Living By Faith, Not by Sight #169

"For we live by faith, not by sight."
2 Cor. 5:7

In 1815 the French Emperor, Napoleon, had conquered the whole of  Europe except Britain.
France fought against Britain in the Battle of Waterloo. If Napoleon won, the whole of Europe would have been enslaved to him. The man who stood between him and victory was General Wellington, the leader of the English troops. The whole of Britain waited anxiously to hear news of the outcome of the battle. Would they be free , or become slaves to Napoleon. To carry the news of outcome of  the battle to England, a ship used flags to signal a message to a man standing on a hill, and so on across the country. The first word, "Wellington",  was signaled...the next word was "defeated". Then a fog quickly descended  and the message was interrupted as they couldn't see what the man on the ship was signaling with his flags. Across England people openly wept over the message: "Wellington defeated". Then the fog lifted , and they could again see the signal pinafores on the ship.
The communication continued with two more words:"the enemy".
The whole message was WELLINGTON DEFEATED THE ENEMY!
The hearts of the British people were immediately changed from deep despair to celebrating victory!

Similarly, there was great sorrow when the body of Jesus was carried from the cross to the tomb.
The signal seemed to say that Jesus Christ was defeated, but three days later the "fog" lifted and the whole message was announced: JESUS CHRIST DEFEATED THE ENEMY!
Through Jesus we have complete victory over our enemeies of sin, death, and satan.
We have new life, a glorious hope, and the certainty of our own resurrection one day.
Let us not live by sight, for everything around us seems to say "Jesus has been defeated".
Let us live according to our spiritual sight , for only then will we be able to see the whole message:
"JESUS CHRIST HAS DEFEATED THE ENEMY!"

-Reprinted from Asia Harvest's guest editorial by Hammie and Alti, missionaries in remote and dangerous areas of Asia

Costly 301

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23 NKJV

Sin is a costly, deadly business.
I was reading Leviticus 4 this morning in which the Lord directed Moses and Israel how to atone for sin ( the sin offering) :
"He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the Lord. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting." (Leviticus 4:4-7 NKJV)

The business of paying for the high cost of sin was an ugly business. It was expensive (only perfect specimens were sacrificed), not to mention gory and bloody. The priests and the altar area were splattered with blood, and I imagine this rivaled any scene from a horror movie. From the time that the sacrificial system was set in place until the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus, the Lamb of God, gave there was a steady increase in offerings. As sin increased so did the need for more and more sacrifices, blood splattering, butchering...death.
The sacrificial system is not practiced any longer, but this doesn't change the payment required for sin: someone has to pay with their life. This may seem like "Christianity 101", but we must-I must-remember (and never forget) the great payment that was made for us all.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, once and for all.
If you suffer from self- esteem issues think about this great truth:
God loves us ( present tense) so much that He sent his only Son to take the punishment we so deserve...ransoming and delivering us from eternal death to everlasting life.

Two Facets of Covenant Relationships 160

Last night I had the privilege of being in the audience at Grace Center with Bethel's Kris Valloton. I'm borrowing from his message, it was so striking. The message was about what real covenant looks like as rooted in the scripture, and there were two powerful take aways that stood out to me:

1) Vulnerability

"After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. "
1 Samuel 18:1-4 NIV

Jonathan and David had become one in spirit, knitted together, and Jonathan so trusted David that he gave David both his own armor and weaponry, in the process making himself transparent and vulnerable to David. Had David been malicious or evil he could've murdered Jonathan, since Jonathan had uncovered and unshielded himself. Jonathan was King Saul's son, more powerful than David, who came from a shepherd family, yet Jonathan renewed his covenant with David three times. Kris talked about "camaraderie being rooted in covenant, but covenants are not rooted in camaraderie" - camaraderie involves two or more parties united against a common foe. Covenant, however, removes the "us vs. them" mindset, and is laced through and through with grace- defined as the operational power of God.
Covenantal love that stands the challenges of life's seasons requires stepping out of our own emotional armor, being summed up by this quote:
"You can only love people to the depths that you will let them hurt you."

2) Covenant or Co-habitation?

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." John 15:12, 13 NIV

In covenant relationships those who have entered are prepared to even lay down their lives for the others, but where there is only cohabitation, those involved are only interested in what they can extract from this arrangement. I'm not just referring to marriage here but neither was Jesus- He was talking to his followers, his friends. Jesus is the incarnation and product of COVENANT,  His human ancestors were those who choose to enter into covenants: Abraham, Ruth, David.
We as followers of Jesus cannot benefit from His teachings unless we are willing to follow Him, as Lord. After all, He tells us that those who want to follow Him- in covenant- must deny themselves and pick up their crosses daily. Crucified on our own crosses are pride, arrogance, judgement, our "rights", our selves. I would submit to you that our self righteousness yanks the nails out of our own crosses and uses them to crucify those we should love and edify.

Kris also discussed the facts that we cannot take "suffering out of the Gospels" ( look at the life of Paul, who called himself an imitator of Christ), and 1 Cor.13:4 reminds us that "love suffers long and is kind", and once again, I was reminded that "grace is the operational power of God."

Climb Every Mountain 176

Mountain tops are exceptional places to be.
They are places where the atmosphere is clear and rarified,
and 360 degree views that extend for many miles are afforded to those who dwell there.
But there is a journey that must be undertaken to arrive there, and it is not an easy or comfortable one. The path is strewn with a variety of obstacles, and it is not for the faint hearted.
The higher  the climb, the greater the potential danger of falling.
Where we place our footing and  what we grasp must be carefully considered and tested.
So it is with our lives.
Often referred to as our "walk", but perhaps more aptly called our "climb"...
We will be stretched to our limits, perhaps even now you may be;
sometimes stumbling, sometimes discouraged,
sometimes exhausted, yes, and sometimes falling.
But climb we must, get up, we must...otherwise the "mountains" in our lives remain towering, confining monoliths that we are unable to see over or around.
Beloved, the climb can't be sustained without supernatural strength that comes from beyond ourselves, from God alone.
With it though, we can be confident as we climb.

"It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way." (Psalm 18:32, 33, 36 NIV)

Life and Light 98

As I got ready to turn in for the night, I turned off my ceiling lamp in the bedroom.
I noticed that there was still quite a bit of light in the room, so I looked around for the source of this light. I discovered it to be none other than the small clock on my bedside table. The clock does have a dimmer feature, so I lowered the intensity of the light. I contemplated how visible the illumination was in the darkness. I found myself reflecting on a spiritual truth:

 "In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4, 5 NIV)

In the darkness of this world and at times and seasons in each of our own lives, there is only one true light. It emanates from the "Son"- Jesus, the light of all mankind. Apart from Him and without His presence, we would find ourselves cast into utter darkness, a place of "weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth" (agony and distress), but in His presence (where He desires us all to be) is light, which translates into many facets. In Him is life- the peace beyond understanding, the joy that is our strength, the Rock to build this life on, provision and healing, a shelter from every storm.

The light of my clock has become a symbol for me.
Darkness may try to overcome us, but the Light of men-Jesus-cannot be overcome.

Hold Your Position! #137

"I have only two men out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold." 
~1stLt. Clifton B. Cates, USMC
in Battle of Belleau Wood, 19 July 1918

I was speaking to a sister in the Lord that I encountered today. When I asked her how things were, she didn't just throw the smily Christian - "I'm blessed!" - veneer at me. Instead she was honest. "Things are a mess right now, and I feel like I am coming apart at the seams..." 
I replied to her, "I totally relate, but God will give us the strength to occupy until He returns." 
I was reminded of the above quote from Lt. Cates, at the legendary WWI Battle of Belleau Wood. There are times that I feel like I'm in a foxhole with Lt. Cates and my sister and I'm sure so many others. The enemy's barrages are bombarding us, as we fend off wave after wave of attacks. 
We may be bloodied and wounded, our ammunition getting scarce. 
Let us not forget who we are in Jesus, just who it is we serve!
God, Adonai Tz'va-ot, (Lord of Armies, literally) tells us : "Hold your position, do not give way to the enemy. Do not be dismayed or discouraged, I am your strength, sword and shield, mighty tower. 
Beloved , so the Lord says : Hold your position! 
Greater is He that is with us than he who is in the world., and He will NEVER leave us or forsake us.
He promised!

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:12-14, 17, 20 NIV

Crossing the Jordan/Opposition

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.” (Numbers 13:1, 2 NKJV)

Moses and the children of Israel had finally come through the wilderness after"taking the scenic route", and there they camped poised on the banks of the Jordan. God had already declared and reaffirmed to His Chosen People that He was giving them the Promised Land. In spite of God's promise, all but 2 of the spies who were sent returned with negative reports. Fear, doubt, discouragement, and anxiety were sown, but among some there was still hope and faith...after all, God had promised, and they had seen and heard with their own eyes and ears too many miracles.
Moses had given Moses a message for each person and also for the entire company:

Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the Lord has said. And the Lord will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. The Lord will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you. Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:1-8 NKJV)

Headed into this new year I understand what the children of Israel felt. Hope and faith are alive, but to be honest, discouragement and its unwelcome companions can sometimes take root.
These negative thoughts are tares sown by the enemy of our souls, the one who is the accuser and discourager.
It is his job to intimidate and immobilize us, and he does it exceedingly well.
But the Word of God tells us that God is love...Perfect love casts out all fear. He promised to go before us...and promises to be with us...even to the end of  age. We know the power of  God, trust trumps worry. Faith, hope, and courage overwhelm discouragement and anxiety...
Enemies vanquished...Land possessed... Promises fulfilled.

Rhetorical Questions/ The Navigator 191

"Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:4-9 NKJV

God asks Adam a rhetorical question here: Where are you?"
The Lord already knew where Adam was, since the Scriptures tell us that nothing is hidden from the King of the Universe. Not only did God know where Adam was located, but He also knew everything that had taken place, He knew Adam's every thought, and what was in Adam's heart.
In spite of Adam's fear he nonetheless fessed up.
He understood there was really no point in hiding from his Creator God.
When the voice of God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, and asks us the same question:
"WHERE ARE YOU?"  it is also not because we are hidden from Him.
It is an introspective call for us to search our hearts.
Our Father, the Lover of us all, is listening, wanting us to "come clean" and admit what He already knows.
God always makes a way for us; He is the ultimate Navigator.
His Word is the only sure lamp and light for us.

'Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left."
Isaiah 30:21 NKJV

Lamp-Lighter/Legacies #161

We buried my brother today. Technically not "buried", as his earthly body was cremated, but we said our good-byes.
I am reminded of the 19th century lamp-lighters, who lit the street lamps on their routes one by one.
Getting to the end of their routes, they could look behind and see the results of their work.
We are all meant to be "lamp-lighters...the lamps are those whom we have a chance to ouch and illuminate. Our legacies are found in relationships and the measure of a person is found through love, not wealth or stuff.
What is your legacy...how are the "lamps" on your "route" doing?

May all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
- Steve Green, Find Us Faithful

Redemption 178

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:1, 2, 9, 12, 15, 16 NKJV)

My brother, Alvin Joel Nemets, Jr., died of a massive stroke on December 20, 2013, at the young age of 57. He was my only brother. He was 15 months older than me,  and bore our father's namesake.
We weren't very close between the years between of 20 and 50 years old. Each of us had gone our own ways. We exchanged occasional phone calls, and I brought Jesus as Lord and Savior up repeatedly over the course of the last couple years, especially after a tremendous awakening I had  followed by my suffering through health trials and nearly dying-passing over-myself.
He was a kind and gentle man, but he was plagued by decades of substance abuse.
Along with that were many relationships that were broken: relatives, friends, wives, and children.
I never knew for sure if he was really listening to me, whether he had really received Jesus as his Lord and Savior, or whether he really understood the gravity, importance, or urgency of this decision.
One day he told me that he had believed, confessed, and been baptized at the church where he and his wife had begun attending!
When he was found by a neighbor the morning of  December 21, he had died on his knees as if he had been praying when he passed into eternity.
Redeemed.
Jesus said that "the last shall be first". Redemption and salvation, a place in our Father's "big big house", is gladly extended by our Redeemer -Yeshua Himself.
It is a most comforting thought to know with certainty that I will see him-as well as so many
others who have passed before him-again.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3 NKJV)

True Identity 231

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,"(Romans 8:14-16 NKJV)

If you are asked who you are how would you respond? Often times the response is: " I'm a... (whatever that person's career/profession is).  We live in a world where identities are often mistaken. People confuse their professions, status and memberships, other attachments to temporal things as who they are, instead of the prospect of  identity given through the spirit of adoption by God the Father and sonship. If identity is related to profession, finances, what is left when there are shakings and these things are stripped away? The apostle Paul was of high birth and status, had a great job as a Gamaliel-schooled rabbi/Torah giant, and  highly respected ...he clearly had been one who identified himself through these things, and yet read what he wrote when he "got it": "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8 NIV). I have written this post not as an indictment against anyone, but because I am traveling down this road  and even now have not gotten to the end of it.  Our identities are meant to be wrapped up in knowing Jesus. My goal is singular: To know and be apprehended by Jesus, to remain focused on Knowing Him alone. I am focusing on the great truth that His worth surpasses everything else, but it's not always that easy. Nonetheless, my hope, my peace, my joy and content-my everything-can only be found in Him alone.  The demolition and transformation that life as a followers of Jesus brings will continue until last moment on earth. Ruth Bell Graham's gravestone reads:"End of construction...thank you for your patience!"

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." (John 1:12, 13 NIV)

Blue

"The people living in darkness have seen a great light, and on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 4:16

The holidays are again upon us, and although we are admonished to be filled with "Christmas cheer" there are many who have the holiday blues, living in the darkness brought on by depression, anxiety, worry, sickness, lack, and more. Caught in this web of darkness, they ...we...me can lose sight of the truth-the revelation that the Light dawned over 2000 years ago. The advent of God, Yeshua, coming down so that we could come up, Im-anu-el, God-with-us... God sending His only Son, forsaking heaven to bring the greatest gift to the race of men.
"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:9, 10 NIV
Good news...great joy...abounding mercy, grace, furious love, deliverance, protection, provision ...He is worthy of all adoration, worship, and our trust.
So beloved, not just in this season, but always, let us turn our eyes upward, not inward.

Overcoming Envy

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

Thankfulness and gratefulness are essential keys to life. They are weapons that combat envy and covetousness, those dark emotions and desires that came from the devil himself. Envy creates focus on things that are not ours, but someone else's. Envy creates jealousy, fuels animosity and anger, and regardless of what is possessed or supplied to the envious it is never enough...envy is insatiable in its very nature. 

When we choose to thank God in all things, in spite of situations and circumstances that may be difficult, we exercise faith which by very definition is "things hoped for that are yet unseen " we please our Abba. Regardless of what difficulties may be in front of us or we are in the middle of,  the Word of God reminds us that we are not forgotten. We serve a mighty God who hears our praises and prayers and He is so good, even when current circumstances are difficult and uncomfortable. 

Give thanks to the Lord!

Fascinations 205

"Whatever fascinates us will guide us, so I pray that the only thing that will fascinate me is God and His marvelous glory."
~ AW Tozer

Fascination: A powerful attraction, something so overwhelming that everything else pales in comparison (my definition).
 I am fascinated, overwhelmed by the One who made me. Constantly fascinated by His love, His magnificence, and awestruck by Him.

"One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."
Psalm 27:4 NIV

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God."
Psalm 42:1 NIV

I want to see my Father's glory,  to be awash in the radiance of all that He is.
I want to be overtaken by God's radiance, ignited as a tinder-dry forest is set ablaze.
Staying fascinated though means setting my face like flint, focused on Him.
To be honest it's not always that easy for me though.
Storms do come.
I cannot bow to distractions and pressures of this life, regardless of their origins.
The trials that come are not meant to discourage or distract, but rather to draw,
keeping me face to face with Him.
I don't want preoccupation with media, electronics (even my beloved Apple devices), sports,etc. to interfere with my Magnificent Obsession.
Nothing else is worthy of my devotion, my fascination with Him.
If I sound to you like an incurable lovesick fanatic I'm more than okay with that.
Like Tozer, I pray that the only thing that will fascinate me is God Himself-and His marvelous glory.

Keep Digging 64

"Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.
So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where he settled. Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.” "
Genesis 26:17, 19-22 NIV

There are times in our lives when things go so wonderfully. The wells we have dug are flowing with refreshing water. Plans execute with perfection, our cups run over brimming with dreams fulfilled, a full hearts, and life abundant.
But when we are in times and  seasons of dryness, trudging through a desert as our enemies clog up our "wells" how do we respond?
This is not theoretical or rhetorical to me. For those of you who read me regularly you have probably noticed my posts have been fewer, less regular.  It seems as if sometimes my "wells" have been messed with-by the enemy who are always doing all he can to shut me down, cutting off the flow of joy, creativity, spiritual insight, and all the gifts and blessings that emanate from my Father.
The solution which was spoken over and into me as a brother prayed over me today: keep digging! Keep shoveling through adversity, discouragement, fear, and doubt as The Lord Himself takes me into new seasons and wide open places, Rechovot, where hope and faith are restored as fresh waters revive and replenish.
Keep digging!

Perfect Timing/ Faith or Experience 180

"We should battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to The Lord Jesus. We must break out of our own little world of experience into abandoned devotion to Him. Think who the New Covenant says Jesus Christ is! and then think of the despicable meager ness of the miserable faith we exhibit by saying, " I haven't had this experience or that experience"! Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides- he can present us faultless before the throne of god, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified....How can anyone who is identified  with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief."
"Faith or Experience"
Oswald Chambers,
My Utmost For his Highest, November 13

Yesterday I did not get out of bed till 10:30.
To be honest I have had moody moments,
tough times of  roller coaster emotions as of late when selfish feelings have gotten the best of me.
But God's timing is always perfect for every reason.
Here is some of  the resulting prayer that I journaled:

"Father forgive me for allowing dryness and weariness to cover me instead of your glory, peace, and joy. There are times when I feel like disappointment and unfulfilled expectations overwhelm me and cause me to mope about like a spoiled child. Instead of rejoicing in your extravagant love, grace, and mercy, I've complained about small things. Forgive me when I've sat immobilized covered in the dust of doubts, fear, and faithlessness, even as you are before me, waiting for me to allow you to wash away these things. Help me, Lord, to step out out that sinking boat I've been sitting in, and walk where I didn't think possible because of thoughts that I was not gifted enough, holy enough, not worthy of your calling. Help me to hear your voice and embrace your words of love, tenderness, encouragement, affirmation, and grace."

Reminders 204

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"
Matthew 6:26, 27 NKJV

This week I received a reminder from my Father that no situation is unseen by Him, not even the smallest of needs. We have a 5 year old Civic that has metallic paint. It has 100,000+ miles on it, it has been a great car and to be sure my attention to taking good care has contributed to the great condition. In the last couple months though, I had noticed that the paint on the roof of the car has started to become chalky and faded rather suddenly. I wondered how this happened and begun to wonder if the previous owner had done  undisclosed, shoddy repair work. There was no record of it if this was the case, but it really bothered me. I began to think of how I was going to manage to get this refinished as money has been tight.
Two days ago I received a notice in the mail from Honda informing me of a factory defect in the paint finish of certain Civics - and ours was one of them! Next week the roof of the car is going to be repainted compliments of Honda, but really, compliments of a Father God who chose to do small thing to remind a son that He loves me and that He's totally got this handled-as well as every other need.

Prayer: Father forgive us for sometimes worrying and wondering about how our needs will be taken care of. Help us to jettison any poverty mentality clinging to us, and walk in our true identities as sons and daughters of the King of the Universe, AMEN.

Remembrances/A Letter To My Father

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 
Exodus 20:12

Yesterday was October 22, and being the sentimentalist I am, I remember important dates. I find that I don't have to write some dates onto my calendar, they're just engrained into my consciousness. October 22 is such a date-the anniversary of my father's passing.
Below is a letter I've written to my father:

Dear Dad,
It's hard to believe that you have been gone 24 years. I am so thankful that you lived to be 82, and considering that you were 50 when I was born I consider myself blessed that I had you for 32 years.
I have some great memories of you, Dad, remembrances I cherish: the horseplay at bedtime when you tickled me till I couldn't breathe... you carrying me to bed when I was a little boy when I feigned falling asleep in front of the TV... the scent of your cologne...your amazing cooking when you were home. Your career managing restaurants kept you very busy and I didn't get to spend a lot of time with you when I was young. I find that I took your life span for granted, that somehow I never really considered the inevitability of your passing. I had so many questions I wanted to ask you, but I can't now. I knew that you wouldn't live forever. You had a couple bouts with cancer, but I did not rearrange my schedule in order to spend more time with you, especially the last 2 years.
I wanted to know so much more about your life but the opportunity never came. I wanted to share with you  the changes that Yeshua had made and continued to make in my life, and I know that you saw how different I had become, but time slipped away. I know that you did not understand my decision to believe in Him but you still loved me.  I was a newlywed and my job required many of my hours.
Although I wish that I could go back and do things differently I can't.
Today I choose to be thankful.
I thank God for you, for the love you gave me, and for those positive qualities I received as your son. I choose to embrace, cherish, and honor my memories of you. Today I only know in part, "seeing through the mirror dimly" as Paul said,  but one day "I will know and be fully known", and in that day I look forward to seeing you again.
I love you,
Hugh

Daily 184

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Galatians 2:20

When I received Jesus as my Savior, I came just as I was, and He received me that way, covered in all my filth, brokenness, and corruption. I had no idea what it meant to be crucified with Him; I didn't understand what it meant to be baptized into His death. I thought that I'd just be able to put on the "saved and born-again coat" spotless and white, over the soiled personage of who and what I was, and that would suffice. 
His sacrifice, His effort, all to my benefit, yes, but I thought that I'd just coast along.
In the beginning of my walk, I thought just Jesus got up on His cross so I didn't have to, Praise God. Yes, He paid the ultimate penalty for me, but early on I had no idea there was a great transformation that would be required. 
He loved me so much He wouldn't-couldn't-let me stay the way I was(Romans 12:2).

"Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,and follow Me."

Luke 9:23

I didn't understand that there was a cross, custom-made with my name on it, if I were to follow Jesus, I would be required to pick it up daily. Luke 9:23..there it is...the term daily, not occasionally when I felt like it, no-it is written just like the dosage instructions for an important medication. If I wanted to follow Him then I had to carry my own, just as Jesus had.  Only room for one.
My natural fleshy nature has to die if my spiritual man is to thrive. 
The process prescribed is not elective, it cannot be transferred or allayed. 
My cross...daily...
Maybe I'm stating the obvious here. 
To most of us the Scripture I am referencing here are well known, as we nod with acknowledgement. 
No pain no gain, we say.
Yet how many of us can gladly carry their own crosses as if to say through every painful experience, "Thank you Lord, may I have another..."
I know that in and of myself I can't; I'm just being honest here, but thankfully the weight of it is offset by the easy yoke that He has promised to give me to lighten the load.

No Questions 179

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. 
Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." 
I Corinthians 13:12 NKJV

I was having this conversation with my daughter the other day about one of God's saints, Corrie Ten Boom. I have been posting a few of her quotes lately on my Facebook;
I mentioned that I can't wait to meet her, that I have so many questions I want to ask  her.
As I said this I thought about all the others I can't wait to meet.
My Father-God, and the Son, let me not forget Holy Spirit, and all those in the great cloud of witnesses.
Holy Spirit showed me that there would be no need to verbally ask-
we will just know all of it!
Think about that: we will know and be known-instantly.
All of life's mysteries...the answers to all of the hardest questions here, such as the untimely deaths of those we loved and valued. The difficult times and circumstances that directed our paths as we journeyed through our earthly lives...we will have an ah-ha moment that will be like a supernova exploding. All of it driven by the furious love of our Father who always purposes all things to work together for good.
So, with this in mind I find myself at a greater level of peace knowing there will be only answers and revelation when we are finally face-to-face.