Tag Archives: Religion

The Pursuit of Love

9 Replies

ephesians 3:19

I am in a constant pursuit of God, and with knowing that God is love, I pursue love constantly.  I am not satisfied with having less when I know by reading scripture that there is more.  The pursuit itself makes life worth living because it’s not just a pursuit…  it involves a lot of finding as well.

As I discover new facets of His love I am overwhelmed and amazed by His glory—which is His goodness.   His love never fails me and He is always faithful.  I know that sometimes we can throw around those words in a cliché type of way…  But it’s truth.  He really has never ever failed me.  I can say this about Him because I have not only read it in scripture but I have experienced it for myself and I continue to experience it.   It is this revelation that compels me to dig deeper past the surface—which is theology and understanding of who God is through reading the scriptures—to a further realm of knowing Him and experiencing who He is in relationship.

I do however have to be careful that my pursuit itself is rooted and ground in love.  I’ve realized that in the past at times my pursuit was fueled by fear.  It was as if I tried to force Him into an encounter because I was so scared of my faith being tested.  I wanted evidence of His existence.  God did reveal Himself to me in time, although it was not so much in the ways I expected Him to.  He knows what’s best for our development.

Trust Him through this season.  Trust Him because He really is a good God.  Trust Him because His love will never fail you.   Pursue love.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  –Ephesians 3:14-19

What are you living for?

8 Replies

Psalm 37:4

What are you living for? 

I like to people watch.  I’ve always done it.  I can’t help but be amazed that there are so many of us; and each one of us with our own life, our own thoughts and our own goals.  We are all so different but yet we are very similar at the same time.  We are all wired for purpose.  There is a deep desire in every one of us for our life to have meaning.  We have to feed this desire with something but what we end up feeding it with can vary extensively from one human to another.  Some live for their kids, some for their spouse, some for their jobs and some for themselves.   It’s easy to get caught up in pursuing a purpose in something and before you know it years have passed by.

I pursued music for years.  Over ten years of my life I lived for music.  I put so much time and energy towards being successful with music.   I had some good success and made it farther than many others do but the success left about as quickly as it came.  It was about that time that the Lord got my attention and I shifted my focus and began to live for God.  But what does living for God look like?

While I lived for music I did everything I could to achieve success so naturally when I started to live for God I was doing the same thing.   But as I got to know Him better I realized that it doesn’t work like that in the Kingdom of God.  Jesus doesn’t grade us by achievement.  This was a hard lesson for me to accept because after all I am an achiever.  I took my Clifton Strengths Finder test in college and there it was… “achiever” as my third top strength.   So here Jesus was saying, “It’s great that you’re an achiever.  I don’t want you to change who you are.  But my love for you has nothing to do with your achievements.”  It kinda messed with my head.  It took me quite some time to get it.  I think I’m still learning to get it.  And there’s some of you that need to learn to get it too.

God loves you regardless of what you accomplish in life.  Your purpose is not found in accomplishments.  Your purpose is not even found in ministry.  Your purpose is not found in serving others and your purpose is not found in evangelism.  Your calling is not to be a pastor, teacher, apostle or prophet.  Those things are great and I’m not saying we don’t need them.  What I’m saying is that your title and the way God decides to use you is not your purpose.  Your purpose is very, very simple…  Your purpose is simply to know Jesus.   Ministry is to be a bi-product of knowing Him.  It’s an after effect, but it blows my mind that so many make ministry their main thing so that they will minister before they will spend time with Jesus getting to know Him.

There’s a popular scripture that says, delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

This doesn’t mean try really hard to memorize scripture, pray every day before dinner, stop using cuss words when I drop a heavy object on my foot, and put on a fake smile in front of other Christians—then my life will look delighted in the Lord.  And if I appear to be delighted in the Lord then He will give me that desire I’ve always had to [insert your dream of being successful here] and my life will finally have purpose.   No, I think what this verse really means is know the Lord and He will become your heart’s desire.

If you have truly delighted yourself in the Lord it’s because you have begun to know Him, and once you start knowing Him you cannot help but fall in love with Him.   He will become your heart’s desire.  Oh and one more thing…. He won’t relent until your whole heart is His.  His desire is to know you.  Please open your heart and let Him in.

Good World > Bad World

3 Replies

Philippians 4:11-13

Good World > Bad World

Optimism:
1 : a doctrine that this world is the best possible world
2 : an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome

Pessimism:
1 : an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome
2 : the doctrine that reality is essentially evil

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. –Philippians 4:11-13

With God renewing my mind He has taught me to view the glass as half full.  He wants us to see the good in life.  Which actually means He wants us to find Him in life… yes, in this world.  He wants us to become so optimistic that everywhere we go we are filled with the presence of God and literally bring goodness with us into a room and change the atmosphere.

Lord today I choose to be an optimist.  I choose to see the good in this world.  I choose to be rooted and grounded in love; and I choose this because of the reality of your love which you have shown to me. 

Without the love of God in my life I tried to be an optimist but it was hard—it was honestly a lot of work.  But with the love of God, He makes it easy.  With the love of God I’ve realized that this world is far more perfect than I had ever thought or imagined.

May your minds be renewed today to see the good in this life:

Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. –Colossians 1:27

 

Great is the LORD most worthy of all praise!

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I sat down to write a post today and kept getting interrupted by my heart singing the lyric to a song.  ”Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise!”

I really couldn’t think of anything worth writing except that one line.  God is so good and He is worthy of all our praise.  Join me today in worshiping Him.

Great is the Lord – by Daniel Bashta

Splendor and majesty
Strength and beauty be
Unto your name on ancient of days
You’re holy

We tremble before your throne
All hearts prepare you room
We come and adore
Ruined before your glory

Great is the Lord
Most worthy of all praise

We tremble before your throne
All hearts prepare you room
We come and adore
Ruined before your glory

Holy You are holy
Crowned with wonders
Majesty

In the morning
In the evening
At the end of all days
We will sing
We will shout
You are worthy of praise

Already Clean?

12 Replies

Redding trees

His voice caught me off guard.  I wasn’t praying, I was just lying in bed this morning having just woken up.  It was a very soft, still voice that I could have easily missed… but I heard Him.  In an internal audible voice the Lord said, “Where are you drinking from?”

Of course I know the right answer to His question.  The right answer is to drink from Jesus Himself.  In John chapter 4 Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. But why was He asking me this?

It’s easy to know the right answer or say the right thing but a complete different thing to know that the right answer applies to your life.  Jesus wouldn’t have asked me that question unless I had been drinking from the wrong source.  And I had been.

It had really been a great week for me spiritually speaking.  I felt strong in the Lord and my faith the whole week!  I was keeping things simple and my focus steadfast on Him.  But the last two days I felt a spirit of doubt and unbelief poking at my thoughts.  I was trying my best not to agree with these thoughts but they kept coming.  As they kept coming I kept telling them no.  But it wore me out and I started getting stressed and worried about other external things.  I took my focus off of Jesus.

And then His question came, “Where are you drinking from?”

You see, one of the enemy’s most common attacks is to simply distract us.  He distracts us from the joy of Christ within us and draws our attention to burdensome external things.  As we lose our focus of Jesus and start drinking elsewhere we lose that close connection in our inner soul to the Spirit of God—the Spirit that gives you life.  As this happens we start unintentionally drawing off of other sources to give us life, but none of these sources satisfy.  And so, in this process once we realize we have lost connection with our Savior we decide we must do all that we can to quickly gain our connection back.  We start striving and working to gain back the connection through external activities.

But this thinking is wrong.  All we have to do is turn our focus back to Him.  God does the rest.  As long as we strive to work our way back to Him we remain distracted.

A little less than a year ago the Lord spoke a verse to me.  He said, you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (John 15:3) You know, at first… I didn’t believe Him.  I was in the middle of working to sanctify myself.  I was in the middle of a purification plan I had all worked out in my head and here Jesus was telling me I’m already clean.

This verse is right in the middle of Jesus telling the disciples about Him being the vine and how He wants His disciples to abide in the vine and bear fruit.  So why this verse right in the middle of all that? It’s because to abide in Jesus we have to believe what He says about us.  His word has to abide in us and this one statement I believe is possibly the hardest one for Christians to grasp.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Do you believe it?  It kinda messes up your sanctification plans doesn’t it?  What about that sin you’ve been struggling with? Nope, you’re already clean.   What about working really hard to be pure in heart so we will see God?  Guess what? You’re already clean!  I didn’t say it, Jesus did.  And He didn’t just say it.  He died for the right to be able to say it.

So believe it today and turn your focus back to the Lord.  He just wants to love on you today.  Any struggle you have with sin will be dealt with and cast off of you as He draws you closer to Him.   You see purification is not our job.  Our job is to keep our eyes on the Lord.  He does the rest.

May you all drink from His living water today in Jesus name!

 

 

 

 

The reality of Christ in me.

4 Replies

whiskey town lake

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. –Philippians 4:12

I’m learning some truth to this verse in this season of life.  I’m going through things that in past seasons would have exhausted me and brought me down, but God has strengthened my spirit through past trials so that I am able to stand in the reality of Christ in me.  Through this reality I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)

This world is beautiful but at times it can seem that everywhere we go we run into darkness.  When this happens I turn inward—to Christ in me—and ask the Spirit not only to give me comfort but to release His light to those around me and change the atmosphere.

And so, I do my best to do all things without complaining and disputing, that I may become blameless and harmless, a child of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom I shine as a light in the world. (see Phil 2:14-15)

I choose not to slander, I choose not to gossip or join in the complaining.  I keep quiet amongst those who partake.  I ask the Lord for strength to be swift to hear and slow to speak.  And I ask for wisdom that I may only speak life instead of childish, defensive words rooted in insecurities.  Christ is my security.  I do not need the affirmation of those around me.  They look for affirmation of other unbelievers to affirm their own insecurities rooted in their guilt of choosing unbelief in a God that they are mad at.  We must be careful not to get mad at God because of misunderstandings.  We were not made to understand everything.  We were made to live and to love.

I’ve caught myself daydreaming here and there about being old and close to the end of my earthly life.  To some this may appear morbid but I’ve just lost my fear of death and I long for that day that I can go and be face to face with God.  But I know that it’s a long journey from where I’m at and that day.  For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. (see Phil 1:23-24)

So I seek to know Him more in this world.  I seek to have His will done on earth as it is in heaven.  I seek to be conformed to the image of His Son. (see Rom 8:17) I seek to not only live for Him but to live with Him—to walk with Him.  I seek to live His will for my life.  To change the lives of youth and speak life into the lost and the seekers of meaning.

You all are partakers with me of grace. So be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (see Phil 1:6-7)

Live in the reality of His love.

Return to Rest

16 Replies

snow

Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. –Psalm 116:7

I started listening to the wrong voice again.  I started doubting and spiraling into negative thoughts.  I was angry, frustrated and confused.  “Why?” I asked, “Why?”  I was tired and needed sleep.  I was sick and I was weak.  In this state it’s easy to let introspection take over and give way to all sorts of demonic influence.  If the Devil can turn our thoughts inward so that we start blaming ourselves then we give him control and he has won.  But he hasn’t won because it’s not your fault.  Your shame and your past are not a part of you anymore.  Your depression is not a part of you anymore.  Your addictions are not a part of you anymore.  You are a new creation in Christ Jesus.

For the longest time I have been seeking a “balanced faith”.  I even started writing a book using the tag line, “Finding a balanced faith…”  But the Lord has showed me that this is wrong.  The definition of balance is an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.  Sure, of course we want to be able to stand in our faith but it’s the even distribution of weight part that makes seeking a “balanced faith” completely wrong.  With trying to seek a balanced faith I have been playing a ”balancing act” between the world and my surrender to Christ.

Playing this balancing act makes us become the double-minded man spoken of in James 1:6-8.  Full surrender is the only way to peace.  If you’ve been asking for balance then you’ve been asking for the wrong thing.  Ask the Lord to give you the power to fully surrender yourself to Him.  Ask Him to give you the humility to surrender.  It’s what’s best for you.  Peace is waiting…  Peace is a person named Jesus.  But you cannot serve two masters. You’ve tasted His peace, now live in it.

But remember, words mean nothing unless there is power behind them.  The Bible means nothing unless the Spirit brings life to it.  It is not our doing, it’s Him.  He’s doing it now.  He’s pouring out His love to you.  We are designed for purpose and that is the longing inside you that guides you to the heart of God.  It is your destiny calling… He’s calling you home today so give in to Him.  There’s only one way to go and that’s up—from glory to glory.  The best is yet to come.

Join me in calling upon the Lord today and speak this Psalm to your soul.  Prophesy over yourself:

I love the Lord, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
I will walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
I believed, therefore I spoke,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
I said in my haste,
“All men are liars.”

What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?
I will take up the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the Lord.

 Psalm 116:1-13

He is the Answer

2 Replies

sacramento river

Lately I’ve just been so not into theology.   I’ve been into authenticity—accepting God as a power far beyond any theology or human understanding.  For a long time I had a lot of questions—and I still get questions—but when I sit in His presence my questions go away.  My questions don’t matter anymore.  All that matters is that God is there.  And in that moment when His Spirit bears witness to my spirit (see Rom 8:16) I know that He loves me.   He loves me no matter what… and He loves you no matter what.  Forget trying to understand it.  Peace comes from full surrender, and full surrender includes our intellect.

Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. –Proverbs 3:5-6

For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. –Romans 16:19

“Jesus Christ is perfect theology.” He is the answer.

The Adventure of Seeking

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Acworth Georgia storm doorSee, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. –Revelation 3:8

In the last year I’ve moved three times and each time I’ve moved has been a new season in seeking (and finding) the Lord.  There is an adventure in this.  I love that life in Christ is not the same every day.  God—who is constantly making things new—consistently renews my faith in different ways.  Each new season allows me to find Him in a new way, but also build off what the last season has taught me.   This is the process of getting to know Christ (see Phil 3:10).  The problem with this is when we get hung up on trying to look for Him only in the ways He’s come before.  Sometimes He may come in a familiar way but I think it’s more in His nature to continuously allow us to search out new ways to hear His voice and find His presence.

He is so much more than what we often confine Him down to—which is our understanding of Him.  Sometimes we need to get out of our box—our room, house, office or even church—and go stare at the sky. No matter what your perspective of God is, He is so much bigger than your perspective.  He has designed it for those who are interested to search for Him, and the more we seek, the more we find.  He rewards those who diligently seek Him (see Hebrews 11:6) but note that a diligent seeker does not continue to search where he has already looked.   The reward talked about is Him.  Jesus is our great reward.  He is the hidden riches of secret places (Isaiah 45:3)—a well that never runs dry.

I will pursue you Lord.

Division that burdens my heart…

19 Replies

Jesus Culture - Encounter 2013

Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. -2 Cor 10:7

My heart has been very burdened lately for the division I see among different denominations and movements of God.

Seeing so much division in the church causes doubt among believers and those whom have not yet accepted God’s call. This is precisely the devil’s plan—if he can divide the church and get believers arguing and striving over theology disputes, then there will be less converts. The church will become powerless this way because there is not a strong foundation.

The ways of God are just too big and mysterious for any one man to have all the answers. There are many things in scripture that are confusing and to my limited finite understanding often seem contradictory to other parts of scripture. The man who has to have an answer for everything in this life, will without a doubt put his faith into some answers that will end up being wrong. The Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Rom 11:33). We must approach these issues with humility, knowing that we are never going to have all the answers on this side of the veil! I’ve even heard people say that, “the entire Bible makes complete sense and I’ve never found any parts to contradict each other.” Really? If you’ve said that then I’m not sure what Bible you’re reading. It’s time to get real. It’s time to be authentic and repent of our distrust in God and our need to have all the answers. It’s time to unpack your god box and give the living God room in your life to take control.

It’s time to trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Prov 3:5)

It breaks my heart seeing brothers in Christ pointing the finger condemning one another—and done with the intentions of serving Christ no less. However, I believe that the finger pointing is actually rooted mostly in pride, fear and insecurity of their own salvation. If someone believes something different from what another has been taught, then suddenly their belief system has been threatened and defense mode kicks in. To feel secure and “provide a defense” the finger pointing starts and the three year old theology bickering begins.

My wife and I have recently moved to become part of a community of believers in Redding, California at Bethel Church. Those of you familiar with the church are probably familiar with it’s many critics as well. The Lord had been calling me here through many dreams, visions, circumstances, impressions and prophetic words spoken over the last year. One day in December I received a very clear word from the Lord that it was time to “Go”. He confirmed this three times. At the time He told us to go I had no way possible of moving. In the next week God performed one miracle after the next opening multiple doors to provide the “how” to His command. He took care of every single detail. He got us both jobs in a city where the unemployment rate is very high. He provided a low rent place to live – and even pet friendly so we could bring our dogs. He provided money gifted to us for moving expenses and even a second car to use so we could both start our new jobs. This all took place in less than one week from getting the “go” command.

Anyways, since moving here on Jan 1st I have become increasingly aware of different groups of Christians who have made it their agenda to criticize the church as being under demonic influence. It just seems so ridiculous to me and it burdens my heart to see them speaking so condescendingly. The Lord has been teaching me to let go of my fear of man and live in freedom from being confident in who He is and who He says I am. Through this process He has put it on my heart to get this off my chest and in a sense “come out,” that I am now a part of the Bethel community and I am not ashamed of my new family. As sure as I am in my salvation, I am sure that the Spirit of the Lord is here with us at Bethel and working through the church. There are many things in life and our spiritual walk that we are never going to fully understand. Pointing the finger at something and calling it demonic every time this happens is just plain childish and precisely what the Pharisees did to Jesus. There have been countless miraculous healings and testimonies of transformed lives as the fruit of Bethel. To call these acts demonic is giving the devil way too much credit.

If you are a person who has spoken out against Bethel then know that I forgive you and I love you as a brother in Christ. We serve the same Lord and I pray that His desire for us to be as one from His love for both of us, would compel you to act also in love toward us here at Bethel.

My prayer today is the same as our Lord’s from John 17:20-21

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You Father are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.