Oh That God - His Creation Cracks Me Up!

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. - Proverbs 15:13

All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast!" - Proverbs 15:15

I love reading about dumb or outdated laws. They crack me up. Now, I am sure, at one time many of these dealt with dead serious issues but not today. Maybe I find them so hilarious because they are supposed to be so serious. Being built to be as somber as a funeral might be why I find some of them downright hilarious.

Some examples?

A San Francisco ordinance forbids the reuse of confetti. (This will make my son Chuck glad beyond words - Or, at least he would want them cleansed with sanitizer!)

In Danville, Pennsylvania, "fire hydrants must be checked one hour before all fires." I'd love to be the prophet they hire for that task! In Seattle, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon of more than six feet in length. There goes my Alaska Pipeline sized bazooka - I'll just have to leave it at home, in the closet!

An Oklahoma law states that a driver of "any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in death shall immediately stop . . . and give his name and address to the person struck."

So He Can Handle You!

A piece of noise-abatement legislation was passed in the village of Lakefield, Ontario, which permits birds to sing for thirty minutes during the day and fifteen minutes at night.

But the humor does not stop with our local governments.

Preachers can be an incredibly funny lot as well. And when I study the sermons and read about the lives and lifestyles of the pulpiteers of yesteryear, I confess I often laugh my proverbial tush off! Many of them---deep down---were wild 'n crazy guys! Eh, Gary Johnson?

One pastor, (this is a true story but not Gary Johnson) as he was readying for his message one Sunday morning, noted a man coming early into the sanctuary. As the man drew near to the front the minister noted this man only had one good leg. The man carried a short stool with him. He came down the middle aisle, sat front and center in the very front row, sat down and placed his partial appendage on the stool. During the message, the pastor was really "going to town." He was fired up! He was preaching the joys of commitment and sacrifice in the Christian life. At one point as he concluded he looks up and across his audience, raises his right arm to heaven, makes a fist and says, "Even our Lord had no stool to place his stump!" There was dead silence - turned red as a beet and watched as a whole congregation (including his one-legged visitor) bust out in gut-wrenching laughter.

Such humor is not making jokes out of life; it's recognizing the ones that life just happen to embrace.

Now, you don't have to start reading the comics or watch all (or some even) of those mindless sitcoms. Honestly, most of them aren't even mildly amusing; they are mindlessly crass however. You don't need to start telling silly jokes to each other; although a few are okay. all of the aforementioned comedic methods are external, superficial, and shallow. I'm suggesting depth of joy that is far more significant. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, revealing life through us we can fertilize the garden of our very own lighter heart so that it grows into "joyful!" The way to do that is to have a confidence in the living God, the loving Creator, the sovereign Lord. He was the one that gave us humor and who smiles every time we enjoy His gifts, His creation, His personal invasion into our daily lives.

Christian pastor and writer Elton Trueblood said it like this: "The Christian is joyful, not because he is blind to injustice and suffering, but because he is convinced that these, in the light of the divine sovereignty, are never ultimate. . . . The humor of the Christian is not a way of denying the tears, but rather a way of affirming something which is deeper than tears." It's true JOY COMES IN THE MORNING and our morning began when Jesus invaded our individual lives!

Yes, a few things in life are absolutely tragic, no question about it. Today I suggest though that first among them is a joyless Christian. Don't be that guy or gal. A truly cheerful face comes from a joyful heart, not from a lack of concern for life's tragedies.

Join me, find a mirror, look into it and show all 7 of your pearly white teeth (or more if you have them...store bought or otherwise) and have the courage of your joyful spirit!

I remain…


InHISgrip,
   ~J~

Oh God…You're Late!

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. - Habakkuk 2:3 God has a storehouse of blessings that He has reserved for you and me. Part of growing in our relationship with our Heavenly Father is for you and I to daily better understand HIS timing for events in our lives. We cannot accept as a gift what we do not know exists. Believe it that God has a specific timetable for us. Without knowing His direction for our lives that timetable can be excruciatingly slow and emotionally painful. If you've been churched all your life you might be familiar with the Old Testament figure Joseph. He was the one that had the coat of many colors. He was also given dreams from God (Which ended up being the blueprint for his life). But much was to happen to Joseph before he would take hold of the wonders of God's promises to him. He remained a slave in Egypt and was then placed in prison after being wrongfully accused. That would seem cruel and uncaring of God. While in his distresses Joseph was given opportunities and saved lives. He did those faithfully. Yet he still didn't receive these huge blessings. Why? Because an early release would have disrupted God's perfect plan. God takes time to develop character before anything else. God could not afford to have a prideful 30-year-old managing the resources of an entire region of the world. But, more than that (and Joseph seemed to understand this) he had not sought God about the timing and didn't receive it. Not so much in his life, but in the lives of other Old Testament patriarchs we find God's blessing delayed because they refused to fellowship with Him. Moses was such a case. We have a saying that is quite biblical. God is good all the time! It's true. It's true even when it doesn't appear to be true. Just know that 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) If you are awaiting the fulfillment of a vision in your life, you can ask the Lord for His grace to sustain you. But before you do that, close in the gap between you and God. Walk daily in a way that allows you the chance to learn just how deep, wide and bountiful His goodness is to His children; those who "hear His voice." I remain... InHISgrip, ~J~

Just The Facts or Just the Actions or...Door #3?

I just read John 9 and was reminded that playing with the facts of God's word and understanding God's truth; what He wants to accomplish, DO, with it are two very different things.

The Pharisees do not wish to change the life of a man who is blind (or perhaps know they can't) and so they wish to talk about the circumstance by which he ended up blind from birth.

Jesus would have none of it!

Francis Chan tells the story of the girl told by her father to clean her room. She had until he got home from work; by the end of the day. When dad comes home he asks her if it's clean. She says no. BUT...she has thought deeply about it all day. Further, she has written a proclamation about the advantages of it and its meaning to her and has formed a group of her friends to study the affects of clean rooms on the overall health of households and the environment. 

May it not be so of you and I and our faith in Christ.

Whose fault was it that the man had been blind? Who cares! He is seeing to God be the Glory and that God GETS the Glory!


I remain...


InHISgrip,
  ~J~

And The Crown Is Past or Will You Wear It Proudly?

The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors even to David. - 1 Samuel 28:17b

I woke up this morning feeling as though something my heart longed for was missing. I soon realized it was found in my work; I'm simply not being compensated for my work. I'm patted on the back. I'm given oral accolades but no dinero!

It has affected so much of my life. I should say, I've allowed it to affect so much of my life. It has even created perceived affects that make me question my relationships with the people who profess to love me.

I have come to believe our work, the pattern of our life, including relationships, the Body of Christ with whom we worship, the people God puts in our path, they are all a part of our personal calling.Within our calling is the anointing of God on our life. You might feel more comfortable with your life purpose. It is with our calling where we wear our crown.

When God anoints a person, a pattern of trials and circumstances appears to take place at specific times in their life. God often takes each of us through what I identify as four test forms. He does so to determine how (not if) we will walk out His call throughout our life. Our response to these forms of testing provide a sort of set of gates through which we can advance to the next level of responsibility in God's Kingdom and our relationship with Him. The farther along we get, the deeper the relationship to Him. The more He shines through us and the more we resemble Him.

I am not sure if they are ordered just this way. I can imagine they are not. However, my experience, and my reading on the subject of God's will both biblically and extra-biblically point to these four being present for each one of us who names Jesus Christ as Lord.

Here they are:

Self-Control/God-Control - In the scripture above the one being spoken to is King Saul. He spent most of his time as king trying to prevent others from getting what he had. Saul never reached a place with God in which he was a grateful recipient of God's goodness to him either for the unique relationship he had with God or what God had blessed him with in the natural.

Saul did not live with an abundance mentality.

This might have been because he did not live in a time where this was a popular notion. He embraced the grasping, selfish, "survival of the fittest" attitude. By the way, historically, it has not often been the case in any time where a people felt they were a part of abundance either spiritually or physically. However, Saul was a religious as well as secular controller. This control led to disobedience and ultimately being rejected by God because Saul no longer was a vessel God could use.

Bitterness - Every major character in the Bible was deeply hurt by others that were close to them. Jesus was hurt deeply when Judas, a trusted follower, betrayed Him. Perhaps more hurtful was the way his own family and Peter treated Him however. In the case of Judas, despite knowing this was going to happen, Jesus responded by washing Judas' feet. Every anointed leader will have a Judas experience at one time or another. God watches us to see how we will respond to this test. Will we take up an offense? Will we become jaded toward others? Will a severe hurt drive us to a place where love, caring, concern and the ability to love inspire of heartache plague our lives? Will we retaliate? It is one of the most difficult tests to pass. You will be required, most likely more than once to see yourself beyond your emotional heartache in order to fulfill God's greatest joy and purpose in your life.

Power - Power, and more precisely the lording over through its use, is the opposite of the general call on every Jesus believers life. That call is to servanthood. Jesus had all authority in Heaven and earth, so satan tempted Jesus at the top of the mountain to use this authority, this power, to remove Himself from a difficult circumstance. How will we use the position, influence and a superior advantage(s) that God has entrusted to us? Do we seek to gain more? There is a common phrase in the investment community, "He who has the gold rules." The Kingdom of God, the place where all gold is created and from where it is distributed has a different phrase, "Whomever amongst you that would be first must in fact become servant of all!, With Love & In Truth, Jesus.

He was the ultimate servant leader. Follow that which is contrary to all fundamental leadership training and follow His lead.

Covetousness - Covetousness, greed, is a toughie. The "Big Bucks" naturally has great influence. This influence can be for great good but more often than not with a little comes the pursuit of more and more of it and then its very pursuit erodes a mans moral fiber.

When money is a major or just as often, the primary, focus in our life, it becomes a tool of destruction. It takes the place of relationships. It removes us from spending time in the pursuit of the love and serving of others. When it is a fruit of our labor, it can become a great blessing to both self and others. Many of God's kids started out well - only to be derailed once wealth or frankly any form of affluence (knowledge, social status, things, etc.) became a primary portion of their life. What history has shown us is that there are millions that flourish spiritually in terrible trials; only a few can thrive spiritually with the grasp of wealth.

As the called of God, you and I must be aware when the negative pressure of these four (4) things are present in our life situations. You can be confident that each one of these conditions will present itself as God calls you for His purposes.

Will your love of God and trust in the principles of His kingdom overcome your natural tendencies? Start at the beginning. Ask our Heavenly Father for a double dose of His grace today to walk in light; triumphing over the darkness of things that crave to naturally possess us.

I remain...

InHISgrip,

~J~

Men of God Emotionally Crumble - It's Allowed

>Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.” When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, and said, “O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there. And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. - Genesis 43:18-30
You needed to read most of the background story…The scene is a follow-up meeting between Joseph and his brothers; well, more brothers. This meeting included one they had previously and conveniently left home at the request of their father and in guilt over the treatment of a previous younger brother, Joseph himself.

Suddenly, Joseph, this now great man, this strong-hearted and efficient prime minister of a mighty nation, collapsed inside. (Did you read until the very end?)
Had the years hardened him? Had he become less emotional as time went on and he had gone through all the ups and downs of life? Had his time with God prepared him for every situation so that he handled them all with calm and reserve?

Hardly.

No, truly great men and women, no different than you and I, are suddenly seized by those times in life when they can no longer restrain the wellspring of emotion surging within them. There is no composure. Their feelings bubble to the top. That's what happened to Joseph at this never expected moment in his very full life. This was a moment that was truly a kingdom moment. It is at such amazing, blessed times that words fail us. And, completely acceptable, as with Joseph we must get alone to regain our composure. Joseph did.
The Scriptures speak,
Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his bedroom and wept there - Genesis 43:30.

Close your eyes for a moment and picture the scene. With little warning, the handsome, confident leader of millions has turned away from his guests and rushed to his bedroom and collapsed in an uncontrollably sobbing heap! Twenty plus years of pain, heartbreak, loneliness, in a moment, passed before Josephs' eyes. All the loneliness. All the loss. All the seasons and birthdays and meaningful festivals and commemorative times without his family. It was too much to contain, like a rushing river pouring into a lake, swelling above the dam. His tears ran, and he heaved with great sobs. All of a sudden, he was a little boy again, missing his daddy.

There have been times in my own life when I've had doubts, when I've stumbled over great cracks that appeared in my world. Some of those have occurred because of the pain of my past. Many of them because of the pain of my time here and now. I've had those times when I climbed into my own bed and wept, crying out to God. I suspect I am not alone in this. Such times of pain, and despair are part of "Life 101" aren't they? I pray, have you not already done it, realize honesty in your identity, real rather than false or the protection of some kind of super-confident image is more hurtful than it is helpful.

The little verse that is Jude, verse 22 says, "Of some having compassion, making the difference. We can love through it, we can love deeply and in meaningful ways to those with whom we understand. It's comforting to realize we're in good company in times like those that our friend Joseph was going through. Isn't it?

Yes, it is true. Joseph had become a great and powerful man, admittedly, but he was also a real human being with real human emotions, who could step out of the corridors of power and have the strength to weep his heart out. Spending a life that might have destroyed others but spending it in the shadow of the Almighty created just such a man as he.

I remain…
InHISgrip,
~J~

The Case for a Personal Leading from God

Or, God as Pilot (Note: There is no CO-) By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them.... - Exodus 13:21
  A few days ago, on FaceBook, I posted a sign I had seen in my Internet travels. Essentially it said when we ask God for answers He gives us one of three choices. Those Choices are, A) Yes B) No or C) I have something better in mind.

I've been thinking about that. I am thinking I believe it is true. I also came away with a verum prior, a prior truth. For most Protestant theologians of the 15th through the 19th century truth is built on truth. There is always something that preceded what we now believe to be true. Ultimately, this truth would find its way back to the source of all truth, God Himself.

 In this case, though I am sure those are the three end results of our queries of our Heavenly Father, what I believe to be a prior truth or, perhaps condition would be a better word, is that most of us are not prepared at all for Him to provide us, directly, with answers. Therefore, we substitute a more practical methodology.

At one level our ability to hear from God is tied directly to this question, "How are you at waiting on God?" And then, how do you determine if God is giving you the green light to move forward?

Most believers make the mistake of employing the double column list method where, by adding up all the pluses and deducting the minuses they conclude that God has given them the green light as affirmation outweighs the negatives. If they are sophisticated in this methodology they even conclude under what terms they should move forward.

The actionable reality of this method is this, several factors go into making a decision from the Lord but all of those factors are based on present reality (historical evidence as we interpret it) and not based on the Principles of the Kingdom of God and God's Rule.

I'll make this brief where it deserves much more information; but, here goes…

When we bring a matter before God it's important to do at least three things.

1. First, you should gather facts. Even the great Master Himself (er…Jesus) said a man counts the cost before He moves forward in a life decision. Fact gathering allows you to determine all the realities of a given situation. However, this does not ultimately drive a godly decision, but it can put a stop to it. For instance, if you were planning to build a major roadway and you knew the only way to move forward was to build it through a native people's homeland your decision may be made in advance. (Principle: care and concern for others and their interests should be the greater interest…providing there was no greater or appealing solution they would value.) But the principle is solid; God would not lead you to enter into unrighteous ventures that are harmful to others.

2. Is the Holy Spirit guiding you in your decision? If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm - Psalm 37:23. George Mueller cites that the steps are also "by the Lord." As a connected aside, God puts hedges around us, but many times we bull our way through the hedges under the guise of tenacity and perseverance. This too is unrighteousness. One wise brother in Christ stated that the greatest success we can have is to know when it is time to pull the plug rather than keep forcing a situation. Not all of life's circumstances are eternal. The problem is, because of a lack of time we have had with God, we are not familiar when He personally speaks into our heart. We lack His vision and an eternal perspective on the matter at hand. Practice the presence of God! And, that means actual extended periods of time on your knees, walking alone, looking skyward. It means learning from those who do practice His presence and stay in it themselves.

3. Has the action you believe God wishes you to take been confirmed? God has placed others around us to be used as holy sounding boards to our lives and to our actions; to confirm decisions and keep us from the deceit of our own seeming self interests. Paul, in speaking forcefully to the Corinthians once said these words, By the mouth or two or three witnesses shall every word be established - 2 Corinthians 13:1b. This is God's way of keeping us within the hedge of His protection and within earshot of His guiding voice.

I once read these words: "Write your plans in pencil and give God the eraser." - anonymous

To this day I remember them nearly daily simply because I am so poor at listening to God. In my haste I go on before Him. In my pride I believe I can figure it out without Him. May you and I both today both slow down, calm down but most all all bend down and listen more often all the time to His guiding voice. It is why you will have the Holy Spirit forever within you; so you may walk with Him and hear His voice. (Yes, forever…check out your New Testament…)

I remain...

InHISgrip,
  ~J~

Putting Your Trust in A Cloud? Seriously?

So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning; when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. ~ Number 9:21

Imagine living with the uncertainty of this situation. One day you work at getting your yard planted, redecorating the living room and adding on a family room. The next morning a signal is given and you have to start packing boxes and loading up the SUV and move. Your personal ability to plan your life is totally gone.

Perhaps however is the greater temptation to move when the signal (the cloud) did not move because you felt it was time to move.

For the Israelites, a people of a Promised Land, and with all the moving in their history, perhaps the grass was no longer green. Perhaps the water was not easily accessible any longer. Perhaps the bugs were a problem or it was too humid (ergo, the bugs). Whatever the case, they were strictly prohibited from moving if the cloud, the presence of God, did not move.

This next part is the hard part. Mostly because it is not part of our spiritual tradition typically nor of our American culture. It is still the same today. We are not to move unless God, in the form of the Holy Spirit. instructs us to do so. We are not to make that business deal on the basis of whether or not it makes sense, but on the leading of the Holy Spirit's "cloud" in our life.

The Old Testament was our tutor according to what we are taught in the New Testament. Israel, spiritually, was following a literal cloud. For you and I it can be a difficult process to move only when we are directed, and to remain if we are not. Why? Because we are not used to following an inner version of "The Cloud." And even more of a challenge with no practice to hear and follow the pressure is always upon us to move, to plan, to act from external forces in our life. How much do you think this happens in the Church, the Body of Christ today? I'm guessing a lot! And to add fuel to the fire this might be even more true when our personality and preferences meet the timing of God.

God's kids learn over the course of a lifetime to move when God says move. But we need to embrace the spiritual fact that Jesus came to recreate that ability and for this to occur.  It is a sign of hope and an act of faith when, in complete surrender and dependence on God's Spirit to direct our steps we gain the confidence and then have the ability to act out of watching the Cloud and then moving to follow it.

Ask God today if you are sitting under His cloud. Or, have you moved when He said to stay put. Have you even considered God providing you with personal leading? If not you have much to question about your faith.

May our anthem be:

In the glory of your presence
I find rest, for my soul
In the depths of your love
I find peace, makes me whole

I love, I love, I love your presence
I love, I love, I love your presence
I love, I love, I love you Jesus
I love, I love, I love your presence - Anthony Skinner, I Love Your Presence

The more time in His presence you spend, the more familiar to His call, His voice you shall become.

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

Reflecting the Glory of One Whose Glory Should Be Recognized

They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might, so that all men may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. - Psalm 145:11-12

How do you measure your effectiveness in God, or should you even be thinking like this? I know it is quite popular to use a sense of reasoning about our spiritual "walk" like this:

God loves me and is all knowing. Because He is all knowing and nothing about who I am or what I do affects His love for me can I disappoint Him. After all, He knows me. He knows who I am and what I do. He made me! Therefore why should I even worry or even worse, feel guilty for being the person God made me to be


The early Church turned the world upside down in that first century. What made them so effective? Was it their theology? Was it great preaching? Was it due to one man's influence apart from Jesus? Was it an attitude reflected in the above paragraph? Could we validate that kind of thinking by any historical analysis? The answer to the last 2 questions is a simple no.

This little Bible morsel speaks definitively. It creates prophetic clarity that in a future time, God's people, would espouse a mighty message that created widespread knowledge of God, His glory and kingdom. I suggest this happened and can happen and it is what makes the the Bodies of Christ effective.

I am also convinced that it is at the core of God's heart. It is quite simple. God desires to reflect His nature and power through every individual. When this happens, the world is automatically changed because those who reflect His glory affect the world. The world "sees" God as He is.

I am also convinced we need to better understand words and their Kingdom meanings; vocabulary, if you will, from God's perspective. The Bible uses words like love, obedience, serve, servant, suffer and I am sure we flavor their meaning based on who we are and not what the Scripture clearly states what is truthfully meant; what is their fulness from God's perspective. Here is one we don't get easily: We serve a jealous God. He is a God who will not share His glory with anyone. (Check it out - It says it right there in that Big Black Book) God sets up situations in order to demonstrate His power through them and more than this to illustrate so we can get our tiny minds around his enormity. He does it. It is His doing. We might be arms and legs and a mouth in the process but it is His plan and His power that accomplishes. Why? That we might, in turn, understand just how little we make of Him and how tiny is the full grasp of our understanding about Him. And, more to the point so that through us His glory shines and people are drawn to Him!

Father God has visibly expressed His power and control and strength since the day He created man. His glory is His own. Only He can have it and express it. However, our God and Father desires to reflect His glory through you and me, so that all men may know of His mighty acts and the glorious splendor of His Kingdom and, in their knowing they would embrace their God-given and provided right to be on the inside of His love, affection, glory, grace, mercy and all of the other overly abundant joys His own should experience.

The apostle Paul understood this principle: My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" ( - I Corinthians 2:4-5.

If you do not see His glory being reflected through your life, then you need to ask why. Of course, you also might want to study the concept of God's Glory so you would recognize it should it be expressed in your life. It might not be precisely what you are thinking at this moment. Just know this, He has promised to use you and me to mirror who He is if we will walk in obedience to His commands.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6

That is an If/Then statement. There is in fact an our part and His part. You embrace it or you don't. Which will it be?

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! - Luke 11:9-13

As challenging as it is for you and I to understand, there is a truth here that says God does gives us a part in our relationship with Him. We get to learn, grow and become more today than we were yesterday. We are no longer under a shadow of guilt. It is not our lot to constantly wring our hands and wonder if God is pleased with us however. To do that we make His sufficiency, His power in us, His saving and redemptive skills weak. No, we just need to know we get to partner in growth so that who we are in Him shows clearly to the world naturally and draws all men to Him.

It was on my heart today...I hope it blesses yours...I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

Well...er...The Reason You See Is....

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:23-25

Everyone I know realizes I am a major baseball fan. This is my season! I had two "stupid human tricks" as a child growing up. First, I could never ever make, model and year of every car from 1947 (I was born in 1952) until 1976 on the road. The other was I could remember the most minute details about ballplayers and the game itself. I loved it! I didn't see it as trivia because I loved it so much. To me it was cool and fun and I suppose it was also important. How good was I? Even my friends, who had teams that they loved more than I did and had heroes that were not my heroes knew less about their favorite players and teams than I did. I hated the Yankees but my Yankee loving fiends marveled that I knew more about Mantle, Maris, Ford, Berra, Richardson, Kubek and all the lesser known Yankees than they knew. You may be that kind of person or have friends and family like that. Well, I still am a bonifide member of this group of trivia containers.

Fans have other traits as well don't they? They have an indomitable sense of commitment, loyalty or determination - okay, okay, maybe "addiction" is a better word! Against incredible odds, sound logic, and even medical advice, sports fans will persevere to the dying end! Difficulties are viewed as a challenge ... never an excuse to stay away or miss a chance to support our teams!

I've often wondered what would happen if people were as intense and committed and determined about their love of Christ Jesus and the Body He died for as they are about sports or any other hobby. This topic was covered some years back in a Moody Monthly piece that illustrated twelve excuses a fella might use for "quitting sports." The analogy isn't hard to figure out.

1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.

2. The people with whom I had to sit didn't seem very friendly.

3. The seats were too hard and not comfortable.

4. The coach never came to call on me.

5. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.

6. I was sitting with some hypocrites---they came only to see what others were wearing.

7. Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.

8. The organist played music that I had never heard before.

9. The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.

10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up. (Hmm...I'll have to ask my boys)

11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.

12. I don't want to take my kids, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

I've come up with a few more:

13. The parking lot (steps, walkways, etc.) was awful . . . I had to walk 300 yards to the stadium entrance.

14. Nobody came up and introduced themselves to me; it was so impersonal!

15. The public address and lighting systems don't suit me.

16. It's always too hot (or cold) in the stadium.

17. It's so loud there!

Enough said. Think it over.

What would happen if we approached our responsibilities to the Body of Christ with the same enthusiasm we give to our hobbies, sports, and other extracurricular activities?

My Internal GPS

Thus says the LORD: “ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD. - Jeremiah 9:23,24

There is a kind of thinking that goes like this..."If I am sensitive I will know that God has provided instruction, but then it's up to me." Does that sound about right? Or, maybe you are of a different school of thought regarding you and God's will. Maybe yours is as simple as, 'If I just knew the Bible better I could better understand God's will." Or, maybe yours is more mystical or more practical than either of the above. Nonetheless, there is a part about knowing and a part about doing.

My experience is this, those who are most in love with Jesus; those who crave Him most deeply and glorify Him most easily do not seem to have much of a problem with the whole issue of God's leading in their life. It just sort of flows.

Period.

The focus of our attention should be on the relationship that Jesus Christ came to earth to re-establish with us and that is, to get us back to a place where we realize and fully embrace God's love, acceptance and forgiveness and desire to provide direction for our lives so we can snuggle into a relationship with Him. The rest seems to just fall into place.

But, regardless, we must accept His instruction and apply it to our lives in order to see that He is in fact working in us and through us for His good pleasure and our fulfillment. It is then, and only then, that we can expect to cash in on the benefits of His leadership in our lives. My friend Chuck Swindoll would say, "application is the link between (God's) instruction and change (in our lives)."

I'm not sure that is what God is concerned about. Therein lies the rub. God doesn't lead us just so we do stuff. The end game for our lives isn't but it does include it.

Let's look at a realistic metaphor for this scenario and our most common way of interpreting what God requires of us.

Imagine that you work for a company whose president must travel out of the country and spend an extended period of time abroad. So he says to you and the other team members, "Look, I'm going to be gone to Outer Mongolia. While I'm gone, I want you to pay close attention to the business. You manage things while I'm away. I will be in communication with you regularly. It most likely will be snail mail since I'm not sure that I'll always have Internet or that my cell phone will work there. But, when I do communicate, I will instruct you as best I can given your situation and give you what you should do from now until I return from this trip. The direction that I want you to take the company will be outlined in writing." Everyone agrees. He leaves and stays gone for a couple of years. During that time he writes often, calls when he can, and tries to find enough Internet signal to E-Mail if possible...the point is though he is communicating his desires and concerns and most of the time, as he had indicated it was by written communiqué primarily. The more personal messages seemed to be fewer and farther in between.

Finally he returns.

He walks up to the front door of the company to find everything is in disarray - weeds flourishing in the flower beds, windows busted out across the front of the building, the receptionist is dozing, loud music roaring from several offices, two or three people engaged in horseplay in the back room. Instead of making a profit, the business has suffered massive losses. Without hesitation he calls everyone together and with beet red face and a frown asks, "What the *#@^! happened here? Didn't you get my instruction?" You say, "Oh, yeah, sure chief. We got all your letters. We've even bound them in a book. And some of us have memorized them. In fact, we have 'letter study' every Sunday. You know, those were really great letters." I think the president would then ask, "But what did you do about my instructions?" And, no doubt, the employees would respond, "Do? Well, maybe not everything we should. The studies were helping us to determine what the correct interpretations should be. We didn't want to assume you meant what you said. But we read every one...a lot!"

In the very same way, God has sent us His instructions. But how do we use it? Did it provide you with an ability to understand general instruction (love, don't lie, cheat, steal, assist, care, show mercy, forgive, redemption story, how end times will occur, etc.)? Did you see the pattern of how you should be responding in life based on what you read? Was the written signals God has given you enough of a link for you to more deeply understand personally how you should act or, more importantly, when He is speaking to your spirit (heart, soul, mind, etc.) is the general messages and examples enough of a framework that you can discern His intimate communication to you?

God has preserved every word of much of His hearts desires and even provided great examples of how to live them out in a Book, the Bible. It's all there, just as He communicated it to us. When He returns for His own, He is not going to ask us how much we memorized or how often we met for study. No, He will want to know, "What did you do about my instructions; more succinctly, the ones I gave to you personally? Did any of your time in study of the Bible, did it link in to our specific times of discussion, meditation, and personal communication? Did you even listen during our one-on-one Skype calls? Were you even there? Did you even have any with me? Didn't you get that from the big black bound book; that I desire to speak directly into the lives of my children?"

One leads to the other. The Bible gives us hope. Not just the hope of salvation but the hope that God turns his attention and in earth time that attention is aimed directly to people who are very much like you and I. Just folks. Oh sure, a few Kings and prophets along the way got messages from Him. But our father spoke to white collar and blue collar working stiffs too. He spoke to children and to women and to people of ethnicity's very unique from one another. It is a message to you: I want to have your attention and time and I want to be your greatest lover and fan. Most important of all, He spoke personally to them.

Remember, it to rebuild the bridge and loving, personal communication and relationship... that is what Jesus came to do...to put you and Abba Father back together again. So, when you read the Bible what are you hearing in your heart? How is it changing, affecting and guiding your actions...your life?

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

Does God Have Motives?

He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. - 2 Samuel 22:20

I have the opportunity to hang around nonbelievers all the time. I love it. I also choose to hang around believers online that quite often disagree with me deeply. Often, when I engage this group the reason I do so is called into question. At first I became righteously indignant. Well, I did until it had nothing at all to do with righteousness and more about my just wanting to be right. I work on it daily now and attempt to do what Paul encouraged us to do...I believe the admonition to "try the spirits" and to "check our motives" whether they be of God can be viewed as two sides of the same coin.

Questioning someone's motives for their activities can become an overriding response to those with whom we interact. Wrong motives can result in broken relationships, poor business decisions, patterns that lead to alienating ourselves from others but also from right thinking and good judgement. Often, when we practice junior psychology on others we skim the surface of their intentions. Often they don't fully understand why they do what they do. I am of the sincere and biblical opinion that most often, without the guidance and illumination of the Holy Spirit to our spirits do not know the motive of another person. It is wrong for us to assume what their motive is until we have confidence that we know their intentions. When we respond or react prematurely, we become judge and jury over them. We were never given either office.

God has a motive for every one of His children. His desire is to bring us, as the opening verse states, into a spacious place. He wants us to go beyond our borders of safety and security so that we might experience life at a level that goes beyond ourselves, and our narrow perceptions. What do you think of when you think of a "spacious place"? No limitations? A large, grassy field? Open air? Perhaps the evening sky? These are positive images. They can be quiet, serene, and massive!

Sometimes these spacious places, simply by their size and the spark of creativity that the Holy Spirit lights up, encourage us to step out in faith into areas where we've never ventured.

Sometimes we need to be rescued by the Lord...

When Peter walked on the water, God was inviting him to a spacious place. He went beyond the borders of his boat and ventured into a whole new world. He didn't have complete success in his venturing out, but it was a process that would lead him to the next victory in his faith walk with Jesus. Stepping out leads to criticism. Stepping out will also lead to blunders for both those watching and those attempting it. Sometimes failure is what is needed in order to move us to the next level of faith with God and just as likely, when we are struggling with our faith we move out into the great unknown without great direction. What I am learning is for some they must be willing to fail and let God rescue them. Doing "something", "anything" is better than the place they were at.

I have concluded that the Lord delights in the process of His kids going forth into spacious places, into big projects and growing. He also embraces and I am sure, as only God can delights when we learn the lessons of "great going" with "great listening" to His voice. But in this God has a motive for each of us. Generally speaking His motive for His children is always loving. And, as I watch others grow and go one thing becomes evident on that subject: In the going He is always desiring to bring us to a new level of trust and dependence on Him so we become more deeply involved and intimate with Him!

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

What Is the Breadth and Width Of Your Life's Calling?

If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. - 2 Corinthians 1:6

"God must love you a lot! He doesn't allow someone to go through the kinds of adversity you have experienced unless He has a special calling on your life." Those words were said to me by two different pastors at two different times when I had gone through a place that was a desert place in my life. If you have walked in the Christian life and have had struggles with work, relationships, family, friends or perhaps what it is God wants to do with you I bet you have heard them or some form of them also. Later I would learn another related truth from a respected man of God - a man who lives in another country, a man whom God uses throughout the globe. This man would say, "The depth and width of your faith experiences are directly proportional to your calling." What were these men of God saying? What were they getting at?

They were describing a process of preparation that God takes each of His leaders through when He plans to use them in significant ways. In Full Gospel circles a "faith experience" is an event or "spiritual marker" in your life about which you can say, "That is where I saw God personally moving in my life." It was usually preceded by a place in your life where you either thought or said, "God! Why is it that I cannot figure out what you want to do with me or why you are putting me through this?"

The time I speak of though is an unmistakable event in which God reveals Himself personally and in a very intimate manner to you. It was the burning bush for Moses; the crossing of the Red Sea or the Jordan River for the nation of Israel; Jacob's encounter with the angel with whom he wrestled and sustained a life changing injury. You get the drift. It was the feeding of the 5,000 for the disciples. It was Thomas putting his hands in the wounds of Jesus Christ and it was Paul blinded on a dusty road in the Roman Empire. It was the time when you saw God, and His reality for you might as well have been face to face.

If God has plans of using you in the lives of many others, and you need to know if you are reading this I can nearly guarantee it, you can expect that He is going to allow certain faith experiences to come into your life in order to build a foundation that will be solid. That foundation is what you will be able to look back on to keep you faithful to Him in the times of testing. You will hold on when Satan attacks viciously. Each of us must have personal faith experiences in which we experience God personally so that we can move in faith to whatever He may call us either into to to do to further the Kingdom of God and rightly honor and worship Him. Do you need a personal faith experience right now in your life? Be careful what you ask for but pray that God will reveal Himself to you. He may not do it in some manner you might otherwise think conventional but He delights in doing just that.

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~

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~

 

 

Working On Getting What I May Never Get...

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. - Job 42:3b

I want my bank account bank to normal. I want my bills paid. I want to stop being upset about the way my everyday life is going. I want the progress I seem to be making spiritually to count in the real world where there are responsibilities to handle, expectations to fulfill and creditors to deal with in such a way to keep them off my back (I hear they accept cash!)

And I hate all of that!

But then I have to reflect...(because daily I read the Bible...hmmm...I may have to rethink this Scriptures strategy thing if I am to maintain my high level of dissatisfaction, consternation at my life predicament and quality of grumbling and grousing those who love me have come to expect and appreciate.)

If there was any one man on earth who had reason to question God's love, it was Job. He lost his family, his health, and his wealth-all at the same time.

I've lost a few here in there in the normal course of life but not all at once. Okay Job, you got me there.

His friends came to his side only to question his spirituality and dedication to the one true God. They would poke and prod at his life, probably more because this was going to be a once in a lifetime experience for them. They would never have the "upper hand" on Job again.

But the narrator of the Book of Job already fills us in on the man Job. God had already answered the question of Job's personal integrity. Job was described in the opening verses of the book as "blameless and upright" (see Job 1:1). Perhaps the friends made Job doubt the man he was. Maybe they didn't. But, we, as interlopers in this scene do not need to question it. Job was major God material.

No. Job's worldly calamities were not born from sin. Job acknowledged God's right to do anything in his life until one day he could take it no longer.

He questioned God's motives.

God answered.

God answered this favorite son but not in the way Job wanted to hear. God answered him with a series of questions that represents the most incredible discourse of correction by God to any human being...EVER!

Three chapters later, Job realized that he had questioned the motives of the Author of the universe, the Author of love; the transcendent God. He questioned the one who sits outside of all of this material, spinning, ordered matter and looks in, for, as a master craftsman, God not only formed it, shaped it, designed it, built it and more. He was also the supervisor who approved the building permits for it; indicated who would inhabit it, for how long and what they would accomplish for HIM and what it's value would be into eternity.

Job fell flat before his Creator and realized his total depravity. "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." This was no mere statement of fact. Job was speaking out of a realization of that old and familiar verse we who have been around church so long can quote so easily,

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the LORD. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. - Isaiah 55:8 NLT

This was a man who, having lost it all from an earthly perspective had also attempted to squander the one and truly only valuable thing he had ever possessed, his personal relationship with the Great God of All! Despair, anger, confusion, hurt, and constant disappointment, if we choose, can lead us to do devastating things with eternal consequences. Fortunately for you and I, for Job, for his friends and remaining family, he repented.

Have you ever questioned God's activity in your life? Have you questioned His love for you based on circumstances that came your way? The cross at Calvary answers the love question. That He sent His own Son in replacement for your miserable self. If you were the only person on earth, He would have done the same. His ways cannot always be understood or reconciled in our finite minds. That must be left for a future time when all will be understood. For now, entrust your life to Him completely. Embrace Him in the hard times and the good.

You learn trust when you learn that God won’t be formed or fashioned after your image. The outcomes of your life were meant to show you that the value of His relationship to you was to be intimate not just personal, (As in Jesus is my personal Savior).  The stuff of your earthly years is a metaphor for your eternity. You have missed it all if you have just prayed a pray and then begun a life of goodly (note: NOT godly) duty. His work in you, His desire for you to belong to others to stand with you, His word as a guideline to understand as He speaks to you personally (and, I might add emphatically) is all about the moment. And in this moment you need to learn He is waiting until the entire world and all it holds is of no value other than to be the currency of your life as you commune, communicate and walk by His voice and not by our plans.

I remain…

InHISgrip,

~J~

Yes, You Have a Calling on Your Life!

But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory, so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it.... - Joshua 19:47

 

This, I believe, is one of the greatest struggles every maturing Christian has in this life and that is the challenge of realizing what God has presented, promised and purposed for us in our lives; to take their inheritance in the land. The gifting, skill-set, and godly passions of your life are first realized and then must be taken hold of. It is the one thing that God abundantly uses that the enemy grapples with us about. It is also the thing that most easily sways us from a path of rightly dividing the word of God (the Bible) and God's voice.

 

What is the spiritual inheritance God has reserved for you? When God told the Israelites they were going to be given the Promised Land, it was not a walk in the park. They would encounter 39 battles in taking the land God promised to them. The devil and the natural enemies of godliness arrayed themselves against God's people. Obtaining the land, the blessing, the gifts of God, took a joint effort between God and the Israelites to engage and battle the enemy that maintained control of the land. The gifts, the creativity, the ingenuity, the crafting, the power of God for and in them were all used to conquer the enemy so they could occupy the land.

 

God has given you and me a spiritual inheritance that must be won in the heavenlies. We fight it in our spirits and our minds. A dear friend and mentor once counseled me after watching my life over a period by saying, "The Lord has given you a spiritual inheritance. That inheritance lies in your ability to speak into the lives of people. You are called to caring and close relationships. YIKES! And, if you know me you know why I say, yikes. However, I have found they were right. And, because my purpose, the land God wishes me to occupy lies in relationships, that is the place the enemy attacks most. The devil would use my past against me. He would use my personality to keep me from fulfilling the purposes of God for me. He would take my emotional proclivities and place them at the forefront of my decision-making processes when it came to people in my life. The enemy always attacks us in the area where we are to receive our inheritance or with the things God truly wishes for us to give up to Him for His glory. Invariably these are the places in our lives where we will find our greatest joys in God once they have been given over and back to Him that we might gain great joy in our service to Him through their use and that includes our emotions, gifts, skills, and all the other objects our God has placed in our life to conquer the land we've been promised.

 

Guys, you and I must walk in faithfulness and obedience to His righteousness in how you deal with the things that God has equipped you with to fulfill His specific call on your life. That call, in large part, is your inheritance in Christ Jesus!

 

I hope these words speak to you as the wisdom of God. The Lord has proven these words to be true in my life I can tell you.

 

What is the spiritual inheritance He has reserved for you? What is God purposing for you, first, today? I can tell you it was for you to start this day and proclaim His Lordship in your life and over everything that you do. It was also to give you a sense of duty, presence in the land and purpose for your life and for you to take steps, every day, to take more and more of the land He has promised to you. In your case that land is more and more of the life, the ministry and the purposes that you and you alone were given by God to occupy!

 

What areas of your inheritance must you take possession of today? What is it your God wishes for you to take back, in His name and for the Kingdom of God? The enemy of your soul does not want you to take possession. If you are frustrated in life then look up! Be glad! You are engaged in the battle. Put on your armor and begin walking in obedience into the areas God has called you to possess. Let's keep one another in prayer about this and together conquer in the mighty name of Jesus! I remain...

 

InHISgrip,
~J~