But God! You Promised...

Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simenon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants[a] of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor. Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth-stools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?” And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them. So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born[c] you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.” - Exodus 1:1-22

After reading my devotional scripture this morning I had to ask myself a question or two. First, in the past, how far have I gone to argue what I learned was not at all the right answer or position? Second, at this stage in my walk with Jesus, how much of my pride am I willing to give up when I know God wants me to stop what I am doing and go in a different direction?

In the scripture reading above the Egyptians' insecurity and abhorrence for their Jewish neighbors eventually led to savagery. They actually were more humane toward their immigrant guests decades earlier (the Jews) than they were to them toward the end of their time in Egypt where they truly had become captives of their hosts.

I find that interesting for a number of reasons. First, apparently we do not learn from history. Nor, has humanity become more of anything more sophisticated or more civil. Also, it strikes me that if you are prone to arguments, violent anger and brutality, God's wisdom would dictate for you to regroup mentally and spiritually and ask yourself what kind of fear has gripped you? Throughout my 58 years, I have with a fallen heart seen just how brutal people can be and how often they are driven by various fears and insecurities. Fear of loss. Fear of humiliation. Fear of exposure. Fear of weakness. Fear of losing control. How many other forms of fear can you name?

The Egyptians wallowed in these kinds of fears. Fear of losing their land or power over their possessions drove them to ever increasing acts of injustice and brutality. What's the point? How about this: once you've decided to ridicule, alienate, (starve or beat) or mistreat one person, it becomes increasingly easier to persecute others and, as in the case of the nation of Egypt you eventually dehumanize a whole population. As you follow this story what you eventually see is this, The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them. - verses 13, 14.

The Hebrews (Jews) found themselves in terrible straits, but God had promised, "I'll send a deliverer." When times grow hard it is easy to leap to the conclusion that God has forgotten His promises. Somehow we have to see past the kinds of experiences we are having and fully and consistently be in touch with The Father through the indwelling Holy Spirit to understand what our experience means. That was something the Jews had lost site of. It's easy to do. The new movements amongst Christians (free believers, Jacobsenites, Emergents, etc.) often question the validity of constant biblical contact. They view daily reading and devotions as a sort of duty that only the guilty and misinformed amongst believers continue to practice. But I often forget things about my walk in Christ. In this case. the Book of Exodus illustrates to us that when God says, "I promise you something," He never forgets it but that He does have a way and a timing that, unless you are sensitive to Him, His work in and amongst you and His people you associate with that You may forget. I often forget. A whole nation here is shown to have forgotten. But God cannot forget nor fail.

So let's put the shoe on the other foot. I am being persecuted. Do you ever imagine that your hard, harsh moments and tests escape God's notice? You may become so discouraged, so filled with acute pain, that you begin to think God couldn't be aware of your circumstances, or, if He is aware, then obviously He doesn't care. If you had an earthly father, aware of your pain, would He keep you in the dark as to his position on your predicament? No, nor does ours. However, if your earthly father was not kept in the loop about it how could he respond? It is similar to God. Though He knows what is going on He consistently desires we invite Him to the party (or persecution) which is our life. He asks that we seek Him, His face, His thoughts, His leadership and that is a very personal and intimate thing.

God is always aware. And He cares very deeply. He practices the means to redeem those in His family. It may be by calling someone home to Himself, or it may be by splitting an ocean right down the middle so you can walk through on dry ground. His deliverance may not arrive on your timetable or in the manner you expect it, but it will arrive at the best time, the right time. God will not abandon His own. Today, make a commitment to self and Him that you will invite Him in daily and practice His presence in your life. There is truly no need to go through the valley alone. He is there!

And in this season of both joy and sorrow; of relationships and loneliness I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

A Proper Legalez'd Version of The Night Before Christmas

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS in Legalese

Whereas, on or about the night prior to Christmas, there did occur at a certain improved piece of real property (hereinafter "the House") a general lack of stirring by all creatures therein, including, but not limited to a mouse.

A variety of foot apparel, e.g., stocking, socks, etc., had been affixed by and around the chimney in said House in the hope and/or belief that St. Nick a/k/a/ St. Nicholas a/k/a/ Santa Claus (hereinafter "Claus") would arrive at sometime thereafter. The minor residents, i.e. the children, of the aforementioned House were located in their individual beds and were engaged in nocturnal hallucinations, i.e. dreams, wherein vision of confectionery treats, including, but not limited to, candies, nuts and/or sugar plums, did dance, cavort and otherwise appear in said dreams.

Whereupon the party of the first part (sometimes hereinafter referred to as ("I"), being the joint-owner in fee simple of the House with the party of the second part (hereinafter "Mamma"), and said Mamma had retired for a sustained period of sleep. (At such time, the parties were clad in various forms of headgear, e.g., kerchief and cap.

Suddenly, and without prior notice or warning, there did occur upon the unimproved real property adjacent and appurtenant to said House, i.e., the lawn, a certain disruption of unknown nature, cause and/or circumstance. The party of the first part did immediately rush to a window in the House to investigate the cause of such disturbance.

At that time, the party of the first part did observe, with some degree of wonder and/or disbelief, a miniature sleigh (hereinafter "the Vehicle") being pulled and/or drawn very rapidly through the air by approximately eight (8) reindeer. The driver of the Vehicle appeared to be and in fact was, the previously referenced Claus.

Said Claus was providing specific direction, instruction and guidance to the approximately eight (8) reindeer and specifically identified the animal co-conspirators by name: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (hereinafter "the Deer"). (Upon information and belief, it is further asserted that an additional co- conspirator named "Rudolph" may have been involved.)

The party of the first part witnessed Claus, the Vehicle and the Deer intentionally and willfully trespass upon the roofs of several residences located adjacent to and in the vicinity of the House, and noted that the Vehicle was heavily laden with packages, toys and other items of unknown origin or nature. Suddenly, without prior invitation or permission, either express or implied, the Vehicle arrived at the House, and Claus entered said House via the chimney.

Said Claus was clad in a red fur suit, which was partially covered with residue from the chimney, and he carried a large sack containing a portion of the aforementioned packages, toys, and other unknown items. He was smoking what appeared to be tobacco in a small pipe in blatant violation of local ordinances and health regulations.

Claus did not speak, but immediately began to fill the stocking of the minor children, which hung adjacent to the chimney, with toys and other small gifts. (Said items did not, however, constitute "gifts" to said minor pursuant to the applicable provisions of the U.S. Tax Code.)

Upon completion of such task, Claus touched the side of his nose and flew, rose and/or ascended up the chimney of the House to the roof where the Vehicle and Deer waited and/or served as "lookouts." Claus immediately departed for an unknown destination.

However, prior to the departure of the Vehicle, Deer and Claus from said House, the party of the first part did hear Claus state and/or exclaim: "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!" Or words to that effect.

(Author Unknown)...

Is Christmas Discouraging for You? Time to Attack the Blues!

Psalm 5 - To the Chief Musician. With nehiloth. A Psalm of David.

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation.

2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For unto You I will pray.

3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.

5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.

6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.

8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.

10 Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You

12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

I love this Psalm. I even made a song out of it's first 3 verses once. The entirety of Psalms, our most ancient hymnal, contains some of the most moving and meaningful expressions of the human heart that have ever been penned.

I had lunch with a songwriter friend yesterday. I was reminded as we sat there that music, songs, are often born out of current, emotionally charged circumstances that so affect the thinking of the writer/composer, that they can't help but break out melody, rhyme and verse. Jazz, blues, gospel spirituals and even the romantics songs all are examples of this. The same should be said of gospel songs and sacred hymns; their historical settings often explaining the full measure and depth of their message.

Psalm 5 is like that. As we read it, we might reason it emerged out of a heart that was in the midst of strife and oppression. David is down in the dumps . . . discouraged. King David was its writer. Whatever his pressures were, they prompted him to compose an ancient hymn that i perceive was in a minor key.

It reminded me of the affect that Christmas can have on many of us. In this season, for a great many, I seriously doubt that there is any subject more timely than the topic of discouragement. As a Life Coach, Pastor and business consultant I find so many folks playing out their entire lives in a minor key and the holidays simply exacerbate this. There is the gnawing and often debilitating discouragement that follows an unachieved goal, broken home, empty nest or a failed romance. Some are discouraged over their marriage which began with such promise but now seems hopeless. Lingering ill-health can discourage and demoralize all who are affected by the one who is at the center of it all. This can be true and even more so when the pain lingers and doesn't subside. Over the last couple of years in our flailing economy how many have made courageous yet failed attempts to stave off economic collapse only to fall flat. How many know someone like that? In my business life I have seen this paralyze individuals. The discouragement brought on by several back-to-back criticisms as they tried and tried can scarcely be exaggerated in their long-term affects in demoralizing and destroying confidence.

In this verse it could be that we are seeing David attempting to pick himself up off the mat when, just at that moment, another biting and piercing verbal attack is leveled at him; the comments knocking him back to his knees . . . hence and perhaps (though the Holy Spirit truly authors this and all scripture) the birth of Psalm 5.

Many a discouraged soul has identified with this song down through the centuries. Frequently, the words just above the first verse (which comprise the superscription) set forth the historical backdrop of the song.

If you glance just above verse 1 in some King James Versions of the Bible, you will see that David desired this song to be played "upon Nehiloth." A nehiloth was an ancient woodwind instrument, something like today's flute or oboe. An oboe is a double-reed instrument giving a sad-sounding whine as it is being played. Its penetrating tone causes it to be used frequently as a solo instrument when the mood of the musical composition needs to illustrate deep longing, hurting, pain or somber reflection.

Interestingly, David did not play the nehiloth, but rather an ancient stringed instrument called the harp (see 1 Samuel 16:23, KJV). My point is simply this: David wrote this sad song of discouragement for someone else to play---not himself. Perhaps the surrounding circumstances were too overwhelming for him to participate in the playing of this piece. Perhaps he "heart it" in oboe; the composition could be rendered better by one who was skilled on the nehiloth. The sad tone of that instrument would enhance the feeling of discouragement which gave birth to this song...the Psalm.

It's Christmas season 2010. The tone in our household this year is upbeat. It's promising. We have been recently financially blessed after a very long dry period. We have experienced earthly new birth. I have a new grandson-Elijah Logan Wilson. He is joy. He is a blessing. He lives and brings light hearts and smiles and warmth and...and...

...and last year my dad-in-law passed just before this season as did my brother and oh, my loved ones and friends, how different a year makes things.

So, I ask, what is your song today?

Let me make a recommendation or two. If you are discouraged in this season, admit it. Spell it out in detail in your time with the Lord. Take time to express the depth of your pain. Don't deny the reality of your sorrow. State your honest feelings. God can handle it! And, He wants you to come clean with Him about it and what you would also hope He would do to intervene.

But don't stop there. Now at least twice, tell a someone why you are grateful to be alive . . . why you are more encouraged than you used to be. It will not only be therapy for you, it will lift that person's spirits as well. Wonderful changes can occur in us and others when we spread a few cheer germs around.

One other thing...go to www.youtube.com and look up and watch several snippets on a fellow by the name of Nick Vujicic...you may know who this is but if you don't just take my advice and do it. Let the idea that blessing may not ever look like what we expect it do overcome and overwhelm you as you watch. That is what David did, and Joseph of the Old Testament, and Jesus and Paul...and we are to do so as well.

Happy Holidays-I pray you had a thankful Thanksgiving and a Jesus Christ filled Christmas...

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

Allowing Me Into Your Life

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel - Philippians 1:12-13

Have you ever heard these statements: "Money talks." Or how about this: This is the golden rule: He who has the gold makes the rules." Both of these statements have a hint of truth in them.

When Jesus was crucified there was a question as to where Jesus would be buried. Those that hurried Him to the cross, designed that He should make His grave with the wicked; that he would be buried with others who had been accused of crimes and that had also been crucified. God designed He should make it with the rich and prophetically had announced this in the Old Testament in Isaiah 53:9 - Though they prepared his grave with the wicked he entered in death with the rich though he had done no violence nor was there found any lie within him.

And so a rich man also named Joseph (like Jesus' earthly father) ensured he had a proper burial. In order for Jesus to be buried with honor, this man of influence was permitted to take the body of Jesus. It seems this man had a personal relationship with Pilate. Thus, we can call this Joseph a man of influence. Ultimately he retrieved the body of our Lord and placed it in a burial plot he owned in a cave that was reserved for the rich.

Joseph of Arimathea was called an honorable counselor, a person of character and distinction, and in an office of public trust; some think it would be comparable to our State Department. That would allow him to be privy to and associated with Pontus Pilate. This post also seems to have been in the Jewish faith and that he was one of the great Sanhedrim of the Jews, or one of the high priest's council.

The Bible says that God desires His people to be the head, not the tail. He prepares us, when we accept and embrace God's instruction through the Holy Spirit to be sensitive to God's leading and to be instructors, teacher's, leaders.

Guys, if we are to influence the our time, our place, the culture that surrounds us, we must be men and women of influence in whom God uses to impact the culture. If you are a successful person, consider the words of Paul when he said, "...what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." Although Paul was referencing adversity in this statement, it can be equally said that each of us needs to ask if our prosperity has served to advance the gospel or our training or our advancement in any area of our life. We need to look to heaven and ask God to reveal to us where our personal leverage and leadership exists. We also need to ask where we have not sharpened the saw of our life or maximized our potential to change lives by allowing God to fully develop our tools, talents, passions and gifts.

Are you using your influence to impact your workplace, city, Body of Christ or even nation for the sake of the gospel? Is there something or some things you have neglected that would change your ability to stand in a place of honor, or, as in Paul's case, apparent dishonor (this to be developed more thoroughly in a future teaching) so that God is glorified and the borders of the Kingdom of God are spread by your efforts and position? What else should you be doing? What two things, right now, do you know for certain you could do that would extend your ability to touch and perhaps bring salvation to lives around you? THINK! :-) - I bet you dollars to donuts that if you spend just 15 minutes in consideration, meditation and prayer over this that the Holy Spirit of God will show you what those two things are...

This is a season of warmth, love, consideration, serving and fellowship. Nothing about giving is more valuable then your compassion spread in a way that would fall naturally within your gifting and position. God's richest blessings to you and may your borders and tents be spread and Jesus arise in you and through you to others like the Daystar of the morning. I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

The Real Move-On Dot YOU!

..."Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you".... - Joshua 5:9

My devotionals and reading and the notes I receive on things to watch and read and view online lead my mind off into many directions. This came from my devotionals today.

In this section of scripture Joshua and the people of Israel had just crossed the Jordan River. They were camped at a place called Gilgal. It got it's name because it was the first place of encampment after Israel was move from the "reproach of Egypt." But the action associated with this removal of reproach would be self-sacrificing and painful. You see, before they could proceed they were required to circumcise all the males. This was in fact because a whole new generation (represented by the males) had grown up while living in the desert through the travel of Moses, from whom Joshua had taken the leadership reigns.

This place is where Israel, like a worm in a cocoon, was transformed. I must tell you that the thought or idea of circumcision is not particularly invigorating and motivating for me. Circumcision is bloody and personal, and in a very real sense exposes all that you are. By this action at Gilgal God was saying that before you can become part of His people, His army, you must roll away the reproach of the Egyptian way of life. Thought it was true they had been separated from it by 40 years they had been raised in it's ways and clutches by their parents who had been steeped in Egyptian ways. To this new generation God was saying you are no longer a slave to the ways of Egypt. It is a time to put aside the old way of life. Many are walking around as goats in sheep's clothes, practicing a form of the purity of a relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but without the true source of truth and power.

Guys, rebellion is a part of the structure of the world and life we live within. It is in our midst. Sin in our midst testifies against us. It keeps us in our own personal Egypt and never allows us to enter the Promised Land of great communication, love, grace and God's ownership and leading in our personal lives. Our lives must be circumcised in order for us to come out of Egypt into our own Promised Land of spiritual blessing with God. Jesus is in fact our circumcision but we must fully embrace all that His life, death and resurrection meant. In this case, I would suggest we need to understand the depths of His sacrifice on our part so we realize how little we must sacrifice to embrace it properly.

In the above scripture this transformation I speak about marks the first time Israel begins to taste the fruit of the Promised Land. No more manna from Heaven. The manna stopped the day after they were circumcised. They were now fully to refine and enjoy the scope of the goodness of God and his culinary gifts. There was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate produce from Canaan with variety, flavor, zest and adventure!

So what is going on in our day that relates to this? I will probably not relate specifically to you. One thing that does seem true however is that God is turning our plowshares into weapons of love to usher in a new generation of His chosen people. But we will not be effective if we have the reproach of sin in our lives. Let go of the past. Hold onto that which is eternal! Ask God to show you what needs to be confessed and shrugged off today so that no reproach exists. The cross of Jesus takes away all reproaches. Enter the Promised Land with power and full of faith!

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

To Search Within-To Discovery Without: The Path of Self-Denial

Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?" And he said, "Yes, I know it; keep quiet." Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know it; keep quiet." Then Elijah said to him, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me." And he said, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so." And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. - 2 King 2:1-14

I find many topics easy to teach and hard to live. Anyone who knows me personally must know this. I myself, as I have moved through my life with Jesus as Captain of my soul, have become more acutely aware of how I get in the way of me.

Self-denial does not come naturally. It is a learned virtue often hard-learned at that. It is encouraged by few and modeled by even fewer. It seems to be discouraged in our society and in the most respected behavioral instruments it is even frowned upon. This is particularly true among those who are Type A personalities.

In church circles, leadership is especially cursed with a lack of ability for self-denial. If you are a student of scripture you would find Prophets are notorious for exhibiting Type A temperament, which, in our reading above, makes Elijah all the more remarkable. Without hedging one iota in heroism, he was as soft clay in his Master's hands. If you rad the previous chapters you would find Elijah the Prophet did his best work "under the shadow of the Almighty." to quote a phrase used in conjunction with him. And, what was the result of this. For Elijah because of his humility and his grip on self-denial his was a life of power. He had come to the place where he welcomed the death of his own desires. He had become comfortable with the thought that God would be glorified and he would give up everything in the process.

Think on that for a moment.

Elijah had become comfortable with a whole new set of "places" in his life where victory would be won; true victory. What were these places? They were the place of beginning, the place of the prayer, the place of battle, the place of death. These became places of conquest. What we find unnatural he would and embraced and realized contentment, satisfaction and purpose.

We, too, have such places in our lives. Don't we?

First, there's a place of beginning. That's home base---the very beginning of our Christian experience when we discovered and embraced Jesus Christ and acknowledged Him as Savior and Lord of life. That's our place of new beginning. If you read this rightly that place might have been Gilgal for Elijah. At our own Gilgal, we become brand new.

For some of us, that place of beginning, that home base, is far in the past. Search your memory. Can you remember when you took your first few baby steps as a new Christian? If you were anything like I was you tottered a little, and those who loved and mentored you helped steady you on your feet or, tried. And you learned the basics of life: how to get into the Word; how to pray; how to have time with God; how to perhaps haltingly, share your faith.

And then comes the place of prayer. Remember? You first began to learn what it was to sacrifice, to surrender things dear and precious to you. You took actual time from your day because, by faith, you were believing God would hear and respond to you. For some started in earnest over a tragedy. Perhaps it was someone else's pain but you felt that pain. Or you began a life of prayer over the loss of a child, a husband, a wife. Perhaps for you it was the loss of a job, your own business, or a lifelong dream, so close, yet seemingly slipping through your fingertips and the fear it would never be realized.

Elijah had a place called Bethel. It was his place to pray. Coming all alone to your own Bethel, you learned to pray. And, you need to know, a place to pray and worship, and lift God up and bring self into right relationship to Him is a place where, on your knees you become more powerful.

If you learned in this way, if it happened for you as I described then God did a growing work in your life as He carried you from that place of communion to the next stage He planned for you. Normally the next stage was more action, more adventure and usually even less control. But because you'd learned the value of prayer and worship, you built your altar, and you learned even more at His feet.

If you are an older Christian; 10, 20, 40 years of Bible, prayer, church, Jesus you might need a time to remember. Search back in time. Remember?

Self-denial is hard to learn, and, for all of us, not just a few, it is just as hard to hold onto. If the life of Elijah is any indicator it's worth the effort.Perhaps more than this, it is the thing that turns the trappings of our faith into a reality. Get real, get down, literally, with God. I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

I Can Be Taught But Will I Learn?

They were singing and dancing in the streets, welcoming and honoring this young man who had defended the name of their God. If there is a single statement that best describes David at this time in his life, it would be this one: "David was prospering in all his ways for the LORD was with him" - 1 Samuel 18:14

(It might help to read from verse 5 through 16...) Four times in this one chapter we read that David "prospered." That interested me, so I looked up the Hebrew of that word to understand where it came from. The word sakal from which "prospered" is the root word. I discovered two insightful things about that term. Proverbs 10:19 reveals the first: When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise [sakal]

A person who is wise (who prospers) knows how to keep his mouth shut. He can keep confidences when people say, "Look, don't share this with anyone but..." I would also say it's a great characteristic of a good friend, and certainly should be a foundational component between brothers and sisters in Christ. A good friend, a godly friend, can be trusted with the details of your life; they keep things to themselves between the two of you appropriately.

Furthermore, when they open their mouth, they do so with discretion. That's a sign of a sakal person. That was David.

And the second insight is in Proverbs 21:11: When the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise; but when the wise is instructed [sakal], he receives knowledge.

The sakal person is teachable. Again, that's the kind of man David was. He was wise because he guarded his lips, and he maintained a teachable spirit.

So, what's my point? How about this, no matter how fast the promotion or how beaming the accolades may be, we are never to lose our teachability. We never reach a level where we are above criticism or we no longer need the input of others. And, frankly, there are times when our best lessons can be learned from our enemies.

A quiet spirit, a closed mouth, a teachable spirit...my hope is, this week, I practice all three. Together they create sakal. God knows I can use all I can get! I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

The Past That Does Not Limit My Future!

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. - Judges 11:29a

It really isn't fair just to point out this portion of a verse as the lead in but it makes the point. So many never enter the Christian walk because, though they have made a profession of faith in Jesus, they live a life that says, "Even Jesus cannot save me from my past. Even the God who redeems all of me cannot use someone who has done or who has been what I have..."

Yet, we all love to see the underdog triumph! We have a natural affinity for the flight of the Phoenix! We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship borne out of their childhood years. When we speak of children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, those who have lost parents to a fatal crash, or with childhood disease - these are all difficult circumstances to overcome.

Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God's sight. He was born to the Old Testament patriarch Gilead. But Jephthah was the seeming result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Gilead's wife, who had bore more sons, decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman. Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.

I'm not sure that what this experience originally taught Jephthah was a great lesson. He became a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang. As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. How would he respond. These were the very ones who did not reach out to him all those years in between. Now, it was the same household, the same people asking for his help. Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.

Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house? he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.

It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly. Jephthah used all of who he was and all that he had experienced in order to be the best he could be for the highest good!

Perhaps it doesn't seem this way to you but the Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God. Certainly if not an unloving God they were propagated in the harshness of an environment that was less than joyful to us. However, we do have a hope. It is the hope of Jephthah. Like he the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.

Perhaps you are feeling rejection. Perhaps you are feeling disqualified. You are not and you are not alone. Embrace your past. Allow yourself to see life from God's perspective. Take the pain and use it against the enemy of your soul. Rejoice in your victory because that victory is complete in Jesus Christ! I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

Of Things Re-Discovered & Of Things Misunderstood

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13b-14

As I grow older I realize just how empty some things we might say can be. We wax philosophical and might say, "If you could go back and change anything, would you?" Or, "If you could change just one thing in your past what would it be?" There seems to be a 50/50 split in the American mindset over our past. It seems popular today to say, "I wouldn't change a thing" when speaking of our past. Others, (I am in this camp) would in fact change many things. I hate to think of all the things I will weep over as I prostrate myself at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (Uh...all my "GRACE-ITES" it is not the HUGGY LOVEY SEAT OF JESUS.)

Yes, I'd change some things.

But I think we all need to embrace something deeper than the shallowness of an, "Oh well!" attitude. Or, the light and slight wonderment of "what would have been." Whatever has been, our past, can be a hindrance to our personal growth, our effectiveness and to a full wholesome life in our present place and in our futures. It can also be a help in moving toward God's purposes for each our lives as well. That God can use all our past for good should be the soul's sigh of every believer in Christ Jesus.

Is the Glass Half Empty or Is It Full?

For some, recollections of the past has meant pain and heartache. They look on their past and hurt seems to be the overriding theme. They need grace so that they do not let the past dictate their current and future responses. Lifting up life situations to God for them literally means battles fought in the heart and mind, perhaps even daily so that they simply do not respond out of their history. The Holy Spirit, the work of Jesus on the Cross, the provision for love, acceptance and true stature in the Kingdom of God has to be won to provide the fertile ground of right living and responses for a victorious future.

Can you see that? If we allow our past to make us a victim, then we have not entered into the grace that God has for us. We miss the message that we are brand new in Christ. If we live on memories of a spotted past we will fail to raise our vision for new territory to claim and victories to attain. We keep playing a bad record over and over again that validates that we are victims of our past.

We are not!

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland - Isaiah 43:19

God recognizes we will not utterly forget or repress our pasts. The solution is a simple question must be asked however each time one of those horrific moments in our past arises in our memory. The question is, "Lord, I know what the enemy meant when this thinking comes up. What did you mean by it Father God?"

The power of relationship to our Heavenly Father is that He provides us with a new lens in which we can view our personal history. That lens takes into consideration His sovereignty. He knew what we went through. He knows how He can use it to make us whole and further His Kingdom. We must learn as we worship, read the Scriptures, sit at the feet of those who sit at Jesus' feet. It is in this illuminating of actions that does more than just nullify the negative effects of a past with hurt and anguish. It takes that very trouble and makes it powerful and positive in us!

Many have allowed their past to dictate their future. Sometimes we do it in small and silly ways, (I'm Irish, I'm a red head, I'm a Leo, I'm German, I'm this or I'm that...) God is always about doing new things in our lives. He gives fresh revelation of His purposes in our lives. Do not live in the past nor allow yourself to believe anything about you is a limiting factor that God cannot use or turn the negative to a positive.And more than this, do not hold onto bitterness that may hinder God from doing new and exciting things in your life. He turns our desolate deserts into streams of water in an oasis that will bring life and not just to us or for us. It really isn't about you nor I. It is about those we can touch as did our great example Jesus. When we are healers we then have healing streaming through our veins...we are thereby healed. We live and death...well death dies!

How have you viewed your past? Has it hindered you in some areas of your life? Have you relied on past successes to dictate what you will do in the future? Don't negate those good things but do not rely on them. Nor, allow your painful past to negate you from a powerful life in all areas today and into your future. Put aside such thoughts and allow God to not only do a new thing in your life but also reinterpret your past. Expect Abba Father to deep personal insight so you may see the new things He wants to do in and through you today.

When your memories are bigger than your dreams, you're headed for the grave - Author unknown

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

Judgments vs. Judgmental

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven - Luke 6:37

I must tell you all that I enjoy Os Guinness and this is one of the reasons. He brings the Bible alive through the practical applications of it. I believe that is a better concept of theology than simply, "the fact." The story below is a good example and it had me thinking this morning. Have you ever made a judgment about a person or situation only to discover how wrong you were in your assessment? Such was the case in a story told by Os in his book, The Call.


"Arthur F. Burns, the chairman of the United States Federal Reserve System and ambassador to West Germany, was a man of considerable gravity. Medium in height, distinguished, with wavy silver hair and his signature pipe, he was economic counselor to a number of presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan. When he spoke, his opinions carried weight and Washington listened.

Arthur Burns was also Jewish, so when he began attending an informational White House group for prayer and fellowship in the 1970s, he was accorded special respect. In fact, no one knew quite how to involve him in the group and, week after week when different people took turns to end the meeting in prayer, Burns was passed by-out of a mixture of respect and reticence.

One week, however, the group was led by a newcomer who did not know of Burns' status. As the meeting ended, the newcomer turned to Arthur Burns and asked him to close the time with a prayer. Some of the old-timers glanced at each other in surprise and wondered what would happen. But without missing a beat, Burns reached out, held hands with others in the circle, and prayed this prayer: 'Lord, I pray that you would bring Jews to know Jesus Christ. I pray that you would bring Muslims to know Jesus Christ. Finally, Lord, I pray that you would bring Christians to know Jesus Christ. Amen.'

Burn's prayer has become legendary in Washington. Not only did he startle those present with refreshing directness, but he also underscored a point about 'Christians' and 'Christianity' that needs repeating regularly. It highlights another important aspect of the truth of our personal understanding of the idea of purpose: Purpose reminds Christians ceaselessly that, far from having arrived, a Christian is someone who in this life is always on the road as 'a follower of Christ' and a follower of 'the Way.'"*

We often worry about whether we are acting as fruit inspectors (You will know people by the fruit they bear in their lives) or if we are simply judging them out of a religious or worse, self-pious unloving, ungracious spirit. Perhaps from this, and before you and I judge a person or situation, maybe we should consider that our judgment might not be an accurate assessment of the situation and certainly might miss the greater blessing that is associated with a person.

I remain...
InHISgrip
~J~

The Attack On Your Purpose!

When the Philistines heard that David had been crowned king of Israel, they tried to capture him; but David was told that they were coming and went into the stronghold. The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. Then David asked the Lord, 'Shall I go out and fight against them? Will you defeat them for me?" - 2 Sam 5:17-19

The Bible readers and quoter's amongst us all remember, "The steps of a righteous man are ordered (enumerated, designed, etc.) by the Lord." - Psalm 37:24. Though we know that and though we know nothing can overcome God's purposes, at least intellectually we know that, it just seems that there is always opposition from God's enemies designed to prevent you from fulfilling our destiny and our purposes.

When Jesus was born, Herod tried to kill him. When Jesus was baptized and fasted 40 days, Satan came to tempt Him in an effort to derail his destiny. When David had been anointed king over Israel, God's destiny had been revealed for all to see-even Satan. So, Satan raised up the Philistines to try and kill David's destiny. Joseph had his brothers and a lying woman who tried to derail the ultimate purposes God had for his life.

But, and in going back to my example of David and our text today and, David, in response, we see that David does two things.

1. He retreats to his stronghold. It is a place of protection. It is a quiet place. It is his hiding place and sanctuary.

2. He inquires of God. The time of planning and thinking and scheming and creating devising stops. He goes before God and seeks his heavenly Father's Strategy for this life-threatening situation. He has gathered enough wisdom for his life that he wants to know what God's strategy to defeat his enemy should be. Of course for having sought the Lord we find that Father God reveals it to David precisely what he needs to know and he goes on to defeat the Philistines. In fact, David NEVER lost a battle because he learned to inquire of God for the strategy to defeat his enemies.

I always found Proverbs 16:9 an interesting verse. Speaking of the righteous, the writer says, A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs His path.

Today, as with every day, you have purpose. You are to acknowledge (Proverbs 3:6) and glorify the Lord your God and heavenly Dad (Psalm 34:3).
Perhaps for His love and grace and greater glory your God has shown you the depths of His intended destiny for your life as well. It doesn't matter. You have purpose, power and a passion today. Use it! But beware of Satan's strategy to attack you in as he, in a very focused way, attempts to attack God's leading in your life. The enemies of God desire to take you off this divine path.

We must follow David's example in response to these enemies of our souls. We must retreat to our stronghold, seek the Lord, and listen for His answer. Then, we will fulfill the purpose for which God created us...both today and into our earthly future. I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

How To Knock Someone Down With A Feather-Ask to Pray for Them!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. - Philippians 4:6

So I sauntered into my favorite coffee house this last week to the delicious (er...not so much) sounds of a wheezing barrista. The young lady behind the counter appeared to be gasping for breath and nearly as white as a sheet!

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Allergies," she she gasped. "When the weather changes in the fall it gets so bad I can hardly breathe."

"Can I pray for you?" I asked.

She looked up at me with eyes as big as saucers! "Oh, I don't want to take up God's time with something as silly as my hassles. I should have just taken a Benadryl this morning. But thank you for asking." she replied. The woman was touched that I would offer to pray for her and, as a side note, I did anyway, silently, at my table with my Mango Green Tea.

The next time I was in I told her my prayer group was praying for her. She could not believe that I would do such a thing for her. Tears well in her eyes.

It is interesting what happens when you offer to pray for someone isn't it? It can be the most genuine and loving thing you can do for another. It can be the one means of getting a conversation on a spiritual plane that cuts across religious stigmas and gets to the root of the problem-the person's real need. The act of the offer immediately reveals your own values and sets the stage for future encounters. All it takes is a little Holy Spirit led boldness to step through the door when the opportunity seems to present itself. Besides it is a recognition to ourselves that we realize how much has been done for us.

Is there anything too small to pray about? Do we, in fact, bother God when we make any request that is not dealing with only the poor in Calcutta? Paul clearly tells us in this passage that prayer is talking with God. It is having such a relationship with Him that we can bring anything to His attention.

We've all heard the housewife's prayer for a parking spot or other such seemingly trivial prayer requests, but are they trivial to God? If God is our closest and most intimate friend, then it becomes very natural to talk to Him as you would a friend who might be sitting next to you in the car. Yes, God desires to have such close communion with you and me that we can pray about anything-even a parking spot.

As you enter the your day today, ask a friend, a child, a son, daughter or co-worker if you can pray for them about something. You may be surprised at what doors will open as a result...some lead into eternity with Christ!

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

...This Work Thing...Is It Our Hokey Pokey?

But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God." - Isaiah 49:4

It's off to do more training. It's another business trip. Where is it this time? Toronto...Chicago...and then home.

You put your right foot in and out and you spin all about and you do the Hokey Pokey and turn yourself around and THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

Really?

Have you ever felt like you're spending your life using your talent for things that people value to be sure but perhaps in the grand scheme they are useless?

I've been taking more care of my time (really...I have!) and it just seems that life is often spent doing mundane activities that seem to have little eternal purpose.

If you read the entirety of Isaiah 48, 49 you get a sense that the great prophet Isaiah was struggling with his own purpose. He knew he was chosen to be a voice for God, yet life became purposeless for Isaiah. He had come to a place where what he did didn't seem to give him what he needed as a man to feel true fulfillment.

Now this is a big subject and I am about to hop a plane but you must be similar to me. We all go through periods when our purpose seems to be clouded with the mundane. We see little meaning in life. It is my struggle. I see moments and relationships where God is so there. I also see many others and other things I am doing that seem tired, worldly and minimally valuable. As we can read in this segment Isaiah didn't stay in this place. We read in this passage that he knew the truth of his existence and that truth, His being, was of far greater importance in God's scheme than what it might otherwise appear.

Like Isaiah we need to look past this present circumstance and know that our real reward and purpose is fully revealed in eternity. We also need to get that giving God glory isn't about our "doing" all the time but it's about our proclaiming with all of our lives and not just our well-done work. Isaiah knew that God was just and loving, so he placed his faith on this truth. Isaiah wasn't accepted by God because God measured the work of this man and found it, comparatively, really good work. No. This was about the work God did in Isaiah. Our Heavenly Father found that work perfect!

When life appears to lack meaning and purpose, remember that if you devote your life to the purposes your Kingdom Daddy has for you, the fruits of your labor will be manifested in due time. But more than this, you will realize your satisfaction will come in your growing relationship to Him and not to the better and more valued the work of your hands may be judged otherwise.

As Paul said, The ONE who has called you is faithful; He will perform it - I Thessalonians 5:24

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

The Rocket Man Effect!

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses My servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites. - Joshua 1:1-2

A rocket launch is truly an amazing phenomenon to me. We don't see them very often today but thank God for You Tube. What you have is tons of weight stacked vertically to the sky with thousands of gallons of fuel exploding in a matter of moments. As it leaves the atmosphere the rocket drops its take-off boosters and uses additional boosters to move the remaining payload to the next stage of the mission. The first engines have a unique purpose...to get the rocket to the next stage. Massive power-massive results!

The reading today came from the book of Joshua. Joshua was known for almost 40 years as "Joshua, servant of Moses." This was God's preparation for him. On the part of Joshua it required years of selfless service, training in the desert, and through countless tests of faith. We should think of those preparation years as booster rockets designed to move Joshua into each next stage of his development and his ultimate calling. We should similarly look at the massive amount of work, trials, heartache, pain, perseverance and experiences we shoulder in our earthly walk. These are the booster rockets of a true Rocket Man for God! It takes power. It takes dynamic experiences but some of it might also seem mundane and causal.

God allows each of us preparation times to lay a foundation upon which He builds. It does not mean useless training time. It's not all years going by like lightning...like the space left behind by booster rockets. Like those rockets progress is made and important and significant work is done. But I won't discount that some of those foundation times appear to be laborious and meaningless; much like trying to get through west Texas on your way east to some place specific. When we look at all the fuel that is expended in a rocket launch it often seems like overkill. Teleporting would be so much more efficient Lord! Yet in our life these varied experiences are what God is using to frame your life for the message He is building in you. There may be a time when He speaks through you for one amazing end result mission or maybe it will simply be the same mission just with more profound results in its final stage.

My point is that without these foundational experiences, the Jordan River can never be crossed and we cannot enter the Promised Land nor can we lead others and to be sure, if you are in Christ today, you will be leading others.

Embrace these times of both seeming inactivity and times of fiery powerful forward motion that jar you to your foundations. Embrace them as from God. They, too, are a rocket booster to your next stage of your walk with God. You are a Rocket Man/Woman!

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus - Philippians 1:6

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

When Love & Respect Rule

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. - Philippians 2:3-7

This story was shared with me by someone I admire a great deal. Over the years I first looked at him with admiration. Later, as a sort of "arms length" mentor. As of late, as someone who I have my differences as to style and even content of the messages he delivers, but, a true leader, great man in the faith. This is the story though...

It was a cold, blustery January night in 1973. Senator John Stennis, the venerable hawkish and wildly independent Democrat from Mississippi, drove from Capitol Hill to his northwest Washington home. At 71 he was still the powerful chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. At precisely 7:40 p.m., Stennis parked his car and started toward his house 50 feet away.

Out of the darkness jumped two young robbers---little more than kids, really. One nervously waved a .22 caliber pistol as the other relieved the senator of his personal possessions. "Now we're going to shoot you anyway," one told Stennis. He did, firing twice.

For six-and-a-half hours, surgeons at Walter Reed Medical Center labored feverishly to repair the damage and save his life.

At 9:15 that same night another politician was driving home from the Senate . . . a man on the opposite end of the political spectrum, a Republican "dove" who had clashed often and sharply with Stennis. His name? Senator Mark Hatfield. The tragedy was reported over Hatfield's car radio that wintry night. Disregarding the strong differences in their convictions and pulled by a deep admiration for the elderly statesman plus a compassion for his plight, Hatfield later admitted:

"I had no skills to offer. But I knew there was something I must do---and that was to go to that hospital and be nearby where I could be helpful, if possible, to the family."

There was untold confusion at the hospital as fellow senators, colleagues, and curious friends and reporters overwhelmed the hospital's telephone operators. Understaffed and disorganized, the hospital crew tried their best but were unable to handle the calls and answer the questions.

Hatfield quickly scoped out the situation, spotted an unattended switchboard, sat down, and voluntarily went to work. Much later---after recovering---Stennis related what he heard happened next: "He told the girls, 'I know how to work one of these; let me help you out.' He continued taking calls until daylight." An exceedingly significant detail is that he never gave anyone his name because someone would surely suspect some political connection, some ulterior motive. Hatfield finally stood up around daylight, stretched, put on his overcoat, and quietly introduced himself to the other operators. "My name is Hatfield . . . happy to help out on behalf of a man I deeply respect," he said as he walked away.

The press couldn't handle that story when it leaked out. It boggled their minds! No way did it make sense for a Republican to give a Democrat the time of day, not to mention several long hours of personal assistance in some anonymous, menial task. I mean, that kind of character went out with the horse and buggy and silent movies and saying "ma'am" and "sir" to teachers. Or did it?

I want to be Mark Hatfield. I pray to be like that.

Politics and personal preferences and opinions on things like military involvement, immigration and health care may vary among members of the body of Christ - even issues such as church polity, theology, and the balance between personal revelation and the Bible . . . but there is a bond deep within that must bind us to one another. It is the glue of authentic love, expressing itself in honesty, compassion, fairness, willingness to support, and (when possible) coming to the aid of another. We should do this personally and in humility. Without strings attached. Committed to the protection and dignity of another human . . . regardless of how somebody votes or what stripe of faith they represent.

So, this happened to me yesterday. A brother in the faith, came to me, in humility and to correct. It was not easy. It was hard for him to do. It was hard for me to hear. He did it. Thank you Richard Casteel.

But, what did it take? Bigness. Being free of grudges, pettiness, vengeance, and prejudice; in love, considering the greater message and the greater one to be served. Seeing another in need---regardless of differences of opinion or the challenge of the moment---and reaching out in solid Christian maturity.

It takes this though: Just because you care.

That's bigness. It's living above labels . . . it's seeing beyond hurts . . . it's caring unconditionally, helping unassumingly.

And therefore it's rare. As rare as a hawk and a dove in the same nest on a cold winter's night in a city not known for love and unmitigated respect ruling the moment.

I remain...

InHISgrip...
~J~

Who God Uses & How Is About His Purpose Not Our Perceptions

Esther Chapters 9 & 10

...9:23-29 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.

I'm really not much of one to read the "girlie" books of the Bible. But this morning it was that time in my reading chart to continue on in Esther. I had ignored it long enough. And, just as the verses exemplify God met me in an unexpected way with unexpected characters.

Has this ever happened to you? Has it ever happened and you just really didn't like it? Well, that's sorta what this was like for me. I got over it quickly however because the depths of the truth of it rang deeply and true.

At the end of Esther's story, we have the same king as you would have found at the books beginning, King Ahasuerus. We have the same kingdom, where he reigns from India to Ethiopia. It's no small place with more than 127 provinces. We have the same country, Persia, and the same capital city, Susa.

But some things have changed.

You see this is a story about the struggles of God's people. Their peril and pain and the panic and improbability of any help on the horizon.

So what else do we have here? Well, Vashti is no longer queen; Esther is queen. And she is a queen who has won her husband's overwhelming respect and loyalty. The great enemy of the Jews, Haman, who was once second in command, is dead and gone. Mordecai is alive and well. Wicked plans have been thwarted. Corruption has been rooted out. Evil has been fully dealt with. To make matters even better, Esther's righteous uncle Mordecai has been promoted by the king, and he is now in Haman's old position---"second only to King Ahasuerus."

In the natural this whole scene is way too freaky. These are not the characters or the kinds of lives that great heroic stories are born. But, then again, when God intervenes, the people He uses are often unexpected.

Or consider another unexpected choice. If you wanted to lead an exodus of two million people out of Egypt, who would you choose to confront Pharaoh---a Jew or a noble, high ranking and well positioned fellow Egyptian? Be honest, now. And if you chose a Jew, would you choose an individual who was not at all Egyptian (although it could be argued he had connections...) who had in fact killed one of Pharaoh's fellow countrymen? How about this qualification: would he be eighty years old? Or, how does this resumé stunner sound: would you select a gruff and rough leather-skinned shepherd who hadn't been in the metropolitan area for over forty years?

See, the further you look, the more surprising it gets! Moses' resumé was pretty, um, FRIGHTENING when considering the responsibility he's being given (save a nation, represent them to the head of a nation).

How about this one: Would you have chosen a seeming pagan harlot to hide the spies you, had sent out, to keep those men safe as they were to navigate the land God had indicated your people were to conquer?

Then of course there is Jonah and I ask you would you have chosen a defecting, rebellious prophet to lead what Chuck Swindoll called, "The Greater Nineveh Evangelistic Crusade"? Is that what we would do; send a whiny, "I don't wanna go!" Ninevite hating racist?

We get to the New Testament and this pattern continues. Would you have chosen a Christian-hating Fundamentalist Jewish Pharisee to model grace and to write most of the New Testament? (Apostle Paul)

Would you have chosen a man who denied Jesus (three times!) as the major spokesman for the early church? (Peter)

Does any of that seem reasonable ladies and gents?

But, you see, God does surprising things. That's why He lifts a no-name Jew from the gate of the king and makes him a prime minister (Mordecai). God delights in lifting up nobodies and using them as somebodies. As Paul writes to the Corinthians, "not many mighty, not many noble"---in other words, not many "A" listers are chosen.

He has chosen the despised and many of the losers of the world to follow the One who died on a cross and to bring ultimate victory for us all. And thus it is in the book of Esther, the God who seems not to be present is, in fact, ever-present, omnipotent, and in complete control.He has plan and purpose for you. Your job is to wrap your spirit around it, anticipate it, believe, it, embrace it and get into the flow of the Holy Spirits' leadership of you in that purpose daily.

Because you my lovelies are not prepared for greatness, not wise, not wealthy, not an "A" lister, not ready for this at all...in God's eyes therefore you are PERFECT!

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

Realigning Our Desires With Our Needs - Are We There Yet Dad?

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him! - Isaiah 30:18

I don't think it dawned on me until I had read the same stories like 10 times. It might have even been more than that. All I do know was that I didn't remember the preacher's in my life pointing it out and it had not dawned on me.

Have you ever noticed that God is not in a hurry?

It took 40 years for Moses to receive his specific orders from God the Father to lead the people out of Egypt. Again, in the Old Testament, it took 17 years of preparation before Joseph was delivered from slavery and imprisonment. I still think that it's funny that we call that preparation; as if it is some requirement that we go through some hideous experience and it was the same as Spring Training is for the Cubs! Praise His name that God is more effective in His choice of preparation for us than the Cubs are for their Spring Training! (Sorry, I needed that rant) It took 20 years before the Old Testament patriarch Jacob was released from his father-in-law Laban's control. And, Abraham and Sarah were in their old age when they finally received the son of promise, Isaac.

So why isn't God in a hurry?

God called each of these servants to accomplish a certain task in as that person or persons particular calling. The work of it was, in God's thinking, Kingdom of God activity. You would think if anything demanded urgency it would be something that God is requiring you to do. I mean, in each of these cases, the stories I mention above, each one affected the outcomes of the history of the entire world! Yet our Heavenly Father was in no hurry to bring their mission into fulfillment. At least as we count time, it didn't seem to be hurried.

Well let me point out some things that have struck me about each of these stories and perhaps your story as well.

First, our God accomplished what He wanted in each of them and not just because of them. And, actually, I think this is really the only point I want to make here. We are often more focused on "the goal" or the end result than we are in understanding the process that He is accomplishing in our lives each day. What God does on the road of life you and I travel is often the real story. When we experience our God's presence daily, one day we wake up and realize that God has done something special in and through our lives. It is very much like my realizing that repetitive reading has put God's word in me to recognize truths that were never evident when I had only read them once, twice or more. In this case we get to a point where the accomplishment of the task is no longer what excites us. Instead, what excites us is knowing Him. As we travel the road that is our journey in our faith, we become more acquainted with our God's love, grace, mercy, methods of guidance, His glory, what gives Him satisfaction and His power in our lives. When this happens, we are no longer focused on the outcome because the outcome is a result of our walk with Him. Our life becomes a play for our Lord's very creative mind. It's more like, "Okay Father, what will you do next?" God's great accomplishment is not the goal of our life journey, but the by-product. Hence, when Joseph came to power in Egypt, he probably couldn't have cared less. He had come to a place of complete surrender so that he was not anxious about tomorrow or his circumstances.

This is a massive lesson for you and I. What is that lesson? We must wait for God's timing and embrace wherever we are in the process. If you do not have an insight into what you are doing in your life, ask your Father. He wants you to know! Just realize that if you are feeling anxious it might not be the tugging of the Holy Spirit on you to hurry up; rather, it might just be the enemy trying to get you to ignore the real lessons that cause God to transfer His character into you! When we find contentment in our life, where we are at, the now and now place, we begin to experience God in ways we never thought possible.

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel,"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." - Isaiah 30:15 The rest of this verse said, "you were not willing..." We need to willingly understand where God is in our life today. We need to "get" that our God can move us from where we are now to where He wants to take us if we will but look up, worship and adore and realize who He is right now. May we but learn to wait, gain insight into our today and expect His personal leadership in our lives.

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

The Great Heist

But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. - Luke 12:39

I got up this morning contemplating what a great day it had been yesterday at the Church on Rogers Street. Sharing the blessing and realizing all that Ephesians 1 informs us about as to our calling, election; that God has chosen us and it is in Him we find our purpose was awesome!

As the old preachers might say, it was a good day in the Lord.

It also got me to thinking. What are the times when you and I are most vulnerable to being caught off guard by the enemy of our souls? When does it seem easiest to go from being the guy God wants us to be and migrate back into the one that no one wants to be around? Let me suggest that one of those times is just after you've had a great victory. Consider Jesus when He was baptized and was about to begin His public ministry. He was taken away into the desert to be tempted by satan.Now I realize you and I are not Jesus. He is a pattern however, His life and trials for what we can expect from an earthly perspective.

Leisure time is another place that satan seeks to take us off our normal routine of personal quiet time, meditation and contemplation. In the normal routine of life, our senses are tuned to the need to draw upon God's Spirit to see us through the activities of each day. However, when we get away from our routine and go on vacation, we can often drop these routines. Whether we do it intentionally or simply change our dance, we wrongfully think that we do not need to spend time with the Lord during leisure times. This is a grave mistake. The vacation becomes a test of character. During vacations we turn freely to what we enjoy from an earthly perspective most. It reveals to us what is at the core of our existence and often that core is not nearly as strong and stable of a structure that we had presumed or hoped to have.

As a ex-teacher I can tell you that we often exchanged thoughts on the hardest challenge we had to students getting in the "learning groove." Whether it was the long summer or the shorter times during holidays during the school year vacations never helped move the learning process forward it seemed. Just when we had brought the students to a certain discipline and place in their study habits, we would take massive steps backward.

It is the same in our spiritual lives. It only takes a small crack in the door of our heart to lose our spiritual focus and impetus.

I know it is late in the game but I hope this summer you will be on guard when times of retreat are made available to you. Use these times for spiritual refreshment, not just physical refreshment, and you will keep the thief from entering your house! I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

It's Just My Nature - Ya, No Kidding...WE KNOW!

When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, "Joseph’s brothers have come," it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to your brothers, 'Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.' And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, 'Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'" The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, "Do not quarrel on the way." So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. And they told him, "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, "It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."
- Genesis 45:16-28

So what is the scene we have here? Joseph's brothers are on a journey back home. They had come seeking food in a time of great famine. They had gotten much more than that. However, I want to focus on a smaller point here so I won't go into the whole reunion with Joseph thing. They not only had been given plenty to eat on the way back to their homeland, but had also been given new threads as well. In short, they had all that they needed---and they once again had it in abundance!

Returning to a land that was in the depths of depression and poverty they must have really looked like something. In the midst of a land drying up under the feet of it's inhabitants they would have looked like kings!

Notice, however, the one directive Joseph gave them: "Don't get into an argument on the journey!" It had been years, yea, decades since Joseph had been with his brothers. Yet, through knowledge and wisdom, he knew those men, didn't he?

I just crack up in these historical biblical stories when little tidbits like that are inserted. Centuries may come and go, but human nature stays pretty much the same. As much as we wish it would go away, it's impossible to erase depravity. I know. It would be kinder to call it "human nature." But the fact of the matter is that it's the human nature, the sin nature, that Joseph was bringing to their remembrance.

There is an old Chinese proverb: "Not very many men can carry a full cup without its disturbing their equilibrium." Sudden wealth or promotion can be a tottering experience, both for the recipient and those surrounding him or her. But it's not just when good things happen to us that we are thrown off of our spiritual game.

Is it?

Superiority, inferiority, arrogance, and jealousy can easily to create out of you and I something ungodly and unlovely; certainly not something that God would be honored to call His own. We know this is true. All we have to do (on the positive side...or is it?) is to check on those who win the lottery. Very few can handle the financial windfall.

To top it all off, in our little story here, Joseph had given his younger brother Benjamin more than he had given to the other brothers. He gave them all provisions and gave each of them new garments, but he gave Benjamin three hundred shekels of silver and five new garments. YIKES! Apparently Joseph had not had mommy lessons in counting the sprinkles on the cupcakes to create an "even" or "fair" playing field.

A similar experience had been had in the life of Joseph decades earlier that had caused hatred in the ranks of his brothers toward Joseph. His dad had shown him special favor also. It had cost him years in slavery, prison and humiliation.

It had cost Joseph...

...hadn't it?

No, probably not...not according to God's view; but certainly yes, according to man's view.

No doubt Joseph remembered well what had happened years before when he had been given more than the others, but he had his own reasons for giving Benjamin these items. He didn't want that to result in a fight. "So don't argue about it!" he told his brothers. He wanted to see what they had learned.

A great principle of the Christian faith might be this: Trust one another, but we are never to trust one another's nature. That's one of the reasons parents give their children the warnings that they do. Parents understand their children's natures better than their offspring do. It's not a question of trust; it's a matter of knowing the nature within. The only way that nature changes is when the Spirit of God rules and reigns in a heart. That is a supernatural event and it must happen every day...daily we must die to our natural man. Daily we must realize, "Christ in me is the hope of Glory!" Daily we must come to grips with our eternal nature and invite through our worship, our praise, our affection toward God the Father and our habits God's Spirit to grab hold of us, once again, for that day...and that is why today, I must remain...

InHISgrip,

~J~

To Obey Is Better n' A Sack of Ice?

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him. - Acts 5:32

As the Shins once sang, "there's no connection" in the title and to the subject matter of this devotional.

Other than this...obedience is often obscure to Christians and means something very different than we might have thought we were taught.

I am a sales person in my chosen profession. I work in franchising. I have for quite some time. My work requires me to create solutions for both the franchise company and potential franchisee's (franchise owners.) If I can't I do not get paid. It is straight commission. God has been good to me over the years. I have done well. But, it is never far from me that my success and productivity is measured by numbers; you make the numbers you receive the accolades (and pay).

So often we as a society equate numbers with success and my day job is just an example of that. The larger the conference, the more successful we deem it. Sadly, a whole generation of evangelicals got trapped in a "the larger a church, the more we believe that God is blessing" mentality. Most of us know better now.

When I was at AlphaGraphics Printshops we once were planning a conference and because we did not initially promote it with our usual pomp and marketing drive registrations were not where they should have been. We were just a few weeks before the event. There was a new ownership. They had a new Board of Directors. The pressure was on to ensure this conference was as good as any we'd previously held. It wasn't long before I began to get "under the pile" about the level of attendance. One of my Area Managers who was assisting came into the office to check up on me. Though he was not a particularly spiritual guy, Don immediately reminded me of my own teaching in this area. "You always say, (stealing it from Keith Green, the Christian Songwriter) just do your best and pray that it's blessed and God will take care of the rest."

Hmm...

The first part of the lesson about obeying and doing your best was this: God doesn't judge us (though mankind might be ticked) on the outcomes. "If my job required I take responsibility to put on this conference, then the outcome is up to Him if we have done our part."

Since that time, in the world of ministry I have seen God work in just this fashion. We had one idea of success but God had a different idea. His idea was about an individual; or maybe two or three. While we worried about the crowds Jesus wanted us to touch a person.

I have to constantly remind myself of the tension between the world's standards of success and Gods'. Being led by the Spirit often means we must not use the world's standard for success as our measuring stick. You never know what an act of obedience will yield at the time. Leave the results to God. Our role is to obey. His role is to bring results from our obedience. What God ordains He brings to pass; just be prepared for something different than you might have imagined.

This kind of God-led success does however lend itself to a specific issue: "My sheep hear my voice..." - Jesus

We have an obligation as followers of Jesus Christ, as the Redeemed, as His disciples to both hear and follow. We need to focus on the front-end of the process much more deeply. We need more knowledge of the Holy as He relates to us. We need His people to speak into one another's lives. His word needs to be more deeply understood and we need to ensure our goal is His glory and honor.

Do you make decisions based on the potential outcome or by the direction of the Holy Spirit in your life? Do you overly evaluate the pros and cons without consideration to what the Holy Spirit might be saying deep inside? We are all prone to make decisions based on reasoning alone. Ask God to give you a willingness and ability to hear the Holy Spirit and to obey His promptings.

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

And So There I Was...Dying...

So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. - 2 Corinthians 4:12

I've been watching practical transformation in my own home and amongst the members of the Church on Rogers Street.

It's fascinating and it's inspiring!

Many of us have had to adjust to things about our economy, our work, our career paths and even our foundational expectations. We have been in deep valley's. We have gone on emotional roller coaster rides that no earthly roller coaster can compare to. Our cores, our foundations, our relationships...everything about our lives, or lives of important people in our group have been shaken.

We were forced into this internal and external labor and being forced into hard places gives us a whole new perspective on life. Career paths, bank, savings, and retirement accounts, "things" we once valued, no longer hold the same attraction and attachment to us. And, all those things that people used to quip were most important, family, friends, our heritage in our children, they have become big things. That which we cannot take with us into eternity has actually begun to fade.

Have you been experiencing this or watching someone else you know go through and conclude that the world truly should not and cannot hold us in it's grip?

When you are in the midst of it you get a glimpse into the hard places of others. Our "hard places" in America are hardly at all yet that hard in this time. They do not rival the hardship of the Great Depression and that hardly holds a candle to what occurs in third world countries. Does it? Nonetheless trials keep us from having a shallow view of the hardships of others and allows us, like brothers-in-arms, to identify with them. Since this is a transitory time we can also observe those not having the same calamities befall them speak of such trials from no experience and often judge others who have had such hardship. I now have seen the superficiality of Christian experience that often permeates shallow believe and receive kids of brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our kinship with pain means that those going through the fire do not need to explain; they merely look at one another with mutual respect and admiration for their common experience. They know that death has worked a special thing in them. In 2 Corinthians 7:10 Paul talks about two types of sorrow. One leads to life. One kind of sorrow, earthly sorrow, leads to death. This is even deeper than that in many ways but this death leads to life in others because of the hard places God has taken them through and as they watch life triumph over the death working in us.

It is virtually impossible to fully appreciate any valley experience while you are in it. However, once you have reached the top of the mountain, you are able to appreciate what terrain you have passed through. You marvel at what you were able to walk through. The valley of the shadow of death has yielded more than you ever thought possible. You are able to appreciate the beauty of the experience and lay aside the sorrow and pain it may have produced.

Death works in you for a greater purpose. If you are in a place like that today, please know that your Heavenly Father is producing something of much greater value than you will ever know...it is ultimately the greatest triumph of all...life, eternal life of Christ in others!

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

All That Is New

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13b-14

Our past can be a hindrance or a help in moving toward God's purposes for each of us. For some, the past has meant pain and heartache, and grace is required so that we do not let that which shaped us dictate our responses and the outcomes of those responses in our future. If we allow our past to make us a victim, then we have not entered into the grace that God has for us. To be sure it is a decision we make. God's grace saves us and changes us or it does not. If we live on memories of past successes and fail to raise our vision for new things, we again are victims of our past. Our past becomes our highlight reel.

That is not God's vision for your life

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland - Isaiah 43:19.

Our past should only be viewed for what we can learn from it. We should understand it so we can trace the finger of God, even when we were in rebellion, in our lives. We must move forward and avoid viewing the negative or the positive for more than what we can learn; for how our Heavenly Father can take that information and build our future from and with it. Are you going to allow your past dictate your future.? God is always about doing new things in our lives. New things means He is doing something unique today and will again do something unique to you and I in our tomorrow's. He gives fresh insight of His purposes in our lives. At the very least these new adventures provide us with new clues to His calling and His election of us into the offices to which only He can call us.
Do not live in the past. Do not hold onto bitterness that may hinder God from doing new and exciting things in your life.

Our eternal Father turns our wastelands into streams of water to give life, not death. He means for each event and memory to lead to the glory of His name. Your quest, your adventure is to figure out how.

How are we viewing our past? How much time are we giving to it? Are we glorying in it? Has it hindered us to become more of Jesus Christ? Have you relied on past successes to dictate what you will do in the future or stymy you from moving forward toward new goals? Put your memories in their proper place. Allow God to do a new things in your life. Seek His guidance to assist you to see the new things He wants to do in and through you today.

"When your memories are bigger than your dreams, you're headed for the grave" [Author unknown]...I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

O' Where O' Where Has My God Gone? (In the mirror or to the heavens?)

God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. - Psalm 53:2

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. – Jeremiah 29:11-14

As a pastor I am a blessed man. I have men in my church that seek after God's heart. As a pastor I am a challenged man. I am challenged not just because of my own shortcomings and inadequacies (the Lord knows) but also because I have men in my church who seek after God and their desire for more of God encourages me on to more of Jesus Christ in my life and less of me.

My men are not my primary motivation for my growth, when I have growth in my Christian walk however. Though these good, godly men keep me on my toes, encourage and exhort one another and bless me with their dissatisfaction with just remaining where they are in their maturity, they are but one tool and not the chief tool God uses to provide my own impetus to be the man God has created me to become.

Late in His three year ministry Jesus explained about an element of His own personal joy and the reason He pressed on through all of life's difficulties. Now, to be sure, Jesus wasn't speaking about a singular joy. Clearly there are kinds of joys that we experience. But each joy is the end-game satisfaction of a more complex series of events and our obedience to God the Father in those events. We see this in John 3:25-28 where John the Baptist, as the forerunner to Jesus, indicates the joy of having been tasked, by God, as the one to announce Jesus' coming. John preached it and saw that it was fulfilled. To that John would say, "Therefore this joy of mine is now complete." John was to receive more eternal joy later.

What I am thinking here is what Jesus expressed in John 15:8-12 when He said, "By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruits and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

To have the love of Christ permeate my body, soul and spirit and to be privileged to express it to others and share it's healing, peace and personally satisfying provision is what must drive you and I on into more of Jesus and less of me. Jesus, with great love and care, had been given instruction from the Father. The instruction looked past the discomfort and disharmony. It looked beyond heartache and the physical abuse that would follow Jesus in the same way that training is embraced by a great athlete so that they may reach to the goal; realizing that both Father and Son loved and had as their center attention mankind. Jesus, with love in his eyes for His Father, accepted the task at hand. Here in John 15 Jesus is passing on the lesson of eternity to us instructed us to do likewise, Abide in my love If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love, just as I have kepty my Father's commandments and abide in His love."

Has God gotten your attention. Have you become one who is a seeker of God? The Lord delights in seeing those children of His who truly understand the meaning of life and why there is only one thing worth seeking and that is God Himself.To follow after Him and pursue living the life you now have in this earthly domain in a way that pleases Him because He instructs it was precisely the message Jesus was attempting to convey to His disciples on that day 2000 years ago.

Life on planet earth has been cruel of late. But that isn't God's main concern. It isn't supposed to be mine as it relates to "me" either. I know when I've not been pursuing my God and Father. The cares of this life, the urgent over the important, and the petty irritations begin to affect me. I become emotional. Guys these are the symptoms of a life that has not been seeking God; praying, reading, meditating, waiting on Him. Can you relate to any of this? Is this sinking in with you? These would be questions, our Savior would pose to us. We need to ask them of ourselves daily.

If we understand that it is only in keeping the only two commandments Jesus gave us, to love God with all of our hearts, mind, body and soul and to love others with that amazing, self-preserving, "give-me-joy at all costs" love we provide to self we will have our wish and desire; pure joy.

If you are toiling and fretting over what will soon be dead and gone where are you getting your spiritual strength? What will you pay to get your joy back? We need to set self-preservation boundaries in our lives. We best preserve and serve self when we seek Him! That means time spent with Him and His tools. This is the great challenge in a world that screams for our attention and threatens us with ruin if we do not oblige them.

Create a schedule of time to be with your God, His Word where you meditate, listen, and hear! Are you committed to developing that intimacy with your Lord that He so desires so that YOUR joy as John 15 says will be complete? If not, ask Him today to help you. This is the longing of His heart. Ask Him to make it the longing of your heart. Then you will demonstrate to Him that you understand, and you will be a seeker of God. I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~