Whose ‘Will’ is it?

“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

It’s from the ‘Lord’s prayer’. You’ve probably recited it any number of times, but have you really thought about what you’re actually saying?

When we say to God, “Father you are holy” we acknowledge two things, the first is that He is our heavenly Father and that secondly He is holy. Kinda obvious isn’t? But when we get to the next line of the ‘Lord’s prayer’, what we begin to realize is that our prayer to God isn’t about what we can get from Him, but rather what we can give Him.

A few verses back Jesus even tells His disciples not to pray like the hypocrites who love to hear their own voices and want others to hear them as well. Our prayers can be corporate but they should also be private conversations with God throughout our day.

Back to His Kingdom:

What we mean when we say “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is this: God you are God of my life and I want to be a part of Your kingdom. We are also saying that God’s Will is more important than that of our human will. Essentially what we are saying is ‘God I trust you and I surrender to you!’…but do we really? I don’t know about you but letting go of the control that I have on my life isn’t something that I’m good at. It’s a powerless feeling to let go, and yet when we pray this prayer or something similar to it, we are implying exactly that. If we don’t mean what we say then why are we saying it in the first place?

I liken it to parenting. I’m a father of four children. They mean the world to me and I am proud of each of them for who they are. As their father I want what is best for them. I want to see them succeed in every area of life. In school, I want to see them get good grades and flourish. In social settings, I want my kids to have healthy friendships and strong bonds and connections with others. As future adults I want them to be wise with their resources and smart with their money. I want to see my children succeed and so I guide them and provide them the wisdom that I have learned since I’ve been on this earth longer than they have. In the same way isn’t that what our Father in Heaven wants from us? He wants us to love Him first, but next there is that deep longing for us to succeed in this life! He wants to guide us, He wants to provide for us and show us how to live better lives. The key is that we have to listen. We have to subjugate ourselves, or submit ourselves to His kingdom and His will. When we view this submission not as negative thing or that we are losing our freedom, but rather we are gaining our freedom then it becomes clearer as to how important it is to submit to the will of God.

We don’t pray this line to mean, God wipe out all of my enemies and crush them with your kingdom. We aren’t turning prayer into another selfish edict of our wills…but rather we are first saying, “Lord it has to begin with me…right here, right now…teach me, I am submitting to your will not mine anymore.” When we can say this and actually mean it there is freedom. When we find ourselves willfully submitting to His will great things can and will take place. The world might become fiercer because of it, you might face stronger opposition in your life but you now are fully engaged in the workings of God and not your workings any longer. Our Father in Heaven wants us to trust Him, and He wants us to allow His wisdom and will to guide our lives. He wants us to succeed because He cares and loves us.

This isn’t some magic phrase that we say to make things work better in our lives. This isn’t some mantra that we utter habitually and thereby willing our essence to perform amazing tasks either. No, what we mean when we say these lines to our Father is “Here I am at your feet ready to submit all that I am to your kingdom and your will.”

What does that mean to you today?

Have you submitted yourself, your will, your desires, you hopes and dream to Him?

It won’t be easy, but if you let Him reside in you and allow His kingdom and will to replace yours, you will be amazed that you didn’t allow Him to do so earlier. Make it your private prayer today to say “Lord, your kingdom come (in my life) your will be done (in my life) on earth as it is in heaven.

-Blessings on your day today!

Prayer:

Lord I confess to you many times I have not allowed you access to my entire life. I have held back and tried to force my will not your will to be done. Forgive me and show me today how I should submit myself to you. I know that you want what is best in my life. I know that you want me to succeed. Help me to follow you, help me to trust you with everything in my life. I want to turn it over to you today. This I pray in Your name, may your will be done and your kingdom come in and through my life. –Amen.

May 2, 2013 0

Steadfast Roots or upended by the wind?

Psalm 1:3 (NIV)
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

It is a sunny day today, a sort of resplendent day that makes one long that each and every day would remain just like this one. It is a spring day, still turbulent in the unpredictable nature of the weather…the wind is gusting as it normally does in late April in the Western hemisphere. The temperature will undoubtedly drop this evening as the teasing warmth of the sun will drop below the horizon and we will find our wind breakers, which have now replaced our winter downs who are hanging lonely and longingly in the back of the dark closet once again.

Sitting in the sun shine, for even but a moment, one can hear the louder than whisperings of the Nor-Easter winds as they wrap themselves intimately, sometimes violently around the tall jack pine and the juniper trees that huddle together in our mini ecosystem that is our backyard. On one brief moment it even appears as if the tall jack pine might succumb to the wind’s wrestling match, as a strong gust threatens to topple its long presence of standing at attention. The branches, bending unnaturally, any moment a cracking sound might emanate giving credence to perishing callings of the wind. Yet, no terminal sounds occur, the pine has survived this round unscathed…still standing tall.

As a lowly house cat suns herself on the back porch, the trees hold fast. After all, they have stood the test of time…thus far. Their roots, deeply planted, grounded and stretching out like unseen tendrils beneath the still cold and damp earth of spring. A test to its created design, nourished and prepared for whatever the winds, changing and constant, can throw their way.

Watching such a witness of God’s grandeur, one begins to see the depth of wisdom forged within man as we too face winds of change, speaking much louder than a whisper to our human existence, beckoning us to succumb to its force and pressure. How deep do our roots descend? Like the conifers in their stately display, do our roots spread out like fingers spidering their way deeply beneath the rich earth? Are we grounded in the fertile and fortified soil? Will we stand the test of time? It all culminates in this epic survival and constant journey. A Creator longing for his creation to remain steadfast, deeply rooted and unafraid of that which seeks to upend and destroy.

Why be unafraid? One might ask. Our courage isn’t found from within but from without. A God who richly loves, boldly equips and fiercely defends. Our courage, our longevity and sustaining grace comes from Him…if we allow Him to do so. Then, we too with roots deep within our Father in Heaven, will never be shaken, never be broken and forever be defended by the Creator of all things.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

April 30, 2013 0

Be Thou MY Vision – A Daily Prayer for you and for me!

There’s something about that Celtic sound…and when I hear this song it becomes a prayer in my heart. May it be a prayer in your heart today. This song has always blessed me in tough times as well as good times. May it be so in your life today as well!

Be Thou My Vision Hymn

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

April 30, 2013 0

Jesus, Zombies & Humanity – Sermon

Sermon Link is below:

Jesus, Zombies & Humanity – Sermon.

John 6:44-69 (NIV)
⁴⁴“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁴⁵It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. ⁴⁶No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. ⁴⁸I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. ⁵⁰But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.
⁵¹I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” ⁵²Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
⁵³Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
⁵⁶Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. ⁶⁰On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” ⁶¹Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶²What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! ⁶³The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. ⁶⁴Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. ⁶⁵He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” ⁶⁶From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ⁶⁷“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus spoke in the temple…about Zombies…”Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day..”(54)

I. Jesus taught a difficult message (v60)

He declared himself the only way to the father and also that He was the bread of life that had come down from Heaven. He was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum…many came to listen and he had his disciples there which number way more than 12 at this time.

II. The of God will sometimes offend (v61)

III. Do we have faith or doubt? (v64)

IV. Declare who Christ is correctly! (67-69)

April 28, 2013 0

A tale of flight, fright, feast and follow.

On a perfectly clear crisp morning just as the colors were shifting from the deep purples of pre-sun rise to blinding gold sun streaked sky, Jonah received a message from God. The message wasn’t preceded by fan faring trumpets or angelic presence with feathery wings whooshing in midflight. Instead God simply spoke to Jonah and his message was loud and clear. Messages from God were rare and so Jonah was slightly shaken by the earth shattering theophany. It took a few moments for God’s word to sink in. It was a message that Jonah was not happy to hear. Like a poor poker players ‘tell’, indications of Jonah’s displeasure were clear as the morning sun and written all over his face. “Nineveh? Are you kidding me?” He whispers under his breath. “That’s the last place that I want to go!” Ruffling the blankets in the now uninviting bed, He gets up and shuffles to the front door. “I didn’t sign up for this!” He thinks to himself. Why was God sending him to that place? It was a wicked city and just thinking about it put a bitter taste in his mouth as if he were sucking on lemons.

Finally, with determination on his face, Jonah puts on his outer cloak and makes his way to the nearest sea port. If God wanted him to go somewhere, go he would…but it wasn’t going to be to that hell hole called Nineveh. Instead, Jonah books himself passage on a cruise in the exact opposite direction, destination: Tarshish. If the destination alone was any indication of Jonah’s stubborn defiance towards God’s wishes, traveling to the furthest destination from Nineveh in the world would give anyone pause. Yet aboard the vessel headed for Tarshish, Jonah, now travel weary, falls asleep in a bunk below deck. Soon he is sawing logs like a skilled lumberjack…slow, still and steady. Hoping the distance from home and Nineveh is enough to get away from God, he rests comfortably…until the entire room tilts sharply to the left dropping Jonah out from slumber and from the warm sheets of the bunk. The once steady rocking lullaby of the boat is now replaced with a violent rollercoaster, as the sea vessel soars up steeply one wave wall only to plummet sharply down below another. This pattern repeats over and over again, until the now sea sick sojourner makes his way up to the deck to discard any and all remnants of last night’s meal.

Looking to the right towards the stern, Jonah sees the ship’s captain tossing luggage and other nonessentials overboard. The ship’s crew are there also lending a hand in dire desperation. If Jonah wasn’t alarmed by being rudely awakened and tossed from his bunk in the sudden squall, seeing panic and fear in seasoned sea farers eyes seals it. He is going to die. The Captain comes over, clothes drenched and stuck to his frame, he yells something but Jonah can’t make it out. The screaming of the wind and the crashing of the thunder and waves drowns out all other sounds. Jonah lets go of his safety and the rail to hear what the Captain is saying; “Pray to whatever god you know so that maybe we will be saved!”

His words are like a slap in Jonah’s face. “to whatever god I know…” Realization hits Jonah like a swinging pulley from the main mast. “I can’t run from God!” A second ephiphanic wave like that of this squall hits Jonah; “this storm is meant for me!” When his feet finally catch up to his epiphany, he joins the Captain at the stern who is busy again discarding nonessential weight in the hopes of saving them all. It doesn’t look good. “Throw me over board!” Jonah tells the Captain, half to himself and to the deafening tornadic gale. The ship’s Captain doesn’t hear him, so begrudgingly Jonah attempts to match the pitch of the wind to catch the Captain’s ear. “THROW ME OVERBOARD!” This time he hears Jonah and at first refuses to even acknowledge his request. But another wave crests and washes over the deck, white foam and sea life litter it as if to say ‘you’ll make a welcomed addition to the sea floor!’ Out of sheer panic and no other alternatives, the Captain complies. He beckons a ship hand to help, and after finding soaked purchase of Jonah’s clothing, they pick him up and throw him into the violent green salted sea.

Almost, as if on cue, with a stage director behind the scenes, the sea suddenly becomes calm and Jonah finds himself alone atop a measureless abyss of cresting surf with his ticket to paradise sailing smoothly out into the horizon. He is going to die. This realization sinks in and soon so will he…deep below a watery grave. Just as Jonah loses strength and succumbs to the stabbing cramps in his legs and arms something spectacular yet horrifying takes place. A monster appears from beneath the dark foreboding sea, and in one swift motion, Jonah is swallowed whole. From one instant Jonah has faced certain death by drowning and now is horrified to consider his certain fate and painful death in being digested by this great fish. Inside the digestive tract of this creature Jonah prays earnestly to the God he ran away from. He confesses his sins, and pleads for God to deliver him. It’s a last minute hail Mary, but it’s all that he’s got left. He doesn’t know how long he sits there in the muck and the stench, but moments of sleep flash nightmares of terror and dread, so he avoids closing his eyes. Yet, his prayers continue. Suddenly, it could have been hours or even days, Jonah never knew, but the great beast lurches. His involuntary digestive taxi begins to fill with more disgusting fluid and then all at once he is launched along with the spew of vomit out of the beast’s mouth. He awakens on a sandy beach, covered is filth and reeking of the sea at its worst. Recalling his persistent prayers and promises while being digested to death by the beast, Jonah gets up, finds his bearings and finally obeys what God had asked him to do all along. Destination: Nineveh.

No matter where we live, or where we go, we can never run from God. He wants our commitment, not our excuses or our exit strategies. For Jonah and for all of us, things will always go easier if we simply obey the first time He asks. The alternative and consequence of our disobedience is never a desirable notion, and is filled with restlessness, unfulfillment and loneliness. Just remember this: God will not give up on us!

April 22, 2013 3

“What Do I Stand For?” F2 = −F1 Action = Reaction…Choice=Consequence

“…and that in consequence of their fall (Adam and Eve) all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.” (The Doctrines of The Salvation Army, Doctrine #5)

“We believe in the immortality of the soul; in the resurrection of the body; in the general judgment at the end of the world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the endless punishment of the wicked.” (The Doctrines of The Salvation Army, Doctrine #11)

What do I stand for? This is the question I’ve been asking and trying to answer all week…

Thus far we’ve explored: Selflessness over selfishness; God’s Justice & Social Justice. These are fundamental areas of a Christian life. So let me throw some fuel on the fire, so to speak…when we recognize what it is we are standing for, where our ideologies lay and are guided by specific principles in our lives we must begin to recognize that Isaac Newton’s third law of action-reaction applies to our spiritual lives as well.

Isaac Newton’s 3^rd Law – Action/Reaction:

When a first body exerts a force F₁ on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force F₂ = −F₁ on the first body. This means that F₁ and F₂ are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.

Did you catch that? Just kidding, unless you’re really into physical laws and laws of mechanics you might not understand this definition…here’s the definition that I understand: “To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.”

In our world, morally speaking, this reaction is called consequences. Everyone who makes choices both consciously and sub-consciously will find that there are consequences to each and every choice we make. All too often, however, in our world today many people have chosen to ignore these consequences by blaming other people for their mistakes, or simply running away from the consequences. Adam and Eve, as I’ve mentioned before faced God’s justice in the garden because of the choice they both consciously made: Action (Choice) = Reaction (Consequence).

Similarly, if we continue by this line of reasoning we come to a junction in the road that brings us to ultimate consequence. Everyone whole heartedly embraces and understands that all humanity will one day face death…as it’s been said, it’s inevitable like taxes. We will one day die. It is quite sad to consider those who are Atheists who believe that there is no further existence after death…that this is all there is to this existence. In the Christian perspective, we believe that our souls do have an afterlife and that within this afterlife there is heaven and there is hell.

As I’ve stated before some people have a difficult time facing this reality and that God would eternally punish those who reject Him. But as I’ve mentioned before if our action is to purposefully and willfully turn our backs on God, then the eternal consequence of such an action is the reaction which leads the soul to eternal separation from God. Hell is a real place! Hell will be inevitable for some people…and I am not the judge, never will be and I’ve never claimed to be. But if we are to embrace such a reasoning as an afterlife and the notion of heaven, then ought to understand that there is such a place as hell.

Here’s are some closing thoughts on this for today:

1) Own up to your actions!

You and you alone are responsible for the choices that YOU make…I am responsible for the choices that I make!

2) Consequences are real!

If you make a poor choice the consequences are yours. If I make a poor choice the consequence is mine. Not someone else’s. Stop blaming others when consequences come that we don’t like that are based on our poor choices.

3) There is always a right and better choice!

God doesn’t simply want a relationship with us, He want to transform us to become like His Son Christ on our spiritual journey! He doesn’t want us to remain the way He has found us. He wants us to choose Him every time in our daily lives. This means consider the consequences of our actions, consider the path that we wish to take and also consider God knows what He is doing! Choose Him, and His path…it won’t be easy but His path is right!

4) Believe in Eternity and live for God’s kingdom in the here and now!

If we choose His path, His direction in our lives, we not only fall in step with His will but we recognize that life is so much more than just this human experience. Eternity is so much longer and lives are at stake. We must be Christ’s ambassadors in our world! We are called to this higher calling to not only look forward to heaven, but to introduce Christ to those who have yet to believe and add to this heavenly family on this journey.

What do I stand for? What do you stand for? I will own up to my choices…I will face the consequence of my poor choices and strive, with His Holy Spirit’s help, to live a Holy life in word and in deed!

April 18, 2013 1

What do I stand for? (Day 1 of 5 Selfishness/Selflessness)

What do I stand for? The music video linked here by ‘Fun.’ asks a very good question, and within the context of living as Kingdom people, followers of Christ, this question begs an answer in all of us! If we are truly honest with ourselves we have asked this question a time or two. This question encompasses a whole spectrum of things from political beliefs and ideologies to intrinsic ethical and moral convictions of our personal worldviews. This question can be a very existential pondering. For when we ask this solitary question, other questions in the sequence of our lives beg to be asked as well.

Automatically, when thinking about what we stand for, we will recall the ‘golden rule’; “Do unto others as you would have done unto you”. And certainly this is applicable, but what is it that we would like others to do unto us? Love us? Yes. Treat us fairly? Check. Be honest? Certainly. Be kind? Absolutely. All of these qualities and more is what we would have others do to us.

Enter Selfishness:

We hold to those truths listed above for others, but what about the way we treat other people? Do we treat others the same way? All too often we peer through rose colored glasses in how we treat others but if we were to look harder at our motives and intentions, we would quickly realize that many times we do things that will benefit us. If there isn’t something in it for us, then we quickly lose interest and pursue things more self-involved and self-fulfilled. Selfishness is our down fall most of the time. If we aren’t fulfilled by the things we do, then no one will be fulfilled. This is our old sinful self that is rearing its ugly head. If there was a weakness in the Christian armor, the chinks in the armor would be selfishness and pride. If we let our selfishness reign supreme in our decisions and in our lifestyles then we aren’t fulfilling our calling as Christ-followers. Selflessness and Selfishness cannot take up the same space within our hearts; it’s either one or the other. This is the crux of our world today, many of our sin issues that is crumbling any sense of morality comes from our pursuit of selfishness.

What Does Selflessness look like?

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28 (NIV)

If we stand for Christ and for what He seeks to do for the lost in our world then we must become servants and serve! Becoming a servant of Christ isn’t easy, and it never will be if we still operate from our old selfishness. Before we knew Christ we were consumed by this selfishness. Now that we know Him and identify with His suffering we too must stand for more than just ourselves. That old operating system of self cannot and will not lead others to God. It will only perpetuate that sinful selfish cycle that this world is so used to. What Christ did, was turn selfishness on its head. What He asks of us as Sons and daughters of God is to follow in His footsteps as we fulfill that great commission:

^“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

When we ‘go’ we are called to leave our selfishness behind. This, from the start is where we begin this journey of what we stand for!

TO BE CONTINUED….

Like a television series, imagine the old announcer say, “Tune in tomorrow, we’ll explore ‘Standing for God’s justice’.”

April 15, 2013 0

Coming Soon: “What Do I Stand For?”

Next week…I will write a series on “what do I stand for”.
Check it out and let me know what you think!

I believe this is such a pivotal subject that its helpful to discuss it, explore it and actually live it, because without action the words on a page or blog are just empty…my goal has always been to live what I preach.

So tune in Monday…so to speak, and join me in this dialogue on “What Do I Stand For?”

April 13, 2013 0

“I Don’t Care!”

This is my biggest pet peeve in my house. I have a pre-teen boy, and his teenage brother, and both of them use this phrase all of the time. It drives me absolutely crazy! To me, it speaks of an apathetic life style that I can not tolerate in my life or the lives of those whom I love. The world, unfortunately, has far too many people who are apathetic to circumstances and other people.

To me one of the worst qualities in our culture currently isn’t hatred, lust, or envy, it’s apathy. From this one faulty characteristic flows all of the rest of that which is broken in our fallen world. The “I don’t care” mentality strikes and literally breaks the heart of God. I believe this to be absolutely true especially in the Church.

If the church, of all places, cultivates an “I don’t care” mentality then its doors should just close today, because with it dependence on God evaporates. With this mentality intact inside the doors of the church, it becomes the church of Satan. Harsh words? Of course, but isn’t that what Satan wants most from those who are Christ-followers; to quit, to stop caring, to give up the fight?

I’m not sure about you, but I never want to embrace the “I don’t care” mentality. Because to do so, I give up that which does matter, and the One the does care…for me, and the rest of this world.

I DO CARE! Should be our motto when faced with this apathetic attitude even within us. I DO CARE, because God cared for me even before I knew Him. I DO CARE, because I didn’t deserve redemption yet Christ gives it to me freely! I DO CARE, because I have been charged by Christ within the great commission to care for those who still needs to hear the good news!

Why do you care? Praise God for simple reminders, and those moments of conviction in all of us! I DO CARE, how about you?