Seeking His Grace

I recently took part in a prayer chain and as my time was drawing to a close I started singing these words...after a few times through I decided to write them down.

Jesus
Draw near to Jesus
Come to Him humbly
Seeking His grace

Jesus
Keep seeking Jesus
Come to Him fully
Seeking His grace

For it is Jesus
Only Jesus
The Son of the Most High
The Son of the King
For it is Jesus
Only Jesus
Word from the beginning
The only way

Jesus
Kneel before Jesus
Come in His mercy
Seeking His grace

Jesus
Oh come King Jesus
We need you Jesus
Please give us Your grace

I Believe

Just a little poem that I scribbled out this morning.

I believe in the Holy Father

I believe in the Holy Son

I believe in the Holy Spirit

I believe in the Three in 0ne

God the Father rich in mercy

Jesus the Son rich in love

The Holy Spirit rich in power

I believe in the Three in One

I believe in a gracious Father

I believe in a resurrected Son

I believe in the gifts of the Spirit

I believe in the Three in One

Baby Steps

Here in Canada, the CBC has a radio program called Under the Influence with host Terry O’Reilly.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence

It mostly has to do with advertising. On Feb. 4, 2016 they aired this story:

One day in Afghanistan, a small troop of American soldiers found themselves involved in an exchange of gunfire with a small group of Afghans.

The skirmish goes on for days.

It's a gun battle with no end, as each side just keeps firing shots in the other's direction.

The other group isn't associated with the Taliban, so the Americans aren't sure why they are being fired upon.

Finally, the American Lieutenant in charge has an idea.

He says, why don't we just ask them?

So the Lieutenant signals a ceasefire.

When the shooting stopped, he slowly walked over to the Afghans and asked, "Why are you firing at us?"

They tell him it's because the Americans are not paying rent for the land they're on.

The Lieutenant says, "Oh, OK, so we'll pay rent."

The Afghans say that's fine, but we have to warn you that another group will start shooting at you.

When the Lieutenant asks why, the Afghans tell him that the other group believes they own they land.

Then the Lieutenant asked this one simple question:

Is there a place we can move to where we won't have to pay rent?

The Afghans point to a place just 180 metres away.

So the American squad picked up their equipment, moved 600 feet to the left - and the shooting stopped.

That was all it took.

It was the smallest move that resulted in a surprisingly big gain.

As I listened to that story I thought about the story of Nicodemus in the book of John.

Nicodemus appears three times in the Gospel of John.

He first visits Jesus one night to discuss his teachings.[John 3:1–21]

Nicodemus didn't approach Jesus for all to see. He was curious but he was also a member of the Sanhedrin.  The Sanhedrin legislated all aspects of Jewish religious and political life within the parameters laid down by Biblical and Rabbinic tradition.

Nicodemus came at night to try to figure out who this Jesus was. He took baby steps towards Christ.

The second time Nicodemus is mentioned, he reminds his colleagues in the Sanhedrin that the law requires that a person be heard before being judged.[John 7:50–51]

Nicodemus must have liked what he heard because he puts himself at great risk to defend Jesus here. He is even accused of being one of his followers.

Finally, Nicodemus appears after the Crucifixion to provide the customary embalming spices, and assists Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial.[John 19:39–42]

We have here a man who met Jesus at night, defended him publicly and then helped to bury Him after the crucifixion.

From baby steps to a follower of Jesus Christ!

We all are moving through life. We are either moving closer to Christ or further away.  The steps we take maybe small at first but when we discover who Jesus is, our lives will never be the same.

The Cross

My wife Sarah wrote this for an upcoming prayer service:

The Cross 

More than the place that mends our brokenness,

or a bridge to reach God's holiness,

the cross is death to sin-soaked flesh

and life that lasts, brand-new and fresh.

No more addiction, no more shame;

no more bondage, no more chains.

Christ has taken all the blame,

covered us and made us clean.

More than a place to lay our past,

our dreams, our hopes, our circumstance,

the cross is where we learn to stand

in triumph over sin's demands.

The power of God is free for us,

won with thorns and drops of blood.

Redeeming Love and Salvation,

release us from all condemnation.

The resurrection of our King

means hope and joy and strength and peace.

Now at the cross we die to live,

transformed by Him who conquered sin!

Out Of the Mouth of Babes...

"Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise."

Jesus said this in reference to Psalm 8:2 which says, "Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger."

Ok, my son CJ is no longer a baby but he does like to praise!  Back in December, shortly before turning four, he wrote a song about Jesus Christ.  Sarah put it to music and we have song this little chorus a few times now in church.

You Are Mighty

Oh, Jesus, what a mighty Savior are You!

Jesus, You're a mighty Savior!

Jesus, You are mightier than anything!

Jesus, You're the strongest; Jesus You're the best!

Jesus, You're the strongest; Jesus I love You!

What I think is awesome is that all the words were his.  This was a 4-year old's thought about Jesus.  We have found the song to be quite addictive and the whole family has been singing it around the house, at work, in the car, etc.

CJ reminds me that we really should have a child like faith when it comes to our Savior.  Adults make things so complicated!  Jesus is mighty! Jesus I love you! Basic truth from the mouth of a child!

That's the kind of faith I want. 

This I Know

July 31, 1984. 

This was the day I went forward at a vacation Bible school in East Tennessee, repented of my sins  and asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.

Like most new believers, I was filled with zeal and wanted to learn all I could about the Lord.  I began reading my Bible fervently, attending every service and trying to be a good Christian.

I now know I was not properly discipled. 

I began reading my Bible from the beginning.  (That's where you start a book right?)  I breezed through Genesis and Exodus, bogged down in Leviticus and gave up in Numbers.  It took me awhile to get back on track.  I finally had a fellow believer point me to the NT where I spent a season before eventually reading the whole Bible. 

I had a huge fascination with end times theology and read everything I could get my hand on.  I loved to debate (argue) the Bible and felt I had to defend God to the death!  I even made sure to hand a Bible tract to a kid who was holding a switchblade to my throat...so that I could at least die a martyr!

Ah, youth....

Nearly 31 years since my life changing decision, I have come to learn that less is more.  I have seen the highs and lows of faith.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  The older I get, the more comfortable I am with my faith.  I no longer feel the need to debate every line of Scripture.  In fact, I don't debate at all. 

As I reflect over my relationship with the Lord, I find comfort and peace in who He is and who I am in Him.

After 31 years, this I know:

Prov. 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."  The first Scripture that really challenged me.  I tried for too long to lean on my own understanding.  Now, I know that I know nothing.  I have found that as I lean on Him, look to Him, trust in Him...He truly does direct my path.  From TN to TX, Russia to Croatia, the US to Canada, God has directed my path, my days, my life.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Jesus, Only Jesus - I remember hearing this quoted often by a man God used to impact my life.  He often said it boiled down to just that.  I used to think he was being so cliche.  Now I know, I truly want Jesus, only Jesus!

Jesus Christ and Him Crucified - "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." This passage in 1 Cor. 2:2 has become more and more important to me. I don't care to debate how long it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.  My opinion on when Jesus is coming back is just that, my opinion. What I am determined to know is Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Galatians 2:20 -  "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." The verse that changed my life.  In my darkest days, God reached out to a man contemplating his own mortality, He broke through the darkness when suicide seemed like the only way out, and He taught me who I am in Him. 

I'm not God - I am not called to judge.  I no longer see the need to point out the stick in your eye while ignoring the log in mine.  I now endeavor to speak truth in love and show the same grace and mercy that Jesus Christ has shown me.

The Two Greatest Commandments - Jesus is quoted in Matthew 22:36-40 as saying that the two greatest commandments in which are contained the whole law of God is to love the Lord with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as we do our self!  It really is that simple.  We over complicate Christianity and Jesus boiled it down to this!

Jesus Loves Me - This I know.  I can rest in that. 

Eyes to See

"As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him."  (Matthew 20:29-34)

This was the passage of Scripture I was reading as part of my devotion time this past week.  I had to go back and read it a few times because it really resonated with me.  Though unplanned, it made it's way into my sermon on Sunday. It became an appropriate reference in conversation today with someone needing encouragement.

I think God was trying to get my attention.

Jesus certainly got the attention of the 2 blind men.

These guys were not about to let Jesus pass by without making some noise.  I can just picture a large crowd, the normal crowd noise, and 2 guys shouting to be heard!  "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

They were obviously loud because the crowd told them to shush!

Obviously they were not to be deterred because they cried out all the more.  They had no way of knowing if Jesus heard them but they were going to give it their best shot.

Jesus stops and asks what they want Him to do for them.  I like what they ask for....they asked for their eyes to be opened.  Think about that for a moment.  Let it sink in.  They asked for their eyes to be opened and Jesus touched their eyes.

It says they regained their site AND followed Him.

I believe their eyes were opened literally and also spiritually.  They saw Jesus and they SAW Jesus.  Jesus healed people but not everyone followed Him.  However these 2 guys FOLLOWED Jesus.  They had eyes to see, not just the world around them, but the King of Kings. 

I want to see what God wants me to see, who He wants me to see and how He wants me to see!

After reading this passage, my prayer is Lord, I want my eyes to be opened!

It's God's fault I dropped the ball

I wanted to wait a week before posting about this to allow some of the public scrutiny to die down.

In the U.S. a football game was going into overtime. Not an unusual event. With the game on the line a pass was thrown deep into the end-zone where Steve Johnson caught and then dropped the ball. You can see that play here:

The play became a major story though when Steve Johnson posted this on Twitter after the game:

I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO ME!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS???? HOW???!!! I’LL NEVER FORGET THIS!!! EVER!! THX THO…STEVIE JOHNSON13

Of course this brings up lots of thoughts and conclusions. Two in particular were rattling around in my brain.

1. His blaming God when things didn't go his way is nothing new. The blame game has been happening since the Garden of Eden. King David wrote many songs of lament. Asking the why questions happened quite a bit in the Bible. It still happens today. David ended his laments with praise to God and Mr. Johnson later posted that he himself was not angry at God. I think it's ok to express our confusion, hurt, doubts and fear AS LONG as we take them back to God and leave them at His feet!

2. His blaming God is what I have heard a lot of Christians do over the years. When we don't get what we want from the "genie" we call God then it's all His fault. Not to offend but I have heard to many people speak of God like a genie that will grant you numerous wishes if you just rub His lamp. If we get our way, our wants and desires...God is good. if we don't get that promotion, significant other, toy, etc than it's all His fault. The attitude of presumption. If I want it God must want it as opposed to ...hmm I wonder what God's will is here...let me see if mine lines up with His!

We need to be real with God and quit trying to manipulate Him through "keys to spiritual success". It is NOT our will that we should be seeking...it's His!

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane asked God to take the cup of suffering from Him. He was asking, in a nutshell, that God work salvation out another way. However, He ended that prayer by submitting His will to God.

An example for us all.

Waking Up Is Hard To Do

Paul Wilkinson over on Thinking Out Loud asked me to be a guest blogger a few days ago. This is the piece I sent him. I am now putting it on my blog in case you missed it. I would encourage you to also check out Paul's blog if you haven't done so. He has some good stuff there.

I am not a morning person. Oh, once I'm awake I am good to go, but it takes me a bit to wake up. I would much rather pull the covers back over my head and sleep for another 30 minutes. When I do finally step out of bed I head right to the coffee pot. Only after I have a stiff cup of joe in my hand do I feel ready to tackle the day. Sometimes even then I want to go back to sleep.

It's kind of like how I use to be with church. I wanted to pull the cover back over my head. I wanted to sleep, fake an illness, anything to get out of attending the Sunday service. Sometimes I did this even when I was the Pastor!

I was becoming bored to death with the routine. There just seemed to be no life. I could close my eyes at most services and walk through the exact order. Opening prayer: check; worship: check; commercial break for the offering: check; message: check and done by lunch!

Where was the excitement? Did God mean for church to be boring? I believe He did not! Of course part of this goes to our concept of church. Sadly, too many today still feel like you have church when you attend a building with 4 walls and go through the motions of a service. I believe church is different. I believe we--the people--are the church. But somewhere we exchanged hillside walks with the Savior asking questions back and forth for sitting in pews and listening to someone else tell us how to do "religion".

I am not attacking the "traditional church". I pastor a congregation myself and we have our routines as well (admittedly few), but they are there. However, I truly believe Jesus came to give us life! I want a radical faith. I want relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship where we can express doubt, fear, concern and trust! A relationship where Jesus is our everything and our only thing. A relationship with highs and lows, good times and bad, where I know that through it all Jesus is still always there. Are you with me? Let's get radical for Christ. Let's toss aside our lethargic attempts at religion and embrace the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Let's get into the street and touch the sick, the needy and the downtrodden. Let's share a message and a life; ours and His!

If You Could Ask God A Question

If you were able to stand before God right now and ask Him one question what would it be?

Now I am laying aside the theological implications of this question. I am going for the heart. We all have questions. We all have things we want to know, wonder about, etc. So what are they?

Would your question be about prayer? Healing? Life? War? Disease?

What are your real questions?

Questions are ok.

Abraham asked questions of the Lord. So did Moses, David (read the Psalms), even Jesus asked questions of the crowds who questioned Him. Questions can help us to go deeper in our understanding of Him. Questions can help clarify what we are truly thinking. Sometimes just asking them can help clear our mind and get to the heart of our concerns. It can help us draw closer to God.

My question. Why? Why do we have to suffer physically? (I know the theologically correct answer to this. Doesn't mean I can't ask!)

Matthew 7: 7-8) "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."

Seek God, let the questions draw you closer to Him!

So what would you ask?

One Heartbeat

One heartbeat can change a life.

It happened to me....3 times.

Once was when Sarah was pregnant with our daughter Hanna. We found out Sarah was pregnant on the mission field and had to come home shortly after due to some other family medical stuff. However when stateside we went for the first of 5 ultrasounds. Seeing that beating heart on the monitor changed my life.

All of the sudden I realized I was going to be a father. Would I be a good one? A bad one? Was I up to the challenge? How would I take care of a wife AND a child? How would I afford it on missionary wages? All these thoughts went racing through my mind as I realized this child would change my life!

She has.....for the better. Hanna has been a precious blessing from God and all of my hopes, fears and concerns melted away the first time I held her in my arms.

Now Sarah is pregnant again. Eleven years later I am in a different place spiritually, emotionally, etc. However the same thoughts started racing through my mind. . Would I be a good father? A better one? Was I up to the challenge? How would I take care of a wife AND 2 children? All these thoughts went racing through my mind when Sarah told me she was pregnant again and I realized this child would change my life!

Then we went for an ultrasound and I saw the heartbeat. All my thoughts faded away as my eyes moistened with tears of joy as it hit me that this child as well is a blessing from God and will change my life in a good way.

2,000 years ago another heartbeat came into the world. God poured His heart of love into the world through the heart of His Son! Jesus changed the world through His words, actions and life! He changed the world again when the heartbeat stopped.

On a Cross

For you and me

He rose from the dead and is changing the world even now.