2 . 26 . 12
Happy Sunday friends :)
I wish to bring to the eyes and hearts of those who might be reading this, a request for prayer... These last few days have been crazy, the spirit is on the move... like the wind. Please read on...
Last week - on ash wednesday - I wrote about the season of lent, the cleansing it represents, and discipline it requires...
Re-reading my words, I thought I should copy the end in this post. Remembering the condition of my heart on wednesday is now such a gift as the events which would follow are just too much to ignore... Here's how I ended the post, followed by my account of the days following (feel free to skip on ahead if you've already read it...):
"...the gift of God which awaits those who present themselves as faithful in pursuing the sometimes difficult commands of the spirit(Jericho). Then in a pure light being cleansed from unrighteousness (Achan) where the Lord can now hold you warmly in His perfect hands, giving hope for today, and eyes for tomorrow…
And of course,it all comes back to Jesus, the Son which cleanses… delivering through his death & resurrection the gift of the spirit which will hover above and within as I journey this next week, learning new discipline, leaning on the spirit to give power in moments of weakness & temptation…
The whole purpose..?. its my gift (so small but so significant) to my maker … a display of my affection for Him and a way of saying thanks for all he has blessed me with. It's a pouring out… a re-throning of the Spirit in my life, giving His touch - the same touch which delivered Moses & Joshua with glooory - authority and creative license over my life and it's direction."
After this day of ash, the spirit was given new freedom in my life...
So Thursday I got an email from the president of an organization called Warm Blankets International, a group I'd been working with this past year, struggling to get a Sunspring unit to a community in Burkina Faso (W Africa) where it would provide safe water to over 1,000 impoverished individuals, who just. don't. have any.
This process has taken over a year.. a year to recruit and gather the $$, ship the unit, break out of customs, properly educate on set-up, and eventually install... at each step there were moments of "is this going to work"?
Anyway, Thursday he sent me this email with the pictures of it's finally having been installed. In the pictures I saw the unit pumping water with community members surrounding it full of joy, for now they can drink... Glory!!:)!!
Selah.
In the email he asked if I was interested in doing consulting work with Warm Blankets, and said we should talk soon... we spoke friday for an hour.
Walking through what his vision was for me within the organization, tears rolled down my cheeks... my spirit could not have been more glad... ash now gone, i felt 'warmly held in His perfect hands, given hope for today, and eyes for tomorrow'.
This guy Craig, we've never actually met, but apparently our conversations on the phone regarding the Sunspring and how it was handled were enough for him to reach out. He candidly told me that his spirit felt my name come into his mind wednesday as discussions of who they might recruit to fill this position were beginning. Coincidence? :)
The hour conversation was not enough... He told me he wanted to fly me out to discuss the job further and actually meet me. Tomorrow I'll be in Illinois, Tuesday night I'll be back... I wonder what my 'eyes for tomorrow' might see as this journey only gets more interesting...
The job: It's framework - as I understand it - looks like this... building relationships with high net worth donors, sharing the story of Warm Blankets (whose mission statement is James 1:27... gahh love it!), and then leading these people around the network of orphanages in over a dozen countries throughout SE Asia & Africa where their $$ has touched so many... first trip would be to Africa in two months. I'll find out more soon... tomorrow actually:)
So pray for me. Pray for it to be a warm introduction... that if this is the direction the spirit is wanting to lead me, that I would respond and move... move my feet towards His good work.
"Why are you planning all these great things for the fall; plans to do work which you know makes your heart pump with passion, work which you know you were created to do... when I may want to use you now to do these things??"
This is what I felt as I drove the 1400 miles from Seattle-Salida... having a firm grip on this summer being a raft guide again, I felt the spirit pressuring me to - in my heart - open up this space for Him to move... If rafting is not meant to be, I want to be okay with that... pray for this. I love the river... so much. The people I work and the community we've built... even more.
Moving on...
Equally significant and definitely worth a mention are the other ways the spirit moved in the days following wednesday. Two Sunspring units I've been waiting on since October, the money has finally come through... all in His perfect time. Shoutout to Rotary International and the good work they're doing with clean water for the people of Northwest Haiti... Glory!
And one more I'll share, thursday I got a call from a person I know will become a dear friend here in the valley... Mallory Mccall, calling to give me the classic YL welcome, inviting me over sometime for beergharitas and burgers at their home where she lives with three other YL leaders, all who work just next door at the Salida Hostel... Just perfect. It now has a scent of 'home' this town...
Judd and I went over there last night and met her as well as her roommate Katie, both just a year or two outta college... what beautiful spirited women who clearly love jesus and have such beautiful vision and hope for how the Spirit wants to move in this valley, where in many ways darkness reigns..
Did I forget to mention too that the methodist church I've gone to these past three weeks (wherein grey heads full of wisdom outweigh youth like myself at least 20:1.. ha.. love it) has just last week shown interest in me speaking to the congregation about the possibility of having a raft guide dinner in Salida, like the one in BV where over 150 mangy guides come each week for a warm, home cooked meal and a shower... could be my first time behind a pulpit.. where is this meant to lead I wonder?
Gosh... So much more to share about each of these crazy happenings... that should do for now.. join me in praying for each, please:)
I write these things, not for myself... i know it, I feel it, I relyyy on "it". I write for you... that the warmth and perfect guidance of the Holy Spirit might touch your life today... that you might have your very own 'ash wednesday', today, tomorrow, whenever... a day for your spirit to give up that which hinders, and touch life, re-connecting with it's source, giving the maker of you, the maker of your eyes - your most beautiful, complex eyes - which read these words, authority over this life, delivering new hope for a life offered us all in eternity.
Ending with some meat to chew on... this morning in scripture I found myself nearing the end of the story of Joshua. His journey... just crazy. Without the hand of God, it's nothing... But His plans were to bring Glory to His name, and freedom to His people, through the spirit led leadership of Joshua, and before him Moses.
It hasn't been an easy journey for Joshua and his people... anything but actually. However, he remained faithful... and his people are now settled in the land which was promised them long loooong ago... a place they could only dream about as they journeyed forty years in the desert, manna falling from the sky, they knew and trusted (most of them..)... even in the desert, sand and suffering stretching as far as the eye could see.
And now the journey is ending... and "the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give... they took possession of it and settled there. The lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."
Beautiful, no?
We are all promised beautiful things... if only we'll let the Spirit be our guide. We know this from scripture.. we feel it, and in desert moments, we do our best to remember our own 'exodus', the ways in which the hand of God has touched our lives, and maybe those around us.. and as we munch on manna and dream of a future bedded warmly in eternity with our maker, we can then be used, our joy which overflows bringing life to those in need, theirs then overflowing to those longing to overflow...
Be well friends! Thank you for your prayers! I'll hope to be back wednesday with an update :)
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Gods mind changed?
11 . 5 . 11
**a good song to read to**
2 kings 20ish
Today I read of a man who had a heart for the Lord, and how that man’s prayer changed the mind of God.
The section I’m writing on is the beginning of 2 kings 20... but to understand the story of this man, Hezekiah, you should read back a few chapters to learn of his devotion to his God. I could’ve written a dozen blogs on this section from what I learned, but I chose instead to just read it, and let it soak. It soaked to the point of saturation today and what drips from my spirit I want to share with you...
Please stick with me... :)
Starting in chapter 18, we learn that Hezekiah is 25 when he takes the throne (an interesting story for me, having one more day of being 25)... he rules for 29 years, and we read that “he did what was right in the eyes of the lord, just as his father David had done. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him (it continues beautifully)...”
He loved God, maybe even more than David (this is important soon..)...
So in chp 20, Isaiah enters the picture.. a young prophet who will go on to write his own book in the bible. He approaches Hezekiah and tells him that he’s gonna die... that he should “put his house in order”... he would soon die.
God had decided this, and told Isaiah to deliver this message...
Hezekiah’s reaction? He turned his head to the wall, and said this with dry eyes...
“remember, o lord, how i have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.”
... and then, he wept bitterly ...
This man, with a heart that felt, and eyes that saw the glory which awaited him in the kingdom of HEAVEN... this man spoke with God, and heres the thing...
... he didn’t ask for his life to be spared ...
Why would he?! He knew what awaited him... the glory, free from pain, suffering, evil... he knew what awaited him, and ya know what, I don’t think you find a devout follower of God in the bible who asked for their own ‘lives’ to be spared... in fact, I think quite a few times they ask for their lives to be taken, their spirits lifted...
Hezekiah said “remember o lord...”... and the Lord saw that he could use him more. It says that through Isaiah, God told Hezekiah that he heard his prayer, and he felt each of his tears, and he was going to add 15 years to his life... among other beautiful things.
What a beautiful story, where the heart of God in a man shone through...
I’m heavily reminded of another story just a couple books back, a story very, very important to know in order to understand this guys heart... A couple generations back in Hezekiah’s lineage was David. (if u have a minute or two, read this story..)
David. The ‘man after God’s own heart’... David, the author of the psalms...
... david, the same guy who had a similar experience confronting God.. His young son (who he had out of god’s blessing.. verrry important) had become sick, and the lord said he was going to take this child, this child who came as a result of David’s sin.
David fasted, he wept bitterly, he laid by his sons bedside through his sickness pleeeading with God... but wow... upon re-reading it now, it doesn’t say that David asked that any lives be spared... it just says he wept, fasted, laid in his tears at his bedside ‘pleading’ with god.. for what?
The kid died on the 7th day... and almost in the same breath as the news he was about to hear of his sons death, he got up, put some oil on his head, wiped his tears and worshiped his God.
He worshiped.
So, maybe his ‘pleading’ was answered, maybe his child was with God in heaven..??. I’m reading this section in a completely new and beautiful way. :)
He worshiped.
Hezekiah “reminded”... and then he wept bitterly... he was to stay on earth, seperate from where he knew he would eventually reside. But he continued for 15 years, a heart for the Lord, doing the work of the Lord...
... walking in the way of goodness ...
... with a hope for what was to come...
... spreading that hope to His people..
Soak in these two stories today...
Hezekiah, and David... their worship, their tears, their circumstances, and their common residence in eternal communion with GOD...
We all have this same invitation, the invitation to reside with them, and the invitation to have in us a spirit that gives peace in ALL circumstances because of a steadfast faith that GOD is in control.
Ask.. and it will be given. Then learn about it in his good word... a gift. His spirit then guiding... a gift.
Gifts i’m eternally grateful for... eternally.
Check out my view below :) Also, if you clicked that song, and liked it, you might enjoy this :)
Be well friends!
**a good song to read to**
2 kings 20ish
Today I read of a man who had a heart for the Lord, and how that man’s prayer changed the mind of God.
The section I’m writing on is the beginning of 2 kings 20... but to understand the story of this man, Hezekiah, you should read back a few chapters to learn of his devotion to his God. I could’ve written a dozen blogs on this section from what I learned, but I chose instead to just read it, and let it soak. It soaked to the point of saturation today and what drips from my spirit I want to share with you...
Please stick with me... :)
Starting in chapter 18, we learn that Hezekiah is 25 when he takes the throne (an interesting story for me, having one more day of being 25)... he rules for 29 years, and we read that “he did what was right in the eyes of the lord, just as his father David had done. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him (it continues beautifully)...”
He loved God, maybe even more than David (this is important soon..)...
So in chp 20, Isaiah enters the picture.. a young prophet who will go on to write his own book in the bible. He approaches Hezekiah and tells him that he’s gonna die... that he should “put his house in order”... he would soon die.
God had decided this, and told Isaiah to deliver this message...
Hezekiah’s reaction? He turned his head to the wall, and said this with dry eyes...
“remember, o lord, how i have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.”
... and then, he wept bitterly ...
This man, with a heart that felt, and eyes that saw the glory which awaited him in the kingdom of HEAVEN... this man spoke with God, and heres the thing...
... he didn’t ask for his life to be spared ...
Why would he?! He knew what awaited him... the glory, free from pain, suffering, evil... he knew what awaited him, and ya know what, I don’t think you find a devout follower of God in the bible who asked for their own ‘lives’ to be spared... in fact, I think quite a few times they ask for their lives to be taken, their spirits lifted...
Hezekiah said “remember o lord...”... and the Lord saw that he could use him more. It says that through Isaiah, God told Hezekiah that he heard his prayer, and he felt each of his tears, and he was going to add 15 years to his life... among other beautiful things.
What a beautiful story, where the heart of God in a man shone through...
I’m heavily reminded of another story just a couple books back, a story very, very important to know in order to understand this guys heart... A couple generations back in Hezekiah’s lineage was David. (if u have a minute or two, read this story..)
David. The ‘man after God’s own heart’... David, the author of the psalms...
... david, the same guy who had a similar experience confronting God.. His young son (who he had out of god’s blessing.. verrry important) had become sick, and the lord said he was going to take this child, this child who came as a result of David’s sin.
David fasted, he wept bitterly, he laid by his sons bedside through his sickness pleeeading with God... but wow... upon re-reading it now, it doesn’t say that David asked that any lives be spared... it just says he wept, fasted, laid in his tears at his bedside ‘pleading’ with god.. for what?
The kid died on the 7th day... and almost in the same breath as the news he was about to hear of his sons death, he got up, put some oil on his head, wiped his tears and worshiped his God.
He worshiped.
So, maybe his ‘pleading’ was answered, maybe his child was with God in heaven..??. I’m reading this section in a completely new and beautiful way. :)
He worshiped.
Hezekiah “reminded”... and then he wept bitterly... he was to stay on earth, seperate from where he knew he would eventually reside. But he continued for 15 years, a heart for the Lord, doing the work of the Lord...
... walking in the way of goodness ...
... with a hope for what was to come...
... spreading that hope to His people..
Soak in these two stories today...
Hezekiah, and David... their worship, their tears, their circumstances, and their common residence in eternal communion with GOD...
We all have this same invitation, the invitation to reside with them, and the invitation to have in us a spirit that gives peace in ALL circumstances because of a steadfast faith that GOD is in control.
Ask.. and it will be given. Then learn about it in his good word... a gift. His spirit then guiding... a gift.
Gifts i’m eternally grateful for... eternally.
Check out my view below :) Also, if you clicked that song, and liked it, you might enjoy this :)
Be well friends!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
# 68
2.21.12
I sometimes hate thinking of titles... Inspired by DMB, I went with #68 as it's my 68th post… boring title ≠ boring post… hopefully :/
aaanyway...
Lent. A discipline I know/knew far too little about...
Five minutes on google, and I found basically that it's not anywhere in the bible, but rather it was a tradition formed several hundred years after the formation of the church and was originally meant as a 'cleanse' of sins for those who would be baptized forty days following ash wednesday on Easter. Church tradition wrapped itself around this practice, and eventually whole communities were partaking in this 'cleansing' in support of those who were to be baptized… ya ya… stick with me:)
I love the discipline tho…
It comes at a perfect time for me. As did the section of scripture I read this morning… Going now through Joshua, I found myself living in chapters 7 & 8 as I sipped my coffee and ate my morning banana…
So a little background… Joshua has just taken the reigns from Moses, and like Moses he too crossed a dried up river (during flood season)with the power of the lord, delivering His people yet again. He - in an incredibly beautiful act of faith - marched seven days around the walls of Jericho... their faithfulness rewarded as the walls would topple on that seventh day, trumpets sounding, the Lord would give Jericho over to them… after forty years in the desert, the faithful are being delivered.
So Jericho topples, and they're told by the lord to avoid the 'devoted things', for 'all the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred..' (6:19)…
Basically… 'Don't take anything valuable for yourself… but still act faithfully and do what I have commanded you, take Jericho' - God
So, I'll give you the nutshell of what I read this morning because I wanna get to the point, but if u have time, check it out (joshua7&8)..!.
Joshua and his forces are defeated in attacking the city of Ai, he proceeds to tear his clothing and pleeead with God for deliverance, asking him why in the world he would dry up a stinkin' river, move His people across it, tumble Jericho… do ALL these things and more, only to be defeated/demoralized at the hands of Ai and its people.
Legit question really. Better answer tho…
Someone in the Israelite camp had gone against God in taking plunder for himself at Jericho, and had hid it. God knew… And with this infection present, God tells Joshua that this "is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction." (7:12).
Whew…
So what now then? There must be a cleansing…
The Lord walks Joshua through a process whereby the culprit is revealed, given the chance of repentance - and by the lords command - erased from the earth along with what he stole.
Greed man… its all over…
With Israel now cleansed, the Lord tells Joshua he will deliver Ai over, giving the israelites what he had promised. Here's the crazy part, the lord tells Joshua "You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves.!!." (8:2)
"Your gift for being faithful… and not driven by greed, but by My commands, My goodness" -God
In light of Lent - in light of my life - this story was the perfect gift this morning…
There are things in my life I know I need cleansing from, and in my most intimate - 'to thine own self be true' - moments, I knooow this…
Joshua & Jericho… painfully walking round the city seven days… it was delivered and the walls tumbled just as the Lord said they would, but 'don't take anything!'.
Ai, do the same exact thing… 'but this time enjoy the plunder… a gift for being faithful, enduring, trusting'
If only Achan (the guy who stole from Jericho after its defeat) would've known the importance of heeding the Lords calling, that he too might now enjoy the many riches which instead drew his heart from his God, leading to his destruction…
Ash Wednesday is tomorrow… and again I was curious…
Well… turns out its the first day of Lent where ashes are often mixed with some sort of holy water or oil, and then drawn on the forehead in the shape of a cross. I read too somewhere that often people will write on paper what it is they need 'cleansing' from, and then burn that paper, spreading those ashes on their head dwelling in fast throughout the whole day on what it is they will experience deliverance from in the coming Lenten season.
Anyway… might be boring stuff to most people, and it was to me before just recently too…
But seeing how Joshua was instructed by God to purge the Israelite camp of its filth before they could be used by God… this made me curious about taking part in a similar cleanse…
So, although Lent isn't anywhere in the bible, I want to - starting tomorrow morning with ash, oil & prayer - spend a period of time in cleansing… I'm hungry and in need of this… in the best of ways. I don't feel the need to go into what it is I am intimately giving up to the Lord, but I would encourage - if you've read this far - to spend some time thinking about these stories, this season of lent, and the gift of God which awaits those who present themselves as faithful in pursuing the sometimes difficult commands of the spirit(Jericho). Then in a pure light being cleansed from unrighteousness (Achan) where the Lord can now hold you warmly in His perfect hands, giving hope for today, and eyes for tomorrow…
And of course,it all comes back to Jesus, the Son which cleanses… delivering through his death & resurrection the gift of the spirit which will hover above and within as I journey this next week, learning new discipline, leaning on the spirit to give power in moments of weakness & temptation…
The whole purpose..?. its my gift (so small but so significant) to my maker … a display of my affection for Him and a way of saying thanks for all he has blessed me with. It's a pouring out… a re-throning of the Spirit in my life, giving His touch - the same touch which delivered Moses & Joshua with glooory - authority and creative license over my life and it's direction.
Important disciplines. Discipline, important.
Ha..
Really… SOOO much between these lines theologically as well as personally… would welcome any questions/discussion as there really is sooo much more…
Be well, friends!
I sometimes hate thinking of titles... Inspired by DMB, I went with #68 as it's my 68th post… boring title ≠ boring post… hopefully :/
aaanyway...
Lent. A discipline I know/knew far too little about...
Five minutes on google, and I found basically that it's not anywhere in the bible, but rather it was a tradition formed several hundred years after the formation of the church and was originally meant as a 'cleanse' of sins for those who would be baptized forty days following ash wednesday on Easter. Church tradition wrapped itself around this practice, and eventually whole communities were partaking in this 'cleansing' in support of those who were to be baptized… ya ya… stick with me:)
I love the discipline tho…
It comes at a perfect time for me. As did the section of scripture I read this morning… Going now through Joshua, I found myself living in chapters 7 & 8 as I sipped my coffee and ate my morning banana…
So a little background… Joshua has just taken the reigns from Moses, and like Moses he too crossed a dried up river (during flood season)with the power of the lord, delivering His people yet again. He - in an incredibly beautiful act of faith - marched seven days around the walls of Jericho... their faithfulness rewarded as the walls would topple on that seventh day, trumpets sounding, the Lord would give Jericho over to them… after forty years in the desert, the faithful are being delivered.
So Jericho topples, and they're told by the lord to avoid the 'devoted things', for 'all the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred..' (6:19)…
Basically… 'Don't take anything valuable for yourself… but still act faithfully and do what I have commanded you, take Jericho' - God
So, I'll give you the nutshell of what I read this morning because I wanna get to the point, but if u have time, check it out (joshua7&8)..!.
Joshua and his forces are defeated in attacking the city of Ai, he proceeds to tear his clothing and pleeead with God for deliverance, asking him why in the world he would dry up a stinkin' river, move His people across it, tumble Jericho… do ALL these things and more, only to be defeated/demoralized at the hands of Ai and its people.
Legit question really. Better answer tho…
Someone in the Israelite camp had gone against God in taking plunder for himself at Jericho, and had hid it. God knew… And with this infection present, God tells Joshua that this "is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction." (7:12).
Whew…
So what now then? There must be a cleansing…
The Lord walks Joshua through a process whereby the culprit is revealed, given the chance of repentance - and by the lords command - erased from the earth along with what he stole.
Greed man… its all over…
With Israel now cleansed, the Lord tells Joshua he will deliver Ai over, giving the israelites what he had promised. Here's the crazy part, the lord tells Joshua "You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves.!!." (8:2)
"Your gift for being faithful… and not driven by greed, but by My commands, My goodness" -God
In light of Lent - in light of my life - this story was the perfect gift this morning…
There are things in my life I know I need cleansing from, and in my most intimate - 'to thine own self be true' - moments, I knooow this…
Joshua & Jericho… painfully walking round the city seven days… it was delivered and the walls tumbled just as the Lord said they would, but 'don't take anything!'.
Ai, do the same exact thing… 'but this time enjoy the plunder… a gift for being faithful, enduring, trusting'
If only Achan (the guy who stole from Jericho after its defeat) would've known the importance of heeding the Lords calling, that he too might now enjoy the many riches which instead drew his heart from his God, leading to his destruction…
Ash Wednesday is tomorrow… and again I was curious…
Well… turns out its the first day of Lent where ashes are often mixed with some sort of holy water or oil, and then drawn on the forehead in the shape of a cross. I read too somewhere that often people will write on paper what it is they need 'cleansing' from, and then burn that paper, spreading those ashes on their head dwelling in fast throughout the whole day on what it is they will experience deliverance from in the coming Lenten season.
Anyway… might be boring stuff to most people, and it was to me before just recently too…
But seeing how Joshua was instructed by God to purge the Israelite camp of its filth before they could be used by God… this made me curious about taking part in a similar cleanse…
So, although Lent isn't anywhere in the bible, I want to - starting tomorrow morning with ash, oil & prayer - spend a period of time in cleansing… I'm hungry and in need of this… in the best of ways. I don't feel the need to go into what it is I am intimately giving up to the Lord, but I would encourage - if you've read this far - to spend some time thinking about these stories, this season of lent, and the gift of God which awaits those who present themselves as faithful in pursuing the sometimes difficult commands of the spirit(Jericho). Then in a pure light being cleansed from unrighteousness (Achan) where the Lord can now hold you warmly in His perfect hands, giving hope for today, and eyes for tomorrow…
And of course,it all comes back to Jesus, the Son which cleanses… delivering through his death & resurrection the gift of the spirit which will hover above and within as I journey this next week, learning new discipline, leaning on the spirit to give power in moments of weakness & temptation…
The whole purpose..?. its my gift (so small but so significant) to my maker … a display of my affection for Him and a way of saying thanks for all he has blessed me with. It's a pouring out… a re-throning of the Spirit in my life, giving His touch - the same touch which delivered Moses & Joshua with glooory - authority and creative license over my life and it's direction.
Important disciplines. Discipline, important.
Ha..
Really… SOOO much between these lines theologically as well as personally… would welcome any questions/discussion as there really is sooo much more…
Be well, friends!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Spiritual Cud
2.16.12
The Son of man.
Jesus. The one and only to ever come down to earth from his dwellings in Heaven.
Continuing the journey through John today, I read the famous verse, 3:16. I read it a bit differently however...
“for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, for whoever believes in him... (goodness).. Whoever does not believe in him... (perish).”
The subscript in my bible for the verse “one & only son” reads “only begotten son...” This makes more sense. For Jesus was speaking of heavenly things which he’d seen... if then when he speaks of earthly things & we do not believe, how will we believe when he speaks of Heavenly things(3:12)?
Thus began his ministry of bringing the power of Heaven by means of the Spirit (3:5) to the eyes & hearts of those dwelling all across the earth. Jesus was the begotten Son. Sent from Heaven, to “begot” an ailing humanity in need of salvation... hope, purpose, comfort...
This fresh understanding has helped me to see different truth in our being ‘sons & daughters’, for Jesus is the only begotten “Son”. And sure, Jesus was able to do such great things with this Spirit because he was the man most certain of his everlasting citizenship in Heaven that ever walked the earth... He came from there. We - although we’re given the gift of access to this same Spirit through His death & resurrection - struggle... I’m believing more and more that growing these eyes for eternity is the most powerful way to be effective today...
So ya... Verses like “you will do even greater things than I...”, I wonder if he is speaking in a timeless dimension where yes, one day when we finally find ourself in that most Heavenly dwelling, our spirit is for the first time in perfect unity with the Love source, it’s creator... if it is then that we will do ‘even greater things...’ for at that time, our connection to the Spiritual would be similar to Jesus’ when he left to come to earth.. even greater things.. one day.
Our earth journey then is one of bringing more & more ‘Spirit’ to those who are thirsty for goodness... freedom... healing... hope
In the 3:16 section it also makes the distinction between what awaits those who ‘believe’ or do ‘not believe’ in Jesus, Son of man. I’m glad the distinction was between ‘do not believe’, & not just simply ‘the rest of you...’. This is good for me to read because it doesn’t touch on what awaits those who do not hear of Jesus in their lifetime... And verses like ‘I am the way, the truth & the light, no one gets to the father except through me(jesus)...”
These tooootally work together, how I see it. Jesus meets us when we die, I wholly believe this. A handful of accounts of near death experiences I’ve come across this last year (one in particular) have all attested to experiencing a ‘jesus’ figure who welcomed them upon their passing over.
There to welcome us, with warmth & love like we cannot possibly imagine...
So yes, ‘no one gets to the Father except through him.' Either on earth, we meet Jesus & upon encountering the gift of his grace, we either believe, or we don’t, & our lives reflecting these beliefs, we know from 3:16 what awaits both... Glory vs. perishing.
Or on earth, bretheren strewn across the globe living well loving God, the earth & others, having never heard of Jesus, this man will one day feel that warmth, that love... I must believe this. Scriptures such as these, as well as one of my favorites in Romans 2, these and many others touching on the same idea... they help confirm what my spirit knows as truth, as pure grace, perfect love.
Later in Chapter three, John the baptist acknowledges the great things Jesus is able to do by saying ‘the one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen & heard.”
Beautiful.
Jesus gets his powerful testimony, because of ‘what he has seen & heard’, heaven. The same place which awaits us.
Accepted today, the spirit gives freedom from the sting of death... it gives a hope of things to come, and is a source of comfort in the many moments where life presents itself unfavorably... in pain, suffering, loneliness, fear.. in so many ways, it comforts.
For those who never encountered the Son or feel the power of the spirit here on earth... Jesus will meet them too... one day. And their life’s account will either ‘accuse or excuse’(rom2) them on this day.
“What did you do for your fellow man...”
Jesus... the way, the truth, the light... meeting them on their way to the Father.
It really is too bad - beautiful also - but love doesn’t always win. It must be chosen, when presented with Jesus’ perfect love & the cost of following... chosen.
When floating through life unaware of the powerful Spirit offered by his death... love must still be chosen. Living well, for others, the straight & narrow... 'mercy shall triumph over judgement' for those such as these. And a 'land of milk & honey' awaits...
Chosen. Choose Love...
And like the servant boy in 2 Kings chapter 6, the boy who fearing the enemies chariots surrounding them had Elisha pray that he might be given - but for a moment - eyes to see the powerful angels, “the hills full of horses & chariots of fire all around Elisha”. He was given eyes to see God’s glory all around them... comforting.
Eyes to see the glory all around, the glory which awaits those who choose love.
God. Is. Love.
Love your God. Love Love, love others.
The Son of man.
Jesus. The one and only to ever come down to earth from his dwellings in Heaven.
Continuing the journey through John today, I read the famous verse, 3:16. I read it a bit differently however...
“for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, for whoever believes in him... (goodness).. Whoever does not believe in him... (perish).”
The subscript in my bible for the verse “one & only son” reads “only begotten son...” This makes more sense. For Jesus was speaking of heavenly things which he’d seen... if then when he speaks of earthly things & we do not believe, how will we believe when he speaks of Heavenly things(3:12)?
Thus began his ministry of bringing the power of Heaven by means of the Spirit (3:5) to the eyes & hearts of those dwelling all across the earth. Jesus was the begotten Son. Sent from Heaven, to “begot” an ailing humanity in need of salvation... hope, purpose, comfort...
This fresh understanding has helped me to see different truth in our being ‘sons & daughters’, for Jesus is the only begotten “Son”. And sure, Jesus was able to do such great things with this Spirit because he was the man most certain of his everlasting citizenship in Heaven that ever walked the earth... He came from there. We - although we’re given the gift of access to this same Spirit through His death & resurrection - struggle... I’m believing more and more that growing these eyes for eternity is the most powerful way to be effective today...
So ya... Verses like “you will do even greater things than I...”, I wonder if he is speaking in a timeless dimension where yes, one day when we finally find ourself in that most Heavenly dwelling, our spirit is for the first time in perfect unity with the Love source, it’s creator... if it is then that we will do ‘even greater things...’ for at that time, our connection to the Spiritual would be similar to Jesus’ when he left to come to earth.. even greater things.. one day.
Our earth journey then is one of bringing more & more ‘Spirit’ to those who are thirsty for goodness... freedom... healing... hope
In the 3:16 section it also makes the distinction between what awaits those who ‘believe’ or do ‘not believe’ in Jesus, Son of man. I’m glad the distinction was between ‘do not believe’, & not just simply ‘the rest of you...’. This is good for me to read because it doesn’t touch on what awaits those who do not hear of Jesus in their lifetime... And verses like ‘I am the way, the truth & the light, no one gets to the father except through me(jesus)...”
These tooootally work together, how I see it. Jesus meets us when we die, I wholly believe this. A handful of accounts of near death experiences I’ve come across this last year (one in particular) have all attested to experiencing a ‘jesus’ figure who welcomed them upon their passing over.
There to welcome us, with warmth & love like we cannot possibly imagine...
So yes, ‘no one gets to the Father except through him.' Either on earth, we meet Jesus & upon encountering the gift of his grace, we either believe, or we don’t, & our lives reflecting these beliefs, we know from 3:16 what awaits both... Glory vs. perishing.
Or on earth, bretheren strewn across the globe living well loving God, the earth & others, having never heard of Jesus, this man will one day feel that warmth, that love... I must believe this. Scriptures such as these, as well as one of my favorites in Romans 2, these and many others touching on the same idea... they help confirm what my spirit knows as truth, as pure grace, perfect love.
Later in Chapter three, John the baptist acknowledges the great things Jesus is able to do by saying ‘the one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen & heard.”
Beautiful.
Jesus gets his powerful testimony, because of ‘what he has seen & heard’, heaven. The same place which awaits us.
Accepted today, the spirit gives freedom from the sting of death... it gives a hope of things to come, and is a source of comfort in the many moments where life presents itself unfavorably... in pain, suffering, loneliness, fear.. in so many ways, it comforts.
For those who never encountered the Son or feel the power of the spirit here on earth... Jesus will meet them too... one day. And their life’s account will either ‘accuse or excuse’(rom2) them on this day.
“What did you do for your fellow man...”
Jesus... the way, the truth, the light... meeting them on their way to the Father.
It really is too bad - beautiful also - but love doesn’t always win. It must be chosen, when presented with Jesus’ perfect love & the cost of following... chosen.
When floating through life unaware of the powerful Spirit offered by his death... love must still be chosen. Living well, for others, the straight & narrow... 'mercy shall triumph over judgement' for those such as these. And a 'land of milk & honey' awaits...
Chosen. Choose Love...
And like the servant boy in 2 Kings chapter 6, the boy who fearing the enemies chariots surrounding them had Elisha pray that he might be given - but for a moment - eyes to see the powerful angels, “the hills full of horses & chariots of fire all around Elisha”. He was given eyes to see God’s glory all around them... comforting.
Eyes to see the glory all around, the glory which awaits those who choose love.
God. Is. Love.
Love your God. Love Love, love others.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Transitions.
2 . 14 . 12
They’re tough.
In the middle of one right now in fact.
It’s important to say that as it has had it’s share of tough moments, the moments are great, tough or not. He has shown up in the past, and time (which doesn’t restrict in God’s world 2pe3:8) is all that stands between soon understanding how all the pieces which now just hover overhead, will fall into place.
Having recently finished going through Luke, i’m now two chapters into John where he tells of Jesus’ first miracle; turning water into wine.
It was this, ‘the first of his miraculous signs’, which ‘revealed his glory’ and caused ‘his disciples to put their faith in him’ (jn2:11).
The miracle in and of itself is a beautiful story, from which many beautiful truths can be wrung and enjoyed.
I read it today, and what I felt was an overwhelming sense of comfort knowing that in scripture, this was just the first of many miraculous signs which would reveal - to those with an open ear - His glory to the world.
Crazy miracles he performed... things that can only be attributed to the hand of God. Jesus was able to perform these because he was the embodiment of the Spirit, and upon his death, we were given the gift of that same Spirit.
My life’s recent history has seen it’s fair share of transitions. SD-vail-peru-seattle-denver-haiti-denver-buena vista-seattle-salida. Each representing a significant chunk of time, the coming and going - while at times has been extremely exhausting - has brought me nothing but blessing. Getting into the details of each transition and how at each step the Spirit has led my steps could take up a whole book. It’s so important for me to remember these, just as Jesus’ disciples would, just as the israelites before them and many others in-between... ‘these’ being our perfect reminders in scripture, and in our own lives, of how the Spirit has - when asked to - purely orchestrated beautiful circumstances and interactions which produce fruit that quenches the longings of the soul. :)
With each miracle, the disciples’ faith and submission to the perfect authority of God - his messenger in the spirit, and his son sent to deliver the messenger to the world - must’ve only grown in glory. I feel a similar ingredient floating around in my own spirit, bringing life and hope in the midst of looming darkness, light is allowed to pierce through, and hope springs alive sprouting it’s fragile head through the cold and dry terrain.
Transitions are still tough, although I've grown to look forward to this ‘tough’, becoming excited - in the midst of all sorts of uncertainty - to witness the Spirits unfolding of what has and always will be a far more interesting and fruitful path on which to tread.
So as David says... ‘Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles... sing to the lord... declare His glory among the nations! Tremble before him.. let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad.. let the sea resound and all that is in it.. Give thanks to the lord for He is good, His love endures forever.’ 1chr16:8-36
Remember the hands which hold you... :)
Be well friends!
They’re tough.
In the middle of one right now in fact.
It’s important to say that as it has had it’s share of tough moments, the moments are great, tough or not. He has shown up in the past, and time (which doesn’t restrict in God’s world 2pe3:8) is all that stands between soon understanding how all the pieces which now just hover overhead, will fall into place.
Having recently finished going through Luke, i’m now two chapters into John where he tells of Jesus’ first miracle; turning water into wine.
It was this, ‘the first of his miraculous signs’, which ‘revealed his glory’ and caused ‘his disciples to put their faith in him’ (jn2:11).
The miracle in and of itself is a beautiful story, from which many beautiful truths can be wrung and enjoyed.
I read it today, and what I felt was an overwhelming sense of comfort knowing that in scripture, this was just the first of many miraculous signs which would reveal - to those with an open ear - His glory to the world.
Crazy miracles he performed... things that can only be attributed to the hand of God. Jesus was able to perform these because he was the embodiment of the Spirit, and upon his death, we were given the gift of that same Spirit.
My life’s recent history has seen it’s fair share of transitions. SD-vail-peru-seattle-denver-haiti-denver-buena vista-seattle-salida. Each representing a significant chunk of time, the coming and going - while at times has been extremely exhausting - has brought me nothing but blessing. Getting into the details of each transition and how at each step the Spirit has led my steps could take up a whole book. It’s so important for me to remember these, just as Jesus’ disciples would, just as the israelites before them and many others in-between... ‘these’ being our perfect reminders in scripture, and in our own lives, of how the Spirit has - when asked to - purely orchestrated beautiful circumstances and interactions which produce fruit that quenches the longings of the soul. :)
With each miracle, the disciples’ faith and submission to the perfect authority of God - his messenger in the spirit, and his son sent to deliver the messenger to the world - must’ve only grown in glory. I feel a similar ingredient floating around in my own spirit, bringing life and hope in the midst of looming darkness, light is allowed to pierce through, and hope springs alive sprouting it’s fragile head through the cold and dry terrain.
Transitions are still tough, although I've grown to look forward to this ‘tough’, becoming excited - in the midst of all sorts of uncertainty - to witness the Spirits unfolding of what has and always will be a far more interesting and fruitful path on which to tread.
So as David says... ‘Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles... sing to the lord... declare His glory among the nations! Tremble before him.. let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad.. let the sea resound and all that is in it.. Give thanks to the lord for He is good, His love endures forever.’ 1chr16:8-36
Remember the hands which hold you... :)
Be well friends!
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