“Empty”

The first and biggest step that I took was this one.  Emptying myself of all that “stuff”, that I had hid some even from myself. If you really want to know God, take this step. It was once said; “that’s one small step for a man, and one huge step for mankind”. I’d like to re-word it just a little: It’s one big step for any being, and one huge step for His creation! If this is where you are today; it’s okay. Your safe and your in the right place, right where God wants you to be. Trust Him, He has got you and your okay….go ahead, empty it all on Him.

Past, Present, or Future?

I would like to start out this post with this question; where do you spend most of your time: past, present or future?

Hold that answer in your hand as you continue to read through this entire post and let God speak some “rhema” words to you…..

Imagination…..such a powerful ability. That power alone makes us so much like our father. But without wisdom, imagination is a cruel taskmaster! A weapon of destruction of your very soul!

Let me explain; do you think that we as human beings were designed to live in the present or the past or the future? I think the most obvious answer is that we were designed to live in the present……right?

Relax….yes that is correct. But now tell me; where do you spend most of your time in your mind, in your imagination, in the present, in the past, or in the future? If I answer this honestly; I spend little time in the present, a lot of time in the past, and also time in the future trying to figure out what that’s suppose to look like. Now if we turn to our father, he might say something like this; when I dwell with you, when I come and stay with you, I do so in the present……I live in the present moment! Not the past, although much can be remembered and learned by looking at the past. A view in the rear view mirror, but only for a visit, a look. Not an extended stay!!! Do not set up camp and just camp out here!!! And also for sure do not dwell in the future you visualize or imagine. Your imagination here of the future, which is almost always dictated by fear of some kind, rarely, if ever, pictures of our father are there with us.

Why do we do this?  It is our desperate attempt to get some control over something you can’t. It is impossible for you take power, or control over the future because it isn’t even real, nor will it ever be real. We try to play God, imagining the evil that you fear becomming reality, and then you try and make plans to avoid what you fear.

So why do we hang on to so much fear in our lives?……..because we don’t believe. A very dear friend of mine once said; “you can trust God with our greatest pain” can I change that to read like this; “you can trust God with your greatest fear”. The person who lives by their fears will not find freedom in His love. Now I’m not talking about rational fears regarding dangers, but the imagined fears, and especially the projection of those into the future. To the degree that those fears have a place in your life. And you don’t believe that He is just that good, that He loves you just that much! You sing about it, you talk about it, but you don’t know it to it’s fullness in which God deeply wants to pour out to you.

So……….what was your answer when you started?

What is your answer now?……….God blessing rest with all of us.

We can’t answer this alone…..

How can I live in this world and enjoy all of what this world has to offer and yet stay completely devoted to our God?

Wouldn’t like God to give you his answer for that question? I mean if you had that 1-800-# directly to God himself, couldn’t you just hear yourself asking that question to him? Why is it that we struggle so hard to look and search and run around trying to find the right answer to this question so many, many time in our lives?

I know this one real well, for me I lived 2/3rds of my lifetime already and most of it was spent looking for the right answer to that very question. There were a lot of times in my life when I truly thought I had found the answer. Only to return to the same ole lifestyle that had brought me searching in the first place. I did all the right things; I attended church, I was involved in the church, in our community. I had relationships, or well, the ones that saw things the way I did, therefore we could stand on the same ground together. I just was left each time hungry and thirsty for something more; something a lot better……and yet I continued to go on searching, looking, just hoping that it was right around the bend. That maybe one more baby, or new car, or maybe a new house; yeah that’s it new house, new location, start over. Then we will find the answer to that question.

Yeah, I found the answer to that question in the most un-likely spot. I woke up in CCU after giving up on ever being able to find it, giving up on this world and what ever this world delights were. I left this world momentarily; and I found the answer that I had so desperately searched for.

Our God is so big and so awesome, that he saved me for a bigger reason then even I understand today. I really don’t know why I am still here in this world; there really is only one reason why I am…..God rescued me!

I have to tell all of my readers; God wants this for you too. He wants to rescue you today! Where ever you are in what ever it is that you face today, He is right there to rescue you and to give you the keys to unlock the answer to that question. It’s easy you see….The answer? He wants to live in you, He wants to be with you every moment, and for you to live with Him every moment. If you dare to take this mind set on and allow Him to come and take root in you, and you give Him all of you.

IT IS THEN YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWER……

The question “then why”?

It was in the middle of the night, awakened by a bright light. First I thought could it be…..no ; it was my lovely bride as she lie awake at 1:00 in the morning. The light shinning brightly down on to her Bible as she paged through it looking for answers. I asked whats wrong? And got asked the same questions that I have answered many, many times. Did anything happen? The answer hasn’t changed and will never have to change, because I can only answer it with complete truth; no! nothing happened. Then the infamous question that will always follow when the answer is something they weren’t ready  to hear. “Then why”?

I can’t help but look at Mary and wonder how many times in her life did she want to ask that “then why”? question.  Really, an angel comes to her at a very  young age and places upon her the responsibility of bearing a child. Not just any child but; God’s own son. She just started dating and wasn’t too sure as to where all that was going. A virgin; a very young lady; and just starting to experiment with dating. Can you hear her say it? “then why”?

Or maybe trying to raise this child gifted to her and she and her husband loose the child. It takes them three days to find him. She as well as her husband are a wreck by the time they locate him. )If you have ever lost a child for just a few moments in the store or parking lot; you know how fanatic it can be. She lost him for three whole days. Can you hear her ask it now? “then why”?

Well then how about the night in which he was arrested; questioned and locked up til morning. She followed the crowd and hear all of the yelling and shouting. She fanatically searched trying to understand and yet hung to faith. But; can you hear her ask that question? “then why”?

As she stands at the cross and watches the whole world go dark at three o’clock in the afternoon. And her son cry out “it is finished” and dies a brutal death. She nor us have to ask why anymore. That question was just answered with a period. We are free to live in the complete wholeness that Christ won for  us that day on the cross, that we would never have to ask that infamous question of “then why”?

PR & CD

Here’s something different that I have not tried yet. But, here goes….. We all have been comfortable in place; back into our your environment and likely that we have seen some ole habits surface from time to time since your weekend. So, I thought it might be good to put a reminder out there to all; not to forget where you were before the weekend and where you were right after your weekend; and also where are you right now? If I had to guess this would raise some good discussion in a small group. We are all going to have those moments of struggles where the ole habits just seem to appear without you even trying. The ole sayings just happen to pop out before you can catch what you just said. Or; there just might be two completely different view points and neither one is listening closely enough to the other to really hear what they have to say. This PR/CD is on listening; here are the questions:

1) Am I a good listener?

2) How do I feel when you listen to me with your heart?

3)When I don’t listen to you what happens to our relationship?

4)What makes it hard for me to listen to you?

This is your quest……let me know how things go. God’s peace go with you.

Easter 2009

“Happy Easter” 2009 to all my faithful readers and friends. Enjoy this day and every day from this day forward.

Mary’s insight

As this days events unfolded some 2000 years ago. I can’t help but feel Mary’s pain and yet her courage. She may not had liked or agreed with all of what was going on; but she never gave up faith. And walk with her Son all the way to Golgotha is a pure act of that faith. A true testament “that you can trust God with your greatest pain” (a quote from Doug Lebsack). Let us reflect on this day along with Mary. amen