God Is the Architect and Builder

“By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:9-10, NASB)

All of us are looking for contentment in this life. We also want our lives to make a difference and amount to something of which our families and friends can be proud. The question is, though, how are you and I pursuing what we would describe as a successful life?

Abraham lived in the land of promise 100 years. It wasn't until Joshua led the children of Israel into the promised land before they actually possessed the land. It was around 430 years between God promising the land to Abraham and Joshua possessing the land. Even though Abraham lived in the promised land for 100 years, he was still considered a stranger in the land.

When I lived in Montana I noticed a peculiar convention among the native Montanans. To them it mattered what generation Montanan you were. I remember hearing one man telling me with a cynical attitude that he was only a third generation Montanan. He said his family was considered fairly new to the state! That blew my mind. That probably meant that his family had only been in the state around fifty years. To me that was a long time!

Abraham was a wealthy and well-respected man. He had enough money and power to buy and secure a good life for him and his family. Even though he had influence and power, he waited for God to fulfill His promise. It did not matter that he lived in the "promised" land; God's timing is what mattered to Abraham. He had already experienced the frustration and failure of trying to accomplish God's plan on his own.

I don't know about you, but I have experienced my share of trying to control my life. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” (NASB) "Death" is whatever you and I experience when we attempt to control our lives. The New Testament refers to this way of operating as "flesh." Jesus said, "...the flesh profits nothing!" (John 6:63b NASB)

I want my life to matter. I'm tired of trying to be in control. Do you realize what it would mean for me to be in control? I would have to be omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent! That is impossible, yet sometimes I have reacted in disappointment to an unmet expectation as though I should have been able to control my circumstances.

This life is one continuous opportunity to trust the One who can be trusted. God is the architect and the builder. Jesus continued to say in John 6:63, "the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life."

Thank You Father for Your Life!

A Future Without God?

I read a quote this week from "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young, "Anxiety is a result of envisioning the future without Me (God)." When I think about my anxious moments, that is exactly what I am doing. Of course, we picture the worst case scenario. I realize the absolute worse can happen and does, but it doesn't happen in a God-less vacuum.

There is no future where God does not already exist. I know this is mind blowing. If we could foreknow the future, it would be knowledge about what is going to happen. That is not so with God. He knows the future because He is already there! That is a characteristic of His eternal nature.

When I am all stressed out about the possible outcomes of my circumstances, it is because I am picturing in my mind a time when I will be unsafe. God has promised He will take care of us and meet all our needs. My response to His promise is to trust Him. Even when it "feels like" He is on vacation, He is not. God is always working out His best for my good. Many times that means I will go through a period of discomfort. Those uncomfortable times are a reminder of my fragility and His sufficiency.

Paul said in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (NASB)  Last time I checked, nothing means "nothing!" There is not circumstance known to man where I have to be anxious. Anxiety has never changed the outcome of a future event. In some twisted way, we think not being anxious is a sign of apathy. I believe that is a lie straight from the enemy.

As I set my mind on truth, I realize how secure I really am. There is no detail, no matter how minor, that is over-looked by my heavenly Dad. He never said He would spare me or you from anxious circumstances. He does promise, though, He will never leave us or forsake us. (Deut. 31:6, Ps. 55:22) This doesn't mean He is watching us go through our circumstances, making sure we are safe. It means He is with us going through the circumstances, "with" us! That is intimate, up-close and personal.

We can't see the future, but we can know and believe that God is already there. We can trust Him completely. We can ignore our anxious thoughts, knowing they are not from us, but from the enemy. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5, NASB) We can truly rest!

God's Attitude

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,” (John 5:22 NASB)

I hear people say, "I know I shouldn't have a bad attitude, but..." In the next few minutes, you are going to hear how they rationalize their bad attitude! Attitude seems to be based on a combination of experience and expectation. 

As human beings, our experiences vary from great to horrible and everything in between. As we go through an experience, we place a value on that experience. Everyone's perspective about an experience varies. Two people can go through the same experience and have totally different perspectives on the same experience. 

When I am deciding on a large purchase, I will research other's comments about their experience with the product. I'm always amazed at the differing comments I read. Keep in mind, these people are experiencing the same product, but their expectations preceding the experience seem to be different. 

If you go into a particular experience with a certain expectation, and the experience doesn't measure up to your expectation, you may end up with a bad attitude. These attitudes, of course, can be directed at other people, or even God. I see this every week in my ministry here at CFT. People who have certain expectations about their relationships find themselves disappointed and bitter when the other person doesn't live up to those expectations.

What is God's attitude toward us? What does He base His attitude on? God has the right to have a bad attitude toward humanity. He created man perfectly and placed them in a perfect environment where all their needs for life and godliness were met (2 Pet. 1:3). There was never a need for man to look outside his relationship with God for anything, yet, Adam and Eve decided to seek for more (Gen. 3:6-7). As far as God is concerned, He had every right to reject His creation. Praise God, however, He did not reject us!

God being omniscient and omnipotent was not caught off guard by Adam's and Eve's choice that cost them their Life. God could have scrapped the plan and started over as a result of "foreknowing" Adam and Eve would sin, but He did not. As I mentioned in my last blog, God purposed to reveal aspects of His nature through the fall that otherwise would not have been experienced by His creation.

I believe the Son volunteered to experience Their creation as one of Their creation. Out of this experience He could make a final judgement call that would be respected and honored by God. When you think about it, it is quite amazing! The eternal creator lowered Himself to our level to experience our world. It was out of this context that the Son would decide the final fate of creation. From our perspective, that was quite a risk. It doesn't take long living among a bunch of human beings before you develop a bad attitude! We're a contentious lot!

Even though the Father knew what the Son would decide, He had to give the Son the choice while the Son had laid aside His divine nature qualities of omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence (Phil. 2:6-7). I think we can all agree that the darkest moment in Jesus' life on earth was while He hung on the cross. He was stripped and shamed publicly, He was falsely accused, He was abandoned by most of His friends, and He bore all the sins of humanity (2 Cor. 5:21). And yet, it was at this darkest moment Christ said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34, NASB)

Jesus didn't wait till His horrible ordeal was over to decide; He didn't make the call while sitting peacefully around a campfire, enjoying the company of His disciples. Jesus made His judgement call while at His darkest moment. I believe in that moment, His Father smiled in the middle of His grief for His Son. Our Father has declared that what His Son has said is final. There is no more negotiation or talking about it; it is finished!

"'And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.' Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin." (Heb. 10:17-18, NASB)

Being Molded for Eternity

I was sitting in my Life group at church listening to the robust discussion between the teacher and a very astute class. I have the pleasure of teaching this same class next week. I was asking Father what He wanted to share with this group through me. As I sat there and listened, He gave me a revelation that kind of knocked my socks off!

I sometimes think we have the perspective that when God created this world He was hoping it would stay perfect. He made Adam and Eve in His image and likeness; which basically means He put His life in them and they in turn behaved like Him. They contained His Life and expressed that Life in their thoughts, emotions and choices. God also put a fruit tree in the middle of the garden that He told them not to eat from. He even told them what the consequence would be: death!

We as humans look back at that event and wonder "what if!" Of course, there was never going to be a "what if." Before God created the first molecule of the physical dimension, He knew Adam and Eve would disobey and eat that forbidden fruit. There was a cross planned before God created anything (Rev. 13:8).

So, the fall did not catch God off guard. He did not start out with Plan "A" and then have to switch over to Plan "B" as a back up. I think the bulk of humanity who believe in God may share that perspective. Of course, that was not the case. The Fall was a part of the bigger story of humanity, just as much as The Reconciliation.

Ok, so now there has been a creation, a fall, and a reconciliation. Now we are marking time, waiting for heaven. We are supposed to do the best we can to please God by following His commands, because one day He is going to say, "Well done good and faithful servant." I realized many years ago that this is not the case, and most of you know this also. We were created for relationship; we were created to participate with God in His Life.

As I was sitting in class, all these truths flashed before my eyes, truths I have come to know and love. God, however, showed me that when He desired to make a creature to fellowship with Him and participate with Him in His love, He designed a masterful process that would produce just such a creature.

As I thought about it, the genius of His plan brought me to such awe. It hit me; we are still being molded for eternity! As pure and innocent as Adam and Eve were before the fall, they were not ready for eternity. I'm not talking about from their perspective, but from God's. I believe they were created to function in their beginning state eternally, but in God's plan for this special creature, there was going to be a falling away and a redemption. God did not make them fall; He did not have to. He had made them to function as a free-will creature who could choose. They did choose God everyday from the time they breathed their first breath until the fateful day of the fall, but their everyday choices were devoid of conflict. (You are probably wondering where I'm going with this!)

In order for humanity to truly be equipped for eternity, there had to be a demonstration of God's love, His grace, His forgiveness, His mercy, etc... That demonstration would only follow the fall. Think about Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). There was a fall in that story. As a matter of fact, all great stories have a fall before there is the sweet, sweet resolve of the reconciliation. Please don't think I'm suggesting we glory in the fall, there was no glory in that moment. That was the second darkest moment in all of history. The fall produced death. Out of death, however, God did what only He could do: He brought forth Life! That Life came out of the darkest moment in history, the moment God sacrificed His own Son because He loved us beyond our understanding. The Cross is not the end of the story, but it is where the story takes a turn for the best.

I believe we have already entered into our Sabbath rest because of Christ. Here on this earth, we are still experiencing the aftermath of the fall and how it has affected daily living. People struggle, people fall and fail, and people die. That hurts, and it hurts really bad.  But God, who is still molding our souls for eternity, is walking through these dark times with us producing a glory that cannot be produced otherwise. Adam and Eve did not and could not experience that before the fall.

So what is the implication of this revelation? I thought about the line from the hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, "And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." We humans make so much of life here in this physical realm, to the point that whatever happens or does not happen here will make or break us. I'm beginning to see that all of that does not matter. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (NASB) The bottom line is, God wants us to experience the fullness of Himself. Struggle, affliction, trials (all results of the fall) lead us to experience aspects of God we would not experience otherwise.

You and I are complete in Christ; we are new creatures. However, we are still being made ready for that eternal relationship we will experience in eternity. Our spirits are ready now, but our souls are still in process. Wherever you are now, it is ok to be there. Don't look at your circumstances and say, "woe is me!" You can truly say, "Thank you Father!"

Update On Living Life

It has been a few weeks since I last posted. The month of October has been very busy. Tess and I went to Montana the first part of the month to see family and to work on Kingdom Camp. We flew on a buddy pass to save a few bucks. In hindsight we should have bought some tickets. Flying standby has always been an adventure, but it is even more so now with less flights and more over-selling seats on planes. Airline employees are gracious to give their buddy passes away, but you can detect an air of apology when they give you a pass. They know what you are about to experience and they are already praying for you and your fortitude for trials! I heard someone refer to a buddy pass as "torture your buddy pass."

Even with the added adventure, Tess and I had a great time. We had the opportunity to check out six different airports. The airport at Minneapolis/St. Paul had a newer concourse where all the traditional terminal seating had been replaced with chairs and booths with I-pads. You could sit there and surf the web, play games, or order food and drinks. I didn't mind being stuck there! One of our stops was in Pittsburg. What a beautiful landscape surrounding that area of Pennsylvania. I would love to one day check it out by car. Over-all, even with the insecurity of getting on flights, we had a great time hanging out with each other. God used that time for relationship building with each other and with Him. That is what living life is all about!

Our time on the mountain was also a blessing. There were six of us altogether. Tess did all the cooking, and as usual she "knocked it out the park!" One of the guys who usually goes with us could not go at the last minute. I have always put him in charge of operating the saws. He is a professional and works very efficiently. We were not able to accomplish as much as I had hoped, but over-all we enjoyed working together and getting to know each other better. Also, spending time with my dad on the mountain was great. Kingdom Camp was born out of a vision God had given him about fifteen years ago. He is excited to see it almost complete and ready for active ministry to pastors in crisis.

On our last full day on the mountain it began to snow. When I woke up the next morning I looked outside to see if there was enough snow on the ground to run the snowmobile. To my surprise, there was just enough! I took the time to crank up the snowmobile and ride it around on the mountain top for about thirty minutes. I knew it may be years before I would have a chance to do this again. I can't tell you how many times I passed up opportunities to do something fun thinking "I'll get the chance to do this again later." And as life has proven over and over again, those chances did not come later.

After we returned from our Montana trip, we had a few days to recover and get ready for a four day and night hunting and camping trip to the woods of middle Georgia. We don't eat a lot of red meat, but if we had our way, we would only eat venison when we do eat red meat. I try to put at least two deer in the freezer each year. This year I'm hoping to get four deer! I was able to bag one small doe while on this hunt, so I'm one quarter of the way there.

We don't have any kind of camper, so we primitive camp. You know, in a tent! Yes, my loving wife spoke my love language and hung out with me in the woods sleeping in a tent. I take my camping very seriously and have a pretty good set-up for surviving as comfortably as possible in the woods. As we were heading home I looked at her and said, "if the zombie apocalypse takes place, this is how we will have to live!" She just smiled and rolled her eyes.

I know I usually don't use this blog page to talk about what we are doing in our lives, but I wanted to catch everyone up on what we have been up to. Ministry at CFT has continued to be exciting. I will share more about that in my next newsletter.

Blessings!

God's "Word"

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12, NASB

This was one of the first verses I memorized as a college student. Of course, the application was obvious: we must read our Bibles! At least that is what was taught. Through my journey of growing in my relationship with Christ, I've come to realize that God is not distant and just watching us to see how we are doing. He is active in our daily lives. In other words, God is very relational.

I've come to realize this verse is not about engaging in regular Bible reading or Bible study. This verse is making a declarative statement about God's relational intention. Let me illustrate with this word picture. Let's say I went on a long trip that kept me away for a year. While I was away, I wrote love letters to my wife. In my letters I declared my love and affection for her and encouraged her with words that reminded her of her great value. A few months after I have returned home, I walk into the bedroom and find her sitting there reading. I walk over and sit next to her and start talking to her. She holds up her hand and tells me to be quiet and says, "Can't you see I'm reading here! Please give me some space here!" I then notice she is reading my love letters.

Why would my wife trade a moment where she could spend one-on-one time with me to read letters I wrote to her? I realize that may sound absurd, but we do that as Christians. There are many times we may sit down, grab our Bibles and start reading. Father starts speaking to us and we ignore Him because we are too busy rushing through our "reading of God's word."

The "word" of God is His living word to us in real time, right now. The words in the Bible are His words, but they are not living until He speaks them to us in the moment. Please don't walk away from this post and think I am suggesting you never read your Bible again. If that were so, where do you think I found the verse in Hebrews! That's right, in my Bible. When I read that verse, Father said, "Hey Tom, I want to show you something really cool!" And now, I'm sharing with you what He shared with me!

Reading your Bible because you think that is what you are supposed to do to grow as a Christian is placing yourself back under law. Reading your Bible because you are engaging in real-time relationship with God is walking by the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). Listen to the Father's loving, living and active words to you as you go throughout your day. He will bring to your mind scriptures you have read and pondered. He loves doing that!

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (1 Cor. 2:12-13, NASB)

Being Righteous

Why is it difficult to accept that whom God makes righteous, is righteous? The prevalent belief is that this is a future proposition. I think that is why "heaven" songs have been so popular among the people of God. They express the longing for a future glory. Don't get me wrong, I love a good awe-inspiring song about heaven!

The more I understand and experience Christ as my Life, the more I realize that "heaven is now." That is also the title of an awesome book written by Andrew Farley. Heaven will be a transition. It will be the ending of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. In a sense, it will be the last chapter; a chapter that will never end! It will be the chapter entitled, "And They Lived Happily Ever After."

Redemption was for the purpose of rescue. Being human, we tend to see redemption more from our point of view. God wanted to rescue us so that we could know Him (John 17:3; Col. 1:13-14). Colossians 2:13-14 is the best definition of redemption I have ever seen, "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." (NASB) Notice the verse says "He made you," and "He as taken it out of the way." Do you see what God did? It is not based on what you or I did, but what God did!

So why did He do this? It's simple, He wanted to give us life. I have an old truck sitting in my driveway that is in need of life. I really like that old truck. Someone suggested I sell it and buy one that works. That sounds ok, but I want that truck; I don't want another truck. I'm going to do whatever it takes for that truck to run again so we can resume our relationship. Of course we are more valuable to God than my old truck is to me, but the point is, God did what was needed to give us life so He could resume His relationship with His creation. And just like my old truck, we are helpless to fix ourselves!

Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." (NASB) I love that phrase, "so we too might walk in newness of life." We were created as behaving creatures. When you see the word "walk" it is referring to our behavior. The only way you and I can behave Godly is to be alive in Christ or to have His Life. The "law abiding" creature may have tried to behave Godly, but without Life, it was futile. The creature needed Life and that is what God did; He gave us life so we could walk or behave as He does. You and I have the mind of Christ and a new heart from which to operate.

Let me sum up my crazy whirlwind of thoughts: God loved us so much, He rescued us and redeemed us and made us righteous. This was all for the purpose of giving us His Life so that we could experience His righteousness lived out in our daily lives.

The next time you are proclaimed as righteous, do the most humble thing you can do and agree! You don't have to wait till heaven to wear your righteousness, you have it now.

What is Glory?

The word "glory" in the New Testament is "doxa" in the Greek. Doxa is used 167 times in the New Testament. The most basic meaning of doxa is "opinion, judgement, or view." As you dig into the scripture, you see a deeper meaning of "magnificence, excellence, preeminence, majesty," or "a thing belonging to God or Christ," or "the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ."

When God created man He placed His glory in man. After the fall, that glory was gone. When you look at sinful man, you don't see God's glory being reflected. However, God's plan was to restore what had been lost. Through Jesus Christ, God restored His glory in man. This is a huge part of the gospel.

There is a famous quote from the Westminster Shorter Catechism, "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." The big question, though, is how do we glorify God? Do we glorify Him with our attempts to please Him? Is God glorified through our buildings, programs, ministries, etc...

There is recorded in Matthew an account of Peter, James and John seeing Jesus transform before their eyes as He met with Moses and Elijah. This blew them away! Peter began to express to Jesus that he wanted to build three buildings for each one of them. Before Peter could finish describing his great plans, Father interrupted him and said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" (Matt. 17:5, NASB) 

When you look at Jesus' life, you see someone who only pursued two things. He pursued a relationship with His heavenly Father and He pursued relationships with fellow human beings. Jesus did not leave behind a legacy of buildings, programs, or ministries; and yet, God said He was well-pleased. Don't assume that I'm implying we shouldn't build buildings or have programs or ministries.  As I said in an earlier blog, that's the cart!

Glory is not something we pursue, that is fleshly and worldly. God's glory is something that is imparted to us, not something we earn or work for. Glory is not something I do, but something I possess to express! John said in Revelation 21:23, "And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it and its lamp is the Lamb." (NASB) In Colossians 1:27 Paul says the mystery of the gospel revealed is, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (NASB) Wow!! Did you catch that? God's glory is the Lamb and that Lamb is in you and me as believers. 

The only way you and I can glorify God is to express His glory. Anything less than that is junk! The only way I can express His glory is to submit my will moment by moment to His will. Jesus said in John 15:5, "...apart from Me you can do nothing." (NASB) 

I want to encourage each one of us to give up on our plans for glory and allow God's glory in us to make its way to the front!

Surviving or Living?

I have existed a good portion of my time here on this earth surviving. Maybe that's why I'm drawn to post-apocalyptic stories. They are stories of survival in the midst of insurmountable odds.

I want to be candid about myself and my struggles. I struggle with the future. I ask myself questions like, "will I be able to retire?" or "will I have good health in my 60's, 70's and 80's?" Of course I don't know how much longer I will even be here! Intellectually I know I'm not in control of my future, but my culture tells me I should be.

When I was in high school I knew God was calling me to go into vocational ministry. I had originally wanted to go into engineering. God has given me a very mechanical mind and a natural ability to understand mechanical things. When God shifted my direction, I gladly joined Him in that journey. However, I had no idea as to what that journey would entail, especially the "survival" aspect!

Now that I'm 50, I think about "the rest of my life." From my cultural perspective where savings, retirement, investments and such are thought about daily, I'm not prepared for the future. I sometimes struggle with this fact and find myself wallowing in a little self-pity. Father just smiles!

Recently I was listening to the radio while driving home. There was a line in the song about giving up your life. In that moment Father spoke to me. I realized how much we are consumed with being in control of our lives. Essentially we are told to either borrow on our future so we can live today, or post-pone living today so we can live after we are retired. The second one sounds more responsible, but I'm not sure how biblical it is.

I find myself consumed with the "what if's" on a regular basis. Father said all He really wants is for us to trust Him. It is in knowing Him that we are truly able to trust Him. It's hard to trust someone you don't know. If I listen to the world, the world tells me I have failed or am failing. If I listen to Father He tells me I'm a great success. Why? Because I know Him!

One of my favorite verses is Job 42:5, "My ears had heard about you, but now my eyes have seen you." (CEB) Job was seen by his peers as a righteous man. He crossed his T's and dotted his I's. He was a shining example of a "godly" man. The sad thing, though, he did not know God; he only knew about Him. I'll give him kudos though, he did all that righteous living based on what he had heard. Oh, did I say living? I meant surviving. His culture said he was living, but God had determined he was just surviving.

After Job began to see God (know Him), he did not look back. He realized he was never in control, but it was God all along. He realized Life wasn't about being prepared, but rather knowing God. There is nothing wrong with being prepared, but preparation apart from knowing God is simply "survival."

The world has a totally opposite manner of "living" than God's design. The world says we have to secure our future in order to be safe. Jesus told a sad story of a man who viewed life in this manner. The man tore down his old barns and built bigger ones and filled them up with stuff to secure his future. He finally said to himself, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry." (Luke 12:19, NASB) God called the man a fool. Jesus said, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." (Luke 12:15, NASB)

Through my worry and anxiety Father showed me I was trying to survive. When I am obsessed with surviving I'm not truly living. My relationship with God is my future and He holds that future in His hands. Knowing Him is trusting Him and knowing Him is truly Living!

Knowing God! God's Plan for Making Disciples

"This is eternal life, that they may know You,the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3, NASB)

I have been thinking about discipleship a lot lately. When I was pastoring, it was a topic heavy on my mind most of the time. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." (NASB) So, disciple making was not our idea, but God's.

I see two distinct roads of discipleship. The first road is the wide, more popular road. The focus on this road is "knowing about God." You might hear slogans like "what would Jesus do." The thought process on this road is to become so acquainted with the life and heart of Jesus you can make more informed decisions for your life. In other words, the goal is to model Jesus in His thinking and His choices. This road is about "doing."

The second less traveled road of discipleship focuses on "knowing God." This road is about relationship. It is about freedom and rest. It is not about attaining knowledge, but growing in understanding. This road may appear to be less organized and structured. The focus is not on methods or formulas for growth, but intimacy with the Giver of Life. This is a winding road that focuses more on the journey and less on the destination. This road is about "being," not doing.

You know the expression, "don't put the cart before the horse." This expression is about getting priorities in the right order. The wide road of discipleship is ultimately about ministry. Ministry is the "cart." The focus of ministry is sharing Christ with others. It is serving others in Christ's name.

The "horse" is knowing God. It is eternal Life in whom we enter. Acts 17:28 says, "for in Him we live and move and exist..." (NASB) When we are engaged in knowing God, we can't keep ourselves from sharing what He is showing us. We don't have to be encouraged to share, because we want to tell everyone who will listen. The natural outflow of knowing God is telling and serving others.

I think the reason for our upside down approach to discipleship is because of our continued struggle with "law living." We tell ourselves we are supposed to share Christ with the lost world, so we focus on ways to accomplish that requirement instead of spending time knowing God. When God's people are engaged in ministry without being engaged in knowing Him, they will be frustrated and discouraged, and eventually burn out!

For a long time now, I have seen that God is calling His people to "be." God knows that the "do" of ministry will always flow out of the "be" of identity in Christ. God wants to put the horse before the cart. Ministry becomes richer and sweeter when it is the natural outflow of one's personal relationship with God.

If you are feeling pressured to serve, or witness, or give, or teach, or plan, etc..., your priorities may be out of order. Jesus said apart from Him you could do nothing (John 15:5). Rest in God's Life and let Him minister through you!

Flesh Is Not Our Friend

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please." (Galatians 5:16-17 NASB)

A friend of mine recently said to me, "Even though God has proved His faithfulness over and over, I still worry! I don't understand why!"  His quandary is common to all Christians.  Because that question mark is even in our minds, is proof of our new nature in Christ.  If you wonder why you do something or think something that is contrary to what you know goes against the character of God, instead, ask this question, "why do I wonder why?"  My friend's question is a subtle attack on who God says he is.

The enemy has us focused on the wrong thing.  He uses shame, guilt, and doubt as weapons to attack our identity.  If Satan can keep you and me from understanding our identity, he can keep us in a state of mental and emotional defeat.  If I doubt the validity of my relationship with Christ and that produces anxiety, that's a good thing!  Anxiety is an appropriate emotion when there is a fear of losing something.

When I was twenty-one, for the first time in my Christian life, doubt about my salvation hit me like a ton of bricks.  It wasn't subtle, it was debilitating!  As soon as the doubt seized my mind, I was overwhelmed with fear.  I feared eternal death.  For the first time in my life, I wasn't sure what would happen to me if I died.  Satan had me right where he wanted me.  My focus from that point forward was on me, not on God.

When Paul uses the word "flesh," he is referring to a coping mechanism or an operating system.  Flesh is anything we do to get our needs met apart from God.  The system of flesh puts the focus on self.  The flesh system is the enemy of expressing Christ's life through my life.  In other words, when I want to behave in a manner that pleases God, the flesh system will often raise its ugly head and subvert my ultimate intention.  That is the answer to my friend's quandary.  He wants to completely trust God with everything that he is, but his flesh produces worry.  Worry takes the focus off of Christ's life in him and places it on himself and what he can do apart from Christ.

This battle takes place in our minds.  God speaks His truth into our minds and the enemy speaks His lies into our minds.  Now we have a choice.  Our spirit is one with God (1 Cor. 6:17).  In our spirits we are in total agreement with God, however, our flesh is not Spirit friendly.  Satan will use our flesh to subvert God's truth.  If we buy into the lie, we are sunk!  This is why Paul said, "...so that you may not do the things that you please."  Flesh is what keeps us from living out of Christ's Life, it's not you (the real you in Christ).  Most Christians read this passage and assume what they please is contrary to what God pleases.  That misunderstanding is a direct assault from Satan on your very identity in Christ!

Don't trust your flesh.  Trust Christ in you.  He is constantly leading us into life and peace in every moment we walk here on this earth.  When Satan accuses you, causing you to doubt your true identity, believe who God says you are, His beloved!

I Am His Workmanship

There seems to be this uncomfortable dance between God's work in our lives and our responsibility to be a good Christian.  Sometimes when we do something godly and others recognize it, we say, "not I but Christ!" Or we get the big head and focus on our self-effort.  Neither one of these responses is God's way.  Don't get me wrong, the first response sounds good and humble, but it leaves out one very important element.

As I mentioned in my last blog, if we are in Christ, we are a new creature; a new creature with new desires and a new focus.  That new creature wants to behave godly.  Bad behavior doesn't negate desire, it only reflects poor choice.  If the new creature could be completely free of the influence of Satan's temptations, flesh, and the law of sin (Rom. 7:23), the new creature would always make great choices and reflect godliness.  Of course, I just described what heaven will be like!

Ok, we're not in heaven yet; and we do struggle with temptation, flesh, and the law of sin.  Those challenges, however, don't disprove God's greatest work of making His children new creatures!  In spite of those challenges, He can display His character in these fragile earthen vessels. (2 Cor. 4:7) That was His plan.

When God does display His character in us, He is also showing the world the new character of His new creature.  You see, it's not one or the other, it is both.  It is the co-union of Christ in me, displaying Himself through me and at the same time showing others His work in us.  Isn't that amazing?!  I love what Paul says in Colossians 3:4, "When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory." (NASB)  Do you see it?  When Christ is revealed (not heaven, but now), not only is He being revealed, but the real you is also being revealed!

Because I am a carpenter, I own a circular saw.  There are certain applications in building that need a circular saw.  It is the only tool that will work in certain situations.  In order for my saw to perform the task for which it was designed, it must be plugged into a power source and it must be operated by a skilled operator.  As new creatures, we were designed to display God's character.  Not only must we be plugged into The Source, we must surrender to the skilled hands of The Operator.

Also, as a carpenter, I don't want a cheap home-owner saw.  I want a good heavy-duty saw with plenty of power.  There are certain models I won't buy, because I know they won't work very well.  I have had my saw for twenty years and it still works great.  I still brag about my saw (as I'm doing now).

You and I are God's workmanship and He loves to show-off what He has done.  This understanding for me produces humility and gratitude.  I am thankful that God wants to display His character in me and that He is proud of me as His masterful creation.  Pretending that my display of godly character has nothing to do with me, is like my saw pretending it never cut the wood!

Christ In Me!

"...the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:26-27 NASB)

The most natural thing for me to do is to live righteously!  Do you agree with that statement?  If you don't agree with that, you may be thinking, "that sounds like spiritual arrogance!"  If you are a believer, that statement is true of you also.  The most humble thing you and I can do is to agree with what God says about us.

From Adam all the way to Christ, no human had experienced the life of God dwelling in them on a full-time permanent basis.  The idea that God would "live" His life in the believer was a foreign concept.  God would draw close when the individual was obedient and God would punish when they weren't.  Don't misunderstand, God was long-suffering with His children because He knew they were not able to keep His commandments.  God wanted to abide with His creation, not reject them.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?"  How can deceitful hearts be committed to God and keep His commands?  They can't!  God's people needed new hearts.

Jeremiah prophesies about a new covenant, "I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jer. 31:33b NASB)  Ezekiel prophesied, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you...I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes..." (Ez. 36:26a,27a NASB)  These are prophecies regarding the mystery Paul speaks of in Colossians.  This mystery revealed is Christ in you!

Jesus didn't come to earth to show me how to live, although He did set the highest standard to date.  He came to give me Himself so that He could be my life.  He placed Himself in a new creature with a new heart and made that new creature alive.  Woohoo!!

Notice the phrase in Col. 1:27, "the hope of glory;" glory is the Greek word "doxa" which refers to Christ's magnificent nature.  Does it frustrate you when you find yourself committing a sin?  Of course it does!  I hate sinning.  When I realize that I have sinned, I always wish I could turn the clock back and make a different choice.  I wish I could undo every sinful choice and never sin again from this moment forward.  In other words, I hope there will be a time when I can consistently express Christ's high sinless standards.

Paul is saying that "Christ in you" or Christ's Life in me is my hope of expressing Christ's glory.  Paul didn't say, "Christ, the hope of glory," but he said "Christ in you."  It is the unity of Christ and you.  That my friend is the best news ever!

God's intention from the beginning of creation has always been to share life with His creation.  He wants to express His Life in and through us.  Your hope of expressing His life is Christ in you!

God's Provision

"... he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack..." (Exodus 16:18 NASB)

There is a saying, "if it is to be, it is up to me!"  This lie has been around since Satan's first temptation in the garden.  The enemy wants us to believe that we must be in charge of our lives.  Other than the free-will God gave us to make choices, we were not created with the ability to meet our life needs.  Oh, we may think we can, but we can't!  Striving by our self-effort always leaves us lacking.

When living by faith, it is necessary to trust God completely.  He is our provider.  He can meet all our needs fully to the point of complete satisfaction.  Satisfaction guaranteed!

The children of Israel learned the hard way that God's provision is just enough for the moment.  It didn't depend on their gathering ability.  It is too easy to look around at others and either be envious or jealous of their abilities to get or stand in judgement of their lack of drive or ability to get.  The focus is on performance.

When we trust God the focus is on His ability, not ours.  The Israelites had to trust that God would provide for their needs.  They were told only to collect what they needed for that day, except on the sixth day.  If they worried that God would not come through, they tried collecting more than they needed for that day.  Their provision, however, rotted and became worm ridden before morning.  They needed to learn to trust God.

Do you lack for today?  Or, are you looking to the future and see your lack there?  I suspect that most of us are focused on tomorrow and not realizing that God has provided what we need for today.  When you look to your future you may see great lack.  Worrying about the future produces anxiety and fear.  Or you may look at your future and see no lack, but don't be fooled.  No man can really secure his future apart from God's will. (Luke 12:15-21)

Our lives are so much more than stuff.  Jesus made it clear that our relationship with the Father is our true treasure.  He knew that a life completely surrendered to the Father would not lack.  Jesus said in Luke 12:31, "But seek first His kingdom, and these things will be added to you." (NASB)

God Enjoys Watching!

What motivates us to do our best?  Are we challenged by critique or praise, or a combination of both?  I love to watch sports movies as much as the next guy.  It's cool to see people overcome great odds to win.  There is something that appeals to all of us when the underdog rises from the bottom to become a champion.  But how did they get there?  What inspired them not to give up?

As an encourager I want to tell people not to give up, but to keep trying.  I want to give them the "magic" advice that will turn the tide of disappointment in the their life to victory.  One of many ways to encourage others to "do" better is the liver sandwich method.  That is where you say something positive first and then a critique and then finish with something positive again.  Even though that method feels positive, human nature gets stuck on the negative.

I recently read a blog by Rachel Macy Stafford entitled "Six Words You Should Say Today."  She had read an article in which she saw this phrase: "I love to watch you play."  As she began to practice this with her children, she said she could almost hear her child's mind say, "The pressure's off. She just loves to watch me ...; that is all."

As I read her blog, I realized that is what Father says to us; "I love to watch you my child!"  That truly takes the pressure off of us.  Unfortunately, religion has made it all about performance.  We have been taught that God expects our best, but what is our best?  How good is good enough?  Is it possible for God to just enjoy watching us because we are simply His?

I think I have come closest to understanding this through being a grandfather.  My oldest is two and a half and her younger first cousin is almost two.  They are very different from each other, not to mention one is a girl and the other a boy.  The older one started walking at nine months and the other around thirteen months.  I didn't think there was anything wrong because the second one started walking later.  I just enjoy watching them.  I love everything about them!  They are a joy to be around.  The coolest part is to see their little faces light up when they see Mimi and Papa.

Father reminded me that He loves to watch me.  He doesn't compare me to Jesus as I was taught by many well-meaning folks in my life.  If that were so, He would know nothing but disappointment.  Who can compare their behavior with that of Christ and come away looking good!?  No one!  It's not about behavior, but about relationship.  Father loves us because of who He is.  As His children, He loves to see us grow.  When He rescued us from the domain of darkness (Col. 1:13) He immediately changed our identity and justified us.  He made us perfect and holy and righteous, but we still have to grow experientially into that truth.

My grandchildren are made to be adults, but they don't look like adults yet, nor do they act like it.  They will become adults one day, but today I'm going to enjoy watching them.  We were made to behave perfect, but we're not there yet.  Nonetheless, Father does enjoy watching us!

Giving Trust

As a counselor, I deal with the issue of "trust" a lot.  As I listen to couples struggling with giving and getting trust, I want to wave a magic wand and make their struggle go away.  Of course, I don't have a magic wand or a magic pill or even magic words to say.  I've asked Father to teach me more about trust and help me see it from His perspective.

I was thinking about the level of trust between Tess and me.  We both trust each other greatly in most areas of our life.  As a matter of fact, I enjoy trusting her.  I don't sit around and wonder what she is doing when I am not looking.  There is peace in this manner of living.

As I thought more about trust I realized there are two aspects of trust: giving trust and receiving trust.  There is the one who gives trust and the one who receives trust.  Each party has a responsibility in this "trust" process.  The obvious and most observed of this transaction is the responsibility of the receiver to either earn or deserve the trust that is given.  If the receiver's behavior cast any doubt that they are deserving of trust, trust can be withheld by the giver.  In this case, the burden of trust really falls solely on the shoulders of the receiver.

The problem we encounter as humans when trying to give trust is that we are limited in our ability to control, to know the future, and to know the heart of others.  All we can do is observe behavior in others and then make judgement calls on whether they are "trustworthy" or not!  This process can be very scary if you have been hurt by someone you trusted.  No one wants to get hurt.

Father showed me the other side of the process.  There is the responsibility of the giver to give trust without proof.  It is assuming the best when experience doesn't line up with expectation.  It is knowing the heart of the one in whom you are giving trust.  You may be thinking at this point, "Only God can truly know the heart of a person!"  Bingo!  We have to depend on Christ because He is all-knowing and totally in control.  Trust given through the power of abiding in Christ produces peace and joy in the life of the giver.

I told Tess I realized I trusted her because of who I am and not because of what she does or doesn't do.  Initially she gave me a funny look, but I further explained.  I want to trust her whether she earns it or not.  I want to assume the best about her even when I may question a behavior.  This kind of trust can only be given through Christ's Life in me.  It is ultimately me trusting Christ as He trusts others through me!

If I am allowing others to determine my well-being, they will eventually hurt me with their words and actions.  I see husbands and wives giving this power to each other, and then eventually the other will hurt and wound them deeply.  When this happens, the temptation is to withhold trust until the other person earns their trust again.  The problem with this kind of trust giving is the "hell" the giver lives in while they worry about being hurt again.

You see, Christ will never hurt me.  He loves me deeply and fully.  Christ can be completely trusted.  Trusting others through Christ is a divine process.  It cannot be explained, but it can be lived as you trust Christ in you!

Life Is a Journey

I love to hike, especially in the mountains.  I used to live in Montana and hiking in the Rocky Mountains was awesome!  They are much more grandiose than the mountains here in Georgia, even though I enjoy the mountains here also.  I remember the first time I went hiking in the Rockies.  I looked at what I thought was the summit and made my way toward that destination.  When I arrived to that point, I realized there was much more to this mountain.  As I was resting, I looked up again and determined where the "top" of the mountain was located.  When I arrived at that point, again, I realized I was still a long way from the top.  Of course, this was very frustrating.  The size of the mountain was much larger than I could perceive.

It took me awhile to stop judging my journey in the context of the destination.  I learned to enjoy the beauty around me as well as the adventure of each step.  There was something new to see and experience around every corner and over each little slope. To be honest, I never did make it to the top of the mountain.  I learned to enjoy the journey.

For me this is an excellent word picture for life.  Father has been teaching me to enjoy the journey and to stop looking ahead to determine the destination.  For those of you who are planners or goal setters or visionaries, I'm not saying to stop planning or setting goals or casting vision.  When Jesus told Martha that her sister Mary had chosen the better option, He wasn't telling her to stop being a hostess.  Also, He was not telling Mary to embrace laziness!  He was helping Martha to gain perspective.  Martha was not enjoying the journey; she was trying to reach a destination.  (Luke 10:38-42)

It is too easy for me to try and look ahead to determine a destination.  It's ok for me to just walk.  God is directing my steps.  In my flesh I have the tendency to worry about the "how's" and the "what's."  In other words, I want to be able to control and manage outcomes.  God is a gentleman and will allow me to attempt that God-sized task, but He knows I will fail.

Here is what I am learning: God is my destination!  In Him I have life.  Life is not found in reaching a destination out there somewhere.  For some that perceived destination might be getting married, or landing the perfect job, or attaining wealth, or gaining power, or going on the perfect vacation, or fulfilling a bucket list!  Acts 17:28a says, "for in Him we live and move and exist..."  No matter where we are on the journey, we have Him.

Don't beat yourself up for not reaching the summit of the mountain.  Enjoy the scenery right where you are.  Don't worry about tomorrow, or next week, or next year.  You and I are exactly where we are supposed to be right now; we are learning to rest and we are learning to surrender.  Enjoy your journey!

Living by Law

A couple of weeks ago I talked about the difference between law and grace.  Even as we begin to wrap our minds around God's grace as believers, we still struggle with "law living."  If you have ever had any thoughts that go something like this, "I should have done _______," you just made a jaunt over into law living!

This subject is tough because living in this world we do have responsibilities.  Teeth need to be brushed, floors need to swept, yards need to be mowed, children need to be fed, bills need to be paid, test need to be studied for, messes need to be cleaned, etc...  Living by grace doesn't mean we get a pass on being responsible, but some seem to make that connection when they are introduced to the deeper levels of God's grace.

Anything you do or think you "need" to do to make life better for yourself is law living.  When I say anything, I mean anything!  Do you think you will be a better Christian if you read your Bible more? or pray more? or tithe 10%? or go to church every Sunday? or witness everyday?  Doing any of these things for the purpose of improving your life is law living.  Please don't misunderstand me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with anything I just listed.  As far as healthy pursuits go, they are some of the highest one could choose.

So what am I implying?  Anything you or I "do" to gain life (value, worth, purpose, significance, acceptance, etc...), is living by law.  Only Christ can give life.  He said He was the way, the truth, and the life! (John 10:10)  Life is not something you do, He is someone you know!  He gives us our purpose, our worth, our significance; He gives us His Life and we have that Life simply because of His doing.

When I am trying to improve my life by concentrating on my "good works" performance, I am choosing to place myself under law.  Paul said when I do that, I have fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4).  Falling from grace is not losing your salvation, it is trying to gain justification by living according to law.  No man is justified by law (Gal. 3:11).

Please understand that only a righteous person can produce righteous acts.  We don't become righteous by acting righteous.  That's like saying an animal becomes a dog by barking more!  I had a dog that barked less than ten times in her 11 years of life.  That was very un-dog-like of her, but that didn't change the fact that she was 100% dog.  If Christ lives in you, He has made you righteous.  Because you are righteous, live righteously!  Law living never produced righteous living, nor can it.  You "get to" (grace) live like Jesus, you don't "have to" (law).

It takes a life-time to undo our tendency to live by law, but that is ok!  God's grace is even sufficient for that.

Living by Faith

One of my favorite verses is Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (NASB)

In this verse Paul is referring to two different "I's."  The first "I" was the old man or old creature that was born into this physical world spiritually dead.  That creature was the "walking dead!"  The second "I" is that new creature or saint that is alive because of Christ's Life living in that new creature.  However, that new spiritual creature who is fully alive has to operate in and interact with this physical world until he/she is released by physical death.

I am convinced we are dependent creatures needing Christ's Life for victorious living.  Having said that, our faith is our spiritual hands to receive what God is giving us.  Faith is not what we have to invoke God for blessings, but rather what He has given us to receive His blessings.  I don't "practice" faith so that I can live "for" God, but rather my faith is what it takes to receive Christ's Life so that I can "practice" His Life in the here and now in this physical world.

Look at the phrase in Galatians 2:20, "...the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith..."  This eternal life I live here in this temporal container or earthen vessel (2 Cor. 4: 7), in this temporary existence, cannot be generated by self-effort or self-will.  I would have to be an independent creature who decides to "live for God" in order to generate life.  God, by His grace, is giving me Life.  By faith, my receptor, I'm receiving that Life and then Life is being expressed in me and is seen by myself and others in this physical world.

I like to illustrate this with a cup.  If I pour water in a cup until it is full, then the cup is full.  It will not hold any more water.  However, if I keep pouring the water into the cup, it will overflow.  Saints are like that cup.  We are completely full of Christ's life at all times, but if we are walking according to the flesh, there will be no overflow.  If we are living life by faith, there will be overflow.  His Life will be visible in our life.  I will see it and you will see it.  Others will say, "they seem so joyful and peaceful!"

You may have thought, "I just don't think I have enough faith to live like that."  Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith.  That's great news!  Christ not only gave us Life, He also gave us faith and He is perfecting it.  So rest and enjoy the process.  Don't try to generate righteous works for God, let Him generate them through you as you live this Life here in this physical world.

Grace vs. Law

Since I have begun to understand God's grace, the "law" has a limited function in my life.  Once upon a time I allowed my level of law performance to tell me who I am.  Of course, no matter how well I performed I was declared "not good enough."

Paul said in Romans 6:14, "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (NASB)  Paul is implying that when we were under law, sin was our master.  Since we have been transferred to a different kingdom (Col. 1:13) our system of government is different.  In the kingdom of darkness we were under a law system.  It is true that God put that law system in place, but that was to remind us that we were doomed as residents of this dark kingdom.

Now that we have been rescued from this kingdom of darkness by Christ Himself, we are now under a new system.  This new system is called "grace."  This new kingdom is a kingdom of light and life.  In the kingdom of darkness, performance was the standard that determined your rank and position.  No matter how well you performed, you still lived in a dark kingdom that God describes as eternal death!

In this new kingdom of light, identity in Christ is the standard.  Christ made us new creatures who want to live righteously at our deepest level.  Kingdom life this side of heaven is lived out in this world where we are aliens and strangers.  This is not our home.  As a matter of fact, even our bodies once belonged to the resident of that dark kingdom dweller.  God, by His design, placed that new creature in the earth suit of that old creature that was crucified. (Gal. 2:20)

God's grace is the economic standard of this new kingdom.  His grace makes it possible for me to live among those who are still residents of the dark kingdom.  His grace makes it possible for me to love my fellow kingdom dwellers even when they aren't acting like it.  His grace is constantly reminding me of who I am when I am acting like a dark kingdom dweller.

In the dark kingdom "sin" was the master; in this glorious and wonderful kingdom of light, Christ is my master and He rules by grace!  In this world I am still obligated to abide by its laws, but "law" does not give me life and purpose.  Only my relationship with Christ gives me life!

Two Lives

Everyone wants to live!  Even those who make choices that leads to destruction are wanting to live.  It is a part of how God created us; we all want life.

Jesus said in John 12:25, “He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.” (NASB)  The word "life" is used three times in this verse.  The first two is the Greek word "psuche."  Psuche can be translated as soul or life.  It can refer to the force that animates our bodies and it is also the seat of our thoughts, desires, attitudes, emotions, affections and aversions.

The third "life" is "zoe," which means eternal life.  Eternal life is God's life.  It is much more than a quantitative benefit; it is a quality that can only be expressed by God's nature and character.  It is "goodness" and "rightness," it is "peace" and "joy."  This is the life for which we are all created to hunger.

Even though we are all created with this "psuche" life, it is not the location of "zoe" life.  God never intended for us to draw eternal life from our striving to gain life through our personalities, our career choices, our human relationships, or our procurement of "stuff."  True life, eternal life, is His life.  It is Christ's life in us being expressed in our thoughts, our attitudes, and our choices.

Jesus said we are to hate this psuche life.  Of course he is contrasting His way with man's way. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (NASB)  Basically, we have to hate our way to gain "life."

Today, embrace God's way.  Surrender to His Life in you and fellowship with Him and you will express His thoughts, attitudes and choices!

Trust

It is wonderful when knowledge of truth and experience mesh in my life.  The one thing Father has taught me is that He is truth.  He wants me to live out of Him and not out my perceptions or understandings.  As a counselor I see folks responding to their circumstances based on their limited understanding, and this brings frustration and angst.  Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." (NASB)

When I try to gain peace in the midst of my circumstances, I find myself wanting to control all the variables involved.  The problem is, however, I don't have that kind of power.  Let's be honest, most of those "variables" are people!  If I could read their minds and manipulate their thinking, maybe I could control them...maybe.

I am learning that Father wants me to trust Him in all things.  He promised He could give peace and joy in the middle of my circumstances that don't line up with my expectations.  Funny thing is, I'm the one who ends up changing, not other people.

The flesh is my enemy, not my friend.  It is not "Life" friendly.  It is that automatic knee-jerk reaction to circumstances that attempts to get needs met apart from trusting in God.  We all have needs, and pretending I don't, to appear more godly, is also "flesh."  When I am trusting God, He is meeting all of my needs in the best possible way.

So, here is the bottom line; when my experience doesn't mesh with truth, it is a greater opportunity to trust Father for Life.  God knows we need opportunities to trust Him.  There are no greater moments than when our circumstances don't line up with our expectations!

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;” (2 Corinthians 1:8, 9 NASB)

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5 NASB)

New Beginnings

I've decided to take a stab at maintaining a blog site on a regular basis.  Even though I really like technology, I have resisted getting in on some of the social media crazes.  You might say I'm a little behind!  I finally started using e-mail a number of years after e-mail became popular.  Then there was texting.  I still remember the first time I saw an advertisement on TV for texting.  I thought, "who in their right mind would ever use something like that!"  Of course, now I prefer a text over a phone call most of the time!

Even though I have a FaceBook account, I rarely use it.  I'll be honest, it really doesn't feel very personal.  And, being a counselor, I've seen FaceBook become the tool that many have used to destroy their own lives.  Don't get me wrong, FaceBook is not the problem, it is people trying to get a need met that ultimately FaceBook can't fill.

I want people to know the truth.  I want them to know that God created them for a purpose; and that purpose is not to get their needs met apart from Him!  Your purpose and my purpose is to Live!  I capitalized that word because we were made to know and experience God's Life.  It doesn't really matter what you "do," but it does matter who you "be."  Only when we are living God's Life does are "doing" have any meaning.

From God's perspective this is all very simple.  We are the ones who are complicating it all.  Jesus said for all who are weary to come to Him and He will give them rest (Matt. 11:28).  If you or I are not resting, we are not Living!  When I'm not resting, I'm trying to meet my needs.  There is nothing wrong with having needs, but the question is, who is meeting those needs?

Let's trust God today for today.  He is able and He is willing.  He loves you and me more passionately than we can imagine.  Oh yea, and please connect with someone face to face today if you can!

Grace to all!
Tom