One thing about sadness and the Christian I believe is that the sadness should draw us closer to God. Ecclesiastes 7:3 states, “Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.”(NIV). I first came in contact with this verse back in the late 80′s when The Choir released their CD Chase the Kangaroo. The song “Sad Face” has been a great inspiration to me over the years.
I loved the song then as I do now. This verse puzzled me as a young believer. I was in a church at the time that was very focused on the Holy Spirit. (Can one get out of balance when it comes to the Holy Spirit?) I felt as though when something “bad” happened to me that there was something wrong (with me)… like I wasn’t spiritual (enough) or I wasn’t as good as the other believers I hung out with… Or I was out of God’s will.
I remember a night when I shared this verse sitting in the worship center with some of the youth and youth leaders. I basically said then that it is OK to have issues of sadness, loneliness, etc… then quoted this verse. But I didn’t understand what it really meant. I had not ever drank from the cup of true sadness and hurt.
Before I go there lets look at John 16 where Jesus talks to his disciples about the coming work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says,
Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you… (v 5-7).
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you… (v. 13-15).
I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (v. 20-24).
I think now I have come to understand sadness and how it relates to my walk with God as a Christian. As a young believer in my late teens early 20′s, I had not had the opportunity to walk a road of real sadness, heartbreak, separatedness, etc. Now that I am in my young 40′s I have had a taste of that road. I think I am beginning to understand why sadness is allowed in the life of the Holy Spirit driven believer. Jesus said, “Your grief will turn to joy.” He goes on to say, “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
As a Christian, I believe it is possible to become sad and to stay there – to live in sadness that ultimately leads to a depression. Remember Jesus said, “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” It’s in those times of sadness He wants us to come to Him. It is through turning over that situation with trust to the Father so that the Counselor has opportunity to work in our lives. If we choose to sit in our sadness we choose to stay focused on ourselves – which leads to bondage in self pity.
…the greatest destroyer of that confident relationship to God, so necessary for intercession, is our own personal sympathy and preconceived bias. Identification with God is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with Him it is because of our sympathy with others, not because of sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our intercessory relationship with God, but sympathy will. (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, May 3).
I know there is so much more that can be said on this. This is probably not even an answer to the question but rather the beginning of a dialogue on the subject. Below is the song that I referenced above.
Sad Face by Steve Hindalong as performed by The Choir. I think this song was written after Hindalong’s wife miscarried their baby. You may also recognize the name Steve Hindalong as the co-writer of the song God of Wonders we have all come to love in our churches.
There’s a crystal in the window
Throwing rainbows around
There’s a girl by the mirror
And her feet won’t touch the ground
‘Cause she never saw the sky so bright
Isn’t that like a cloud, to come by night
Nevermind the sky
There’s a tear in her eye
A sad face is good for the heart
Go on cry, does it seem a cruel world?
A sad face is good for the heart of a girl
A sad face
There’s a woman in my kitchen
With a rainbow on her cheek
Well isn’t that a promise?
Still I never felt so weak
There’s a tiny spirit in a world above
Cradled so sweetly in our Father’s love
So you don’t have to cry
No there’s something in my eye
A sad face is good for the heart
Maybe just now I don’t understand
A sad face is good for the heart of a man
A sad face
A sad face is good for the heart
It’s alright you don’t have to smile
A sad face is good for the heart of a child
For the heart of a child
For the heart of a child
For the heart of a child
A sad face
A sad face…
Point [point](n.) a particular aim, end, or purpose. (v.) to direct the mind or thought in some direction; call attention to. (There are some 90 definitions for point onDictionary.com)
Last night I was thinking about looking for a book by Steve Farrar, Point Man. From what I recall, Point Man deals with men leading their families spiritually. After reading Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, “The Focal Point of Spiritual Power,” I think I will get it of the shelf.
…except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ… Galatians 6:14
Pay attention to the external Source and the internal power will be there. We lose power because we don’t focus on the right thing. The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these. We are to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” ( 1 Corinthians 2:2 ). The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work. Concentrate on God’s focal point in your preaching, and even if your listeners seem to pay it no attention, they will never be the same again. (My Utmost for His Highest, November 25).
After reading this today, I have been challenged all the more to ask the Holy Spirit to fill me with His power. I want to lead my family and to lead everything I do in life by the power of the Holy Spirit. I know the cental message for the believer is the Cross of Christ.
Sometimes I think we get so bent on doing the act of prayer that we forget God is the reason for the act. Sometimes we get so focused on so many other ”things” of God that we miss God in the process.
Oswald Chambers goes on to say, “…the focus tends to be put not on the Cross of Christ but on the effects of the Cross.” I don’t want to get lost in seeking answers to prayer over seeking God… getting to know God… growing in Him. I pray my focus stays on Jesus.
This morning I was awake at 5:02. I sat up and thought to myself, “It sure feels warm in this house this morning.” (It’s always freezing in our bedroom… just ask the penguins that moved in last week.) Back to the early morning wake up call… I put my head back down and thought, “What do You want to talk about?” I have had a lot on my mind the past couple of months. If I told you everything that has been on my mind – I know I would overwhelm you.
I asked God, “What do You want to talk about?” I believe He gave me my next thought. He wanted me to talk about one of those things on my mind. I prayed and the next thing I knew it was just a few minutes after 7. I don’t know how long we talked… Joel will probably have a smart remark and say a minute or two… I just don’t recall the time. But I do know the conversation with God was about.
So, now I’m in my office jotting down some of my thoughts before they get away. Peace, hope, love, joy, and calm are the things running through my mind… and my heart. I’m thankful for the experience. I’m thankful for the conversation at 5:02 AM.
After jotting down my thoughts – I looked up Brian Bloye’s blog (Pastor of West Ridge Church in Hiram). He has a post entitled, “Still”. Take a quiet moment and read what he as to say. I know you will be spoken to…
Earlier in the month I asked the question, “What would you say is… the most powerful force on earth?” The motivation for asking the question was an infomercial of sorts I heard on a local Christian radio station. The Pastor was talking about all sorts of things that pertain to his church and then made a comment about prayer being the most powerful force on earth.
When he said that I immediately asked, “Is it really?” Is the act of prayer the most powerful force? I’m sure that’s not what he meant… but that is what I heard him say. Sometimes I think we get so bent on doing the act of prayer that we forget God is the reason for the act. Sometimes we get so focused on so many other ”things” of God that we miss God in the process.
I would say God is the most powerful force! Everything else comes from Him. A.W. Tozer puts it this way,
The voice of God is the most powerful force in nature, indeed the only force in nature, for all energy is here only because the power-filled Word is being spoken. (The Pursuit of God, 70).
So much of my life has been shaped by the 5 years of my life spent at Harvest Community Church. I moved to Albuquerque with my family in September 1999. We arrived not knowing what God had in store for us. No home… no job… no money… no money… just my good friend Jason who was leading worship at Harvest and let us crash at his house the first couple of nights. It was a rough start for us but God blessed the ministry and my life tremendously through Dan Lewis (lead pastor), Jason Taylor, and Mike Goff. Thanks guys for taking me in!!
This video tells the story of Harvest Community Church now named Soul Rio.
Prayer, intercession, calling out to God from within the depths our own hearts and souls with groaning that cannot be understood…
At various times in our lives, our cirumstances often dictate how we pray. I’m sure when Jonah was first thrown overboard and swallowed up by a giant fish he was relieved and scared all at the same time. The Lord “provided” the fish for Jonah. See Jonah 1:17. I would bet his repentance was in the first several seconds of being eaten alive. I’m sure the circumstances of the next 3 days and nights dictated a different kind of prayer.
He said:
“In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave [a] I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
I’m learning I can run from God but I cannot out run Him. In fact, I don’t even think God tries to chase any of us down. I am beginning to think that our running from Him actually catches up with us on its own -through our circumstances. I look at the various times I have run from God and I can see the destruction that has followed. There have been many times when I decided to do plan B because somewhere down the road I thought plan B would help me accomplish plan A. WRONG!
In fact, look at Jonah 2:2 one more time. Jonah prayed, “In my distress…” The distress he caused himself by not doing what God told him to do in plan A.
The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you can’t understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. (Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, November 7).
I got up this morning and knew I had to get up and go cry out to Him. I want answers, I want a word from Him, I want Him to speak to me, and I want Him to deliver me from the circumstances I find myself in today. Today, I call out to Him out of my distress (the distress I brought on myself). I remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
I have an anticipation of the future - that’s a good thing. I am calling out to God not so that I can obtain those things but rather so I can know Him. I’m sure many of us feel the same way with a different set of circumstances. It’s time to get on our knees and seek the Father. For some, life has never been better. For those of you who are experiencing that I ask you to get on your knees and intercede for the many who are in need of seeking God… the many who are in need of a miracle from God.
I’m reminded of the intro to a song by Jerusalem on the live Album… “I am a warrior, you are a warrior, in the Army of God. Stand up, take your sword, take your shield, and start fighting - don’t sit down.” No matter where you find yourself today: On dry land living life, in the belly of ship sound asleep (Jonah 1:5), or in the belly of a great fish… it’s time to take your sword, take your shield, and start fighting – PRAY!
would sing 
The next day Walker calls me to let me know something exciting happened!! He was so excited to lose his first tooth. He said he got 5 bucks for his tooth from TF (the Tooth Fairy). The only thing is that TF left the tooth under the pillow. I told him that maybe he ought to bring it over to my house the next time he is over to see if it works again!! 
