(Music Video) Give me your eyes

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A great song (music video) by Brandon Heath reminding us not to be as the horse which walks with blinders — blind to the needs of others. Lord help us to walk with our eyes wide open, that He may be able to show us opportunities to be a channel of His love to others. Lord help us to “be ready whether it is convenient or not” (2 Timothy 4:2).

 

Here’s an excerpt of some of the lyrics:

 

“. . . All those people going somewhere

 

Why have I never cared?
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the one’s forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see . . .”

 

(Video Slideshow) God is God

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This is a beautiful song by Steven Curtis Chapman called “God is God” put to some beautiful nature photos.

The song is an inspiring reminder that although there are some things we don’t understand or can’t explain, God knows, and we can rest assured that all things are in His very capable hands.

“Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. Even all the hairs on your head are numbered. So do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29–31)

An excerpt from the lyrics:

“God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God

And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I

Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass . . .”

Vision vs. busyness

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One thing I keep getting reminded of is the importance of living with vision.

It’s so easy in this day and age to get so busy with so many things … sometimes to the neglect of what’s most important.

Have you ever stopped to identify your personal “mission statement”? Something that clearly outlines what you’re striving for in life?  Without this mission statement (and a plan to implement it) there can be a tendency to simply float along in life and wonder if we’re accomplishing anything of lasting value.

What is the high, over-arching goal that motivates you — the goal you’re working towards which, at the end of your life, if you were faithful to that vision you’d feel you really accomplished what God wanted you to?

As a Christian, a primary goal we have is to keep the fires of love burning brightly in our relationship with Jesus not only for our own sake, but that others may also realize that God truly exists.  People are much more open to truths they see lived rather than ones they only hear about.  Jesus says, “Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.” (John 20:21) So clearly one of our goals is to take steps that contribute to the reality of God’s love and joy being birthed in the hearts and lives of others (Mk. 16:15) — as others are helped to discover the reality of a personal relationship with Jesus.  (Proverbs 11:30)

There may be multiple important goals in our lives, but the important thing is — 1) Have we identified these goals and 2) Are we implementing a plan to ensure these goals are receiving the time and attention they deserve?

Are we acting on what God has already revealed as His will through His Word — and have we taken time to hear from God for any specifics — to get His personalized plan and counsel as how to best use the time He’s entrusted us with?

‘Only one life, ’twill soon be past.  Only what’s birthed in God’s love will last.’

No matter what your personal method is for finding out what’s most important to you — it’s definitely a good thing to make time to do.  There’s nothing that results in that hollow, empty feeling more than simply letting the days role by without taking steps to meet our higher goals in life.

And, as you may guess, I can highly recommend asking God for His guidance on the matter; the One who created us definitely knows us best — even better than we know ourselves.  He can speak fresh words of guidance straight to our heart whenever we stop to listen, as well as when we specifically take time to study the vast wealth of wisdom in His Word (The Bible) as well.

Have you ever stripped your soul bare and laid it before the Creator of all things? It’s amazing what He can create when we give Him EVERYTHING to work with rather than just a part. He has a key to unlock every door, but they only unlock the doors He has for us to walk through . . . let’s not waste time with those other doors.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

May God bless you as you clearly identify and chart a plan of progress to reach your life goals!

May He be able to say to us in that day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:21)


Kaden and Ashley with some hail.

Our rain and hail outreach adventure with the kids!

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The kids love to accompany us when we go out discussing “the meaning of life” with people! On one such adventure it started to rain … actually, POUR! So we took cover under a little archway together with a bunch of other people! Here’s a video clip:




After about five minutes the water level started rising and we wondered whether we should start building an “ark” or not! :) A bit later the rain turned in to hail! BIG ones too!

Well, in any case, some life-giving seeds were sown that day!




Connecting with God – The altar and the incense

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I was just reading the Bible with Kaden (my six year old son) in Exodus chapter 30 where God explains how the alter for burning incense was to be built. It struck me how God’s instructions concerning this altar and the incense parallels our spiritual walk and offers insight for walking in fellowship with Him.

This altar was located just outside the Holy of Holies (where God would manifest His presence) and was separated only by a thick curtain. The incense to be burned on this altar was a specific mixture set forth by God Himself — a mixture which was holy and sacred. Nobody was to make nor use this recipe for any purpose other than for burning on this specific altar before the Lord.

One portion of scripture I found particularly interesting concerning the altar was the instruction from God:

“You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.” (Exodus 30:9)

God had specific instructions in regards to the incense to be used.  There was to be no substitute.

The other kinds of offerings were good offerings sanctioned by God — but they were not to be offered upon this altar before the holy of holies. The altar was strictly for the burning of this specific incense.

This got me thinking how incense is spoken of in relation to our prayers and communication with God.

“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (Revelation 5:8)

“Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!” (Psalms 141:2)

Considering incense is like our prayers — and at the beginning of Jesus’ model prayer He prays “your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10) — putting the two together we can see the relationship between communicating with God and His will being accomplished.

Prayer is our communication lifeline with our Creator. Without this vital communication and fellowship we’re unable to partake of God Himself.  We may accomplish many things which our mind and logic (as well as many other voices in the world) tells us are important, but only by seeking God’s will alone do we know that we’re accomplishing the things He wants us to which have the greatest impact on lives and eternity.

If we offer God the incense of HIS choosing and as per His instructions upon the altar of our life (Romans 12:1) — that is, if we do not offer “unauthorized incense” (incense (plans and prayers) which have root in our own selfishness) but rather seek to enact His Word and the things He reveals to us — in so doing we will not be presenting our own “burnt offering”, “grain offering” nor “drink offering” upon the altar of our life which was created solely to offer a specific, sweet incense to God; instead, we will be listening to God’s instructions and guidance and following it up with obedience and action. “To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22)

Each of us has a realm of influence which no one else has. Therefore as we seek first His Kingdom, He can make clear how to best enact the plan He has for us as individuals and how to incorporate all He has already shared with us through His Word — the Bible.

If we pray with Jesus, “… not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42) — then we’ll find the humble position of our heart is such that allows us to fellowship with God, as Jesus says, “where I am, there will my servant be also.” (John 12:26)  “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and respects my word.” (Isaiah 66:2)  “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him.” (John 14:23)

I don’t know about you, but I want God to “take up residence” in my life. There is nothing that compares to the love, joy, truth and meaning He brings.  There’s just something about knowing you’re in the center of God’s will — burning the incense which He’s custom designed for you personally … “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

And may God grant us the grace to allow Him to replace our old “wineskin” of our current way of thinking with a new wineskin of His making — one that will enable us to accommodate His new wine of instruction, guidance and fellowship in our lives.  May we allow Him pour out our own ideas, plans and opinions — to be replaced by His love, truth, fellowship and instruction.  “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. Instead new wine must be poured into new wineskins.” (Luke 5:37–38)

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Some people search for God with their mind — wondering why they can’t find Him.  Instead, we must open our heart and say with Jesus, “Not my will, but yours be done”.  In such a position of the heart and will, we find God.  The eternal and incomprehensible to human understanding then becomes known through the resultant indwelling of His Spirit within us.

Aggie: A girl without a country

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The following true account is taken from the book Aggie: A Girl Without a Country, previously published under the title One Witness, written by Aggie Hurst and published just after her death in 1981. It’s an example of how being a faithful witness and doing what God has shown you to do can have tremendous impact, even when it didn’t seem that way at first.

This testimony will be inspiring for anyone who dedicates their time to reaching others with God’s love.

Back in 1921, a missionary couple named David and Svea Flood went with their two-year-old son from Sweden to the heart of Africa—to what was then called the Belgian Congo. They met up with another young Scandinavian couple, the Ericksons, and the four of them sought God for direction. In those days of much devotion and sacrifice, they felt led of the Lord to set out from the main mission station and take the Gospel to a remote area.

This was a huge step of faith. At the village of N’dolera they were rebuffed by the chief, who would not let them enter his town for fear of alienating the local gods. The two couples opted to go half a mile up the slope and build their own mud huts.

They prayed for a spiritual breakthrough, but there was none. Their only contact with the villagers was a young boy, who was allowed to sell them chickens and eggs twice a week. Svea Flood—a tiny woman only four feet, eight inches tall—decided that if this was the only African she could talk to, she would try to lead the boy to Jesus. She succeeded, but there were no other encouragements.

Meanwhile, malaria struck one member of the little band after another. In time, the Ericksons decided they had had enough suffering and left to return to the central mission station. David and Svea Flood remained near N’dolera to carry on alone. Then, of all things, Svea found herself pregnant in the middle of the primitive wilderness.

When the time came for her to give birth, the village chief softened enough to allow a midwife to help her. A little girl was born, whom they named Aina. The delivery, however, was exhausting, and Svea Flood was already weak from bouts of malaria. The birth process was a heavy blow to her stamina. She lived only another 17 days.

Inside David Flood, something snapped in that moment. He dug a crude grave, buried his 27-year-old wife, and then took his children back down the mountain to the mission station.

Giving his newborn daughter to the Ericksons, he snarled, “I’m going back to Sweden. I’ve lost my wife, and I obviously can’t take care of this baby. God has ruined my life.” With that, he headed for the port, rejecting not only his calling, but God Himself.

Within eight months, both the Ericksons were stricken with a mysterious malady and died within days of each other. The baby was then turned over to some American missionaries, who adjusted her Swedish name to “Aggie” and eventually took her back to the United States at age three.

This family loved the little girl, and they were afraid that if they tried to return to Africa, some legal obstacle might separate her from them. So they decided to stay in their home country and switch from missionary work to pastoral ministry. And that is how Aggie grew up in South Dakota. As a young woman, she attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis. There she met and married a young man named Dewey Hurst.

Years passed. The Hursts enjoyed a fruitful ministry. Aggie gave birth first to a daughter, then a son. In time, her husband became president of a Christian college in the Seattle area, and Aggie was intrigued to find so much Scandinavian heritage there.

One day a Swedish religious magazine appeared in her mailbox. She had no idea who had sent it, and of course she couldn’t read the words. But as she turned the pages, a photo suddenly stopped her cold. There in a primitive setting was a grave with a white cross—and on the cross were the words SVEA FLOOD. Aggie jumped in her car and drove straight to a college faculty member whom she knew could translate the article. “What does this say?” she demanded.

The instructor summarized the story: It was about missionaries who had come to N’dolera long ago … the birth of a white baby … the death of the young mother … the one little African boy who had been led to Christ … and how, after the whites had all left, the boy had grown up and finally persuaded the chief to let him build a school in the village. The article said that gradually he won all his students to Christ … the children led their parents to Christ … even the chief had become a Christian. Today there were six hundred Christian believers in that one village, all because of the sacrifice of David and Svea Flood.

For the Hursts’ 25th wedding anniversary, the college presented them with the gift of a vacation to Sweden.

There Aggie sought out her real father. David Flood was an old man now. He had remarried, fathered four more children, and generally dissipated his life with alcohol. He had recently suffered a stroke. Still bitter, he had one rule in his family: “Never mention the name of God—because God took everything from me.”

After an emotional reunion with her half-brothers and half-sister, Aggie brought up the subject of seeing her father. The others hesitated. “You can talk to him,” they replied, “even though he’s very ill now. But you need to know that whenever he hears the name of God, he flies into a rage.”

Aggie was not to be deterred. She walked into the squalid apartment, which had liquor bottles everywhere, and approached the 73-year-old man lying in a rumpled bed. “Papa,” she said tentatively. He turned and began to cry. “Aina,” he said. “I never meant to give you away.” “It’s all right, Papa,” she replied, taking him gently in her arms. “God took care of me.” The man instantly stiffened. The tears stopped. “God forgot all of us. Our lives have been like this because of Him.” He turned his face back to the wall.

Aggie stroked his face and then continued, undaunted. “Papa, I’ve got a little story to tell you, and it’s a true one. You didn’t go to Africa in vain. Mama didn’t die in vain. The little boy you won to the Lord grew up to win that whole village to Jesus Christ. The one seed you planted just kept growing and growing. Today there are 600 African people serving the Lord because you were faithful to the call of God in your life. … Papa, Jesus loves you. He has never hated you.”

The old man turned back to look into his daughter’s eyes. His body relaxed. He began to talk. And by the end of the afternoon, he had come back to the God he had resented for so many decades. Over the next few days, father and daughter enjoyed warm moments together. Aggie and her husband soon had to return to America—and within a few weeks, David Flood had passed into eternity.

A few years later, the Hursts were attending a high-level evangelism conference in London, England, when a report was given from the nation of Zaire (the former Belgian Congo). The superintendent of the national church, representing some 110,000 baptized believers, spoke eloquently of the Gospel’s spread in his nation.

Aggie could not help going to ask him afterward if he had ever heard of David and Svea Flood. “Yes, madam,” the man replied in French, his words then being translated into English. “It was Svea Flood who led me to Jesus Christ. I was the boy who brought food to your parents before you were born. In fact, to this day your mother’s grave and her memory are honored by all of us.” He embraced her in a long hug, sobbing. Then he continued, “You must come to Africa to see, because your mother is the most famous person in our history.”

In time, that is exactly what Aggie Hurst and her husband did. They were welcomed by cheering throngs of villagers. She even met the man who had been hired by her father many years before to carry her down the mountain in a hammock-cradle.

The most dramatic moment, of course, was when the pastor escorted Aggie to see her mother’s white cross for herself. She knelt in the soil to pray and give thanks. Later that day, in the church, the pastor read from John 12:24: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” He then followed with Psalm 126:5: “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.”

Jesus reacing out

How to begin a relationship with God. Spiritual life and growth in a nutshell.

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Search for TruthIn a world with a bazillion philosophies, religions and “roads” to purported “enlightenment”, one may wonder if it’s possible to truly distinguish if there is indeed just one “right” path to God; or for that matter, whether God even exists.

On the topic of the existence of God we believe the scientific data in fields such as archaeology, biology, geology, astronomy, and anthropology all support the Genesis (Biblical) account of God’s creating all things.  (Please click on the “Science and Faith” category for more on this).  Perhaps even more relevant are the “eye-witness” testimonials and personal experiences of hundreds of thousands of people (myself included) who’ve entered in to a vibrant relationship with God through Jesus Christ and can testify of the real communication and experiential relationship we share with Him.

As far as the “bazillions” of philosophies, religions and “roads” to God purported today … they can really be narrowed down to TWO.

The first is the “do-it-yourself” kind which encompasses most every religion and train of thought today. They suggest that we (a finite being) can somehow build a ladder to God (the infinite being) — through various means and methods.  Be good enough (your good deeds somehow outweighing your bad deeds), meditate the correct way, follow enough strict rules, do abc and xyz and bingo — you’ve arrived at enlightenment, you’ve earned your ticket to Heaven or whatever the goal may be; the point is that YOU’VE done it, got it, achieved it, bought it, did it, whatever.  You, the finite, have traversed to the infinite.

The second is the Biblical perspective which states that man can not build a bridge to God, but rather the infinite must reach down to the level of the finite in order for a relationship and union to occur.  This took place when God “was made visible in human flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16) and Jesus walked among us.

Jesus proved God’s love for us even to the point of giving His life through crucifixion.  Why?  So we could have the possibility of entering in to a relationship with Him and know and experience the depths of God’s love for us.

But why crucifixion, death, and what’s all this business of “giving His life for us”?  Why do we need that in the first place? Good question — glad you asked.

Adam and Eve were created in such a state and situation that they had fellowship with God.  They walked and talked with the Creator.  Everything was harmonious in the universe as a beautiful, orchestral symphony with melodic notes of love and peace overflowing from the very vibrancy of creation … that is until Adam and Eve decided to go their own way and chart their own destiny which involved taking a path that led away from God.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:1–6)

Adam and Eve disregarded God’s instruction by trusting in what they “saw” and perceived to be true. After all, if they could be “wise like God” wouldn’t that be a good thing?  What they failed to realize is that true wisdom lies not in knowledge itself, but knowledge which works and is empowered by God’s guidance, omniscience, and infinite vantage point rather than according to man’s finite methods of logical deduction. The problem is not man’s God-given ability to reason, but putting trust in this finite capacity above and thus out of alignment with the trust one puts in the omniscience of God; in other words, the ‘created’ thinking it knows better than the Creator.

Adam and Eve's temptationThe serpent’s seed of doubt towards God and His word successfully derailed Adam and Eve (and multitudes of individuals today) and got them to trade God’s path of infinite wisdom, fellowship and truth for a path of limited, finite reasoning.  This has resulted in spiritual “death” — separation from God who is the very essence and source of life.  As light can not abide in darkness, neither can fellowship with God exist while man’s spirit abides on a path where finite, logical deductions reign supreme and and effectively control the heart, mind, and resultant actions of the individual as well as cause distortion of and inability to receive God’s omniscient and eternal truth.  This worship of finite “self” reasoning above God and His word disintegrates the fellowship between God and man and fulfills the serpent’s desire to make mankind as he himself is — dissatisfied at operating on the level of the ‘created’ and lusting to operate within the capacity of the Creator — God — the One who sets forth what truth really is and the methods through which it operates. “… and you will be like God …”

“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.” (Romans 5:12)

The Greek and Hebrew (languages from which our modern day Bibles have been translated) words which find their English translation as “sin” in the Bible means “to fall short of” or “miss the mark”.  These words were used in Archery to describe the act of missing the center target — the “bulls-eye”.

Man’s choosing to depart from God’s “bulls-eye” (best / central) path is what’s known as sin.  “God is love” (I John 4:8) and a departure from His path (even if it seems the “logical” thing to do) results in “falling short” and “missing the mark” of God’s path of true love.  The newspaper is full of evidence of what happens when humanity departs from a path of love.

Man's inhumanity to man.

Sin necessitates justice to be served. We can see this in the penal system of society where evil deeds require punishment of the evil doer.  When this does not happen evil is allowed to flourish, gain in power and influence, and inflict further evil upon more victims.

Obviously God isn’t happy with sin and the damage it does, nor is he happy with the resultant separation between Himself and the very people He created to experience loving union with Himself; so in His infinite love for every person He chose to “become flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16) and took the form of a man. This Jesus walked on Earth, expounded eternal truth, and was living proof through every word and deed of the vibrancy of God’s very personal love for each individual.  This living expression of supernatural love had its culmination in His crucifixion.

“… but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Hebrews 9:26–28)

“I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” (John 10:17–18)

CrucifixionSo God Himself, Jesus Christ, allowed Himself to be crucified by finite man who was motivated by his finite reasoning and sin and “Him who knew no sin” (Jesus) was made to be “sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) In other words, the justice which required payment for mankind’s evil and sin — God took upon Himself in the form of Jesus Christ.

The sacrifice and forgiveness for sin Jesus offers us has no effect, however, unless we personally choose to accept it. Someone offers us a glass of water; we can believe it’s good and will relieve our thirst — but until we accept the gift and drink it, it does us no good.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9–13)

To receive God’s Spirit and “eternal life … that they may know [Him], the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] has sent” (John 17:3) — all that must be done is to ask God for this gift.  God sees the sincerity of our heart and that’s the only requirement.

Obviously to ask from the heart we need to recognize our own need for God’s forgiveness and our utter inability to “build a ladder to God” based on our own self efforts.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Some people feel they are “pretty good” and in “need of nothing” yet don’t realize they are spiritually “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:17) Pride has a tendency to cause people to be “alienated from the life of God … because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:18) and God “has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:53) If we do not first recognize our spiritual poverty, we will never be able to enter in to a relationship with God and partake of His spiritual riches of truth, through Jesus Christ. Recognizing spiritual poverty causes us to turn from the things that brought us in to that state and thus we forsake the old life and deeds of emptiness and instead turn to the source of life — God Himself. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) 

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Why did Jesus make this statement?  To show that man can not build a ladder to God; to completely discredit the “do-it-yourself” type of religions and ideologies; to show that the only way to enter in to a relationship with God is to accept His gift, His sacrifice, His hand (Jesus Christ) which has reached down from the realm of infinity to our finite realm.  All we must do is accept and receive His gift.  (Reach out and drink that glass of water).  The gift is, Himself. After we accept His gift our spirit is “renewed by God’s Spirit;” (Titus 3:5) and “God [raises] us up with Christ and [seats] us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,” (Ephesians 2:6) So GOD brings us in to the heavenly realm — by his power, not by our own self achievement.

“To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—” (John 1:12)

Jesus reaching outWill you accept this gift Jesus offers you? Do you want to enter in to a relationship with God Himself? “Ask and you will receive”.  “God will give His Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”

If you like, you can pray a simple prayer like this one:

“Jesus, I realize my best intentions and efforts fall short in comparison with Your Eternal Truth. Forgive me for putting my own ways and desires above you — thinking that I know better. Please cleanse and fill me with Your Spirit of Love and give me the gift of Eternal Life – knowing you, knowing God.  Please be my Counselor throughout life’s journey, as you alone know the path of greatest significance and meaning.  I want to know you, and I want to walk in the fullness of your love. Amen.”

If you’ve accepted Jesus’ gift you can know for certain that “to be absent from the body [is to] be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8) We’ll see each other in Heaven when this life is over!  “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand … I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. ” (John 10:27-28; 11:25–26)

When we receive Jesus we are adopted in to God’s family.  “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;” (Romans 8:15–17) When you have a child, he’s your child forever — nothing can change that. When we are adopted in to God’s family, it’s forever.

Butterfly“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17–18)

Beginning this relationship with Jesus is, well, just the beginning! As you spend time with someone you love you get to know the person better; you get to know his heart, motivations, recognize his voice and more.  The same with Jesus.

Prayer is not a religious ritual — it’s communicating with God. We talk, He talks, we listen, He listens — just as we communicate with anyone else.  When it comes to prayer many people not only approach it like a ritual by repeating the same words over and over, but neglect the most important part — listening.

How would you feel if your loved one comes running up to you, repeats a few lines he always says every day then goes hurrying off.  That’s not much of a dialog is it?  In the same way if we want to get to know Jesus deeply, we must spend time not only speaking from our heart (not just repeating some memorized, ritualistic lines), but we must take the time to listen as well. Don’t you think, perhaps, that God might have a few valuable things to say to us that might just be the very thing that can change our life or provide the answers we’ve been searching for?  Or perhaps sometimes it will simply be words of endearment … after all, love is the most beautiful gift we can share and love makes time to interact, caress, communicate, as well as simply enjoying each others presence.

A relationship with Jesus provides the deepest, most satisfying union that can ever be experienced; after all, we’re interacting with God Himself whose very essence is pure and total love.  The marriage relationship is a parallel to the intimacy He wants to share with us.  (See Ephesians 5:31-32); yet unlike earthly relationships, it’s also nice to know Jesus promised, “I will never leave nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5)

What a precious treasure — to be able to communicate, interact, and experience intimacy with God Himself.  Yet what a neglected treasure it is.

Girl in the train … and the tram …

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Have you ever had the feeling the Lord really wanted you to speak with someone, yet the situation was such that people were all around and it would seem quite awkward to take the plunge? Such was the situation as we were on the train coming home.

There we were, the whole crew sitting in the train, (Anya, myself, Kaden, Ashley and Jessica) almost arriving at our final destination — but then I noticed a girl nearby, perhaps about 23 years old. She was trying to fight back tears yet not succeeding.

I felt the Lord wanted me to speak with her, yet the train was laid out in such a way that where she was sitting was like being on stage with crowds of people looking on.

After deliberating a couple minutes the Lord’s voice was so strong that I knew if I didn’t get off my bottom I’d regret it and wished I had for the rest of my life. I think that’s one of the worst regrets in life — thinking and wondering, “… if only I had… I wonder what would’ve happened…” — especially when it’s something you felt like the Lord was asking you to do, but then the opportunity is gone forever. Well, I think we all have some of those regrets — but I know that when a scenario like that has happened, it makes me not want to let it happen again, so in this case, I just knew I had to get up and speak with her.

So, off my bottom I went and I found myself picking up Kaden (who was sitting next to the girl) and setting him on my lap as I asked the girl if she spoke English. “Yes” she answered, and I asked her if she would listen to a song on my mp3 player. “Ok”, she said.

I had prepared Josh Groban’s song “You are loved” (click below to listen to a portion of this beautiful song) — and here are the lyrics as well:

[audio:http://www.genesisproject.org/files/audio/music/web/jgroban/urloved.mp3|autostart=no|loop=no]

“Don’t give up, it’s just the weight of the world. When your heart’s heavy I, I will lift it for you. Don’t give up, because you want to be heard. If silence keeps you I, I will break it for you. Everybody wants to be understood; well I can hear you. Everybody wants to be loved; don’t give up — Because you are loved. Don’t give up — it’s just the hurt that you hide; when you’re lost inside I, I will be there to find you. Don’t give up, because you want to burn bright — If darkness blinds you I, I will shine to guide you. Everybody wants to be understood, well I can hear you. Everybody wants to be loved — Don’t give up — Because you are loved — You are loved — Don’t give up — It’s just the weight of the world — Don’t give up — Every one needs to be heard — You are loved.”

As she started listening to the song the tears started flowing freely — yet these tears were mixed with a glimmer of hope — not exactly the same tears as before. When the song finished she said, “This is my song.” Very soon after the train stopped and she got off, one stop before ours — so unfortunately we didn’t have time to speak further — yet I can’t help but feel she felt a touch of the Lord’s love in that moment — a power greater than whatever problem she may have been facing.

After she got off I sat back and felt the Lord’s peace — as if somehow a battle was won in that moment … again serving as a reminder to me that it’s always best to heed the Lord’s voice, no matter what the situation may be or whether it fits nicely in to our “comfort zone” or not.

A similar situation took place in a tram. I noticed a girl crying and her friend trying to comfort her. Although I didn’t feel I should interrupt and speak with her, I did feel like I should give her a tract which contained a simple message of the Lord’s love as well as a prayer to receive Jesus. I proceeded to do it and sat back down.

I saw her read the tract and noticed her desperation seemed to subside — I then arrived at my stop…

May we always “be ready whether it is convenient or not” (2 Timothy 4:2) to share God’s love with those around us.

“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

“So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.”” (John 20:21)

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Children – Generate happiness by saying yes

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Happy Ashley and her happy snails

If you’re like many parents you might find yourself saying “no” to your children quite often. Now there are definitely good reasons to say no — especially when what they’re asking is not in line with deeper-level guidelines which are important in life.

However, there are quite a lot of requests and desires that don’t seem to carry “meaning of life” level ramifications.

My five-year-old daughter, Ashley, really gets attached to little creatures. She’s got such a mothering and tender heart, and recently she just loves to mother . . . snails.

Well, I’m writing this after just stepping outside and taking a few moments from my really important work flow to help Ashley put two little snails in a jar (with a nice, comfortable bedding of leaves and grass of course).

My first inclination when my wife (who was on her way out with the kids) called me from downstairs to let me know Ashley wanted to stay home because she wants to take care of a couple snails she found outside was, “NO WAY! That’s CRAZY! She wants to stay home for THAT?! I don’t want snails in the house ANYWAY!”

Well, perhaps I would’ve said that if I’d have thought things through a bit more or if Anya hadn’t been pressed for time to get to an appointment. As it was, I found myself closing the computer, punching some holes in the lid of a large jar, and stepping outside to find my very happy daughter with her very happy snails.

Seeing those happy smiles reminded and caused me to reflect on this principle I’m sharing with you now.

The next time your little bundle of joy has a request and you’re about to say no — take a moment to consider the earth shaking repercussions if you were to actually say yes.  Again, I’m not talking about the “Daddy, can I paint the refrigerator green?” type of request — I’m rather talking about the simple and innocent requests that don’t have “WHAT was that EXPLOSION?!!” type of repercussions.  I think you know what I mean.

This week’s project:  Try saying “yes” to at least a few of those types of questions.  See if it generates a few extra smiles. :)

Am I a good Christ?

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 “AM I A GOOD CHRIST?”
By Francis Chan, Catalyst

I think it’s time we stop asking ourselves the question: “Am I a good Christian?” We live in a time when the term “Christian” has been so diluted that millions of immoral but nice people genuinely consider themselves “good Christians.” We have reduced the idea of a good Christian to someone who believes in Jesus, loves his or her family, and attends church regularly.

Others will label you a good Christian even though your life has no semblance of likeness to the way Christ spent His days on earth. Perhaps we should start asking the question: “Am I a good Christ?” In other words, do I look anything like Jesus? This question never even entered my mind until a friend of mine made a passing comment to me one day.

Dan is a longtime friend of mine who described a trip to Tijuana, Mexico, with a pastor named Von. Dan didn’t speak of the awful living conditions of those who made their homes amidst the rubbish. He spoke of the compassion, sacrifice, and love that he witnessed in Von’s words and actions as he held these malnourished and unwashed children.

Then he made the statement that sent me reeling: “The day I spent with Von was the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to walking with Jesus.”

Dan explained that the whole experience was so eerie because he kept thinking to himself: “If Jesus were still walking on earth in the flesh, this is what it would feel like to walk alongside of Him!”

After that discussion, I kept wondering if anyone had ever said that about me, “The day I spent with Francis was the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to walking with Jesus.” The answer was an obvious “no.” Would any honest person say that about you? What bothered me was not that I hadn’t “arrived,” but that I wasn’t even heading in the right direction. I wasn’t striving to become the kind of person who could be mistaken for Jesus Christ.

Isn’t it ironic that a man can be known as a successful pastor and Christian even if his life doesn’t resemble Christ’s? “He that saith he abideth in [Jesus] ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked (1 John 2:6). When John made that statement, he wasn’t speaking about how to be a church leader or even how to be a “good” Christian. He merely stated that anyone who calls himself a Christian should live like Jesus did.

So how did Jesus live? You could make a list of character traits to compare yourself to, but it would be far more beneficial to simply read through one of the Gospels. After you get a bird’s-eye view of the life of Christ, do the same with your own. It’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of “success.” Biblically, however, success is when our lives parallel Christ’s.

May we make it our goal to someday have someone say of us: “The time I spent with ______ was the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to walking with Jesus.”

As Christians, we often complain about how antagonistic people are toward Jesus. Personally, I’m not sure that they’re really rejecting Him. Maybe they just haven’t seen Him.