Ramblings of Renewal

The Eternal Gift

2011-12-12T04:42:00.000-08:00

...we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ~II Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

As I closed the book, my mind pondered what I had read. It was a novel, fiction, but I was touched by several ideas contained within those pages. One particular portion impacted me. A main character was talking of his mother's struggle with ALS and his father's care of her.
He said:

"My mother's almost completely paralyzed now. She can no longer speak or write. The only thing she can move is the forefinger of her right hand. At night she taps her finger against the bedpost when she hurts. My father wakes up and gives her her pain medicine. He hasn't slept through the night for years...He's given up everything for what he loves most. Her.

...I asked him how he did it, how he could give up so much for her. What he said taught me more about God and Jesus than a thousand sermons ever could...He said love is stronger than pain." (1)

"Love is stronger than pain." (1) There are layers and layers of meaning held within such an idea, such a truth. I'm sure I have barely scratched the surface in my understanding of these powerful words -- but one thing I can say for certain: When Jesus gave His life for the sins of humanity, He did so completely comprehending the beautiful supremacy of love over pain.

Because of His love for God, because of His love for us, Christ took upon Himself the pain of sin and the brief separation from His Father that such sin ensued. He had never known separation from His Father, but He was willing to go to that point of pain and lack that we might know sweet union and precious communion with God.

With Christ's death, the sting of death was removed, the potency of pain was neutralized; for all who believe on Him, death has been swallowed up in victory. (I Corinthians 15:54)

Christ's love took Him to the deepest, greatest pain - separation from His Father. But His death ensured that such separation would never again be necessary, not only for Him, but for all who believe on Him. Once we are in Christ, nothing can separate us from God's love.

Because of Christ's great love for us, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God... (Romans 8:38-39)

When Christ was born of a virgin, when God became man to dwell among men, this is the gift that He came to give. This is the true Gift of Christmas: birth that provided a sacrifice, death that enabled union, separation that eliminated separation.

In light of such a Gift, the suffering and pain of this life is put into perspective. Oh yes, I see why we are encouraged to not lose heart. Outwardly we are wasting away, but because of Christ's love, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Our troubles truly are light and momentary in comparison to what we have been given and what this Gift is producing for us, in us. The struggles, losses, disappointments and frustrations of this life are temporary, but the Great Unseen -- what we can never be separated from -- is Eternal. (II Corinthians 4:16-18)

Shepherds, told of Jesus' birth by an angel, rushed to glimpse the God-babe. (Luke 2:8-20)
A star in the east compelled the Magi to come and see the God-child. (Matthew 2:1-12)
As they looked into the face of the Eternal, time and space clashed -- their eyes saw past the temporal, and they worshiped. They worshiped the Eternal.

What will we do with this Gift we have been given? Will we allow the eyes of our heart to see the wonders of the Eternal or will we hold to visions of the temporary? Will we worship the One who gave everything for what He loved most? He beckons us to follow His example and depend on His provision that we may see past the pain of this life.

Every day that we focus on the Eternal, every minute that we live for the Unseen, we celebrate the true Gift of Christmas -- and the Gift that can never be stolen, broken or destroyed, the Eternal Gift, reigns supreme in our hearts.

This Christmas -- and every day -- may our hearts and minds be captured with the Eternal,

(1) Evans, Richard Paul, The Sunflower.

Therefore Go

2011-12-05T05:32:00.000-08:00

...All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. ~Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

All too often the "therefores" of the Bible are overlooked. In Matthew 28:19, there is a very powerful "therefore". In fact, this "therefore" is pivotal. It was pivotal for the eleven disciples to whom Jesus spoke these words and today, it is just as powerfully pivotal.

At the time these words were spoken, the hearts of the eleven had experienced devastation after devastation. Their Teacher and Friend, the Messiah, Jesus, had been captured, mocked and beaten, crucified and buried. Now, His tomb was empty. Some said they had seen Him, that He had risen from the dead. The two Marys told of seeing Jesus. They relayed His message to the disciples: "Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me". (Matthew 28:10)

So the eleven went to Galilee. Matthew 28:17 tells us, When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Jesus knew their hearts. He knew what they had witnessed, that they had experienced devastation after devastation. He knew their doubts. Soon, He would be going back to sit at the right hand of His Father, but right now He wanted to encourage them with His presence.

His presence proved the truth of His words. His life was His Word. By His very life, He was showing them His power, His authority over death. For He had died -- He was crucified -- and yet He was alive. Death had no hold on Him.

By His very presence, He showed them His all-encompassing authority. Then He told them: "All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me." In that moment, He wanted them to be impacted by two things: the encouragement of His presence and the limitlessness of His authority. After showing His authority and voicing His authority, He gives them the commission to Go: Go to every nation and tell them what I told you. Go and teach others about Me.

But in between the voicing of His authority and the giving of His commission enters that very powerful and pivotal "therefore". "All authority in heaven and earth is given to me. Therefore go..." Because of my authority, Go. Because I have limitless power, Go. You see, He was not sending them empty or impotent, He was sending them in His power. He was not telling them to Go for Him, He was telling them He would Go through them.

As a reminder of the encouragement of His presence and the limitlessness of His authority, He says: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.". These words were a double reminder, for before His crucifixion He had promised them that in His physical absence His Spirit would come and live with them and be in them. (John 14:15-18, John 15:26, John 16:7-8,12-15)

It was very important for the disciples to grasp the limitlessness of Jesus' authority, for that very authority would live within them and would provide everything needed to accomplish all that had been commanded. If they were to "Go" without that authority, they would fail.

Before Jesus ascended to His Father, He expressed the crucial need for the commission to be worked out in His authority. He told his disciples, "I am going to send you what my Father promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:49) Jesus wanted them to do nothing apart from Him, just as He had done nothing apart from His Father. (John 14:9-11) In His physical absence, the disciples needed to wait for the Father to send them His Spirit, then the commission could be carried out as intended.

As I mentioned earlier, the power of that "therefore" was not just for the eleven. It is for every follower of Christ. We, too, have been given the commission to Go, but our commission must be coupled with the authority of Christ. Without such authority, the commission is worthless.

When we believed on Christ as our Savior, we were given the Spirit, but the Spirit does not make us walk in His authority. Walking in the Spirit's authority is something we must choose to do every moment of every day. It is something that can only take place through faith. By choosing to believe Christ's authority in this moment and every moment that follows, the product of the commission is solidified. Do I have limitless confidence in the limitless authority of Christ?

He is the Answer to His Commission, therefore, encouraged in His presence, confidently equipped by His limitless authority, Go.

Fighting With Unholy Weapons

2011-11-28T08:32:00.000-08:00

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore get rid of all moral filth and evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. ~James 1:19-21 (NIV)

Several months ago, I had an unholy fight with the love of my life. What made it unholy? My weapon of choice: anger. Isn't there a righteous indignation? Absolutely. But I was not expressing it. I was raging from hurt feelings, longing for time and an evaluation of priorities; all my expectations were flowing from a heart that felt jilted.

Was my desire for wholeness, for a meeting of the minds? Yes, but I was going after this conclusion in a tainted way. I had let my hurts pile up and fuel anger. I thought I was bringing these hurts before the Lord but had not left them there. I kept bringing them out, stroking them, feeding them with thoughts of discontent. All this stroking admiration led to a big blow up.

My fight was launched in hurt and anger. When I chose to march with such weapons, I was marching to the drum of the Deceiver. I had the opportunity to leave my hurts at Jesus' feet and march with the Redeemer, but I made the wrong choice.

Thankfully, the Spirit touched my heart and I saw the unholiness of my weapons. I stopped, asked for forgiveness and the Redeemer stepped in. He brought the right weapons, holy weapons: love, patience, forgiveness, mercy, peace...in that instant, the atmosphere changed. The real need came to Light and discussion was possible.

My unholy weapons were leading toward a path of destruction -- Oh, the damage those weapons could have done! How thankful I am for the Spirit's whisper, that He helped me listen! How thankful I am for holy weapons!

Didn't I want unity and restoration? Very much. But this was impossible with the weapons I was wielding. What deception -- to think my unholy weapons could bring about holy resolution.

The Lord is teaching me to stop, look up and wait before I respond -- to wait for Him to choose the weapon that is right for whatever I encounter. All too often, I bound forward in my pride, packing unholy weapons, when He is simply asking me to wait, humbly realize I do not know the weapon to use and look to Him -- where the correct weapon is already waiting and ready -- a holy weapon.

Christ in me, those holy weapons are always at my disposal, but I have to stop and look to Him, asking His Spirit to choose instead of my flesh. Looking up releases the license to carry a holy weapon that has the power of life.

Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. ~James 3:18 (NIV)

Beautiful Tender Of My Heart

2011-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

For in him we live and move and have our being... ~Acts 17:28

Faithful Friend,
Shepherd and Overseer of my soul,
Thank you for beautifully tending my heart.

Breath of Life,
My Portion forever,
Thank you for beautifully tending my heart.

Though body is weak,
spirit is strengthened in You.
Your sufficiency never wanes.

Merciful Savior,
Stronghold of my life,
Thank you for beautifully tending my heart.

Though mind is without solution,
spirit is restored in you.
Your mercy never ends.

Living Water,
Light in my darkness,
Thank you for beautifully tending my heart.

Though limitations increase,
spirit is certain in You.
Your love never falters.

Beautiful Redeemer,
My firm Foundation,
Thank you for beautifully tending my heart.

Alpha, Omega,
My all-sufficient Lord,
Thank you for beautifully tending my heart.

Conformed to Transformed: Christ-minded on Love

2011-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8 (NIV)

There is a lot of pain and hurt in this life, but, in Christ, that pain and hurt need not be our resting place. Sometimes in the midst of pain, struggle and hurt, it is hard to keep sight of the fact that we are dearly loved by God. So often, the struggles that touch our lives do not feel marked by love, and yet God showed us how deeply He loved us by sending His Son to die for us -- though we were sinners. Holy God sent His Son into the pit of sin that we might be pulled out of its depths.

Just as this Holy God was willing to send His Son into the pit of sin that we might be saved, this same God is willing to allow struggle and pain that we might learn to rest in His Son and be renewed from within. He does not delight in our affliction, but He does delight in our transformation. "He will not keep back even the most painful chastisement if He can but thereby guide His beloved child to come home and abide in the beloved Son." (Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ). Transformation is that significant, that important, that necessary and that freeing. Do we believe in a Love that will go to any means to make us more like His Son?

No matter what touches my day, everything boils down to this: do I believe that God is a good Shepherd and Overseer of my soul? Do I trust that He knows my needs better than I do and that He will do exactly what is needed?

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It is so easy to look at our situation, to sit in our hurt, and believe what we feel instead of the truth of God's words. Those flesh-minded thoughts taunt and taunt, but we must persevere and seek God's help to keep our mind stayed on Him.

Flesh-minded Thought:
My life is filled with struggle and pain, God must not truly love me.

Christ-minded Thought:
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you. ~Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

Flesh-minded Thought:
This hurts too much to be of God; a loving God would never allow me to hurt like this.

Christ-minded Thought(s):
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. ~Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

True Christian joy is the heart's harmonious response to the Lord's song of love. ~A. W. Tozer

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us. ~I John 4:18-19 (NIV)

Fear is a result of being subject to someone who rejoices in evil and does not desire our good. If we are living in such fear, then we do not understand the depth of God's love for us. A Love that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. A Love that does not make us bend to His will, but is permissive in allowing man free will. A Love that has good plans for His children and desires to bring them a hope and a future. ~CDS

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Rest has overtaken my heart through understanding that God never leaves a single detail dangling. I know that sometimes it seems that He is working in another time zone (I guess in a sense He is - He works outside of time), but there is a peace that comes in realizing that time has no hold on Him -- our deadlines mean nothing -- His work will always be done in the very best way at the perfect point of purpose without a single detail dangling! The only thing that God ever waits on, in relation to our personal destinies, is us -- He is always waiting to give us more of Himself, to bring fulfillment to our lives -- we can take comfort in the truth that He waits on us; He longs for us: He will keep hoping, keep persevering, keep enduring...because that is what Love does. (I Corinthians 13:4-8)

Praise the LORD, for he has shown me his unfailing love... (Psalm 31:21, NLT)

Eyes Lifted Up

2011-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

I lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. ~Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)

For the past 14 years, health struggles have been a major part of my life. There have been good periods, good days, but physical limitations and uncertainties have been the norm.

Producing multifarious symptoms, one of the main struggles has been with my thyroid. For the last nine months, the thyroid struggle has been pretty intense. Seemingly, this body was being assaulted by every thyroid-related symptom previously experienced, as well as some new encounters. To name a few: severe weakness and a heavy brain fog -- some days, it was as if my mind was almost blank, hardly a thought, no energy to form a thought. Many, many days, I have had absolutely nothing to give.

I was physically experiencing what I knew spiritually -- that I had nothing to give to God. To realize that you have nothing to give to God and yet to give Him everything you have, this is quite a paradox. Everything comes from God: there is nothing that I have that was not graciously given to me by God, but nothing I have is needed by God. His desire that I give myself back to Him is for my benefit not His. For as I abandon myself to God and give back to Him everything that He has given, He gives more grace. It could be said that the portion of grace is doubled. For as I realize that He is my portion, I inherit the full portion that He desires to bestow upon me.

I have seen this in such a remarkable way in the last few months. I love to read God's Word, but to even read a Psalm has been a supreme effort - at some points throughout the day, to pray, a mighty task. Many days, all I could do was just look up -- Look to the hills from where my help comes. Beautifully, each and every day the grace to get through that day, the grace to look up, was there. God knew my heart and He lifted my eyes when I could not do this for myself. That is the beauty of abandonment, of a surrendered life: we see ourselves for who we truly are -- realizing we are nothing apart from God, we offer the reins of our life to the One who truly knows what is needed, and He takes over and accomplishes all that needs to be accomplished.

God's grace is ever sufficient. He takes nothing and makes it into something. I do not know all the somethings that He is making within me, but even in the last few weeks He showed me that He was making something out of nothing: For years my hair has been growing -- growing -- I did not cut it, just let it grow. Then two weeks ago, I had it cut -- 17" cut -- for donation. You see, this body that has been so wasted was still endowed with something to give. It may sound small, but it was huge to me...Sufficient grace, sufficient in wisdom and supply, sufficient to produce a gift from what the locusts have devoured.

As we look up to Him, His grace is constantly renewing us from within, making a new thing, producing a good gift. All appearances may show a very contrary picture to true reality -- do we believe that our Maker knows what is best even when every outside indicator says that we have been cast aside? Do we believe that He is producing a good thing even when production cannot be measured by human standards? We can rest assured that fruit will always be produced from a surrendered life -- are we willing to allow God to enable our eyes to see the fruit that He is producing or will we stubbornly refuse the fruit that does not meet our hopes and expectations? Will we keep looking up even when we are scared of what we might see? We must, for as we do, Grace will be waiting to give more Grace.

Conformed to Transformed:Christ-minded on Purpose

2010-12-17T05:59:00.000-08:00

...the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ~ John 14:26, NIV

Christ-conscious instead of self-conscious, Christ-minded instead of flesh-minded -- this has become the desire of my heart. I am impoverished, unable to make this my reality. Thankfully, this desire originated from God. He has promised that the Spirit, who lives within me, will bring Christ's words to my mind. Though I am powerless to change myself, I do have a role -- I must read, meditate on and memorize God's words. I must make a deliberate choice to believe His thoughts over my own thoughts.

In every moment, in every situation, I have a choice: will I believe what God says or will I believe what my flesh says?

For the majority of my adult life, I have struggled with illness. Because of this, I have often felt like my life was void of significant purpose. These thoughts were untrue, but I believed them -- allowing them to rule my mind and crush my spirit. Through time in God's Word and answered pleas for understanding, my outlook was adjusted; the Spirit helped me discern God's thoughts on the situation and flesh-minded was replaced with Christ-minded.

Am I still taunted by these flesh-minded thoughts? Absolutely. But the Spirit has shown me what is true. Each time these thoughts taunt, I can choose to believe what He has revealed to me instead of the fleshly thoughts that desire to defeat me.

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Below are some of the flesh-minded thoughts that have deceived me along with the Christ-minded thoughts that have freed me:

Flesh-minded Thought:
"Some days I am too weak to even do the small things around my house, perhaps the Lord has put me on the shelf...perhaps He no longer desires to use me."

Christ-minded Thought:
...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

Flesh-minded Thought:
"Because I do not have a big life, my life lacks purpose."

Christ-minded Thoughts:
"We are meant to be...the common stuff of ordinary life exhibiting the marvel of the grace of God." ~Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. ~Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB)

Flesh-minded Thought:
"My day-to-day is filled with the mundane. I have such a small life; my life is lacking in value."

Christ-minded Thoughts:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." ~I Peter 2:9 (NIV)

"As we surrender every moment to our loving Lord, even the most mundane task is marked by the musical accompaniment of His pleasure." ~CDS

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"Add to the Beauty", by Sara Groves, is one of my favorite songs. The first verse and chorus of this song says:

~We come with beautiful secrets. We come with purpose that's written on our hearts,
written on our souls. We come to every new morning with possibilities only we can hold, that only we can hold. Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces, calling out the best of who we are...and I want to add to the beauty, I want to tell a better story, shine with the light that's burning up inside~

I cannot think of a more beautiful way to honor the Lord this Christmas -- and every day -- than by surrendering to what He desires for my life, beginning with my very thoughts. As I do, the beauty that He has in store for me will be revealed and the possibilities that only I can hold will become reality.

May your Christmas celebration be filled with His beauty~

From time to time in the next weeks and months, I will continue this Conformed to Transformed Series, sharing the Christ-minded thoughts that are little by little, moment by moment, replacing my flesh-minded thoughts.

Conformed to Transformed, Part III

2010-11-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

The definitions of our life are manifested through our actions – this includes our reactions. The foundation of our expectations is betrayed by how we respond to the hurts and disappointments of this life. Are our expectations grounded in truth or are they motivated by a desire for our own way? Are we consistently coveting a different scenario than the one that God has allowed in our life? Though our covetous flesh will not die graciously, God’s gracious provision of truth can conquer our selfish motivations.

II Peter 1:3-4 tells us that the divine power of God, through Jesus Christ, “…has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (NASB)

A life built upon the deception of self-gratification is a life conformed to the world, but a life built upon the true knowledge of God is a transformed life.

As we fill our minds with truth, the definitions of our life -- our very belief-structure -- will be rebuilt. To say our belief-structure is being rebuilt is another way of describing the renewal of our minds. The rebuilding of our belief-structure (renewing of our minds) is the practical process of realigning our thoughts with God’s truth.

Realigning ourselves with God’s truth is a constant process. The moment our expectations show any sign of covetousness, we must realign ourselves with the truth of God’s Word. If we are consistently in God’s Word, the Spirit will begin to bring truth to our minds, but these moments will be equally filled with the bombardment of self-gratifying and self-defending thoughts. It is right then that we need to stop and realign ourselves with God’s truth.

Proverbs 3:5-6 is a perfect outline to help with the realigning process, it says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (NASB)

I cannot tell you how much these verses have helped me. As a child, I memorized these verses. I know them as well as my own name, but they have not always impacted me as they do now. When the phrase in all your ways acknowledge Him really sunk into my heart, it changed everything for me. A light bulb went off in my head: In order to acknowledge God above my own understanding, my feelings, emotions, expectations, motivations, and intuitions need to be realigned with God's truth.

II Corinthians 10:5 describes the realigning process in a powerful way. It says that "arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God" need to be demolished and every thought needs to be taken captive that it might be obedient to Christ.

To acknowledge God above my own understanding is not a natural inclination, it is a deliberate action.

The first step toward realignment is to recognize thoughts that are not based upon God's truth. Am I coveting a different scenario than the one God has allowed? What is fueling my actions and reactions, fleshly expectations and motivations or God's truth? As soon as a faulty thought process is recognized, admit that in this moment, your path, or thought, is not straight; it is filled with distraction and deception rather than being focused on truth.

The second step is to ask Christ to be your support; tell Him that you do not want your own understanding, emotions or feelings to be your source of support. Ask the Shepherd and Overseer of your soul to help you trust Him.

Finally, acknowledge God’s truth and dwell on His character. Allow yourself to praise Him, not only for who He is, but also for what He is going to do through you. Speak His Word to yourself and to Him.

For instance, when someone has done or said something hurtful, my automatic reaction is not one of love and understanding. I want to defend myself. Sometimes, I pull away, shrinking inside myself rather than reaching out in kindness. Other times, I want to lash out and say something hurtful in return. But I have come to understand that the Lord wants me to stop and allow Him to take control of my thoughts so that He can reign in my actions. I am learning to stop and talk to Him before I render any kind of response.

I will often pray something like this: Lord, I know that your Word says that your plans for me are good, but right now this situation hurts – it feels evil – yet, I know that even when others mean something as evil, your intentions toward me are good. You are faithful. I, too, want to be faithful to you. I want your beauty and faithfulness to be on display rather than my selfishness. I trust what you have allowed. I know that this situation is an opportunity to portray truth. You are my Lord and I bow to what you desire to do in and through me. May your truth reign in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

No matter the scenario, as soon as I surrender my thoughts to Christ, submitting to His truth over my own way, my focus is shifted and the bombardment of the moment begins to diminish. By acknowledging God’s way as the only right way, I am declaring the Lordship and authority of Christ over my heart. Self-preservation is no longer my objective; rather my aim is that Christ's truth be evidenced through my life.

Though this realigning process is constant and deliberate, it is not about perfection. Perfection is not the goal, nor is it attainable on this earth. Realignment is about Christ-mindedness which produces Christ-likeness.

When God-appointed words flow from my lips, when forgiveness is freely given, when grace is offered instead of judgment, when joy and praise fill my heart though illness overtakes my body -- this is glorious transformation. Though I have done nothing to deserve such a priceless inheritance, in Christ, it is mine.

Conformed to Transformed, Part II

2010-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is
sinking sand. (Edward Mote and William B. Bradbury, The Solid Rock, Public Domain).

When I began reading God's Word to understand Him, I was asking Him to define Himself to me. Instead of coming to His Word with my own expectations and definitions, I came to His Word with nothing. Nothing but a heart that wanted to understand, that wanted to be changed, that wanted to know Him.

Up to that point, my life had been built on an unstable foundation. It was unstable because it was built on a belief system that was not totally based on God's truth. I had come to my own conclusions about God, about how He should do things in my life. Because of this, much of my life was built on misconception, thus on sinking sand. My life needed to be built, as the song says, on "nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness".

I recognized how much I needed God, but solitary recognition of my own poverty of spirit was not enough. My spirit wanted to be controlled by God's Spirit, my flesh did not.

The flesh, striving for control, coddles our feelings and strokes our pride.   The flesh flaunts assets, virtues and ideas, telling us that we are self-sufficient, that we are good, that we need to live for ourselves. But God alone is good, there is nothing good within us. Once we are in Christ, our life is not our own. The voice of our flesh should not be our guide, but when we live for our own definitions and expectations, our flesh is our guide. Recognition of faulty definitions and expectations is a necessary starting point, but we must go a step further: our definitions need to be replaced with God's definitions.

Romans 12:2 says: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (NIV)   We are conformed to whatever we believe. What we believe shapes us, defines us.

Our flesh is conformed to the pattern of the world, it is built on the foundation of sin and self-gratification.  Our fleshly instinct is service to the flesh, but because we are in Christ, we no longer have to fear or serve the flesh. The Spirit will enable us to live in His power and deny the flesh. Yet we must understand that the flesh will not die graciously, it does not want to surrender power. The flesh will constantly try to raise the scepter of its power and get back its control. In order for the Spirit to rule our flesh, we must conform (align ourselves) to God's truth instead of our own fleshly definitions and instincts. Every definition of our life must be built on "nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."

More than anything, I want to be controlled by God's Spirit. As I believe God over my own feelings, emotions and expectations, my mind is slowly but surely being renewed: flesh-minded is becoming Christ-minded.

Part III will soon follow...

Conformed to Transformed, Part I

2010-09-20T02:00:00.000-07:00

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. ~Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV)

To many, the Bible is seen as a bunch of rules and regulations and the Christian life about following those rules and regulations. When in reality, the Bible is a description of who God is and what He desires to do for anyone who would believe Him. The Christian life is not about rules and regulations but about relationship with a loving and just God. God pursues man that He might give something to him which will fulfill and transform -- Himself.

I have known God since the age of 5, at which time I accepted the gift of redemption offered by Him through His Son. I have no memory of life without God. I memorized His Word, but did not always understand His Word. I desired to serve the Lord, but did not always know what that meant. I read God's Word but, when it came to meaning, I usually accepted the explanations of others.

I did have a relationship with God. I talked to Him. In so many ways, I trusted Him. He was everything to me, yet I did not realize that He was everything to me on my own terms. My life was about what I could give to Him, about doing for Him -- and then, due to illness, it came to the point that there was nothing I could do for Him. I had nothing to offer, no strength, no ability, nothing...and I was broken. Lonely. Scared. Confused. Disillusioned. I was filled with doubt, filled with questions. Who was this God who allowed extended times of physical, emotional and material loss without any sign of relief?

Like Jacob, I struggled with God. (Genesis 32:22-31) Though I was scared, confused and disillusioned, I kept crying out to God, kept holding on to Him. I began reading His Word to understand Him. Little by little, focus was shifted from my circumstances to the One who wanted me to know Him. The eyes of my heart were opened to the unseen, to the eternal. For the first time in my life I realized that I never had anything to offer God, there was nothing I could give to Him, nothing that He needed from me. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3 NIV)

As I adhered to God, as I sought Him as the only Source for life and godliness, my heart was truly ready for both fulfillment and transformation.

Part II will soon follow...

A Master Treasure Hunter

2010-09-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ... Philippians 3:7-8 (NASB)

I love watching Antiques Roadshow. To me, it is exciting to see what people find at garage sales and flea markets. I laugh with them as they find out that their $2.00 find is actually worth $2,000. They found treasure! In one way or another, all of us are treasure hunters. It is a thrill to pay next to nothing for an item that is really worth something. But sometimes the thrill of treasure hunting taints our outlook. When we find that we can get something for almost nothing, we begin to think that greater effort or investment should bring a higher margin of reward. Pretty soon, we begin to apply this outlook to every part of our lives, even our service to Christ. We tithe - we expect God to increase what we have. We sacrifice our time - we feel that God should reward us for our sacrifice. We expect our service to reap dividends of blessing and for the most part, the blessings being sought are material and physical.

In Job 8:5, in the midst of Job's intense suffering, Bildad said these words to him: "...if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, if you are pure and live with complete integrity, he will rise up and restore your happy home."(NLT) Bildad felt that if Job was really serving God and doing what He desired then Job would not know his current suffering. In his own way, Bildad was a treasure hunter. He expected godly living to reap material benefit. How much do our expectations line up with a Bildad-view of blessing? In some ways, do we want the material and physical reward so that others will see it and say that our life is blessed? Or, do we just think that we deserve material and physical reward? Is material reward the only thing that makes service to Christ worth it?

If our focus is on external benefit -- in suffering: release, in sacrifice: reward, in ministry: praise -- then our service is to ourselves. Such a description does not define a bond-servant or true friend of Christ.

Philippians 3:7-8 shows us that Paul did not agree with Bildad's outlook. Paul had known the deepest of suffering and yet he did not see this suffering as a lack of blessing. On the contrary, he saw the suffering itself as blessing. Why? Because he entrusted his entire life to God. He knew that anything that God allowed in his life was to bring about the greatest of treasure: deeper relationship with Christ which would enable him to be made into the image of Christ. Yes, Paul was a treasure hunter, but his treasure was not financial gain, physical blessing or release from suffering, Paul's treasure was Jesus Christ -- his greatest pursuit was to know Christ more.

External reward will deteriorate, but true friendship with Christ is an eternal treasure which will never depreciate. Paul, like any good treasure hunter, knew that consistent appreciation is the most coveted characteristic in treasure. Actually, Paul was not just a good treasure hunter, he was a Master treasure hunter. He sought the lasting treasure of his Master, Jesus Christ.

~Lord, you know I love a good bargain. I want to be a good steward of all that you have given me, but I do not want to look for external treasures at the expense of eternal treasures. May lasting treasure be the focus of my life. I want to be a Master treasure hunter. In Jesus' Name, Amen~

Words Fitly Spoken

2010-09-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
~Proverbs 25:11 (KJV)

In the third testament, Malcolm Muggeridge says of Saint Augustine: "Augustine was so aware of the universality of God's love and presence that he could easily communicate with all sorts and conditions of men."

This statement gives hope, for I desire to easily communicate with all sorts and conditions of men. I realize that my faith in God's love, His working out His will in me and my yielding to it, is the vehicle by which this becomes a reality. Faith in God's love - a love that has no evil in it, a love that will go to any length to make me like His Son - is the prompt of His leading in both word and deed.

Such faith in God's love produces an abundance that fulfills and stimulates a thirst for more of everything that God desires to bestow. This thirst (seeking) for more of God's abundance is what Mark 9:50 refers to when it says, "Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." Salt in yourselves is a constant desire for righteousness, a consistent thirst for more of Christ.

This thirst for more of Christ will have an impact on every moment, word and deed of your life, for yielded lives are Christ-empowered lives. Your saltiness, or thirst for Christ, will impact others. To some, it will be a source of thirst, leading them to thirst for Christ (or thirst more for Christ). For others, such saltiness will repel, yet seeds of salt will be planted.

Words fitly spoken -- words suited for every occasion (for all sorts and conditions of men) -- result from yielded, salty, lives. Christ knows the words which need to be spoken. As we trust Him and surrender mind and heart to His full command, we become salt-dispensers and His salty words of life are spoken through us.

Incorruptible

2010-08-31T03:19:00.000-07:00

...it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ... ~I Peter 1: 18

I have been redeemed by the incorruptible blood of Christ to an incorruptible inheritance which makes possible an incorruptible faith so that I may serve an incorruptible King. One day, I will have an incorruptible body and lay an incorruptible crown at my King's feet. This is glorious and incorruptible truth, all revealed and activated through the incorruptible, eternal Word of God.
(I Peter 1:4-7, 23; I Timothy 1:17; I Corinthians 15:53;
I Corinthians 9:25)

Today, I cannot get away from the wonder of the incorruptible. Because I was born with a corruptible body and live in a corruptible world, it is hard to fathom the incorruptible...yet because of God's grace, I can know and live for the incorruptible!

Sandpaper Situations

2010-08-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ~Hebrews 12:13-14 (NIV)

The admonishment from these verses reverberates within me. God gently says to me, "Crysta, child whom I love and desire to transform, get over yourself so that My grace can be expressed through you."

I have always had a strong sense of justice. I do not want others to be hurt or mistreated. I empathize with the pain of others and deeply grieve when I have been the cause of pain. But all too often, my sense of justice has been spent on myself: A threat is perceived, hurtful words are hurled, disrespectful treatment catches me by surprise and every nerve in my body cries for justice. Thoughts of defense and protection come to my mind, my feelings and emotions demand that I take up the fight against flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12 tells me that my fight is not against flesh and blood, so why does my flesh cry out for a roll-in-the-mud, let's-settle-this-now, flesh-and-blood fight?

James 4:1-3 asks this same question and gives a very powerful answer: What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires that war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have and you can't possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. (NLT)

Basically, when my flesh rises to take on a fight with flesh and blood, it is because I didn't get what I wanted. I coveted something different than what I was given. I wanted a different scenario. I was offered unkindness, I coveted kindness. I was ignored, I coveted attention. I was interrupted, I coveted respect. I looked at the situation, the hurt, the insult and said, "This is not just treatment." At this point, whether I recognized it or not, I took my eyes off of God's truth and God's way and wanted my own way. My heart, which a moment before was yielded to God, stood up in rebellion against this slight of injustice which God had allowed.

Is God unable to work for good in me or in this situation? Is God too weak to enable me to respond in service and kindness? Is this person too difficult for God to show mercy? To all three, the answer is No. Flesh and blood may have meant that hurt or insult for evil, but God, in His foreknowledge, meant it for good.

The hurts and insults that come into my days are sandpaper situations. In order to buff out the rough edges of self, these sandpaper situations are lovingly used by God so that Christ's beauty may smoothly flow from my life. When the pain of the sandpaper is at its greatest, the rough edges of self are the most predominant. When self has found its proper place of anonymity, the sandpaper slides smoothly across my soul producing greater reliance on the Giver of all good things.

In Genesis 4:3-5, Cain faced a sandpaper situation. Both Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord. Cain offered some of the fruits of his garden. Abel offered the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked on Abel's offering with favor, but He did not look on Cain's offering with this same favor. So enters the sandpaper. Cain wanted his own way AND recognition for his offering. He coveted the favor given to Abel. Instead of seeking to do what was right, he became angry because he did not receive what he coveted.

The Lord talked with Cain and admonished him, saying: "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:6, NIV)

Cain did not listen to the Lord's admonishment, instead he allowed sin to master him. As a result, he killed Abel - his own brother. Cain could not have two masters. He chose the master of sin over the Master of love.

The warning given to Cain rings in my own ears, yet God's mercy and offered grace beckons even louder. God will give me the grace and strength to stand against my own selfishness and covetousness, but I must submit to Him and resist Satan, the master of sin. God must be my only Master. (II Corinthians 10:3-5, II Corinthians 12:9-10, Hebrews 4:14-16, James 4:6-8)

The temptation to fight against flesh and blood is crouching at my door. Wanting the comfort of my own way, my soul will attempt to resist the sandpaper of submission and transformation, but grace...Grace reminds me that I have been bought with a price and my life is not my own.

I am graced to grace others. I am set apart to be a vessel of grace. The question is, will I get over myself and submit to the Sander and Lover of my soul that His grace can be expressed through me?

Kingdom Postcards

2010-07-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments...are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ~Deuternonomy 6:5-7

Jesus told His disciples, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field..." (Matthew 13:31) A mustard seed. Small. Not eye-catching or newsworthy. Yet place a mustard seed in the hands of Jesus Christ and it became an opportunity to share Truth. Jesus saw everything in multiple dimensions: He viewed the seen and the unseen. A mustard seed not only had interesting physical properties, it also had spiritual applications. That little mustard seed could be used to teach the disciples about faith or to shed light on characteristics of the Kingdom of Heaven. That little mustard seed contained snapshots of Truth.

In the designs of the universe and the laws of nature, in our day-to-day occurrences, in the seemingly mundane, there are unlimited instances to view snapshots of Truth. Buried all around us, illustrations of the eternal and unseen are waiting to be unearthed by discerning hearts.

Psalm 51:6 says that God, who desires Truth in my inner parts, will teach me wisdom in my inmost places. When God's Truth seizes my heart, when it envelopes my hidden places, that same Truth will overflow from my life. God's Truth will transform my thoughts and grace my words. God's Truth will also enhance my vision, causing everyday circumstances and surroundings to metamorphose into Kingdom Postcards: pictures that increase understanding of and longing for God and His Kingdom, pictures that help me communicate His Truth to others.

The Truth that I put into my heart will affect everything that I see and everyone which I encounter -- When I sit at home or walk along the road, when I lie down and when I get up, this world that is not my home will give me glimpses, postcards, of the World for which I was made, and the One for whom my heart beats will incite occasions for me to share these Kingdom Postcards with each soul that He places into my life.

Thirst-Provoking Provision

2010-06-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. ~Psalm 42:1-2a

The Lord has begun to widen my imaginations. The inception of this widening was sparked as I pondered on Matthew 6:33 and all the implications involved when considering the truth and precision of God's daily provision. I began to think about the days when I feel so wiped out, when my energy is truly depleted: in the past, I have just accepted these days. A true level of contentment has been mine because I trust God's goodness and I believe that He would not bring a time of pain or struggle unless there was purpose, a goodness that would blossom from such pain or struggle.

Yet, somewhere in my mind, I think I still considered these days of depleted energy to be days that contained a lack of something that was needed. I understand that God is always going to provide my greatest need and I believe that He is my greatest need...I want the provision of Him, but somehow my mentality was to still see illness and weakness as lack. Is it possible that illness is part of the provision? Could it be that what this perceived lack will bring about in and through me is exactly what I need, thus making the illness or weakness part of the provision?

I have come to believe that though I can rest in exactly what is provided for each day, there are times when I will not understand what God has provided, times when His provision will not be clearly seen. It is in those times that He wants me to seek Him more, seek to understand the provision, and trust that even when I do not come to a complete understanding of what is provided, I can rest in the knowledge that He is true to His promise and has provided precisely what is needed.

The Lord is rearranging my perspective, showing me that where He reigns supreme there is no lack -- there may be an expected comfort that is not present in my life, but this does not constitute lack. Whatever the Lord provides, this is truly what is needed. True lack is to cease seeking after God.

Oswald Chambers says, "If you ask for things from life instead of from God, you ask amiss, you ask from a desire for self-realization. The more you realize yourself the less you will seek God." Basically Chambers is saying, the one interest that should mark my life is a hard seeking after God. Whatever will cause me to know God more, whatever enhances my desire for Him, this is what I need. That is the essence of Matthew 5:6- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled. Whatever causes me to thirst more for God - be it illness, weakness, struggle, bounty, grace, beauty, love - is part of the blessing and is the grandest form of provision for it will result in sweet satisfaction of the soul.

A Load Off My Mind

2010-05-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Your heavenly Father knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. ~Matthew 6:32b-33~ (NLT)

I am a compiler of lists: to-do lists, grocery lists, lists of needs, lists of dreams -- and to my husband's chagrin, I have also been known to assemble very detailed honey-do lists.

In the last month, my to-do list has been quite long. There have been moments when a glimpse of the list would cause tears to well up in my eyes; the demands seemed to be more than I could wrap my mind around. Overwhelmed, wondering if my body would physically hold up under these growing demands, I poured out my burden and concern to the Lord. He first quieted my heart, and then He encouraged me with the truth of Matthew 6:33: Seek Me first and all that you need from day to day will be provided.

As my heart undividedly focuses on the Lord and His desires, not only will He provide the food and clothes needed for each day, He will also provide the strength and wisdom needed for each day. Though He will use today to prepare me for what will arise tomorrow, He will not provide tomorrow's strength today. Today, He will provide precisely what is needed for this day. He gives exactly what is needed exactly when it is needed. Tomorrow will have new cares and demands. The strength and wisdom needed for tomorrow's cares will be given tomorrow.

Seek Him first and everything needed from day to day will be provided -- this is a promise. I can rest in what is provided for today (knowing that it will be no more and no less than what is needed -- it will be exactly right), and I can rest knowing that, beautifully, tomorrow will also be marked by this same provision.

Even when my lists feel insurmountable, they are never bigger than my God. When my lists do feel insurmountable, I have come to realize that this is either because I am expecting provision that is not necessary for today or I am not surrendering my day, and my list, to the Lord.

When my list is surrendered to the Lord, when I am trusting Him to decide what really needs to be checked off of today's list, then I can rest assured that any and everything that truly needs to be accomplished will be accomplished -- and that is definitely a load off my mind (and heart!).

Vast Is His Love

2010-04-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son...He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed...It was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last...Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices so that they might go to annoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen. He is not here."...God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him...And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever...For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him...Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. (Isaiah 53:3-5, Luke 23:44-46, Mark 16:1-8, Acts 2:24, Isaiah 9:6b-7, John 3:16-17, Isaiah 12:5)

How vast the depth and richness of this Love! This Love went to the edge, to the very extreme, that I could know Him. To save me, Love was willing to pay the ultimate price. What alteration Love experienced that I might know true change; what loss He endured that I might become a partaker of His inheritance! Words are insufficient, none are lovely or worthy enough to describe such a Love. I am enraptured by this Love. O, Love, that will not let me go, my cup runneth over~

Praise

2010-03-08T09:46:00.001-08:00

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. ~ Revelation 4:11~

Praise is not only the song of rejoicing, it is also the song of surrender. Today, this thought filled my heart and mind as I read the words of Revelation 4:11. Praise is recognition of who God is and what He has done. My Lord is always deserving of praise. Though my circumstances may change, He never changes. He is ever worthy to receive glory and honor.

My words of praise are too easily depleted by unexpected circumstances and uncertain outcomes. Yet praise should not be determined by my circumstances, rather praise should be an overflow of my unwavering conviction that God is everything that He says He is and does all things exactly as they should be done.

In the midst of disappointment and distraction, if I will take a moment to recognize the character, attributes and promises of God, my focus will be shifted toward praise. With that moment of proper recognition, my attention is also put in the proper place: dwelling on my situation is transformed into meditating on the One who is in control of that situation.

There are so many things vying for my attention, wanting to rule and guide in my thought processes, but only God can bring order and organization to my thoughts. My mood and outlook can be radically changed by taking only a minute to acknowledge the Lord; that minute will affect the next minute, and thus the foundation is laid for a cycle of praise.

David Jeremiah says, "The best way to be fluent in the language of praise in heaven is to begin practicing here on earth". Praise is a language which needs no translator, it transcends nation, tribe and tongue. I want to be fluent in this language. I want to bring pure praise to the One who has given me true life. So, right now, in this minute, I will begin practicing this song of rejoicing and surrender. May the jingle of its tune take such a hold that I will not be able to get it out of my thoughts.

~Lord, you are worthy of all my praise; may every breath I breathe be a breath of surrender, a breath of acknowledgement that you alone reign, you alone perform good work. There is no other like you -- You are I AM, the First and the Last, Creator, Provider, Savior, Redeemer -- You alone do all things well. I praise you~

Nothing Wasted, Part II

2010-02-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

As I see loss through the lens of God's love, I realize that not only does God want to transform me through loss, He also wants to comfort me in loss. II Corinthians 1:3-4a says, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles. In loss and pain, the Lord longs to comfort and strengthen us. Beautifully, the comfort that He brings to us in our loss and the lessons which He teaches us through loss can also be recycled so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (II Corinthians 1:4b-5)

Yes, the sufferings of Christ will touch our lives, for on the cross He took upon Himself every sin that had or would touch this world; along with that sin came all the accompanying loss and pain. Words are inadequate to describe the burden that He willingly undertook that we might know a lighter burden. Christ allowed Himself to be yoked to sin that we could know a yoke of love.

Though Christ took on this yoke of sin, the yoke of love and truth which He and the Father shared was stronger than that yoke of sin. This yoke of love and truth was Christ's comfort, and this is the same comfort that He offers to us. As we trust His love, we are comforted in our loss -- and the comfort that we experience is recycled through us to bring comfort to others.

Just as in the physical realm, where a flower must die to bring about new life, so it is in the spiritual realm. In John 12:24-25 Jesus tells us: ...unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Where there is loss, there are manifold purposes for that loss to be recycled into abundant fruit. In order for this recycling process to take place, we must surrender our own way. We must die to the familiar and expected that new life may spring forth. With new life comes a new song: a song from which comfort and encouragement will overflow into the lives of others.

Any loss surrendered to the Lord will bring about transformation that will last for eternity. So until Christ returns, and the ultimate recycling of body and soul is known: trust the Lord's love, surrender to be recycled through loss, because you know that nothing He allows, nothing He does in or through you is ever wasted.

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. ~Psalm 40:1-3~

Nothing Wasted, Part I

2010-02-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

Walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness, and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord...walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. ~Ephesians 5: 8b-10, 15, 16~

Our world is filled with ideas and designs, yet there is not a single idea or design which originated with man. God created. Man, inspired by His creation, imitates. This is seen not only in things that are designed, built or produced, but also in the way that man views this world. The farther man strays from God's truth, the more his worldview becomes distorted; nevertheless, every idea originated with God.

Take for example the idea of recycling. We see the concept of recycling throughout creation: a flower dies but its seeds fall to the ground and another flower springs up from those seeds. But it is not only in nature that such recycling is seen, the pattern of recycling is a spiritual concept as well as a physical. In the language of Scripture, the idea of recycling is termed redemption -- the Lord redeems broken hearts, lives and bodies. He restores by transforming loss into life.

God never wastes anything. What He allows to touch my life in this moment is to prepare, re-shape and provide for what will arise in the next moment. There is depth and design to all that God has created as well as to what He permits His creation to encounter. He is not bound by time, but He ordained the laws of time. While outside of time, He prepares us for what will come in time, and all who surrender to be shaped within the realm of time are redeeming that time for eternity.

In other words, as I surrender to God's will being done in this realm (of time) as it is done in Heaven, time is being redeemed. With such knowledge, my understanding of loss is transformed. I can face any loss with an assurance that it is wrought with multi-faceted purposes of redemption. Some fruits of the Lord's recycling handiwork will not be seen on this side of eternity, but others will be clearly seen. In fact, there are specific recycling promises throughout God's Word.

With any form of suffering or trial there is some sort of loss. The thought of rejoicing in the midst of our losses is foreign to our desires, but Romans 5:3-5 explains tht the Lord's promise of recycling is a good reason to rejoice: because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given to us.

As I surrender to the losses which God allows, each loss will be recycled to enable the Spirit's fruit to blossom from my life...specific loss producing specific fruit; fruit that is essential for tomorrow, fruit that will endure when the pain of loss has faded and fruit which evokes hope, causing me to see loss through the lens of God's love.

Part II will soon follow...

Unshakeable; Indelible, Part II

2010-02-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

In Matthew 7:26-27, Jesus relays an example of a kingdom that is shaken: ...everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash. Thankfully, Jesus also gives an example of a kingdom that cannot be shaken: ...everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-25)

When I build my belief structure on anything other than truth, my very foundation will crumble and I will be shaken...but if I am believing truth, I will be able to solidly stand in the midst of any storm.

This sounds pretty simple, but in actuality it is a process which requires a willingness to submit to the truth of God in every moment of every day. In every thought I must acknowledge the Lord...I must press on to acknowledge the Lord in all my thoughts. As I build my life, thought by thought, on truth, as truth is invested into every part of my imaginations, the rains of pain and struggle will not be able to shake me...the winds of doubt and speculation will not be able to shake me.

To believe God's truth over my own feelings, emotions and imaginations, to trust God's Word and character, even when what He allows brings pain, loss or disappointment, this is to be single-minded. To be single-minded is to be unshakeable.

In Psalm 26:1b-3 David says, I have trusted the Lord without wavering. Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I will walk continually in your truth.

If I am continually walking in truth, building every part of my life on truth, my focus becomes Jesus, the Author and Perfector of faith. As I am grounded in His truth, His love is ever before me, captivating me. As a result, spiritual thoughts are combined with spiritual words, and the mind of Christ is expressed through me. (Hosea 6:3; Colossians 2:6-7; I Corinthians 2:10-16) What could be more significant than having the mind of the very Word of God expressed through my life? Only Truth reaps eternal rewards...Truth alone can produce an unshakeable kingdom, an indelible mark...and I am convinced that nothing has greater significance or value.

Unshakeable; Indelible, Part I

2010-02-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 12:28...since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe...

As I have grown in my understanding of God and His Word, one thing has become a real certainty in my mind: anything that is of God cannot be shaken, what is born of Him will remain.

Psalm 15: 1-2, 5b says:
Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart...he who does these things will never be shaken.

It is only through Christ that one may dwell in the sanctuary of God...and it is only through Christ that a blameless and righteous life can be known by any man or woman. Because of Christ, the great High Priest, Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may find grace to help us in our time of need. As those in Christ approach the throne of grace, they will find grace to help in time of need...as they trust the Grace that is provided, they will not be shaken.

Kingdom power and Kingdom priorities cannot be shaken, for they proceed out of the solid foundation of the Rock of Truth, Jesus Christ. Luke 17:21 says that, "...the kingdom of God is within us." The moment Jesus Christ takes residence in a heart, the very kingdom of God is within that heart. Within every follower of Christ there is a kingdom that cannot be shaken...but only as we build every part of our lives on this Foundation will we know an implacable stance in the midst of any and every storm.

What amazing grace has been given...that we can come into the very presence of God with confidence...that He has granted a Way for us to be sure-footed despite the terrain...and yet how much time is wasted on crumbling foundations, on things that will not remain?

Deep within every man there is a longing to live a life of significance, but so often insignificant means are used to try to gain such significance -- this is a crumbling foundation, it is an attempt to make a mark on this world with a dry-erase marker.

Only Christ can make an indelible mark...He has made this indelible mark on my life...with His mark upon me, I cannot help but make a mark...but I have realized that any mark which my life makes is of little importance -- that His mark is seen, this is what truly matters, only this will make a difference.

I long for His mark to be projected through my life...I do not want my thoughts, my opinions, my speculations to be projected...I want His truth to be on display...but I must recognize that the mark which is projected through my life will be determined by the foundational ideas which are input into my mind/heart and which have become the structure of everything that I believe. The question is: does my belief structure enable Christ's mark to be clearly seen?

Part II will soon follow...

I Will Hope Continually

2010-01-21T14:28:00.000-08:00

~But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and of Your salvation all day long; for I do not know the sum of them. I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord God; I will make mention of your righteousness, Yours alone. ~Psalm 71:14-16~

As I write today, my mom is in a South African hospital with a fractured skull...I will hope continually in the Lord. My brother and his wife are giving great care to the needs of my mom, but they are exhausted from a whole host of demands which are vying for their energy and attention...I will hope continually in the Lord. I pray and support from a distance...I will hope continually in the Lord. Such an unexpected occurrence, so much is unknown...I will hope continually in the Lord...for this One that I know, He is enough. He is righteous. He is mighty to save. His grace and love has touched every part of this circumstance...there is no way to measure His acts of salvation, they reach beyond what my eyes can see, but they are perfect in their prescription and redemption. The hands of the Lord are loving, righteous, good and gracious; those I love are in His hands...He knows the number of hairs on their head, keeps their tears in a bottle...He would not allow this time of struggle and pain unless a greater good was on the other side...I will hope continually in the Lord.

Bridge of Blessing

2009-12-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. ~John 1:16~

As 2009 comes to a close, the words of John 1:16 fill my heart and mind. Throughout this year, one blessing after another has touched my life. Some blessings were packaged in struggle or disappointment; others were lovely surprises, far surpassing anything that my mind could have conceived...but each blessing of 2009 helped me to better understand a precious nugget of truth regarding blessing: My life is lived from one blessing to another...the blessing of this moment is a bridge to the blessing of the next moment -- in Christ, the cycle of blessing is never broken, it is unending.

There are moments which are marked by immense pain, making it difficult to associate the word blessing with that moment. Yet blessing is ever in the mind of my Lord. Because I know His character, I know that He would not allow a trial or difficulty unless blessing was engraved upon that moment of trial. In this realization, my understanding of blessing was adjusted...blessing is not defined as a release from hardship, stress, disappointment or illness...blessing is the very presence of the Lord in this moment, it is living in complete fellowship with Him whether a moment is pregnant with pain or rejoicing. Blessing is the grace which God granted when He provided a Way for me to know Him...and every proceeding moment is an opportunity to know Him more.

No matter the circumstance, God is the blessing of every moment. I guess you could say that He is the Bridge of Blessing, for only a moment without Him could be void of blessing.

Fixed on Peace

2009-12-14T07:30:00.000-08:00

I love nativity sets. If it were possible, each Christmas I would have one displayed in every room of my house. This year as I was setting out the pieces of my nativities, I was struck afresh by the way each participant is focused on the face of the Christ child. When this babe becomes a man, such worshipful gazes will be replaced with contempt...but on the night of Jesus' birth, and then later through the wisemen, Simeon and Anna, there was pure worship of the baby Messiah.

The night God's Son came to earth, in worship and praise the angels proclaimed a message of peace: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests". (Luke 2:14) The good news of Jesus is for all men (Luke 2:10), but God's peace can only be known by those on whom His favor rests. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, ...without faith it is impossible to please God. God's favor comes to rest on any person who believes Him. Simply put, only those who believe God can be pleasing to Him, and only those who are pleasing to God can experience His peace.

Luke 2:15 says, When the angels had left...the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has happened, which the Lord has told us about." Before the shepherds looked on the face of the Christ child, they first believed the words of the Lord. After they looked on Jesus' face, the shepherds glorified and praised God for all that they had heard and seen. They praised God because His words were true. Their praise was a sign of peace. They could praise because the Peace of God had captured their focus.

As I ponder that thought, Isaiah 26:3 comes to my mind. In speaking of God this passage says, You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you. (NLT) When my mind is fixed on the truth of God, my heart will be filled with peace. Such peace, as proclaimed by the angels, is the reason that God sent His Son to the earth: He wanted all men to experience the peace that comes from being made right with Him.

On that first Christmas night, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds were given the great privilege of focusing on the face of the Messiah. In like manner, until I can also fix my eyes on His face, I desire to fix my heart on His truth. Beautifully, as my mind and heart is fixed on His truth, the celebration of his birth, life, death and resurrection becomes an unending process...and the Peace proclaimed on that first Christmas night can daily be proclaimed through my life.

Nothing to Distract, Part II

2009-12-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

As I live to defend my rights, I am a distraction to the renown of God...I know my selfishness, my covetousness, and I am sobered as I think on these words. Yet, in Christ, there is another possibility for me: As I surrender my rights and allow Christ to respond through me, I will bring renown to God. To lay down my rights that others may see Christ, to embrace His truth over my own feelings and emotions, this is to allow my imaginations to be captured by Christ. As I allow Him to captivate my imaginations, I decrease. As I decrease, He is free to express Himself through me...and others can then see a true picture of Him. Christ living through me will say more than my words could ever express. His life in me is the call to all that is right.

A favorite story of mine, which magnificently demonstrates lives that desire to decrease that Christ may increase, is found in Acts 16:22-36. Sitting in the inner cell of a jail with their feet in stocks, we find a stripped and beaten Paul and Silas. They were treated in this manner because they cast demons out of a young girl whose owners used her as a fortune teller. Once the owners realized that their fortunes would no longer be amplified by this young girl, they were furious with Paul and Silas. They brought Paul and Silas before the authorities and accused them of slandering the Roman laws and customs. As a result, here sat Paul and Silas, feet in stocks, and yet instead of wallowing in their circumstances, instead of wailing, crying and questioning, they prayed and sang hymns to God. They praised their God, knowing that despite the change in their circumstances, He had not changed. They knew that His thoughts and purposes for them were full of love.

This is amazing in itself, but it is not the end of the story. As Paul and Silas sang, the prison was shaken, the doors flew open, and their chains were released. The prison guard, certain that the prisoners had escaped to freedom, took his sword and was about to kill himself, but Paul cried out, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!". The prison guard was overwhelmed. He went before Paul and Silas and asked them what he needed to do to be saved. He then took Paul and Silas home to his family, and he and all his family believed in God.

This story speaks to me of freedom and understood purpose. Because Paul and Silas understood truth, because their imaginations were captured by the truth of God, they were internally free. Even though they were externally beaten and chained, they were filled with joy and rest. It was this freedom and understood purpose which steadied them and caused them to remain within the prison after their chains had been released. If they had run as soon as the doors were opened, they would not have fulfilled a part of the purpose which God had designed for their imprisonment...and the prison guard would probably have known an eternity in agony rather than eternal security.

It would have been very easy for Paul and Silas to focus on themselves within that prison cell. To think on their discomfort...to feel outraged that God would allow this to happen to them...to care more for their own lives than for the life of the prison guard...to have thoughts that were consumed with release...but instead, they chose to rest in the One who loved them. They did not allow their circumstances to control their reaction, rather they praised the God who had captured their thoughts and imaginations. They saw this situation as an opportunity from Him, and they did not want to miss what He was going to do in them or through them. They wanted God's renown more than they wanted release.

I wonder how much my desire to be released from struggles, inconveniences and disappointments has hindered God's renown...I do not want my selfishness, my covetousness, to obscure the glory and truth of God. I long to wait on the Lord as Paul and Silas waited on Him, to surrender all my rights to the Lover of my soul and allow Him to capture my every imagination. May I see every moment of my days as an opportunity to decrease that God's renown may increase.

The path of the righteous is level, O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you, your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. Isaiah 26:7-8

Nothing to Distract, Part I

2009-11-30T08:22:00.000-08:00

In the last couple weeks, the Lord has repeatedly brought my attention to the truth that every moment of my days is an opportunity to live for His renown. There are so many distractions which encompass me, both internally and externally: busyness, irritations, disappointments, heartbreaks, loss, expectations, rejection, choices of others, sickness...the list goes on and on. All of these distractions, if they capture my focus and imagination, can in turn affect me in such a way that I become a distraction to the renown of the Lord.

In II Corinthians 12:7-10, we find Paul in a similar situation of distraction. The Lord allowed something in Paul's life which Paul refers to as "a thorn in my flesh". This thorn in Paul's flesh was greatly disturbing to him. He went to the Lord three different times, pleading with Him to take this thorn from his life. The Lord's response to Paul was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

When Paul received this answer from the Lord, a connection was made in his spirit. A deep understanding filled him and he said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

These words greatly encourage me. They show me that the distractions which the Lord allows in my life are opportunities for His strength to be displayed through me. The question is: will I recognize these distractions as opportunities for His renown, or will I demand to see my own expectations fulfilled?

Romans 12:1 tells me that my spiritual act of worship is to offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. I am called to be an offering of uninterrupted worship. In essence this means that every part of my life is to point to God...nothing about me should detract from Him. Uninterrupted worship is what Jesus talks of in John 4:23...true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth...

Worshipping in spirit and truth means that my thoughts and imaginations are devoted to the truth of God. Nothing else is allowed to rule over my thoughts and imaginations. II Corinthians 10:3-5 says, For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. In other words, nothing that the world has to offer captivates me more than Christ -- not even its weapons! My imaginations are captured by the very Word of God.

Too often, my default reaction in distraction is to fight like the world. Belittling words are met with defense...hindrance is met with impatience...inconveniences are met with grumbling...ailments are met with complaint...the unexpected is met with fear...but in Christ, these default reactions need no longer be the norm for me. If they have surfaced, it is because I have allowed my thoughts and imaginations to be taken captive by the arguments and pretensions of the world. When this happens, I am allowing a situation to control me, permitting it to develop into such a distraction that it becomes a stronghold in my life...it has taken a stronger hold on my thoughts than the truth of Christ. Sadly, as a result, worship of the Father is rudely interrupted, for my focus is directed toward defending my own rights rather than living for His renown.

Part II will soon follow...

Just For Who He Is

2009-11-23T06:35:00.000-08:00

My heart is overflowing with thankfulness, not just for all that the Lord has given me, but for who He is. How many times have I doubted Him? Yet He always longs to work in every situation for my good...He is faithful. Though I live in a chaotic and pain-filled world, as I surrender to Him, He redeems every pain...He is gracious. When serenity seems an impossibility, He surrounds me with rest and comfort...He is peace. He directs my steps in the way that is right and helps me understand His Word...He is truth. Through heartache and loss, He gives a contentment which words cannot explain...He is joy. Even in my darkest days, He provides glorious bits of sunshine...He is light. Every new day is filled with His mercies, with His promise of renewal...He is hope. Nothing can take me from His hand...He is love.

I am amazed that He longs to share Himself with me, that He wants to teach me of His perfections. Truly, my Creator, Redeemer, Master and Friend is More Than Enough for every moment of every day. May the offering of my life show how truly thankful I am.

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like a great deep. O Lord, you preserve man and beast. How precious is your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of your house; and you give them to drink of the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Psalm 36:5-9

Remember

2009-11-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

Praise the Lord, O my soul, all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's...The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love...he does not treat us as we deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us...Praise the Lord, O my soul. ~Psalm 103:1-5, 8, 10-12, 22~

Remember...the Lord has whispered this word into my spirit with great repetition. He calls me to remember His benefits, to revisit and meditate on who He is and what He has done...and as I remember, my heart is filled with gratitude, my mouth sings His praise. What wonders He has done in my life! I cannot think on them without thanksgiving.

When the work of your hands prospers...remember. When surrounded by those who love you...remember. When your body knows sweet health...remember. When peace fills your heart...remember. At the first sign of doubt...remember. When tears soak your pillow...remember. In sickness...remember. When your bank account balance does not equal the amount needed for your bills...remember. When the unexpected threatens your peace...remember. For the Lord gently whispers: "Circumstances may change, but I do not change. I AM the same yesterday, today and forever...I AM." Remember.

Isle of Exile

2009-11-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos...Revelation 1:9

Isle of Patmos. John. Banished. Suffering. Alone. And yet not alone: The great I AM, who is and who was and who is to come, was with him. This was the darkest time of John's life and yet amidst this dark and abandoned place, he was not abandoned. Far from it. Rather, on that Isle of Exile, God came to him in comfort and revelation.

This seemed like the end for John...his days of fruitfulness were over...or were they? Was not God in this forsaken place? Was not his ministry to God? Had he not always lived for an audience of One? This had not changed. His heart was ever surrendered to the Lover of his soul...as relationship with the Righteous One abounded, so, too, would fruit abound.

Despite this harsh existence, there was Love. There was purpose from the One that loved him - and His purpose is the only actuality. The One who works and wills to His good pleasure was present with John on that Isle of Exile.

In ostracism, John may have felt that he was being put "on the shelf", that the days of being used of God were over. Yet, in this lonely place, John was given the privilege of coming to know God in a way that few could even fathom. At a time of seeming unproductivity, John was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ as King of Kings.

I know nothing of physical exile or imprisonment, but my metaphorical exile has been illness. There have been many moments when, due to illness, I felt "out of service". But the faithfulness and love of God has dispelled that deception. For truly, I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

I have come to see that times of exile, metaphoric though they may be, are marked by love and purpose. In these seasons of seeming unproductivity, the activity of the One who works and wills to His good pleasure has not ceased. He weaves His wonder through every part of my days, gently calling me to trust the work of His hand. Through these pivotal time periods of my life, I have been reminded that relationship with God is the dearest treasure, that living for an audience of One is a priceless privilege.

The seasons of exile in a believer's life can have multi-faceted purposes: the birth of a new vision, preparation, a greater understanding of truth or even much needed rest...but whatever the appointment, these periods of life are first and foremost about sitting at the feet of our Master and learning more of Him. If we will seize the occasion, these seasons will have further reaching results than we could ever foresee.

Now I look for the revelation in my Isles of Illness. I embrace these periods of my life as an opportunity to learn more of God -- I seek His face, relish His Word, talk to Him about everything, and I am filled with awe that He brought me to the Isles of Illness so that I could know Him more.

I Want To See

2009-11-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God...Luke 18:35-43

I love the persistence of this blind man. I love that he was not silenced by the rebukes of the people. He knew Jesus could heal him...and he wanted to be healed. When Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?". The simple reply was, "Lord, I want to see".

Though his eyes were darkened, this man saw the truth of Jesus that many sighted around Him failed to discern. He called out to the Son of David...the people had referred to Him as Jesus of Nazareth, but the blind man asked the Son of David to have mercy on him. Was he quoting the prophecy of Isaiah and requesting that the Branch of David judge his need with righteousness? (Isaiah 11:1-4) With the words, "Lord, I want to see" was he proclaiming his desire to see the Messiah with his own eyes? How many dimensions of meaning were enveloped in the words, "Lord, I want to see"? I cannot say with certainty, but I do know that this man believed Jesus was the One who caused the blind to see.

The plea of my heart is much like the plea of this visionless man, for my vision is so often blinded by the fleeting and the temporal. The simple request of this man resonates within me because I, too, long to see. I desire for the eyes of my heart to be enlightened. I want to see the unseen.

Like the blind man, I am persistent in my cries to Jesus. With a desire to discern wonderful things from His law, I say to my Lord, "I want to see". I know that Jesus is the One who causes the blind to see. I trust that in His light I will see light. Does not Jesus love the perseverant seeker? Is He not looking to reward hearts that long for Him?

Oh, yes! I believe that as I continue to pore over His Word, its rays of truth will illuminate the edges of the eternal; the temporal will lose distinction, and in high-definition, I will see the lasting beauty of eternity.

The Ministry of Reconciliation, Part II

2009-10-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Living a life that is reconciled to truth means that I cease to see myself as the instigator or producer of change. I throw out all idea of trying to convince others, of trying to change their minds toward Christ. For I see that to bring change in anyway is not my job, nor is it even a possibility for me. I cannot change myself, why would I assume to change the minds or hearts of others?

Any form of discipline I inflict upon myself will not change my heart. My routine may become altered, my traditions may be adjusted, but my heart, who I am within, cannot be altered by actions to which I attempt to adhere. No, it is only Christ that can bring about change within me. Only submitting to His truth can relax and free my stiff-necked soul. Likewise, it is only the truth of Christ which can bring about change of mind and heart in others.

Definitely, I must know the truth. Knowing and surrendering to the truth is how I am prepared to always give an answer for the hope that is within me: as I surrender to truth, Christ will communicate the answer through me. The answer that is needed on every occasion can only be provided by Christ. I do not know the hearts of others. I know nothing of their inner suffering, their past hurts and triumphs, but Christ knows their thoughts. He knows what they need, and if I will surrender to be reconciled to the truth of His Father, I will be granted the privilege of His life being fitly spoken through me, both in word and deed.

A life reconciled to truth is a life transformed, a life that everywhere and in every way exudes the fragrance of Christ. Some will breathe in this fragrance and will also long to wear such a scent. Others will sniff with caution, unsure if they desire to be permeated by this perfume. Still others will cover their noses; overpowered by the draw toward change which such a scent demands, they will turn away their faces not wanting the redolence of truth to affect their fixed focus. All who encounter the scent of reconciliation will have to make a choice between the abundant aroma of Life or the withering stench of death.

Yet no matter how others respond to the fragrance of reconciliation, my sole responsibility is to allow the aroma of Christ to invade every pore of my being. Christ is the aroma of life, to exude His perfume is my inheritance, my privilege, my calling, my ministry.

The Ministry of Reconciliation, Part I

2009-10-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come! All this is from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation...II Corinthians 5:17-18

Christ died for all mankind so that each individual man and woman could be reconciled to God. At God's request, the sinless Christ became sin, thus providing the way for us to know and become the righteousness of God.

Once we are in Christ, we are a new creation. As II Corinthians 5:17 says, the old is gone, the new has come! This is an incredible gift of God -- it is the gift of constant renewal and unending reconciliation. Colossians 2:6 explains the sustenance of this incredible gift: ...just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him...Christ Jesus is received by grace through faith when a soul confesses with his/her mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in his/her heart that God raised Him from the dead. Likewise living in abundant newness of life is only possible by grace through faith.

This means the question which overshadows every second of a believer's life is: Who reigns?...Who reigns over my thoughts? Who reigns over my emotions? Who reigns over my body? Who reigns over every part of my life?

II Corinthians 5:15 tells us that Christ died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again. Christ's death provided the way for the old man (the fleshly nature) to also die, thereby breaking the power of the old man in the life of any soul that would believe in His death and resurrection. The old man is only able to express himself when he has not been made subject to his Lord, when he is unreconciled to the truth of God.

Our calling is constant reconciliation, consistent alignment, to the truth of God. Alignment with the truth of God is only realized by grace through faith. This means that our mouths must continually confess that Jesus is Lord over every area of our lives and our hearts must continuously believe that His way is the only way of life, the only reality. Through continuous confession and belief, we are being crucified with Christ. By faith, we are bringing the old man's default actions into subjection, and the glorious outcome is Christ living in and through us. The life that is being lived in our body is lived by faith in the Son of God who lovingly gave Himself for us. (Galatians 2:19-20)

A life that is in every particular surrendered to truth is a life that is in every particular reconciled to truth. A truth-aligned life lives in the power of God; that same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is raising us to live in newness of life. Therefore, it is our ministry to live a truth-aligned life, for a life truly reconciled to God's truth causes others to ponder such reconciliation.

Part II will soon follow...

Great Faith, Part II

2009-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

The humility with which the centurion approached Jesus makes me think of the words of Philippians 2:6-8. Describing Jesus Christ, this passage says: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!

Jesus did not demand or cling to His rights as God. He sacrificially released these rights so that He could pay the price for the sins of all mankind. Jesus believed God's plan. He showed that He believed God's plan by submitting to God's authority. In speaking with the Father about the need to pay the world's sin debt, Jesus says, "...if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

Jesus' very life taught great faith. His life was about fulfilling God's will on earth as it was fulfilled in heaven. He recognized the authority of His loving Father and surrendered every claim of entitlement. If anyone could claim entitlement, it was Him, but He released everything to the Father: His body, His reputation, His equality -- all of it was relinquished without expectation. He felt the freedom to say, "Father, I really would like to pass on this one, isn't there another way?" But He did not have expectations regarding God's answer. He knew God loved Him, so He knew God's response would be good, not harmful, and would be marked by love. Period.

Jesus was mocked, beaten and crucified... How can you possibly say God's plan for Jesus was good and not harmful? It may have been good for us, but good for Him?

While Jesus' act of surrender fulfilled God's plan of redemption, it also was the act of faith which effected God's good plan for Him. Though mocked, beaten and crucified, Christ did not stay in the grave. He rose on the third day, and Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. It is true, Jesus relinquished every possession, but He sits now at the right hand of His Father and will ultimately be given the possession of all things.

God's plan is always for the good of those that love Him. This is what Christ wants us to grasp: Great faith, recognizing God's authority over every part of our lives and relinquishing every thought of entitlement, precedes great fulfillment. God loves His children and wants to give them everything that is good, but ultimate fulfillment can only be realized through great faith.

Like the centurion, Jesus wants our lives to be described by the greatness of our faith, for great faith renders all glory to a great God.

Great Faith, Part I

2009-10-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week I was struck by the story of the centurion in Luke 7:1-10. The Lord used the centurion's story to add a new facet to my understanding of faith.

While we are not given the name of the centurion, we are given a very distinct and positive picture of this man: He is not a Jew. He is a Roman soldier, a symbol of Roman occupation within the Jewish homeland. But despite his position as a centurion, he has formed relationships with the Jews (vs. 5) even to the extent that he has built them a synagogue. He is a man who has authority over others (vs. 8), and yet he values those under his authority.

This is a man of character. A man, who upon finding his servant ill, has a desire to see him restored to health. This centurion has heard of Jesus. He knows Jesus has healed others of varying diseases and ailments, so he sends Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant.

After hearing the elders plead with Him on behalf of the centurion, Jesus accompanies the elders to the centurion's house. As Jesus and the elders approach the house, the centurion sends friends out to say these words to Jesus, "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with servants under me, I tell this one 'Go' and he goes; and that one 'Come' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this' and he does it."

These are powerful and humble words. Words filled with an understanding of authority. Jesus is amazed by these words. He tells all those following Him that He has not found faith this great in all of Israel. The friends, who had been sent to talk with Jesus, then return to the centurion's house. Upon returning, they find the servant has been healed.

Jesus said the centurion had great faith. What made his faith great? He believed that Jesus could heal his servant, but there was a deeper level to his faith than just believing Jesus could heal. This centurion recognized Jesus' authority. He knew Jesus needed only to say "Go" and the illness would go from his servant's body. Not only that, he recognized that Jesus did not need to be in the servant's presence in order to heal him. He knew that if Jesus said the word it would be done. Period. This shows that he understood that Jesus' authority was unlike any other authority.

The centurion realized Jesus was the Answer to his servant's need, but he did not feel entitled to that Answer. He sought Jesus with humble recognition of His authority.

Part II will soon follow.....

Now That's Love, Part II

2009-09-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

If it is true that God can only act in love, then there would be no suffering, no evil, no condemnation, right?

No - suffering, evil and condemnation resulted because man did not love God not because God did not love man. Though God gave the first man and woman everything they could have wanted, they still wanted more. They wanted to be the Creator instead of the created. It was an impossible desire, but the allure of choice inflated man with the illusion of power and control.....for if they could break free of the boundary perhaps they could become their own master. The possibility of power was more appealing than relationship with the all-powerful Creator. But what they did not understand is that they were made for relationship with the Creator. When they chose to break free of the boundary, they lost a part of their identity and gained a burden that they were never intended to carry: the burden of being separated from Love and all of the decay that comes with such a separation.

God desired to keep them from ever knowing such decay, that is why He set the boundary. Yet it was God's love, as well as His desire to offer authentic relationship, that enabled them the option of overstepping the boundary. Authentic relationship always carries with it the possibility of rejection.

The hardest aspect for me to understand is God's desire for relationship with a created being when He has perfect relationship within the Trinity...He did not need relationship with man, He wanted relationship with man. He wanted to give life to a creation in His own image, a creation that could feel, think and express, because He wanted to bless that creation.

A Love without selfish intent is very hard to comprehend. You may feel that in creating us God showed selfishness - Didn't He create us for Himself? No, He created us to bless us with Himself, to share Himself with us. He wanted us to experience the perfect relationship that He shares within the Trinity. He is everything good. He is perfect love. To give perfect goodness and perfect love to someone else is not selfishness, it is an act of unnecessary kindness. We were created so that we could know Love -- and Love felt that sharing Love was worth the rejection -- now that's Love!

Now That's Love, Part I

2009-09-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

There are many thoughts from C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity which produce deep thought in me. In fact, often it seems that some of the deepest meditation in me is sparked by Lewis' most simple thoughts. A plethora of ideas formed within me as a result of the following quote by Lewis: "The reason why I hated the things (cowardice, conceit, greed - my bad actions) was that I loved the man". With these words, Lewis was explaining that his love for himself was not evidenced when he liked all of his actions, rather it was in the dislike of his ugly actions that his love for himself was shown. By wanting his life to produce good fruit he is showing that he wants the best for himself. Wanting the best for himself shows that he loves himself.

The constant standard for love is a desire for truth. To love myself means that I desire my life to be built on truth. Likewise, to love others means that I desire their lives to be grounded in truth. As I Corinthians 13:6 says, Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. This is the love that God shows for all of sinful mankind. In Matthew 9:13, Jesus says that He did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Would he call those that He did not love? Would God make a way of restoration if He did not love man? No, His love was relayed when while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God's love is shown in that He desires the very best for every sinner. He does not delight in evil, He knows that evil is the path of destruction. Not wanting any to perish, but longing for all to come to repentance, God's heart is for every man to avoid the path of destruction. Such a desire shows His love for the sinner. But His love is not only shown by His good desire and plan, it is also shown by the allowance that He has given to man. Before the foundation of the world, God created the possibility of choosing relationship with Him or of choosing our own way. This very act of allowance is marked by love. Love says to His created, "I love you too much to make you love Me." God has made an allowance of free choice: He will not make the sinner choose Him. If God made the sinner choose Him, then He would not be loving the sinner; without free choice, the sinner would never experience Love. Those who have chosen Him love Him because He first loved them.

There will be those who do not choose Him. Even though He loves them and made a way for them to know His love, they will not come to recongnize this Love. This will happen because they do not understand that the offer of choice flows from Love. They think that since there is choice then obviously there is something good which God wants to keep from them, some pleasure or power that He does not want them to enjoy. These are their thoughts because they are looking at God through the lens of their own sinful heart and motives. They completely misunderstand a Love that has the power to create them, as well as the power to make them choose Him, and yet does not exercise the latter power.

If they had such power they would exercise it. They would make their creation submit to their every whim. Since God does not do this, He must not be very powerful, actually He must be trying to keep His creation from knowing His weaknesses -what other reason could there be for Him to allow choice? Wouldn't He only allow a choice if He had no choice? I guess in a sense, because He cannot deny Himself, He had no choice: since He is Love, He can only act in love.

Part II will soon follow....

My God Can Help Me Scale A Wall

2009-09-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop, with my God I can scale a wall. -Psalm 18:28-29

God recently used these verses to encourage me regarding the walls that develop in relationships....

To grow and flourish, a healthy relationship needs two people who are committed to the progress of that relationship. Each person must do their part to sustain the relationship. Nevertheless, even in healthy relationships, hurts, misunderstandings and disagreements can quickly arise. Before we can even blink, such hurts can lead to the construction of a formidable wall that stands stubbornly in the midst of that relationship. With God's help, these formidable walls can be scaled.

Yet, just as there are two sides to every relationship, there are two sides to every wall. To abolish the wall completely, both individuals must allow God to help them scale their side of the wall. If both individuals are not committed to the scaling process, then their relationship will cease to progress. Frequently, you will find that one individual is invested in the wall climbing exertion while the other individual has little desire to attempt the endeavor.

When I scale a wall, my goal is to make it to the other side....but what happens when there is a blockage that keeps me from making it to that other side? In this situation I am left with two options: climb back down or sit on top of the wall. This same scenario will often surface with relational walls. We are attempting to get to the other side of our relational wall, but find that our passage is blocked. The person on the other side of that wall is important to us....we desire to see this relationship restored, so we try to reach over the wall, around the wall even through the wall, yet every effort at restoration is met with an impenetrable barricade. At this point, we must decide if we are going to climb back down or if we are going to stay on top of that wall.

If we choose to climb back down the wall, we are essentially erecting our own barricade, a barricade which closes our heart off from forgiveness and freedom. If we choose to stay on top of that wall, we have freed ourselves to love and forgive. The initial barricade may remain, there may not be reciprocity, but we can know a restoration in our own spirit. The peace of God can rule in our hearts....others may not choose to scale the wall to peace, but as far as it depends on us, we can live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

Oh, yes! With my God I can scale this wall and be freed from bitterness, hurt feelings, anger, and even from the impatience that comes when I do not see much progress in the other person's scaling journey. I am not responsible for their side of the wall, nor does the weight of this relationship's success rest solely on my shoulders. By myself, I cannot make this relationship work....I can only trust God to do the work in me that enables me to scale my side of the wall.

Though reconciliation may not result, the scaling effort is not in vain, for the view from atop that wall is clear and unhindered. If scaling efforts are initiated on the other side, my peace-filled heart is prepared. Yet most importantly, because I did not allow a wall to tower over me, my relationship with God will continue to flourish.

Unscaled walls obstruct my relationship with God, but walls scaled in God's strength enrich my intimacy with Him.

Soul-Generosity, Part II

2009-09-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

By surrendering to God's truth over our own fear-filled feelings and emotions, our store of seed is increased and the harvest of our righteousness is enlarged. Simply put, the seed of God's Word is fertilized by our belief thus enabling Christ's fruitfulness to explode through our lives.

When we trust and surrender to God, our soul becomes fat and fortified. We are filled with the means to be soul generous. II Corinthians 9:11 says, You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. To be full of His fruit and overflowing in the richness of His ways is what God desires for each of His children.

He will provide the fortitude, patience, perseverance, kindness, love, etc. that is needed for every occasion. As we believe Him, He supplies everything needed for life and godliness! Along with this, since He is the Storehouse of our soul-generosity, we need not be concerned that our resources will be depleted. Our Storehouse cannot be drained of any resource, so as long as our connnection to the Storehouse is free and unhindered, our supply of soul fruit will thrive.

Yet, it is very important to remember that this fruit is not being cultivated within us so that we can hoard it for ourselves. We are graced so that we may grace others. God wants us to give His generosity to others, to grace them with His love....to be generous in our outlook of others, as God is toward us, for the more soul-generosity we give, the more God will harvest His righteousness within us.

As we rest in God's fruit, through belief and surrendered acceptance, His Spirit will then have a smooth, unobstructed path to express Himself through us -- this is truth being expressed through frailty, light flowing out of a tarnished glass.

I know that of myself, I am ungenerous. Generosity does not flow freely from me, but God has an unending flow -- With God as my confidence and strength, I can walk into any situation with open generosity of soul. God is my shield and my refuge, so I do not need to protect myself. If others do not respond generously toward me nevertheless God always will, for it is His very nature to be generous. Any generosity of soul that is realized through me is of Him and unto His glory. As I trust God's generous nature, I will be equipped to give generously on every occasion.

Soul-Generosity, Part I

2009-08-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.... II Corinthians 9:10-11

God provides in abundant ways. His provision may come in the form of a needed amount of money, it may be that He stretches the monetary and physical resources that He has already provided, or it could mean that He defies all logic by allowing that old vehicle to start up every morning. God loves providing for His children. He has promised to provide our material and physical needs. But the most priceless provision that God promises to His children is provision of the soul. I have come to see that provision of the soul is my greatest need. Because such provision flows directly from my connection to God, it will always be His primary focus in my life.

As II Corinthians 9:10 says, God desires to enlarge the harvest of my righteousness. In other words, He wants my life to be brimming with soul fruit. He does not only want fruit to flow from my life, He wants MUCH fruit to flow from my life. This soul fruit is what Paul describes in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I know this list of soul fruit -- I even desire to be a producer of soul fruit -- but there seems to be a big disconnect between my soul desire and my soul production....perhaps my soul was not equipped with the instructions for fruit-production.....

No, I know this is not the case. I understand that once a soul is in Christ, that soul immediately begins producing fruit, but the amount of soul-fruit production is determined by belief. Unbelief drastically affects soul-fruit production. Do I believe the Provider of this fruit over my own feelings and emotions? Do I want to live His truth more than I want my own way? How many times have I chosen my own way over His and yet still expected Him to empower me? How many times have I chosen selfishness when God wanted to fill me with love and kindness or chosen fearfulness when God wanted to fill me with faithfulness?

When I am choosing my own way, these fruits cannot be harvested in my life. Faith-full-ness cannot be enlarged in me if I am living in fear-full-ness. II Timothy 1:3 says that I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. This is a promise, but in order to receive the bounty of this promise, I must believe this promise. A sound mind filled with love and power is waiting to be realized, not only in my life, but in the life of every Christian.

By grace through faith, such fruits are part of every believer's inheritance in Christ -- will we bend our fear-filled hearts and allow the truth of God to reign supreme in our lives?

Part II will soon follow......

The Performer

2009-08-24T08:00:00.001-07:00

When I was in high school, I enacted a monologue from a play that was written about Anne Boleyn. Anne had been unable to give Henry VIII a male heir, so he found a way to dispose of her. The scene I enacted finds Anne awaiting her execution...it depicts the thoughts of a woman sentenced to death, but not just a woman, a mother. Yes, she had produced a child. Her crime was that the child was female rather than male. She mourns leaving her child behind, mourns that her child must face the world without her.

The monologue was dramatic. I practiced my lines. I memorized them, but then I went past memorization....I began to think as Anne, what she felt, how she hurt and mourned. I empathized with her so deeply that in saying the lines, I became Anne.

At a national competition, I performed Anne's monologue. I poured my empathetic heart into the lines. I had no vision of winning the competition, after all, my piece was a monologue while other competitors entered pieces of complicated and intricate dialogue. Nevertheless, I had thrilled in being Anne. As I stood on that stage, I was Anne Boleyn.

The competition had taken place in the morning and awards would be presented in the evening, so my afternoon was free to take in other performances. As I was walking to a particular presentation, I passed by one of my judges. She looked at me, with a sparkle in her eye, and said, "Hello, Anne". My heart somersaulted within me. In that moment it made no difference to me if I won or lost the competition, my purpose had been realized: Anne's story was lived through me to such an extent that when my judge looked at me she did not see Crysta, she saw Anne Boleyn.

Today, as I was reading James 1, this memory came rushing back to me. James 1:22-23 says, ....receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. I looked up the word doers in the Greek and found that it is the word poietes which means poet or performer. I rolled this thought over and over in my mind. I know that a root of this same word is found in Ephesians 2:10 which says that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. The word workmanship is from the same root word as doers. Workmanship is from the Greek word poiema meaning a product or a thing that is made.

My life is a play, or poem, of God. God has written the lines of the play, and He desires for me to beautifully express the lines of truth that He has written for me. In order to express these lines of truth, I must know the lines of truth, I must memorize the lines of truth...but I need to go past memorization and begin to think these lines of truth. These lines are to be breathed and eaten, they are to become my foundation and my only reality. Each minute of each day, I must stand on truth. To stand on truth requires that I fill my mind with God's lines and allow His lines to replace my default lines. These are not lines of improvisation or lines of my own interpretation, these lines require complete adherence.

Yet God is the Master Playwrite, for He does not require that I find it within myself to perform these lines. No, for anything that He has written, He has arranged a way of execution. Anything that He requires, He supplies. He makes no requirement without also making provision for the requirement. He knows that I am not capable of performing these lines. But the lines were not written for me to perform them, they were written that I would surrender to them. The lines of truth, the lines of God's Word, demand surrender. They are to be accepted as the only truth, the only reality.

Such surrender will mean that I no longer live to quote my own lines. Those error-filled lines have been transformed. Christ, the very Word of the play, has taken command of the sentence structure and has brought the story to life. This was the vision of the Master Playwrite, this story was written with one Performer in mind, no other could enact these truth-filled lines.

And thus the purpose of my play is realized: for as my Judge, peer jury, and a varying gallery of onlookers watch this play, they will not see Crysta, they will see only Christ.

The Ultimate Upgrade, Part II

2009-08-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

II Corinthians 4:16-18 tells us not to lose heart, Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day, for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

The trials of this world cannot tarnish our inheritance in Christ. Every moment of every day Christ desires to make good on the internal-transformation-assurance policy that has been issued in your name. Ephesians 1:3 tells us that we have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. To activate this policy on earthly soil, we must enter the activation code F-A-I-T-H. The Spirit will then remind us of the policy terms by speaking into our heart the words of Romans 12:1, ...offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Hebrews 11:6 promises that this activation code will be accepted and favored by the Father.

Simply put, we must trust Christ's love and surrender to His desires. But I thought you said this policy had no additional cost? If you go to the Frequently Answered Questions document, also known as God's Word, you will find the answer listed in II Peter 2:3-4: His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

The moment you surrendered to Christ's way of salvation and believed that He was the only Way to forgiveness and redemption, He became your Savior. Likewise, Christ is activated to live through you in each and every moment that you surrender to His free reign in your life and believe His truth over your own thoughts, feelings and emotions. Thus, you become a partaker of His divine nature. There truly was no cost to you, it was an even exchange: your decaying and error-filled flesh for His divine power and nature. It actually doesn't sound very even to me. He seems to be getting the raw end of the deal, but He sees it as beautifully and pleasingly even!

As you and I surrender to Christ's loving hands and believe His truth, we will find that our internal-transformation-assurance policy is upgraded with new and fresh benefits. The greatest being: enhanced intimacy with the One who is always new.

The Ultimate Upgrade, Part I

2009-08-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Commercials bombard us with visions of the better and the faster - the newest model of the I-Phone, the latest, most-effective wrinkle cream, the better-equipped vehicle...Such visions lure us into upgrade mania - we want the newest and the best. We rush to buy the latest version, even when our current version is more than adequate. Lately, I have been wondering why we feel such a need for the new and fresh....Why do we want to look and feel younger? Are these feelings and desires only attributed to affective advertising and/or the appeal of worldly fame and success?

I feel certain that there is something greater at the heart of our desire for the new and fresh; in fact, I believe each of us was created with a deep desire for newness, with a strong urge to seek renewal, but we misinterpret these impulses.

These strong desires for the new and the better fill many people with an insatiable lust for more - more of anything that causes them to feel freshly alive or that gives them a sense of greater significance. They long for the unrivaled thrill, the bigger excitement, the best that money can buy, yet none of these pursuits retain their freshness. After just a day, the novelty of that new I-Phone begins to fade; the sensation of the latest thrill has become a pleasant memory. The newness is gone, but the longing for newness remains. This quest for renewal has led to empty sources of instant gratification, and the initial sense of satisfaction faded as quickly as the gratification was acquired.

Longings for newness will never be satisfied through upgraded machines, "fool-proof" creams or roller-coaster screams. These options will always leave behind an after-taste of unfulfillment. Does this mean that we are created with a yearning that cannot be fulfilled? No, it means that we are seeking renewal in the wrong places. The desire for renewal is placed within each of us to lead us to Christ, whose mercies are new every morning. Christ, who is constant and yet has such dimension that the universe itself could not contain the treasures that are waiting to be unearthed about Him. Christ alone is our Source of renewal. He is always fresh. He does not need to be upgraded or restored, but His newness will never fade. He truly is fool-proof. Even greater, He provides an eternal warranty. This eternal warranty requires no supplementary insurance, rather it has a special clause which entitles you to internal transformation assurance at no additional cost.

Part II will soon follow......